《Konoha Hypocrite》


 CH 1

    Editor Notes:


    Uchiha clan is among one of the four noble clans of the Konoha Village known for its battle prowess.


    Sharingan is a visual prowess specific to the Uchiha Clan, which can also be called a ¡®copy ability¡¯. While using the Sharingan, the user can replicate the attack movements of his opponent. Sharingan awakens with one tomoe, and three tomoe indicate full maturity of the Sharingan.


    Chunin is one of the ranks of the shinobis or ninjas of Konoha. The beginning rank after a Student is Genin, followed by Chunin, different levels of the Jonin rank, and the Kage (chief).


    Will of Fire is Konoha village¡¯s core ideal.


    Kunoichi: a term used for female practitioners of ninjutsu, female ninjas.


    Hokage: Chief and the highest-ranked individual of the Konoha Village.


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    Konoha Village.


    The edge of the Uchiha clan¡¯s territory.


    Six-year-old Uchiha Tunan was kneeling outside the door, gazing at the distant setting sun.


    His clothes were in a mess and full of dust. The several shoe print impressions on his back were particularly clear.


    Uchiha Tunan, more accurately, the soul within this body, was a transmigrator. It had already been three months since he transmigrated to this world. The original owner¡¯s soul might have already been absorbed or passed over to the Pure Land.


    The ¡®golden finger¡¯, a form of ¡®cheat¡¯ that seems to accompany transmigrators in most cases, the present Uchiha Tunan awoke was called the Legacy Inheritance System. As long as the people who acknowledged him died, he could inherit all abilities of the deceased.


    There were many acknowledgment types he could inherit like this, such as strength, emotion, idol, and so on. But ever since he transmigrated, the system prompted that only Tunan¡¯s parents had reached the required standard of ¡®acknowledging¡¯ him.


    Tunan¡¯s parents were members of the Konoha Police Force and were considered talented. They had both awakened the three tomoe Sharingan, a formidable visual ability inherent to the Uchiha clan.


    As for Tunan himself, while he had long begun practicing how to refine his chakra under the guidance of his parents, his innate talent was too weak. According to the current progress rate, the highest achievement in his lifetime would only be as a mid-ranked chunin.


    Awakening the Sharingan was left to fate or a chance encounter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me, I also have no other way out,¡± Tunan muttered to himself. He then lowered his head, put on a dejected look, and calmly waited for his parents to return.


    A while later Tunan¡¯s parents, Uchiha Yanbo and Uchiha Nanako, returned home. When they had just set foot at the door, their first sight was the miserable image of their son with bruises and his messed-up garb.


    Nanako looked at her son with distress. However, the Uchiha clan had always been one where men had the final say, especially in context to the next generation¡¯s upbringing. She stood there quietly, waiting for her husband to speak.


    Uchiha Yanbo frowned a little and said indifferently, ¡°Bullied by your classmates?¡±


    Tunan nodded in low spirits.


    Yanbo then said in a stern tone, ¡°Then train harder and beat them back. The Uchiha Clan doesn¡¯t need weak people.¡±


    He walked past Tunan and entered the house. Nanako reached out wanting to help her son get up, but Uchiha Yanbo¡¯s angry yell from inside the house stopped her.


    ¡°Leave him alone!¡±


    Nanako hesitated, but she ultimately retracted her hand and headed to the kitchen to cook. Uchiha Yanbo poured himself a cup of sak¨¦ inside the house.


    ¡°That Kakashi is too hateful,¡± Tunan¡¯s sobbing voice could be heard from outside the door.


    Uchiha Yanbo paused for a moment hearing this. He took a sip and said in a slightly relaxed manner, ¡°Kakashi? Lord White Fang¡¯s son? It¡¯s expected that you are no match for him. So, you should train harder to catch up with him. Why were you fighting anyway?¡±


    Looking desolate, Tunan got up, wiped his tears with his hands, and answered aggrievedly, ¡°Today, I said that my Lord Father and Lord Mother are the members of the police force and its pride. But right in front of me, Kakashi said that you two are cowards. You don¡¯t dare to go to the battlefield and just hide in the village bullying civilians. All the strong members of the clan have gone to the frontline, only the trash chose to stay behind. I couldn¡¯t bear it¡­¡±


    Crack!


    Uchiha Yanbo smashed the wine cup in his hand; his mood to drink had disappeared completely. He took a deep look at Uchiha Tunan, slowly got up, and walked into the bedroom.


    ¡°After eating food, go to the courtyard to practice your throwing techniques.¡±


    Tunan nodded with tears on his face. After dinner, he came to the courtyard with several kunai, and facing the target hanging on a tree branch, he practiced as he was told.


    ¡­He missed all the targets.


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    In the bedroom, Uchiha Yanbo and Uchiha Nanako sat seiza style, facing each other. The atmosphere was slightly solemn.


    ¡°Did you truly make up your mind? The battlefield is very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I had always felt that Tunan¡¯s poor talent has lost the Uchiha Clan face. I never thought that, as his father, I was also trash in others¡¯ eyes. Tomorrow, I will report to the elders and go to the frontlines. As the father, I must lead by example. I want to let Tunan know that his father is not a coward or useless.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Just stay at home and take care of Tunan.¡±


    ¡°No, as a member of the Uchiha clan, he should also learn to be independent.¡±


    As his parents spoke, Tunan was looking towards the house throwing kunai and thought to himself:


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If you two don¡¯t die, it will be very hard for me to take the first step. Isn¡¯t the Will of Fire about striving for dedication? Then, you two should dedicate your lives to me.


    Although I¡¯m not your son, in the future, I will sleep with many kunoichis with good genes and pass down this body¡¯s bloodline. Go on your way and accompany your son earlier. It¡¯s better to die at the hands of the enemy than to die at the hands of clansmen later.¡±


    These thoughts were rather evil. He had just transmigrated a few months ago and taken over someone else¡¯s body, but he was already scheming to let the other party¡¯s parents die. How come he was increasingly becoming like a ninja?


    Soon afterward, he threw a kunai again, which made a beautiful parabola in the air and fell to the ground.


    Missed the target again.


    In the bedroom, Uchiha Yanbo heard the continuous sounds of the kunai falling, each thump increasing his determination to go to the battlefield.


    The next day. Ninja Academy.


    Today marked the end of the mid-year term. All students had to take the half-term examination scheduled for the afternoon. In the morning, the academy students assembled on the training ground, where Lord Hokage was to preach about the Will of Fire.


    Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen stood on the platform and glanced at the students below. He cleared his throat and began his address. Just after saying a few words, though, Sarutobi Hiruzen noticed something was amiss. Most of the students looked at him with admiration. However, a first-grade student was casting a confused look at him.


    The Hokage frowned. After thinking for a bit, however, he did not find anything wrong with what he just said.


    ¡°Perhaps, this child¡¯s comprehension power is too low to understand this.¡±


    He stopped paying more attention to the matter and proceeded with his speech. Halfway through, though, he suddenly noticed that the doubt in that student¡¯s eyes had disappeared. Moreover, it had turned into a look of sudden realization.


    Hiruzen nodded in his heart. ¡°Very good, it seems this boy is listening sincerely.¡±


    His voice became a bit louder.


    By the end of his speech, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s countenance had indeed changed into deep admiration, just like everyone else. But Hiruzen could see that Tunan¡¯s look was different from others. The other people admired his identity, but Tunan was truly convinced by the principle he just preached.


    Thinking of this, made Sarutobi Hiruzen nod in satisfaction.


    ¡°This boy will become a useful tool in the future.¡±


    After completing his speech, Sarutobi Hiruzen left with all students bidding him farewell. Just before leaving, he gave Tunan a meaningful look. Seeing this, the young Uchiha immediately trembled with excitement.


    Later at noon, Tunan returned home. As expected, the house was already empty, leaving just a tableful of meals and a note. The handwriting on the note was neat and pretty. It was obviously written by his mother.


    The note more or less explained that the two had already set out towards the battlefield, and they hoped that he would take care of himself.


    Study hard, train hard and strive to become a powerful ninja in the future. Enough money was left in the bedroom, but they still hoped that Uchiha Tunan wouldn¡¯t be wasteful and so on. Everything needing attention was written. Just the last line showed Uchiha Yanbo¡¯s tone.


    In the Uchiha Clan, there are no cowards or trash.


    After reading the note, Uchiha Tunan sighed and stored the note.


    ¡°Have a good trip! Don¡¯t return alive.¡±

 CH 2

    Editor¡¯s Notes:


    Konoha¡¯s Will of Fire alludes to the ideology that love and loyalty are above all else.


    Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, is also called Lord Sandaime. Similarly, Lord Shodaime and Lord Nidaime are titles used for Konoha¡¯s first and second chiefs.


    Anbu (short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai) is a special assassination and tactical squad made of capable ninjas that are dispatched by the village leader (Hokage)


    Taijutsu and Ninjutsu are both fight techniques; Taijutsu specifically refers to physical combat and fight skills while Ninjutsu refers to ninja techniques.


    Uchiha Tunan walked into the bedroom, took out a diary, and began writing.


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    July 1:


    Today in school, Lord Sandaime delivered a speech about the Will of Fire. In the beginning, I didn¡¯t understand it very well. But because of his simple explanation, it gradually made sense.


    I have summarized it below¡­ (3,000 words omitted)


    Oh, that¡¯s right, today, father and mother left behind a note saying they went to the battlefield. I wish them the very best.


    Tunan shut the diary after making the entry and placed it in a conspicuous place. This journal would be very useful in the future. He was not sure whether Nanako and Yanbo would die on the battlefield. Even if they did, he needed to make more plans, and that would involve risk.


    The next day, he headed to the largest bookstore in Konoha. The store¡¯s owner was a bespectacled old man. Upon seeing Tunan walk in, the owner greeted him with a warm smile, ¡°Welcome, young Uchiha, what do you need?¡±


    ¡°Hello, I want to buy books on ninjas, the more the better.¡±


    ¡°I think you should go to the Ninja Academy. Our bookstore is not allowed to sell books on ninja techniques. We have several titles that ninjas need to pay attention to as well as books on spying, assassination, and so on. But these are not suitable for you.¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s a book on ninjas, I want them all,¡± Tunan¡¯s objective this time was exactly these books.


    The store owner stroked his chin and remarked with delight, ¡°Want them all? Alright, it¡¯s a deal. But this is a no-return, no-refund purchase.¡±


    In the face of making a quick buck, the store owner ignored his conscience of selling inappropriate reading material to a young boy and fetched out several books, putting them into a bag.


    ¡°There are many good storybooks here as well. Do you want them?¡± Since he came across a rare foolish spendthrift, the owner wanted to milk the opportunity for all its worth.


    ¡°Are there any books on the Hokage?¡± Tunan calmly asked.


    ¡°There are. This is a book about Lord Shodaime, this one is on Lord Nidaime, and this is about Lord Sandaime. Also, Sandaime personally signed this book, ¡®Will of Fire¡¯. Do you want a copy?¡±


    ¡°I want them all.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tunan walked out of the bookstore hauling a large bag of books on his back.


    The elated bookstore owner was waving his hands at him, ¡°Thank you for your patronage! You will become a great ninja one day.¡±


    He made a big profit!


    After he returned home, Tunan sorted the books into different categories. He placed the book ¡®Will of Fire¡¯ on the table and the books on the Hokages¡¯ achievements on his bedside. He kept behind one more book on ninja techniques and placed the rest in the cupboard.


    Once all was in order, he opened the book titled ¡®Trap Deployment Manual¡¯ and began reading it carefully. In this dangerous ninja world, one must learn first to survive.


    Konoha was relatively peaceful right now but it was wise to be cautious. The first step right now was choosing the right team. Otherwise, it would be easy to fall into permanent slumber.


    The correct choice for Tunan was to firmly latch on to Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s side. This meant he would have to use various ways to express his feelings and expound his loyalty.


    The ninja profession entailed high attack and low defense, similar to assassins. Regardless of how extraordinary one¡¯s output was, a single stab in the neck was enough to end a life. Therefore, taking advantage of the current time to learn entrapment tricks might prove useful even if it was not worthwhile.


    ¡­¡­


    Since Tunan belonged to the children left behind, those whose parents were on the frontline, the elders would often come to express sympathy. But the moment someone entered the room, it was hard to miss the copy of the ¡®Will of Fire¡¯ lying on the table. Most would angrily rebuke him and leave in a huff.


    Even the more tolerant Uchiha clan members severely admonished Tunan seeing the various books on the previous Hokages.


    Regardless of how others persuaded him, Tunan¡¯s eyes were filled with stubbornness.


    ¡°You should not speak like this about the Lord Hokage.¡±


    ¡°Tunan, you are a member of the Uchiha clan, you must give the highest priority to your clan.¡±


    Compared to the other Uchihas, this senior clan member was considered gentle. But looking at the unshakeable Tunan, he too turned away with a snort.


    The incident prompted Tunan to write in his diary again.


    I don¡¯t understand why the clan members cannot understand the Will of Fire? Have they even read this book?


    Perhaps, Lord Sandaime¡¯s thoughts are too high or the clan members¡¯ hearts are too shallow.


    As long as they calm down and carefully read and understand it, they will know just how advanced Lord Sandaime¡¯s thoughts are in governing the village.


    After reading for the past few days, I have summarized the basic points I have learned from the three Lord Hokages as well.


    Lord Shodaime teaches that we must learn to unite.


    Lord Nidaime¡¯s achievements show that we must learn to exert ourselves.


    As for Lord Sandaime, his approach is that we must learn to protect.


    These three points influence me deeply. I have benefited especially from Lord Sandaime¡¯s conviction to protect. I have decided to strengthen my beliefs, ignore rumors, protect Konoha as my duty and pledge my life to follow in Lord Sandaime¡¯s steps.


    With Lord Sandaime¡¯s will¡­ (omitted 8,000 words)


    By the way, my mother sent me a letter today, asking me to take care of myself. I will obey her.


    Fortunately, it was against Uchiha principles to rummage through other people¡¯s belongings. If they were to see this diary¡¯s content, they might use the Great Fireball Technique to burn Tunan alive.


    The Uchihas did seem to have lower standards in gossiping though. Especially when they came across things they deemed disdainful, they would spread it far and wide. After fermenting for a few days, Tunan¡¯s matter spread through the entire clan.


    ¡°That imp of Yanbo stays at home all day long, reading Sandaime¡¯s Will of Fire.¡±


    ¡°Useless imp! He doesn¡¯t realize strength is everything.¡±


    ¡°I heard that imp was ranked bottom in the Ninja Academy¡¯s half-term examination, just like Obito.¡±


    ¡°Those two dishonor our clan¡¯s glory.¡±


    ¡°I want to ask the elders to expel this kid from the clan.¡±


    ¡°The elders won¡¯t agree. After all, both his parents are fighting on the battlefield.¡±


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    ¡°When his parents return, I will personally go and ask them how they raised that imp.¡±


    ¡°Yanbo has been a chunin all these years, and Nanako is the same. They are nothing but trash, who gave birth to trash.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. If the elders hear it, they will punish you.¡±


    These whispers eventually reached Hiruzen¡¯s ears through the Anbu.


    In the Hokage¡¯s office, after listening to a report on the Uchiha clan, Hiruzen blew out a smoke ring and said, ¡°Uchiha Tunan? It turned out to be that child. He truly is perceptive.¡±


    Hiruzen retrieved the Ninja Academy examination results from a drawer.


    ¡°This child is very good in some subjects but very poor in others.¡±


    On his report card, Tunan¡¯s theoretical knowledge ranked first but he was at the bottom in taijutsu and ninjutsu. Uchiha Obito was the worst in the overall score because he got a zero in theoretical knowledge. In taijutsu, though, he was slightly better than Tunan.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity,¡± Hiruzen shook his head, and placed the report cards back, no longer paying any attention to Tunan.


    A useless person without strength was at most a mere loyal civilian. His value in the future would be nothing more than cheering for the Hokage from the sidelines.

 CH 3

    Editor¡¯s Notes:


    ¡®Acknowledgment¡¯ is the attribute of the ¡®Legacy Inheritance System¡¯ that the main character, Uchiha Tunan, awakened when he crossed over to the Naruto World. Once a person that acknowledges him dies, Tunan will inherit all his or her abilities.


    There are six ranks in Jutsu (techniques). E-rank (fundamental level), D-rank (genin level), C-rank (chunin), B-rank (jonin), A-rank (kage or jonin) and S-rank (secret or extreme level)


    Time flew by, and the holidays were over in the blink of an eye. Uchiha Tunan had learned a lot about trapping, assassination, camouflage, and poisoning techniques by now. So far, the system did not send him any alerts, implying that his parents were still alive.


    Two chunin cannon fodders, how come their lives were so firm?


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    Tunan was vexed. He couldn¡¯t simply sit still and wait for their deaths. It was clear which political side he had to stand on. The next step was to show his value.


    If he wanted to be stronger, he could only gain acknowledgment and then kill that person. However, in a head-on battle, he couldn¡¯t even defeat Obito, the lowest-ranked at the Ninja Academy.


    The only remaining way was to covertly assassinate.


    As for the ideal target, that would be someone who was not too strong or too weak, and it would be best if the person had no clue about ninja assassination techniques.


    In short, he could only start with the students at the Academy.


    Tunan was a first-year student. His target pool was the second or third-year students. Anyone who scored high in strength but low in intellect would be optimal. With strength, after inheriting the person¡¯s ability, he could be outstanding among his peers.


    As for why weak in intellect, because that would make it easier to kill that person.


    The plan was divided into three steps.


    Gain acknowledgment, assassinate, deal with the aftermath.


    He must not make any errors in any of these steps.


    Gaining acknowledgment was a prerequisite for inheriting abilities. The assassination process was as good or bad as his plan. As for dealing with the aftermath, that could be troublesome. If the Anbu were alarmed, then with Tunan¡¯s limited resources, it would be very hard to run or hide.


    Thinking of this, Tunan¡¯s eyes flashed with pallid light.


    ¡­¡­


    The Ninja Academy opened the next day. This time, Sarutobi Hiruzen didn¡¯t deliver any speech. It seemed that the war on the frontline had fallen into a stalemate.


    During the recess, Tunan quietly left his classroom and headed to the third-year classroom.


    ¡°Tianxiong-san,¡± Tunan waved his hand at Uchiha Tianxiong, looking excited.


    Tianxiong was a third-year student, who ranked sixth overall in the Academy. The first ranker was also from the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Zhewu.


    Hearing his name being called out, Tianxiong looked over and was a little surprised. At a glance, he recognized Tunan, the trash that the clan members had been talking about.


    He ignored him but couldn¡¯t do so for long. Due to Tunan¡¯s continuous calling, Tianxiong had to walk out of the classroom. He coldly asked, ¡°Little imp, why are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°I heard that Tianxiong-san is the number one genius among the graduates. Can I train with you?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Tianxiong responded indifferently but the corners of his mouth rose slightly. This pleased him very much.


    After thinking for a bit, he casually remarked, ¡°Zhewu¡¯s grade is the highest. I am just sixth. Why don¡¯t you look for him?¡±


    Looking confused, Tunan said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Zhewu-san¡¯s overall grade good because of his high scores in the theory exams?¡±


    ¡°Your vision is unique. For a ninja, strength is the key. I don¡¯t bother with those theory classes. I train in the clan¡¯s northern training ground every day. If you want to come, you can come. If I have time, I will give you some pointers.¡±


    After speaking, Tianxiong put his hands in his pockets and returned to the classroom without looking back.


    As for Tunan, he cheered and ran back to the first-year classroom, completely exhibiting a child¡¯s demeanor.


    In the third-year classroom, Tianxiong had just returned to his seat, when Zhewu turned around and said to him lightly, ¡°Tianxiong, don¡¯t interact with that trash. He is the clan¡¯s scourge.¡±


    ¡°Who are you to care about my matters!¡± Tianxiong snapped.


    ¡°Humph!¡± Zhewu reciprocated in equal terms and turned back.


    As soon as school was over, Tunan came to the clan¡¯s northern training ground. As expected, Tianxiong was practicing the fire-style technique here.


    ¡°Fire Style, Great Fireball Technique.¡±


    Boom¡­


    A blazing fireball was released from his mouth and smashed into the pond next to the training ground.


    ¡°Wow¡­ amazing,¡± Tunan stood there in shock.


    Tianxiong turned his back to Tunan and smiled. He had already noticed Tunan¡¯s arrival. The Great Fireball Technique was purely a show-off.


    ¡°Little imp, you came,¡± Tianxiong turned around and said indifferently.


    ¡°Tianxiong-san is so amazing. You can actually expel such a big, big fireball,¡± Tunan spread his hands and drew a big circle in the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a C-rank fire-style jutsu,¡± Tianxiong was pleased with Tunan¡¯s reaction. He pointed to a wooden stake and said, ¡°Your physique is too weak. Begin with taijutsu training first.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Tianxiong-san,¡± Tunan walked in front of the wooden stake, looking excited, and began to hit it earnestly.


    His taijutsu was indeed too poor. Tianxiong couldn¡¯t help giving pointers time and again, but the result was still unsatisfactory.


    Practicing till sunset, Tunan sat on the ground, panting. He was exhausted. Tianxiong too was very tired, but he kept a cool look to maintain his image. With his hands stuck in his pockets, he stood in front of Tunan and said with disdain, ¡°Barely started training and you are already like this.¡±


    Tunan looked dejected. He buried his head between his legs and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I disappointed Tianxiong-san.¡±


    ¡°I have heard about you from the other clan members. Why do you have those foolish thoughts?¡± Tianxiong asked.


    Hearing this question, Tunan lowered his head deeper and said in a sad voice, ¡°Because I am trash, my father and mother do not like me, and the clan members spurn me. Only Lord Sandaime would smile at me. I feel that Lord Sandaime truly loves the village, and loves us.¡±


    So, this turned out to be the reason. The soul of the weak instinctively needed to depend on the strong. Tianxiong immediately understood. His tone was no longer too indifferent, and he said, ¡°In the future, you must attach most importance to the clan. Otherwise, I will not teach you.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you,¡± Tunan stood up and bowed deeply to Tianxiong.


    Tianxiong could hear the polite refusal in Tunan¡¯s words, and a hint of anger appeared in his eyes. He turned around and said, ¡°Go away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Tunan apologized again. He took out a book from his pocket and handed it over.


    ¡°This is my gift to Tianxiong-san. Thank you for your guidance in training me.¡±


    Hearing Tunan¡¯s words, Tianxiong turned back, and with his gaze focused on the book, he coldly asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Tunan sincerely answered, ¡°During the vacation, I read the theory courses from the higher grade curriculum. I have written down some important points that could be useful in the examination. I hope that Tianxiong-san will truly become the number one graduate.¡±


    Tianxiong fell into a daze hearing this. When all was said and done, most of the Uchihas were arrogant. They would never easily convey their feelings. Therefore, most Uchiha clan members had never received gifts.


    Tianxiong was no exception. Seeing the notes painstakingly put together by a junior schoolmate, his heart involuntarily trembled.


    He seized the book. Slanting his head to one side like a tsundere, he said, ¡°Humph! Remember to come early tomorrow.¡±


    After speaking, he walked towards the clan.


    ¡®Ding! Gained the acknowledgment of Uchiha Tianxiong.¡¯


    Hearing the system¡¯s prompt, Tunan was overjoyed. He waved his hand towards Tianxiong¡¯s retreating back, and said, ¡°Thank you, Tianxiong-san, I will work harder.¡±

 CH 4

    Editor¡¯s Notes:


    Chakra is a substance native to lifeforms on some planets; internal energy. Usually, the higher the chakra, the stronger the warrior.


    Uchiha Tianxiong returned home and shut himself in his bedroom. He opened the book Uchiha Tunan gifted him impatiently. The key points of the theory lessons were all in there, and they were all summarized.


    Tianxiong, who usually didn¡¯t listen to the theory classes, could easily understand these. He touched the rough page and muttered, ¡°This book¡¯s paper quality is truly poor.¡±


    Flipping through the pages, he noticed two were stuck together. Tianxiong licked his finger to moisten it and rubbed the pages apart to continue browsing through it.


    On the other side, Tunan, who had also returned home, headed straight into the kitchen. He opened the lid of a pot that had a transparent liquid in it and turned on the cooking stove. As the pot heated up, the liquid gradually evaporated and Tunan looked at it with a wooden expression.


    ¡°In this weather, it should take about three days to evaporate naturally. But that¡¯s too long. It needs a slight nudge.¡±


    Tunan narrowed his eyes slightly, as he turned off the fire, and washed the pot several times before filling it up with water and putting it back on the stove. He opened the refrigerator to select from various vegetables and different kinds of edible weeds to pick out what would be his dinner tonight.


    In the past few days, his food comprised only these vegetables and weeds.


    ¡­¡­


    Tianxiong woke up the next day with an unbearable headache.


    ¡°Did I not get enough sleep? Could it be because I stayed up too late reading?¡±


    After contemplating for a bit, he planned to continue sleeping. It didn¡¯t matter if he missed a day of class. In any case, there weren¡¯t many newer things for the graduates to learn.


    In the evening, he dragged his tired body to the clan¡¯s northern training ground. Yesterday, he had promised that little imp to guide him in his training today. The Uchihas always abide by their promise.


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Tianxiong sat on the meadow, looking around in confusion.


    ¡°That little imp hasn¡¯t come yet. Perhaps, the class teacher dragged out the lesson.¡±


    On the other side, in the clan¡¯s northwest training ground, Uchiha Zhewu had been training hard since noon.


    Suddenly, he heard a movement behind him and immediately stopped to look back.


    He saw Tunan standing there puzzled, and looking around as if he was lost.


    ¡°Little imp, why did you come here?¡± Zhewu asked indifferently.


    Tunan seemed to be frightened by his expression, and said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Tianxiong-san.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not here, get lost.¡±


    Tunan turned around to leave, but at the same time, he ¡®tsked¡¯ in a low voice.


    Zhewu heard it loud and clear and retorted, ¡°Little imp, do you want to die?¡±


    Tunan trembled and said in a quivering voice, ¡°Why are you so aggressive? Since you cannot defeat Tianxiong-san, are you targeting me to vent your anger?¡±


    Zhewu smiled, looked down at Tunan, and said, ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t defeat him?¡±


    ¡°Tianxiong-san has already told me that only your theory exams grades are high. In terms of actual strength, you are no match for him.¡±


    ¡°He said that to you?¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡± Tunan snorted as if he had vented his anger. He turned around and ran away.


    Zhewu¡¯s complexion, on the other hand, had become completely gloomy.


    In the northern training ground, Tianxiong had just finished doing warm-up exercises. However, he felt that his entire body was aching and weak.


    ¡°It looks like I have fallen ill. Did I catch a cold because I stayed up late?¡±


    ¡°Tianxiong-san!¡± In the distance, Tunan called out as he ran over.


    A smile appeared on Tianxiong¡¯s face, but he quickly hid it. He looked at the panting Tunan, and coolly said, ¡°You are late.¡±


    ¡°Just now, I went to the wrong training ground, sorry for making you wait for so long.¡±


    Tunan bowed respectfully.


    Swish!


    A kunai fell from the sky and stuck in the ground in front of Tianxiong.


    ¡°Who is there?¡± Tianxiong shouted, looking up at a tree.


    ¡°Tianxiong-kun, usually, I don¡¯t like to deal with you, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can provoke me.¡±


    On a big tree¡¯s branch, Zhewu¡¯s figure became visible. He assumed a domineering position and looked at Tianxiong condescendingly. His arrogance was apparent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s duel, let me see your recent progress.¡±


    Zhewu jumped down and attacked Tianxiong with a kunai.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Tianxiong cursed inwardly and raised a kunai in his hand to block.


    Clang!


    Tianxiong felt a powerful impact, and couldn¡¯t help taking a few steps back before he could stop.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been sick, how could you be so arrogant?¡±


    Tianxiong¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat. He raised his head and glared at Zhewu.


    Swish, swish, swish~


    Several kunai were thrown, they collided midair and changed the trajectory, which affected Zhewu¡¯s judgment.


    Ding, ding, ding~


    However, the scene before his eyes stunned Tianxiong.


    He saw Zhewu maneuvering the kunai, perfectly blocking his attacks, one after the other.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even activated the Sharingan. In my eyes, you are also just trash.¡±


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    Zhewu showed his one-tomoe Sharingan, and a victor¡¯s smile appeared on his face. At the same time, he slightly moved his gaze and looked at Tunan, who had been standing there stunned.


    Tunan¡¯s eyes were filled with worry, disbelief, and a hint of disappointment¡­


    Tianxiong also noticed Tunan¡¯s expression, and his heart thumped. A desperate feeling rose from the bottom of his heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trash, I¡¯m not trash! Sharingan, so what?¡± Tianxiong roared. His eyes had turned blood-red with a single tomoe spinning rapidly in it, as he simultaneously made hand signs.


    ¡°Oh? Awakened,¡± Zhewu was slightly startled, noticing that Tianxiong was preparing to release the Great Fireball.


    The corners of his mouth slightly rose, and his hands also became illusory, forming hand signs.


    ¡°Fire Style, Great Fireball Technique!¡±


    ¡°Fire Style, Great Fireball Technique!¡±


    The two young Uchihas shouted out at once. However, just at the critical moment, Tianxiong felt a severe burst of pain and the chakra flow in his body suddenly stagnated.


    Boom~


    A huge fireball expelled from Zhewu¡¯s mouth and engulfed his vision.


    Damn it!


    Tianxiong¡¯s complexion was hideous. He wanted to dodge, but he discovered that his heart was in unbearable pain as if thousands of ants were biting it, and he felt as if the sky and earth were spinning. He lost consciousness.


    The fireball seemed to hit something, and there was a sound of something heavy falling on the ground.


    ¡°Substitution technique? Where is he?¡± Zhewu frowned looking at the burning torch on the ground. He looked all around to search for his opponent.


    Not there.


    Not there either.


    Suddenly, Zhewu smelled burning flesh and his heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Murder!¡± Tunan screamed and ran towards the clan.


    ¡°Impossible, how can he die so easily?¡± Zhewu couldn¡¯t believe it.


    He was clear about Tianxiong¡¯s strength. In a fight without using the Sharingan, he just had a fifty percent chance of winning, not to mention Tianxiong too had awakened his Sharingan today.


    ¡°How can he be so weak today? Could it be that I¡¯m too strong?¡±


    No, it was more likely that he made a mistake while doing the hand signs, and failed to release the fireball. And he was so clumsy that he forgot to dodge.


    That was the only possibility.


    Zhewu suddenly recalled the Anbu¡¯s terror, and the clan¡¯s strict rules and trembled.


    ¡°I must not let this matter spread. I¡¯ll die if that happens.¡±


    Zhewu viciously looked at Tunan, who was running towards the clan, and immediately raised a kunai to attack him at full speed.


    At this moment, the fleeing Tunan felt power welling up within his body, and he slightly narrowed his eyes. He had a hunch what this sensation was.


    In the very next moment, his eyes had turned blood-red and a tomoe slowly spun around the black pupils.


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    This power was addictive.


    ¡°How can this little imp run so fast?¡± Zhewu muttered with an ugly face.


    Tunan was about to reach the clan but Zhewu couldn¡¯t let that happen. His Sharingan spun at full speed, and he made hand signs while running.


    Tunan, who was fleeing for his life, sensed his attacker¡¯s movements, and his hands also became illusory, beginning to make hand signs.


    As soon as it was completed, Tunan turned around and yelled,


    ¡°Fire Style, Great Fireball Technique.¡± x2


    Zhewu vaguely saw a one-tomoe Sharingan in Tunan¡¯s eyes. The worst was that the fireball released by the so-called trash nearly rivaled the one he had released.


    What!!!


    Boom~


    The two fireballs collided, blocking Zhewu¡¯s vision, and in the next instant, several kunai pierced through the flames headed right at him.


    These kunai clashed with each other midair, changing their trajectory and compromising Zhewu¡¯s judgment.


    ¡°Damn it, is this little imp really using Tianxiong¡¯s move? And he is even better at it than him.¡±


    Zhewu had no time to dodge. He could only raise the kunai in his hand to block the strike.


    However, at this time, a kunai appeared from his blind spot and gashed his thigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m injured. How¡¯s this possible? Is there such a skilled person in the world?¡±


    Zhewu endured the pain and looked at Tunan, who was standing on a branch, in disbelief. Tunan too was looking at him with an indifferent expression.


    Tunan looked down, and said, ¡°Zhewu-san, I never thought that after seeing Tianxiong-san awaken his Sharingan, you would be so afraid of him catching up to you that you would kill him. Did you know he was like a brother to me? Now that I have awakened the Sharingan, I will personally avenge Tianxiong-san.¡±


    Tunan put the serious charge on Zhewu¡¯s head at the first chance he got.


    Zhewu also thought that he had killed Tianxiong. And as an Uchiha, he disdained to resort to sophistry. He said coldly, ¡°Little imp, even if I have accidentally killed Tianxiong, only clan elders can judge me. In my eyes, you are still a nobody.¡±


    Tunan slowly raised a kunai, pointed at Zhewu, and said, ¡°A first-year student like me is definitely not Zhewu-san¡¯s opponent, but Tianxiong-san is someone I cherish. I will spare no effort to avenge him even if it brings certain death.¡±


    In the next moment, the tomoe in Tunan¡¯s eyes spun, and he jumped to attack Zhewu.


    Ding, ding, ding¡­


    Zhewu¡¯s mobility was affected by his thigh injury. He could only stand in the same place and resist head-on. Tunan¡¯s attacks were fruitless, so he retreated a couple of steps.


    But then a white mist rose and three Tunans jumped out, rushing towards Zhewu from different directions.


    ¡°Clone Technique? Which one is the real body?¡±


    The tomoe in Zhewu¡¯s eyes spun as he looked with fixed attention.


    Not this one¡­


    There is a shadow on the ground¡­ Someone is above!


    Zhewu suddenly looked up and saw that a figure had already jumped high into the air. Moreover, the other party¡¯s hands were making hand signs rapidly.


    ¡°So, this was his plan. He wanted to use three clones to distract me, and then use the Great Fireball to burn me to death.¡±


    ¡°Little imp, your tricks are too na?ve,¡± Zhewu grinned hideously and yelled while his hands made hand signs even faster.


    ¡°Fire Style, Great Fireball¡­ uh¡­¡±


    Puff!


    A kunai deeply stabbed into Zhewu¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhewu looked at Tunan in shock and slowly knelt on the ground.


    ¡°Enough.¡± A deep voice resounded.


    The Uchiha clan¡¯s Great Elder and a group of clan members surrounded Tunan and Zhewu.


    The Great Elder noticed Tunan¡¯s spinning one-tomoe Sharingan and a tinge of praise flashed through his eyes. He asked in a deep voice, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Tunan¡¯s expression seemed to suddenly change. First, he looked confused, then he seemed to remember something, and looked alarmed, full of grief and indignation.


    Finally, as if he seemed to have found someone to rely on again, with eyes filled with tears and a face full of grief, he whispered, ¡°Tianxiong-san.¡±


    With that, he fainted.

 CH 5

    The clan elders had in fact already arrived at the scene when Uchiha Tunan released the Great Fireball Technique. From all the signs on the scene and the conversation between Tunan and Uchiha Zhewu, the elders more or less understood the course of events.


    However, Zhewu, after all, was a clan member. They needed to investigate things carefully before drawing any conclusion.


    Therefore, the Great Elder instructed Zhewu to be treated and imprisoned in the ancestral hall, where he would personally question him.


    Tunan had stayed behind and fought against Zhewu because he guessed the clan members were already at the scene. After all, they were still within the Uchiha territory, and he did shout out his lungs in the very beginning.


    He had done everything to push the crime on Zhewu.


    In the dim ancestral hall, the Great Elder sat on a seat looking down at the kneeling Zhewu and said, ¡°Do you admit that you unintentionally killed Tianxiong?¡±


    Zhewu gritted his teeth. His heart was full of grievances but the Uchihas never expressed their protests. He could only angrily say, ¡°Who would have thought that that trash was so useless, and would make an error while releasing a mere C-ranked ninjutsu?¡±


    ¡°According to what you said, Tianxiong had awakened the Sharingan, do you know how precious Sharingan is for the Uchiha clan? And you even wanted to kill Tunan to silence the witness, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Speak up! Is this true or not?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°He is just six years old and he has already awakened the Sharingan. He is a genius of the clan. He has more potential than both you and Tianxiong.¡±


    Zhewu was unconvinced. He replied ¡°That¡¯s because he saw Tianxiong¡¯s death that stimulated him into awakening the Sharingan. Though I don¡¯t know why he had such a deep relationship with Tianxiong.¡±


    The Great Elder looked gloomy as he got up and walked out of the ancestral hall.


    ¡°Among the two geniuses who awakened the Sharingan, you killed one and tried your best to kill the other. The first time might be accidental, but the second time, you wanted to kill your clansman deliberately. In a few days, the investigation will be completed, and you will be executed in front of the clan members.¡±


    Although Zhewu had already admitted it, anything could happen in the Ninja World.


    At this moment, in the Hokage office, an Anbu suddenly appeared in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen.


    ¡°Reporting to Hokage, there¡¯s a murder case in the Uchiha clan.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Hiruzen blew out a smoke ring and listened to Anbu¡¯s report while dealing with the documents.


    ¡°It is suspected that two Uchiha students had a conflict, and one accidentally killed the other.¡±


    Upon hearing the names of the two people, Hiruzen paused and said, ¡°Both Tianxiong and Zhewu were about to graduate. It¡¯s a pity.¡±


    He continued dealing with the documents. Obviously, these two geniuses meant nothing in his eyes. More importantly, they were from the Uchiha clan.


    ¡°There was also another Uchiha, named Uchiha Tunan, a first-year student, present on the scene. It is suspected that he had a very good relationship with the murdered Uchiha. On witnessing his death, he awakened one-tomoe Sharingan, and he used the Great Fireball Technique to fight against Zhewu. Moreover, they were equally matched.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Tunan, I didn¡¯t expect him to be a genius. Alright, you can withdraw.¡±


    After the Anbu left, Hiruzen put down the documents and narrowed his eyes. No one knew what he was thinking.


    ¡­¡­


    The next day.


    Tunan woke up from the bed and saw the Great Elder warmly smiling at him.


    ¡°You are awake!¡±


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    Tunan nodded, and as if he suddenly recalled something, he asked anxiously, ¡°What about Tianxiong-san?¡±


    An inexplicable look flashed through the Great Elder¡¯s eyes. He lightly patted Tunan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on the past. This old man¡¯s eyes are very accurate, and I can see that you are a very capable child. Remember, the clan will never harm or exploit you.¡±


    After comforting Tunan, the Great Elder got up to leave. But when he reached the door, he said, ¡°By the way, I will implement the family law tonight and execute Zhewu in front of everyone. I have already asked someone to request a leave for you from the academy, so you can rest at home.¡±


    After speaking, he left without looking back.


    In the bedroom, Tunan curled up in the bed looking downcast, his thoughts undecipherable.


    A while later, a white pigeon landed on the windowsill and quietly eyed Tunan. The boy took out a special feed from his pocket and held it to the bird, who pecked on it and left, perfectly satisfied.


    This white pigeon was a lookout ninja beast that Tunan trained according to the methods written in the ¡®Ninja Beast Training Record¡¯.


    It assisted Tunan to watch out for someone tailing or keeping an eye on him. In fact, this kind of ninja beast was truly ordinary. Tunan only needed to use special illusions on it to make it recognize him as the master and feed it often.


    The white pigeon symbolized peace. Tunan preferred it to crows. The latter, he thought, would make people know he was a bad person at a glance.


    A conniving hunter must don the right camouflage before revealing the fangs.


    Tunan didn¡¯t attend the public sentence execution at night but stayed home to write in his diary.


    Tianxiong-san died. Zhewu killed him. I¡¯m very sad.


    Suddenly, I remembered what Lord Sandaime said before¡­ (13,000 words omitted here.)


    Tonight, Great Elder will execute Zhewu-san in front of everyone.


    I hope Tianxiong-san¡¯s soul can rest in peace.


    After closing the diary, Tunan went to the kitchen and stared at the remaining vegetables and weeds in the refrigerator. He took out all the remaining weeds and put them in a pot to cook.


    That night, Tunan made a run for the bathroom over a dozen times, much as per his plan. He almost collapsed.


    Early the next morning, he sorted his belongings and went to the Ninja Academy, maintaining the abandoned look. On the way to the academy, the Uchiha clan members no longer looked at him with contempt. Instead, they had goodwill in their eyes.


    Was this the change brought about by a person¡¯s potential?


    After he arrived at the academy, Umino Naoto saw his haggard look and assumed that he was grieving. He didn¡¯t ask any questions, and just patted Tunan¡¯s shoulder lightly when he entered the classroom.


    In the morning¡¯s theory class, Tunan kept his head on the table the whole time, with a lost look.


    He may appear grief-stricken but little did onlookers know that Tunan was already thinking about his next plan. The lives of his parents were a bit tough. Even at their chunin level, they survived for so long.


    Now that he had strength, Tunan couldn¡¯t put all the eggs in one basket. The Naruto plot began to unfold in his mind as he started thinking about the short-lived characters.


    Suddenly, a name appeared in Tunan¡¯s mind ¡ª Konoha¡¯s White Fang, Hatake Sakumo.


    Kakashi was still a first-year student. But according to the plot, Kakashi should graduate in a year. In other words, Sakumo would commit suicide within the next year.


    Perhaps, he could grasp a big one. Since Sakumo was certain to die, he just needed to gain timely acknowledgment.


    There were various kinds of acknowledgments. The emotional acknowledgment was impossible in this case. After all, Sakumo was neither his relative nor friend. Strength acknowledgment would be even more difficult. Even if his parents died immediately, his strength wouldn¡¯t reach the required standard.


    That left only the belief acknowledgment. Perhaps, he could carefully plan and prepare.


    As long as he succeeded, it would ensure he would have the strength to survive for the next twenty years.


    During the recess, Uchiha Obito ran over to Tunan¡¯s desk and poked his arm.


    ¡°Hello, hello.¡±


    Tunan raised his head. There were still tear stains on his cheeks.


    ¡°I heard about what happened from the clan members. Don¡¯t be sad,¡± Obito scratched his head and said awkwardly.


    Tunan nodded weakly and buried his head in his arms again.


    Obito smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tianxiong-san is not here, but I, the future Hokage, will guide you in your training.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan said softly, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Obito smiled and returned to his seat.


    ¡°Obito, what¡¯s going on, tell me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, why is Tunan crying like that?¡±


    ¡°Did his parents¡­¡±


    ¡°A clan member who had a good relationship with Tunan passed away. He was a Ninja Academy¡¯s graduate, Uchiha Tianxiong.¡± Under the gentle offense of a crowd of girls, Obito laid down his arms.


    ¡­¡­


    Combat class in the afternoon.


    With Naoto at the lead, the students assembled in the training ground.


    ¡°Today, it¡¯s one-to-one combat training. You can choose your opponent. Everyone must participate. The one who wins first place will get extra credit at the end of the term.¡±


    ¡°Tunan, do you need to rest it out for a bit?¡±


    Following Naoto¡¯s gaze, everyone looked at Tunan, who had his head lowered the entire time.


    Tunan shook his head, then slowly raised his head, revealing the one-tomoe Sharingan. He firmly said, ¡°No need, Teacher Naoto, I have already pulled myself together. I will carry forward Tianxiong-san¡¯s last wish and become an outstanding ninja.¡±


    After experiencing emotional turmoil, Tunan awakened the Sharingan. It seems that the child was dealt a huge blow. But being able to pull himself together so quickly indicated that his psychological strength was commendable.


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    An understanding smile appeared on Naoto¡¯s face as he said, ¡°In that case, today, you can choose your opponent first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Among the crowd, Obito raised his hand high, ¡°Challenge me.¡±


    Tunan¡¯s gaze moved among the crowd, passing over Obito who had recommended himself and stopped on a white-haired youth. He placed his hands on his knees, bowed deeply to the person, and said, ¡°Kakashi, I look forward to your advice.¡±

 CH 6

    Notes:


    Dojutsu, literally eye techniques, refer to visual jutsu or ninja abilities that utilize the eyes.


    From within the crowd, a languid-looking Kakashi slightly raised his eyebrows and stepped forward reluctantly. In Kakashi¡¯s opinion, even though Uchiha Tonan awakened the one-tomoe Sharingan, it was just one more dojutsu.


    Judging from the past combat classes, Tonan basically had zero combat experience. He couldn¡¯t be Kakashi¡¯s opponent in any aspect. Everyone present on the scene, including Umino Naoto, thought so.


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    ¡°Did you think it through? You have just awakened the Sharingan,¡± Naoto asked.


    In fact, in Naoto¡¯s view, the most suitable person to practice with Tonan was Uchiha Obito. Tonan¡¯s physical constitution was always weak. He also didn¡¯t know any ninjutsu. The one-tomoe Sharingan, at best, would give him an extra dynamic vision.


    At least, Obito¡¯s physical constitution was not bad, and they two should match evenly in a fight. Naturally, with Tonan¡¯s potential, he might have some chance to catch up with Kakashi in the future, but that definitely was not now.


    Naoto was a little worried that Tonan, who had just pulled himself together, would be abused by Kakashi and would end up losing his confidence again.


    ¡°Teacher, you can rest assured. Teno-san taught me often. In the past, I was unable to perform well, but now, I can.¡±


    Tonan cast all doubts that anyone may feel to the dead Teno in advance.


    In the Hokage office, Sarutobi Hiruzen was dealing with official documents while blowing out smoke rings. He seemed to suddenly think of something and took out the Ninja Academy report cards from his drawer again.


    ¡°Awakened Sharingan.¡±


    Hiruzen squinted his eyes and recalled that this afternoon¡¯s class for the first-year student was combat training. He put the report cards back in the drawer and looked at a crystal ball in front of him. Hiruzen injected his chakra into it, and instantly a visual of the training ground appeared.


    At this moment, Kakashi and Tonan walked out from the crowd and made a hand sign to each other.


    The next second.


    Swish~


    Kakashi raised his fist and rushed towards Tonan at shocking speed. He planned to knock his challenger down in one punch and quickly end this meaningless fight.


    However, just before Kakashi¡¯s fist could make contact, Tonan tilted his head slightly, and at the same time, lifted his leg to kick Kakashi¡¯s abdomen.


    Bang.


    Kakashi¡¯s overlapped palms blocked Tonan¡¯s kick, and he retreated, opening up a distance between them.


    It was just one move but it was enough to change Kakashi¡¯s thoughts about Tonan. The contempt in his eyes was gone.


    ¡°Wow~¡±


    ¡°They are so fast that I couldn¡¯t even clearly see what happened.¡±


    ¡°How did Tonan block it?¡±


    ¡°Is Sharingan so powerful?¡±


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    Standing in combat readiness, Kakashi took out several shurikens from the ninja tool bag and threw them at Tonan.


    Ding, ding, ding¡­


    The shurikens collided with each other, continuously changing their path, making it difficult for Tonan to gauge the attack. Despite this, he held a kunai and rushed towards Kakashi, moving deftly along the way, dodging all shurikens one after another.


    Kakashi¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He held a kunai with his right hand and slightly squatted down. Just when Tonan arrived in front of him and slashed down at him with his kunai, Kakashi made an unexpected move.


    He ignored Tonan in front of him, turned around, and thrust the kunai up from the bottom.


    Clang!


    The two kunai locked onto each other.


    ¡°What!¡± Several sounds of disbelief erupted from the crowd.


    Tonan had appeared behind Kakashi at some point and wanted to attack him but Kakashi managed to block it.


    The kunai in Tonan¡¯s hand, which was about to strike Kakashi from the front, turned into white smoke as soon as it touched him, leaving behind a piece of wood on the ground.


    Seeing this, Naoto¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise, and he exclaimed, ¡°Clone Technique, combined with Substitution Technique to switch position. And using Transformation Technique at the same time to make the substitute-wood appear like a kunai!¡±


    ¡°This is already comparable to the top-level graduate students.¡±


    After Tonan¡¯s attack failed, he distanced himself from Kakashi, and his hands immediately turned into afterimages as he began to make hand signs.


    Kakashi naturally wouldn¡¯t give Tonan a chance to release ninjutsu. He threw several shurikens, and then, he too began to make hand signs.


    Tonan¡¯s expression remained the same, and he continued making hand seals. His Sharingan could clearly see the shurikens¡¯ trajectory. His legs remained steady, and his body and head swayed continuously, perfectly dodging all attacks.


    ¡°Fire Style, Great Fireball Technique.¡±


    He released a scorching hot fireball towards Kakashi.


    At this moment, Kakashi also finished making the seals and slammed his hands on the ground.


    ¡°Earth Style, Mud Wall Technique.¡±


    The fireball hit the mud wall, but it was unable to breach it.


    Tonan¡¯s body swayed as he pretended to have depleted his chakra. He just barely managed to jump up, dodging a hand that came out from the ground.


    Seeing his sneak attack fail, Kakashi also came out from the ground.


    ¡°Genius! I didn¡¯t expect Tonan to be a genius as well. It¡¯s truly a pleasant surprise.¡±


    Hiruzen looked at the scene being played in the crystal ball, and there was a hint of joy in his eyes. He then solemnly called out, ¡°Anbu.¡±


    ¡°Lord Hokage.¡±


    ¡°Go and investigate Uchiha Tonan. Be careful to not let anyone notice you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    On the training ground, Kakashi stood in the same place leisurely. He didn¡¯t initiate an attack again and lightly remarked, ¡°Tonan, do you want to continue? Sharingan is indeed very powerful, but you seem to have exhausted your chakra.¡±


    Tonan gasped for breath as if he was drained out of energy and gave a wry smile.


    He put away his kunai, placed his hands on the knees, and bowed to Kakashi, ¡°I never thought that you were so strong, Kakashi. It seems I have to redouble my efforts if I want to catch up to you.¡±


    Kakashi also put away his kunai, and the usual sleepy look reappeared on his face as he walked into the crowd.


    Although Tonan still had surplus energy, he had shown his potential value today. His goal was achieved.


    If he truly won against Kakashi, that would not show potential, but his strength. And it would be too doubtful if a recently awakened Sharingan¡¯s prowess was too intense.


    Losing miserably after exchanging a few moves with Kakashi was the best approach.


    ¡°Kakashi won, but Tonan also performed very well. Kakashi gets A+, Tonan gets A. You two, go to the tree shade and recuperate for a bit.¡±


    Naoto had a smile on his face. He was visibly satisfied with these two students¡¯ performance.


    Kakashi was a publicly known genius in the village. There was no need to repeat anything about his potential. But as a teacher, Naoto always had a favorable impression of the courteous and studious Tonan.


    Now that Tonan had shown outstanding ninja talent, the more Naoto looked at him, the more he liked this student.


    Half an hour later, in the Hokage office.


    An Anbu¡¯s figure appeared in front of Hiruzen.


    ¡°Lord Hokage, I have finished investigating Uchiha Tonan. I even went to his house to complete the investigation.¡±


    ¡°Was there anything unusual?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing unusual about his life. He¡¯s a pureblooded Uchiha. His parents are Uchiha Kotoura and Uchiha Nanako. Both of them belonged to the Konoha Police Force, but not long ago, they volunteered to go to the frontline.¡±


    ¡°In Uchiha Tonan¡¯s house, I found many ninja books purchased from the bookstore. There were also books on previous Hokages¡¯ achievements by his bedside, and there was a book of ¡®Will of Fire¡¯ signed by Lord Hokage on the living room table.¡±


    ¡°I also found Uchiha Tonan¡¯s diary.¡±


    After the report, the Anbu handed over Tonan¡¯s diary to Hiruzen.

 CH 7

    Sarutobi Hiruzen took the diary and opened it. The words instantly caught his attention so much so that he was unable to extricate himself. The Will of Fire was evident even to the naked eye.


    He noticed these entries were made during the end of the last semester.


    July 1 ¨C Hiruzen clearly remembered that day. That was when he had gone to the Ninja Academy to lecture on the Will of Fire. He had spotted Tonan among the assembled students at the time. And he could recall even now how his expression changed from confusion in the beginning to sincere agreement by the end.


    He hadn¡¯t expected this kid to have such unique thoughts after listening to just one speech. Hiruzen himself hadn¡¯t thought this deeply.


    Judging from the diary¡¯s content, his status as the Hokage was higher than that of his parents and the clan. More than 90 percent of the diary was about his ideology and his ways.


    The mention of his parents or the clan was at best perfunctory.


    This child was only six years old, but he had already awakened the Sharingan. Considering he could exchange blows with Kakashi, albeit for a short time, indicated he was already a rare genius.


    ¡°As long as he is slightly nurtured, and I personally instill the Will of Fire occasionally, he can definitely become my confidant. When he grows up, maybe, even if I asked him to annihilate the Uchiha clan, he will not disobey.


    But if he has to become a person on my side, I must nurture and protect him properly.¡±


    Even if Hiruzen had not realized it yet, in his heart, he had begun regarding Tonan as someone from his own people.


    ¡°This young fellow has what it takes to inherit the Will of Fire. Do you think he needs any help now?¡±


    The Anbu was perceptive. On hearing this question, he understood that Hiruzen planned to nurture and draw Tonan to his side. He replied, ¡°From my investigation, Uchiha Tonan¡¯s parents left him with adequate money when they went to the frontlines. However, he seems to have spent most of it buying inessential books.¡±


    The Anbu was referring to the ninja books stored in Tonan¡¯s cupboard. After that purchase, Tonon wouldn¡¯t have enough money left for maintaining daily expenses.


    ¡°I had checked the refrigerator in his house, and it only had vegetables and nothing else. If this goes on, he will very likely suffer from malnutrition,¡± the Anbu added.


    Lacking money¡­


    Hiruzen started thinking.


    Tonan hadn¡¯t awakened the Sharingan earlier, and his ninjutsu and taijutsu ranked at the bottom. But he wanted to become stronger. It made sense for him to buy many ninja books.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid whether this young fellow has realized these books cannot improve his strength at all. It¡¯s like spending money to buy lessons. Since he is with me now, I cannot treat him unfairly. I could instead use this opportunity to narrow the distance between us.¡±


    Hiruzen was satisfied with this plan and returned the diary to the Anbu and said, ¡°Good job, it seems you were attentive. Return this diary to that young fellow. Don¡¯t let other people notice that you had been there.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In the next second, the Anbu disappeared.


    The next day, when Tonan was attending class, a teacher came in to call Umino Naoto, who was giving a lecture, outside the classroom and said something.


    Naoto immediately returned and looked at Tonan, ¡°Tonan, someone is looking for you in the office.¡±


    Tonan nodded and got up. He left the classroom to follow the teacher outside. While walking through the corridor, Tonan had already guessed who would have called for him.


    He didn¡¯t know anyone other than schoolmates and clan members. It was unlikely a schoolmate would call him out like this, and clan members could wait until he returned home. The system had not notified him about his parents¡¯ death so there was little chance that anyone was trying to reach him for an emergency.


    This left just one person ¨C Sandaime.


    ¡°The person looking for you is inside,¡± the teacher stopped in front of the office¡¯s door and gestured for Tonan to enter by himself. It was obvious that the person¡¯s status was high enough to even make the academy teacher guard the door.


    This re-confirmed that the person inside could only be Sandaime.


    Tonan opened the door with an appropriately confused look. He saw Hiruzen sitting behind the desk, looking at him kindly.


    The confusion in Tonan¡¯s eyes dispersed, and his expression quickly changed into a pleasant surprise. He opened his mouth, but he was too excited to speak like he met his idol but was too nervous to take a step forward.


    He could only stand there in a daze.


    ¡°Tonan, right? Come in and close the door,¡± Hiruzen was very pleased with Tonan¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Tonan hastily shut the door and nearly ran to Hiruzen. He then smiled while scratching his head.


    ¡°No need to be so careful, child. Although I¡¯m the Hokage, in my eyes, you are all like my children,¡± Hiruzen reached out his hand and gently stroked Tonan¡¯s head, looking kind.


    Tonan narrowed his eyes in happiness as if he was being indulged by a close relative.


    ¡°I came to see you because I heard your parents have gone to the frontline to fight and you are home alone. It must be tough on you. If you have any problems, you can tell me,¡± Hiruzen spoke with concern like a neighborhood grandfather.


    Tonan looked at Hiruzen and put on a firm look, saying, ¡°Lord Hokage, it¡¯s not that difficult. It¡¯s not like you who works hard day and night for the villagers. Now that the war is so intense, you must be dealing with too much. You are so busy, and you still took time to care about me, I¡­, I¡­¡±


    Tonan choked back tears as he talked but immediately wiped his face with his sleeve, putting on a brave front.


    ¡°Good boy, you all are the future of Konoha. When the tree leaves dance, the fire will also grow endlessly. As long as you all grow up healthy, all my hard work will be worth it.¡±


    After speaking, Hiruzen picked up an envelope on the table and stuffed it in Tonan¡¯s hand.


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    ¡°I noticed you long ago. I also watched your fight against Kakashi. The Sharingan is truly powerful, but your physical constitution is weak. Use this money to buy something delicious to nourish your body.¡±


    ¡°Training is taxing both mentally and physically. If you don¡¯t have enough money, you can always come and find me at the Hokage office. In any case, I don¡¯t have anywhere to spend my salary. It¡¯s just right to use it to nurture Konoha¡¯s next generation.¡±


    Tonan looked at the envelope in his hand and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He looked like a child who was thinking about something delicious. But he shook his head and pushed back the envelope.


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    ¡°No, Lord Hokage, you have worked so hard. You should buy more delicious food for yourself and nurture your body. If anything were to happen to you, Konoha will be ruined. I can find food by myself.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s reaction satisfied Hiruzen even further. He put the envelope back in Tonan¡¯s hand and held it in his palms.


    ¡°Take it, child, Konoha still needs you all to inherit the Will of Fire.¡±


    This time Tonan was in tears. He looked up at Hiruzen, his eyes filled with emotion, and said, ¡°Thank you, no one has ever been so nice to me. I will work hard to become an outstanding ninja and carry on the Will of Fire. I will implement Lord Hokage¡¯s ideology, and pledge my life to protect Konoha.¡±


    Hiruzen smiled and nodded, ¡°Very good, I¡¯m looking forward to the moment when you become a ninja. Right now though, I want to hear your views on the Will of Fire.¡±

 CH 8

    Just like that, Uchiha Tonan and Sarutobi Hiruzen spent an entire afternoon talking about nothing but the Will of Fire. For the most part, it was Tonan who did the talking and Hiruzen was the patient listener.


    In fact, Hiruzen didn¡¯t quite understand some parts of Tonan¡¯s view. But from what he had heard all afternoon, he could describe Tonan in two simple words ¡ª loyal official.


    Only when there were about ten minutes left for school to be over, Hiruzen took the initiative to end the conversation. Tonan very reluctantly left the office.


    After returning home, he opened the envelope and looked at the money inside. This was more than what his parents left him. It was enough to elevate Tonan to a moderately rich person from borderline poverty.


    That was the benefit of standing on Hiruzen¡¯s side. Tonan looked at the money without showing any greed and put the envelope in the drawer.


    He then sat at his desk and began writing in his diary.


    I¡¯m very happy today. Sandaime-sama personally came to see me in the teacher¡¯s office. He didn¡¯t have any arrogance. It made me feel like he is my biological grandfather. This meticulous care, just like his strong and wide palm, made me feel warm.


    At that time, I suddenly thought of a word: restraint. I never knew what it meant to live in this world. But I understood it today. The meaning of my existence from hereon is to follow in Sandaime-sama¡¯s footsteps.


    I recall a sentence I read in a ninja book. A ninja is an emotionless tool.


    But I¡¯m a living being. It¡¯s impossible to be without emotion. However, if necessary, I¡¯m willing to become the tool in his hands¡­. (20,000 words omitted.)


    Today, Sandaime-sama also gave me a lot of money. I had no money to buy meat for a long time. But I¡¯m reluctant to spend this. After all, this is his hard-earned money. I¡¯m planning to save this and use it to buy him a gift on February eighth next year, on his birthday.


    By the way, I also fought with Kakashi today. He truly is too strong. I have awakened the Sharingan, but I was still no match for him. I hope the gap between him and me is not too big.


    After writing the diary, Tonan left his desk and headed to the kitchen. Tonight¡¯s dinner menu was vegetables, again.


    The next day after school, Tonan didn¡¯t straight go back home but caught up with Kakashi, who was alone.


    ¡°Kakashi!¡±


    Kakashi sluggishly turned around, looked at Tonan, and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Can I train with you? I want to become stronger to quickly become a ninja, please,¡± Tonan requested and bowed deeply.


    Kakashi hesitated for a bit. Perhaps he felt that with Tonan¡¯s strength, he would be a good training partner, so he lightly nodded and said, ¡°Alright, where should we train?¡±


    Tonan replied with a bright smile, ¡°We could go to your house. After all, I am the one requesting you to train with me. I wouldn¡¯t want you to go too far from your house because of me.¡±


    Kakashi nodded and continued to slowly walk towards his house. Tonan silently followed behind.


    Soon, they arrived at Kakashi¡¯s house.


    There were not many people in the Hatake clan. The courtyard was big but the residential area was not too spacious. After all, only Kakashi and his father, White Fang, lived in this house.


    The wide-open ground served as a good place for training, and the two boys headed right to it. They stood facing each other and made a hand sign, and with that, training began. Kunai collision sounds resounded in the open space. Both of them were already skilled to the point of perfection in taijutsu. Gradually, they did not limit themselves and began using the ninjutsu they already mastered.


    Kakashi was worth being called a genius. He had already mastered several types of ninjutsu. In comparison, Tonan knew just one ¡ª the Great Fireball Technique.


    Soon, Tonan seized a suitable chance to surrender and concede defeat with the pretext that his chakra was depleted.


    ¡°As expected of you Kakashi, the gap between us has widened,¡± Tonan pretended to be weak, placed both hands on the ground, and said while panting.


    Kakashi was also panting but he had some energy left.


    ¡°You are much stronger than others.¡±


    Tonan got up with difficulty, bowed to Kakashi, and said, ¡°Thank you for training with me. I wonder if I can come again in the future.¡±


    ¡°Do as you like,¡± Kakashi put his hands behind his head and the lazy look was back on his face.


    Tonan smiled, packed up his things, and waved his hand at Kakashi, ¡°Then, that¡¯s it for today. See you, Kakashi.¡±


    After bidding goodbye, he left the Hatake household. Unfortunately, Sakumo was not at home today.


    However, Tonan was not in a hurry. Patience was the first requisite of a qualified hunter.


    When Tonan returned home, he found that the refrigerator was filled with meat and milk.


    This touched him so much that he hastily opened his diary and started writing.


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    ¡°There¡¯s so much meat and milk in the refrigerator. Needless to say, it must be Sandaime-sama who asked someone to stock up the food. In this world, there is only Sandaime-sama who treats me so well.¡­¡­¡­ (50,000 words omitted)


    By the way, today, at the academy, I heard Hyuga Sugata say that the frontline was in a state of emergency. It seems that the enemies have cut off the supply lines of several battlefields.


    Sandaime-sama must be worried and anxious at this moment. I want to grow up quickly and share his burden. My parents too are among the people on the battlefields. I hope they can get through this difficult time.


    Time passed day by day. Perhaps, because the war had intensified, Sakumo never returned home. This was expected because he was a powerful ninja. He must be embroiled in several missions at this time.


    Some things become normal in people¡¯s eyes if done regularly. For now, Tonan just had to go to the Hatake household every day without being distracted or disturbed.


    It just so happened though that he discovered something. Kakashi was becoming stronger by the day.


    Now, even if Tonan went all out, he might not be able to win with certainty against Kakashi. In other words, Kakashi¡¯s strength had almost surpassed the dead Uchiha Teno.


    One should know Teno ranked sixth among graduates before his death. If the theory results were not counted, he might even rank higher. And Teno hadn¡¯t even awakened the Sharingan at the time. With that, it could be said he would be on par with Uchiha Tetsuma.


    This meant Kakashi¡¯s current strength was among the very best even if placed in the graduating class.


    What a mind-blowing genius!


    Tonan sighed and took out a book titled ¡®Disguise Skill Essential for Spies¡¯ from the cupboard.


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    He wanted to utilize this current growth period to learn as much as he could.

 CH 9

    Notes:


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    Taijutsu (physical techniques) and Ninjutsu (ninja techniques) are of different kinds and levels. The Great Fireball Technique, Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Phoenix Sage Nail Crimson Technique, Ground Travel, Body Flicker Technique are some of these kinds.


    Kiri is the hidden mist village in the Land of Water, one of the five great countries of the Ninja World. The Uchihas, known for their fire techniques, are perfect opponents of the Kiri ninjas.


    Uchiha Tonan always took his reading very seriously. Every time he read, he repeatedly mulled over the book¡¯s content and integrated it into his mind as much as possible.


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    Later that night, he had completed a third of the book he was reading on disguise skills. As his eyes felt a bit heavier, he decided to call it a night to not affect the next day¡¯s class.


    In the dark sky, the vagrant clouds had dispersed, letting the moonlight illuminate the Uchiha clan.


    Suddenly, Tonan¡¯s eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright.


    A powerful warm current appeared within his body and spread through each nerve, vein, and blood vessel. A large amount of ninjutsu knowledge filled up his mind. And as if he had used it over a thousand times, it turned into instinct. His eyes had awakened the Sharingan and the tomoe spun rapidly.


    Gradually, the spinning tomoe stopped, changing from one to two. A smile appeared on Tonan¡¯s face as he clenched his hands, feeling a chunin¡¯s power.


    He raised his head and looked around using the Sharingan. Once he determined no one was monitoring him, he muttered to himself, ¡°Finally dead! But I think only one of them died so far.¡±


    This sense of security because of the increase in strength was fascinating. Tonan felt dissatisfied that only one of his parents had died.


    ¡°The other one should die too. I hope it will be a double-kill tonight.¡±


    Just when he was mercilessly thinking this, the warm current re-appeared in his body. This time, it was stronger. It looked like earlier it was his mother, Uchiha Nanako, who had died and now his father, Kotoura, joined his wife in the afterlife.


    The tomoe in his Sharingan spun at such high speed that the afterimages connected to form a circle in the blood-red eyes.


    Two new ninjutsu were infused in his mind, and the ones that were instilled seemed to have leveled up like he had used them countless times.


    The Great Fireball Technique, Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, three basic taijutsu, Phoenix Sage Nail Crimson Technique, and even lightning-style ninjutsu Ground Travel all felt innate to him.


    These were all ninjutsu that Tonan¡¯s parents, those two miserable chunins, were adept in. Tonan also found himself well-versed in confronting enemies as well as different tricks about traps, assassination, and so on.


    Soon, the spinning tomoe in his Sharingan stopped and finally became three tomoe. Now, in the Uchiha clan, other than the Patriarch Uchiha Fugaku, the highest grade Sharingan was the three tomoe Sharingan.


    As for how to explain the sudden advancement to three tomoe, Tonan was not worried at all because he had the excuse down pat. If the excessive grief of losing both parents didn¡¯t result in the Sharingan¡¯s evolution, then what would? What a perfect reason!


    As soon as the sun rose the next day, he would be able to openly use three tomoe Sharingan in front of everyone.


    He had awakened one tomoe Sharingan with Uchiha Teno¡¯s death, who had a relatively good relationship with him. Now, it was his parents¡¯ death. Tonan was satisfied overall; the only thing he was dissatisfied with was that the parents of this body were a bit too useless. Their ninjutsu could barely be called strong.


    Tonan¡¯s present strength could roughly compare to special jonins. He was not a hasty person. Hence, he knew he could not be arrogant as he still needed to persist further.


    Kakashi had become a jonin when he was just twelve years old. A mere special jonin was just a high-grade cannon fodder on the battlefield.


    Tonan narrowed his eyes, and the blood-red Sharingan returned to normal. He laid down again and finally drifted to sleep.


    Early the next morning, he headed to the Ninja Academy as usual. But before he could step inside, he was pulled aside by Umino Naoto. A ninja wearing a cat mask was there as well.


    With a worried look, Naoto said, ¡°Tonan, go to the Hokage Residence with the Anbu. Hokage-sama has something important to tell you.¡±


    Tonan looked excited and said, ¡°Really! Hokage-sama wants to see me again.¡±


    Naoto looked at the elated Tonan and a hint of grief flashed through his eyes. He tried to smile and said, ¡°Yes, go ahead now.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t keep Hokage-sama waiting for too long,¡± the Anbu grabbed Tonan¡¯s arm and used Body Flicker Technique to leave.


    Not much later, Tonan and the Anbu appeared outside the Hokage Residence.


    ¡°Go in.¡± The Anbu said just this much and once again used the Body Flicker Technique to leave.


    Truly too elusive.


    Tonan pretended to be nervous. He shook his head a few times, took some deep breaths, and pushed open the door. His eyes immediately lit up when he saw Hiruzen sitting behind the desk. Like he was restraining his excitement, he said, ¡°Hokage-sama.¡±


    ¡°Come here Tonan, you have arrived,¡± Hiruzen looked very sad as he greeted Tonan.


    The worries on his face were telling that something untoward had happened.


    As some say, when a dog meets a dog, it either barks or licks; when a person meets a person, he either cheats or puts on an act.


    It was obvious that Hiruzen was acting right now, and he was playing out a heartache scene. After distressingly informing Tonan about his parents¡¯ heroic demise on the battlefield, he would take advantage of the situation to sympathize with the heartbroken kid.


    Tonan was familiar with this trick. He had used it several times before crossing over to this world, but he only used it on women.


    To sum up, it was about taking advantage of others¡¯ sorrows.


    Looking very concerned, Tonan walked up to Hiruzen and asked, ¡°Hokage-sama, what¡¯s wrong? Can I help you?¡±


    Hiruzen sighed and answered, ¡°Tonan, I have got some news to tell you but you must mentally prepare for it.¡±


    The blood drained from Tonan¡¯s face hearing this, and he stuttered, ¡°Could, could it be¡­¡±


    Hiruzen nodded and said, ¡°Yes, a battle report came from the frontline. The supply line of the battlefield where your parents were was cut off. Last night, they were surrounded by the Kiri ninjas, and both of them were killed in action.¡±


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­,¡± Tonan frantically shook his head. As if his legs gave out, he collapsed on the ground and used his hands to support himself from completely falling face down.


    ¡°They are such strong ninjas, how can they die?¡± Tonan ferociously pounded the floor with his hands as teardrops fell on the floor.


    Hiruzen sighed and stood up from his seat. He walked towards Tonan, and slowly stretched out his hands, wanting to console him. But he stopped midway.


    He felt powerful chakra fluctuation within Tonan¡¯s small body.


    Could it be¡­!


    A hint of pleasant surprise flashed through his eyes.


    According to legend, when Uchihas faced volatile emotional fluctuations, it would unlock the Sharingan.


    Tonan¡¯s present condition was consistent with this. If his Sharingan evolved, then the child¡¯s potential would be comparable to Kakashi.


    He was just six years old.


    Hiruzen retracted his hands and watched silently so that he did not interrupt the possibility of Tonan¡¯s Sharingan maturing.


    Some time passed, Tonan¡¯s head was still lowered and the floor below was full of tears. The chakra fluctuation emitting from his body gradually stabilized.


    Seeing that he had calmed down, Hiruzen used his hands to pat Tonan¡¯s back.


    ¡°Kotoura and Nanako sacrificed their lives and Konoha will always remember them. You have to pull yourself together, and inherit their last wishes to protect the village.¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s consolation was effective. Tonan stopped crying. Wiping his tears, he slowly raised his head and looked at the Hokage.


    The child¡¯s face was tear-stained, enough to elicit anyone¡¯s sympathy, but the most striking thing was the scarlet Sharingan with three tomoe spinning around the pupils.

 CH 10

    Notes


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    Genjutsu attacks a ninja¡¯s mind creating illusions by controlling the chakra flow of the target¡¯s cerebral nervous system, affecting the five senses.


    Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Uchiha Tonan¡¯s three-tomoe Sharingan. On the surface, he looked sympathetic, but his heart was brimming with joy. He thought this kid was a heaven-sent tool for him.


    Tonan slowly stood up, and said, ¡°Hokage-sama, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±


    He took a deep breath, forced himself to smile, and continued, ¡°I have already pulled myself together. I will inherit my parents¡¯ last wishes and protect the village well. The war is still ongoing, and you must have much to deal with. If there is something I can do, please, do not hesitate to instruct me.¡±


    Hiruzen smiled while nodding and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you can get over it. When I received the news, I was very worried you wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the blow. You are the future hope to protect the Will of Fire.¡±


    After speaking, he comforted Tonan, gently patting his head.


    Tonan looked at Hiruzen, and as if he was trying his best to endure extreme grief, he tearfully said, ¡°Hokage-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest for a few days. Don¡¯t treat yourself badly. Come to the Hokage Residence any time you like if you need something,¡± Hiruzen said with a benevolent look.


    Tonan nodded and turned to leave. To end the act perfectly, he looked back once every three steps, making Hiruzen feel very pleased.


    After Tonan left, Hiruzen returned to his seat. He blew out a mouthful of smoke, narrowed his eyes, and muttered, ¡°What a good sapling. He¡¯s more suitable to inherit the Will of Fire than Minato. Pity, he was born an Uchiha.¡±


    ¡°We have lost on quite a few fronts. It¡¯s a bit troublesome. Should I change the frontline army?¡± Hiruzen pondered.


    The troops resisting Kiri were almost entirely made up of Uchihas. The commander was the newly-appointed patriarch, Uchiha Fugaku. It was well known that the Uchihas, who were good at fire-style and genjutsu, were the best suited to restrain them.


    After thinking for a while, Hiruzen discarded the plan to change the army.


    ¡°Let¡¯s observe the situation for now. Judging from the current state, these sporadic local wars are last-ditch counterattacks. The war will be over soon.¡±


    Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Shimura Danzo walked in with a cold look.


    ¡°Hiruzen, I heard a genius has appeared in the Uchiha clan, and he has already awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan.¡±


    Hiruzen raised his eyebrows, slowly blew out smoke, and said, ¡°Danzo, don¡¯t take arbitrary action.¡±


    Danzo said indifferently, ¡°The Root has lost a lot of personnel and needs to be replenished. When Uchiha Tonan graduates, you should hand him over to me.¡±


    Hiruzen shook his head and said, ¡°This child¡¯s character is not suitable for the Root.¡±


    Danzo snorted and said, ¡°Hiruzen, are you doubting my means of control? Whatever anyone says, he is from that vicious Uchiha clan. We should either strangle him in the cradle or firmly control him.¡±


    Hiruzen was not convinced and said with a firm tone, ¡°Danzo, I have my own plan. You can choose personnel for the Root from the other ninjas.¡±


    This surprised Danzo a little. He hadn¡¯t expected Hiruzen to refuse him for a trifling genius with a three-tomoe Sharingan.


    Danzo¡¯s tone carried some dissatisfaction as he said, ¡°What sort of illusion did that little brat cast over you for you to protect him like this? Don¡¯t forget he is an Uchiha.¡±


    ¡°Be careful of your attitude, I¡¯m the Hokage!¡± Hiruzen angrily slammed his hand on the table.


    Danzo knew Hiruzen well enough to hear the firmness in his voice. He did not want a conflict with him just for an undeveloped genius. He turned around and walked out, leaving behind some sharp words.


    ¡°You will regret it!¡±


    A genius only represented potential, not a definite outcome of a powerhouse. Danzo didn¡¯t lack strong subordinates, and this was a mere Sharingan.


    Tonan returned to the Uchiha clan after he left the Hokage Residence. Even before he could settle down, he was called to the Ancestral Hall. Tonan knew the Great Elder and the others would have found out about him unlocking the three-tomoe Sharingan.


    This was the Ninja World. There were spies of all sides, everywhere. Moreover, when he had walked out of the Hokage Residence, he hadn¡¯t deactivated the three-tomoe Sharingan.


    He wanted more people to know his Sharingan had already matured. This would increase his chances of gaining their acknowledgment.


    When Tonan arrived at the Ancestral Hall, the Great Elder was sitting seiza-style behind the table and gestured him to sit down as well.


    Tonan nodded and took his place. The Great Elder opened a scroll that had many kinds of ninjutsu recorded on it.


    ¡°Tonan, I never thought you would give me such a pleasant surprise. At the age of six, you awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan. According to the clan rules, all clan members that can do this can choose three ninjutsu. Take a look and choose.¡±


    ¡°If you want more, you need to be promoted to genin, chunin or jonin, or render meritorious service to the clan.¡±


    Tonan nodded and looked at the ninjutsu names. Most of them were fire style and lightning style. There were also many genjutsu. He had already inherited all abilities of his parents and Uchiha Teno, including their experience and skills.


    Learning ninjutsu was not going to be a problem for him. The current him was not complete trash like when he had just crossed over to this world.


    Tonan browsed through the scroll and pointed out the three he wanted. The Great Elder pondered for a bit and lightly commented, ¡°Lightning Style ¨C Lightning Needle, Genjutsu -Hell Viewing Technique, Genjutsu ¨C Mirror Heaven and Earth Change.¡±


    ¡°It seems you have the lightning attribute. But isn¡¯t one genjutsu enough? After all, Sharingan has its hypnotic eye genjutsu too. It is up to you. Are you sure of these choices?¡±


    Tonan nodded.


    The Great Elder stood up, took out three scrolls from the back of the Ancestral Hall, and handed them over to Tonan. He earnestly said, ¡°Your parents, unfortunately, died in battle. I understand your pain. If there is anything you need, you can tell us. Remember, we are one family. The clan will never treat you badly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Great Elder,¡± Tonan bowed deeply and left the Ancestral Hall.


    Looking at Tonan leaving, the Great Elder sighed. It was obvious the kid was not close to the Uchiha clan. That bow just now made the Great Elder feel his alienation from the clan members.


    Back at his house, Tonan opened the Hell Viewing Technique and Mirror Heaven and Earth Change. Hell Viewing Technique was an ordinary genjutsu. All Konoha jonins who wanted to learn genjutsu had studied it.


    This genjutsu could make people sink into their greatest fears. Tonan chose this because he thought highly of this. It directly affected people¡¯s hearts.


    As for the Mirror Heaven and Earth Change, as long as the chakra and genjutsu level were greater than the opponent, it could reflect the other party¡¯s genjutsu, which worked well with Tonan¡¯s Sharingan.


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    This jutsu could also share eyesight with the genjutsu target. Tonan planned to use this on his ninja beast, the white pigeon. This way, the lookout function of the white pigeon would enhance by several grades.


    ¡°Once I receive the death compensation, I should cultivate more white pigeon ninja beasts.¡±


    With these two genjutsu, Tonan began to create his exclusive illusion domain according to what he learned at the Ninja Academy. Most people were learning existing genjutsu, which more or less had ready-made scenarios.


    They could alter it a bit at most but others could still easily see through the illusion with just a few clues. If someone wanted to create an exclusive illusion domain, they needed to consume a huge amount of chakra.


    This may be difficult for some but for Tonan, who inherited his parents and his brother¡¯s chakra, it was enough.


    A good genjutsu should use methods in line with local scenarios. One must build an illusion domain in the mind first, then attack the enemy¡¯s five senses to make them believe in the illusion.


    Thinking of this, Tonan began to model the illusion domain according to his room.

 CH 11

    Notes


    The tant¨­ is a short sword, designed primarily as a stabbing weapon, but the edge can be used for slashing as well.


    A few days later.


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    Late at night, silence reigns supreme. Uchiha Tonan sat under the eaves, maintaining a steady tempo in forming hand signs. His pace was neither fast nor slow, and his eyes were closed as he devoted all his attention to sense the chakra flow.


    Finally, he completed making the last hand sign. He looked at his right hand and spread open the five fingers.


    Crackle, crackle, crackle


    Electric sparks appeared on his fingertips as if sharp needles had sprouted from the fingernails.


    ¡°Is this chakra transformation? It¡¯s a pity these lightning needles can¡¯t be used as projectile weapons,¡± Tonan muttered and stopped the technique.


    Lightning Style ¨C Lightning Needle didn¡¯t have many hand signs. As long as his spiritual power increased a little, and he became familiar with the chakra flow, he could use it without making any signs.


    This move was a good choice to trap people. While talking and laughing with his prey, he could inadvertently poke them with the lightning needle.


    Since lightning-attributed chakra could numb the body, the prey wouldn¡¯t immediately feel the pain, and hence wouldn¡¯t scream. Before one could react, coupled with Lightning Style ¨C Ground Travel, the opponent would be completely paralyzed.


    That¡¯s not bad at all.


    Tonan had grasped several ninjutsu techniques by now. Fire style consisted of Great Fireball Technique, Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, and Phoenix Sage Nail Crimson Technique.


    Lightning style comprised Ground Travel and Lightning Needle. And genjutsu included Hell Viewing Technique and Mirror Heaven and Earth Change. There was also hypnosis that came along with the Sharingan.


    As for his chakra, the amount was comparable to a special jonin, but the concrete level of the spiritual power was unknown. Despite this, his current strength gave him a sense of security.


    In the past few days, Tonan had also trained a few more pigeons. The ninja beasts were high maintenance, mainly because their special feed was expensive.


    Tonan was a very insecure person. He placed great importance on the lookout ninja beasts, and therefore, he bought their efficiency and loyalty with the most expensive feed.


    Even though the ninja beast like the white pigeon didn¡¯t eat much, the living expenses left by his parents were used up completely. If it weren¡¯t for Sarutobi Hiruzen often delivering food to him, perhaps, Tonan could only go to the forest to hunt wild beasts to fill his stomach.


    He wondered when his parents¡¯ death compensation would arrive. Tonan looked up at the sky, got up, and went back to his room to rest.


    Just when he had entered the bedroom and prepared to turn off the lights though, he suddenly paused and the three tomoe appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°I hope the person didn¡¯t come for me.¡±


    Tonan left the lights on, picked up his ¡®Will of Fire¡¯ summary, and began reading out loud.


    Meanwhile, in the forest outside the Uchiha clan.


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    A Konoha ninja wearing a standard chunin uniform pushed aside a thick clump of grass and stealthily raised his head.


    ¡°I hope the Uchiha clan didn¡¯t arrange for that person to live in the clan¡¯s central area.¡±


    He looked at the small courtyard at the edge of the clan¡¯s territory. The house in the courtyard was lit up with dim light, and a hazy figure reflected on the window.


    ¡°It should be that room. It¡¯s already so late and he¡¯s still not asleep yet. Why is this genius working so hard?¡±


    This chunin was called Inoue Shinoda. His real identity though was a Kiri spy assigned to infiltrate Konoha just after the first war ended.


    During the second war, Shinoda passed only inconsequential information and had not received any new espionage mission. Ever since the war between Konoha and Kiri was nearing its end, the latter was planning to carry out assassinations, specifically targeting Konoha¡¯s geniuses.


    Among them, a jonin spy had gone to Kakashi¡¯s house, and Shinoda was arranged to assassinate Tonan, which should be easier comparatively.


    After all, Kakashi¡¯s father was Konoha¡¯s White Fang, and his child was very likely to be guarded by an Anbu.


    Tonan was different.


    He was from the Uchiha clan, and it was very unlikely for an Anbu to come to the clan¡¯s territory. Most of the guardian ninjas of the clan were focused on the central area.


    The howls of wild beasts resounded in the forest on and off. It would terrify most people but it made a chunin like Shinoda feel at ease.


    He carefully observed for a while and made sure there was no human presence nearby. Only then, he laid down his guard. Jumping out from his hiding place, he turned into a black shadow, and stealthily advanced towards Tonan¡¯s residence.


    However, unknown to him, each of his actions had long fallen into the eyes of a white pigeon perched on a branch behind him. That pigeon quietly stood, using thick leaves to cover its figure. Only its ice-cold and serene Sharingan was visible.


    ¡°Adhere ninja principle and resolutely implement the Will of Fire with Sandaime-sama as the center¡­¡±


    ¡°Closely follow Sandaime-sama¡¯s steps¡­¡±


    Shinoda lay on the roof, listening to the slightly high-pitched voice coming from the room, and couldn¡¯t help but sneer in his heart.


    ¡°Another pitiful little thing brainwashed by the Will of Fire1¡±


    Without delaying further, he slowly drew out his tanto, jumped down the roof, and gently landed on the floor. The movement was fluid and precise. With a hideous grin on his face, he walked to the door and pushed it open.


    This place was far away from the central area of the Uchiha clan. Even if there was noise, the clan¡¯s ninjas wouldn¡¯t be able to arrive here in time.


    In his eyes, Tonan was a student, who had just entered the Ninja Academy. So what if he awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, that was just empty potential. He was not even a genin right now.


    Just three basic taijutsu should be enough to end him.


    At this moment, Shinoda was already imagining the horrified look on Tonan¡¯s face when he stabbed the tanto in him.


    The moment the door was pushed open, the bedroom¡¯s lights suddenly went out. The entire room fell into darkness and the reading also ceased abruptly.


    ¡°As expected of a genius. This fellow is alert but in the face of absolute strength, it¡¯s still a dead end.¡±


    Shinoda held the tanto tightly and entered the pitch-black room, step by step.


    Drip, drip¡­


    His ears moved as he heard water dripping from the kitchen tap. He subconsciously felt irritated, but this mission was very important. Therefore, he didn¡¯t focus on these trifles.


    He could vaguely make out the room layout in the dark. With his gaze firmly locked on the bedroom door, he walked over and slowly turned the doorknob.


    ¡°Little devil, say goodbye to the world.¡±


    A cruel smile appeared on his face, as he suddenly pulled open the door. His right hand had raised the tanto high, ready to split open Tonan, whom he imagined putting on a desperate struggle.


    However¡­


    No one!


    Shinoda was shocked. Standing in the doorway, he didn¡¯t move. He began thinking about where Tonan could be hiding. From what he could, the bedroom¡¯s layout was very simple. Except for the closet, there was nowhere to hide.


    ¡°If it were me, I would have hidden by the door. Using the blindside for cover, I would launch a surprise attack from the flank as the enemy walked in.¡±


    ¡°But this little devil is still a student after all. If he is not being too bold, he should be hiding in the closet.¡±


    Shinoda put himself in Tonan¡¯s position and thought for a while. He took a deep breath, calmed his heart, and listened attentively.


    Years of being a ninja had made him accustomed to being cautious. If Tonan was hiding by the door, then he might suffer a surprise attack, even if the kid¡¯s sneak attack was very unlikely to succeed.


    What he needed to do now was to locate the sound of his breathing and determine the position, thereby killing his target in one move.


    Drip, drip¡­


    Other than the dripping water sound, there was nothing.


    ¡°As expected of a genius. Did he see through my intentions? But that¡¯s also useless. You can¡¯t hold your breathing forever. I¡¯ll just wait until you can¡¯t hold your breath!¡±


    Shinoda¡¯s eyes flashed with a playful smile as if he was mocking Tonan¡¯s foolish response.


    Drip, drip¡­


    Time slowly ticked by. Shinoda seemed to have turned into a top hunter¡¯s incarnation, calmly waiting in the dark for his prey to give itself up.


    Suuu


    A suppressed exhaling sound finally came from the closet.

 CH 12

    Notes:


    Scrolls have multiple purposes in Ninjutsu. Apart from recording information, being used in battles for different jutsu, they can also be used as storage space


    The instant the sound was heard, Inoue Shinoda¡¯s body turned into a black shadow as he lunged at the closet with his tanto.


    Shik


    The tanto¡¯s blade pierced straight through the closet, but he didn¡¯t hear the muffled grunt he was anticipating.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    A trace of doubt flashed past Shinoda¡¯s eyes. His opponent was in the closet, but since he heard no grunt, it could be a sign of Tonan¡¯s willpower and endurance to bear the pain.


    But even the texture of what his blade hit did not feel right.


    In the next moment, the room was suddenly lit up, and a gentle voice emerged from behind Shinoda.


    ¡°A guest. Would you like a cup of tea before you leave?¡±


    Shinoda turned around sharply, only to see Tonan in a white shirt, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses as he sat at the living room table, calmly looking at him.


    A light aroma of freshly brewed tea was in the air, and wisps of smoke were rising from two cups on the table.


    Shinoda was astounded. But then, he heard the sound of dripping water again. From the corner of his eye, he glanced over at the kitchen sink.


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    The faucet wasn¡¯t dripping.


    Raising a brow, he formed a seal and said viciously, ¡°You little brat! Did you think such a low-level genjutsu will work on me? Go and practice some more in hell!¡±


    The chakra in his body began to flow rapidly.


    ¡°Genjutsu, release!¡±


    In the next instant, the genjutsu lifted, and everything before Shinoda¡¯s eyes changed. He found he had already opened the closet door, and his tanto was pointed right at Tonan¡¯s neck while the latter trembled, covering his blood-dripping three tomoe Sharingan.


    ¡°Did the genjutsu turn against you? Poor kid.¡±


    Shinoda smiled cruelly. He was angry at himself for being caught up in his opponent¡¯s genjutsu, but seeing Tonan suffer from the backlash, lifted his mood again.


    What a genius. To think he managed to trap him in a genjutsu. Too bad his skills were still lacking.


    Shinoda stabbed his blade, piercing through Tonan¡¯s neck, blood splattering everywhere. Having completed his mission, he pulled it out, prepared to leave this place as soon as possible.


    Just at this moment though, the lights came on, and the same scene unfolded again.


    ¡°A guest. Would you like a cup of tea before you leave?¡±


    ¡°Impossible¡­I¡¯ve already broken your genjutsu!¡± Shinoda subconsciously retreated a few steps.


    Drip, drip¡­


    Glancing at the faucet again, Shinoda saw no water coming out of it at all.


    ¡°This damned kid! He actually managed to endure the illusion¡¯s backlash and trap me in his genjutsu again.¡±


    ¡°And he must have done it just as I was about to kill him. Looks like his will to live is very strong. But it¡¯s meaningless now.¡±


    Shinoda figured everything out in an instant and immediately controlled the frightened expression on his face, once again forming a seal. ¡°Genjutsu, release!¡±


    The entire room was plunged into darkness once more. Before Shinoda could even take a breath, the lights turned on again. Only this time, it wasn¡¯t Tonan sitting in the living room.


    It was an Uchiha jonin.


    Shinoda had met this jonin before. He was one of the leaders of the Konoha Military Police Force.


    There was seemingly a smile on the jonin¡¯s face as he looked at Shinoda, the three tomoe spinning in his eyes, asserting great pressure on him.


    ¡°You managed to break my genjutsu? Not bad.¡±


    As a Konoha genius, how can there be no one protecting Tonan?


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The jonin asked as stood up from his seat, looking down at Shinoda with an arrogant gaze. As if this man was nothing in his eyes.


    There was cold sweat running down Shinoda¡¯s forehead and his right leg twitched uncontrollably.


    ¡°How is this possible? No wonder everything was so strange. Was I caught in the genjutsu as soon as I entered the house?¡±


    ¡°That must be it. After all, it¡¯s an Uchiha jonin¡¯s genjutsu. It was already a lucky fluke to be able to break it.¡±


    ¡°No. What if¡­what if this is also an illusion?¡±


    Holding a trace of hope, Shinoda quickly turned his eyes to the kitchen faucet. It was dripping.


    Drip, drip¡­


    This wasn¡¯t an illusion.


    Shinoda tightened his grip on his tanto, eyes darting left and right, desperately looking for an opening to escape.


    The jonin gently raised his hand but abruptly put it down again. He raised a brow and said, ¡°Looks like I don¡¯t have to lift a finger. Someone¡¯s already here for you.¡±


    Shinoda was stunned by his words, and an alarming possibility came to his mind.


    ¡°No¡­Could it be the Anbu?¡±


    Several masked ninjas suddenly appeared beside Shinoda, and in a cold voice, one of them said, ¡°Inoue Shinoda. Kiri spy. Your companion who was tasked to assassinate Kakashi has already been eliminated by the Anbu. Do you want us to kill you here, or will you cooperate and come with us for interrogation?¡±


    ¡°Did he fail? As expected¡­¡±


    A hint of desolation showed in Shinoda¡¯s eyes.


    He was only a chunin, and to be surrounded by several jonins¡­


    Unable to withstand the pressure any longer, Shinoda¡¯s hands powerlessly fell to his sides, the blade dropping to the ground.


    In the next instant, his vision went dark.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are they switching off the lights?¡±


    Shwick


    A kunai pierced through Shinoda¡¯s heart, causing blood to splatter. He fell to the ground, confusion filled in his eyes. In the last moments of his life, his vision gradually blurred. In the darkness, he vaguely saw a pair of bright three tomoe Sharingan.


    Shwick


    Shwick


    Shwick


    Stabbing several times, Tonan ensured his visitor was dead before turning the lights back on. The reason why his genjutsu was so strong was that he inherited his parents and his clansman¡¯s abilities. With this much chakra reserve, the room could be constructed in just a short amount of time.


    It wasn¡¯t that Shinoda was unable to break his jutsu. It¡¯s just that as soon as Shinoda began circulating his chakra to do so, Tonan threw him off-guard giving him the illusion that he had returned to reality.


    The sound of dripping water was merely a psychological trick. The tap was not dripping from the very beginning. And, at the very last moment, he performed the Hell Viewing Technique that dug out the deepest fears in a person¡¯s heart.


    The last time Shinoda saw the dripping faucet, he was convinced he was out of the genjutsu.


    Tonan went back to his bedroom and took out the only scroll in the house, enclosing the corpse into it. He then turned on the kitchen faucet, taking a wet rag to clean up the blood from the floor.


    He also washed his hands and his kunai with soap to get rid of the odor.


    After putting his blood-stained clothes into the washing machine, he changed into a fresh white shirt.


    As for destroying the body, there was no need for that. Being someone on Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s side, he had nothing to fear as long as he didn¡¯t cross the line in Konoha.


    Not to mention this was an enemy spy. He might even be rewarded for killing him.


    It wasn¡¯t a ridiculous idea to be able to kill a chunin alone using genjutsu with his three tomoe Sharingan. There was nothing he had to hide. Of course, he couldn¡¯t hide it even if he wanted to. This guy had a companion. Once the interrogation department looks through his memories, everything will come to light.


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    Grabbing the scroll, Tonan headed for the Hokage Residence.

 CH 13

    Notes:


    Hokage Residence is a large mansion occupied by the Hokage during their tenure and is located close to both the Academy and Hokage Rock.


    Shinobi is synonymous with Ninja.


    Over time, Kiri was known as the ¡®Village of the Bloody Mist¡¯ because, in the Kiri Academy, graduating students had to fight to the death. Only survivors could advance to ninja ranks.


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    Kumo is the hidden village in the Land of Lightning, one of the five great Shinobi countries of the Ninja World.


    Wearing a white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses, Uchiha Tonan walked down the silent street with the scroll in his hand. He had barely moved a few steps when an Anbu appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re safe. An enemy spy has appeared in the village. The situation is urgent, so please follow me to the Hokage Residence.¡±


    It was rare for the Anbu member to speak so much at once. His eyes also subconsciously fell on the scroll in Tonan¡¯s hands. He could guess what was in it.


    For such a young ninja to be able to kill a chunin, he truly was a genius.


    The Anbu was aware of Tonan¡¯s value in the Hokage¡¯s heart. Having guessed his strength now, he did his best to soften his tone while speaking to him.


    Tonan nodded and responded with a serious expression, ¡°I happened to be looking for Sandaime-sama as well. I¡¯ll be troubling you, then.¡± He gave the Anbu a deep and polite bow.


    Matched with how he was dressed, Tonan¡¯s appearance was courteous. One couldn¡¯t help but have a good impression of him. The Anbu nodded, and coming to Tonan¡¯s side, he grabbed his shoulders before leaving with the Body Flicker Technique.


    At the Hokage¡¯s office, Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s brows were locked into a tight frown. With a pipe hanging off his lips, he paced about the room anxiously.


    Every so often, his gaze would drift towards the crystal ball in the room, that was showing the situation at Tonan¡¯s home.


    Hiruzen was resting at home when the Anbu urgently reported about an enemy spy breaking into the Hatake residence to assassinate Kakashi.


    The spy did not expect Hatake Sakumo to have returned earlier that evening. Sakumo cut all four of the assassin¡¯s limbs the moment he stepped through the doorway.


    The Kiri spy was then rushed over to the Konoha interrogation room by an Anbu before the information was extracted out of him through various methods.


    As soon as the Anbu learned about a chunin spy targetting Tonan, one of them immediately left for Tonan¡¯s house while the other rushed over to the Sarutobi clan¡¯s territory.


    Hiruzen used the crystal ball to observe the situation in Tonan¡¯s house once he was in office. But the ball could only view up to the boundary and not inside the residence.


    This was also the reason why in his free time, Hiruzen could only peek at the open-air¡­


    In fact, even before Hiruzen arrived at the Hokage Residence, Tonan had already left the Uchiha territory and was on his way.


    ¡°Hokage-sama, Uchiha Tonan is here.¡±


    Just as Hiruzen was feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, the Anbu¡¯s voice sounded beyond the door.


    ¡°Come in, quickly!¡±


    Cree


    The door to the Hokage¡¯s office was pushed open. He saw Tonan running in excitedly, looking straight at him with awe. Those eyes were filled with reverence and familiarity.


    Hiruzen looked the boy up and down and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no sign of injury on his person. He asked, ¡°My child, are you alright?¡±


    It was fortunate such an excellent and faithful tool was unharmed. It would have been a big loss otherwise.


    When Tonan heard this, his eyes seemed visibly moved. He smiled, ¡°Sandaime-sama, no need to worry about me. I¡¯ve already killed the spy. My apologies your rest was disturbed for such a trivial matter.¡±


    Tonan bowed deeply before presenting the scroll to the Hokage. Taking it off his hands, Hiruzen was even more satisfied with the young Tonan.


    He had unlocked his Sharingan¡¯s third tomoe only a short while ago and could already kill off a chunin by himself without prior preparation. His innate talent was simply fantastic.


    A perfect tool.


    ¡°How did you manage to kill this Kiri chunin?¡± Hiruzen casually asked as he put the scroll down on his desk.


    Succinctly recounting the affair, Tonan replied, ¡°I confused him with genjutsu.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded. A three tomoe Sharingan genjutsu was indeed powerful. It appeared that Tonan¡¯s aptitude for this was particularly high.


    Else, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight a chunin using genjutsu after having awakened the third tomoe only recently.


    Hiruzen summoned an Anbu and passed the scroll to them. He returned to his seat and gestured for Tonan to sit across from him.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re fine, why don¡¯t you just stay here for a while? The Anbu is yet to fully ensure no fish has slipped our net. I¡¯m very worried about your safety,¡± Hiruzen said with an anxious look.


    Tonan was hesitant. ¡°But Sandaime-sama, it¡¯s already so late. If you don¡¯t go back and rest, how will you have the energy to work tomorrow?¡±


    Hiruzen laughed and waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can rest here on my desk. You also have school tomorrow.¡±


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    Tonan shook his head, and repeated, ¡°No, Sandaime-sama. I¡¯ve already rested enough. I think it¡¯s better if you go and rest for a while instead.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Hiruzen looked at the serious look on Tonan¡¯s face and nodded amiably. ¡°Alright, then, I¡¯ll rest for a while. You should rest, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± only then did Tonan nod his head in agreement.


    Sitting across from each other with a desk in between, Tonan watched Hiruzen closely. His stare made Hiruzen feel a little uneasy. Embarrassedly, he urged Tonan to rest soon before putting his head on the table, pretending to sleep.


    After some time had passed, Tonan slowly got up and walked to the shelf. He picked up Hiruzen¡¯s Hokage robe and draped it gently over his shoulders.


    Then, he returned to his seat with a resolute expression, prepared to defend against any unlikely attack.


    ¡°This little guy¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Tonan had already practiced these skills to perfection in his previous life. And, its effects were good. At the very least, it was very effective on Hiruzen.


    Two hours later, Hiruzen pretended to have just woken up. Coincidentally, the Anbu also arrived right at that moment.


    ¡°Reporting to Hokage-sama, here is the report from the interrogation office.¡±


    He handed a scroll to the Hokage.


    ¡°To be able to extract information out of someone even after their death. Seems like I¡¯ll have to be cautious with whatever he does in the future.¡±


    Reminded of this technique, Tonan¡¯s mind was spinning, but the reverent expression on his face looking at Hiruzen did not change even for a second.


    The Hokage opened the scroll and looked through it to make sure there were no other Kiri spies in the village before ordering, ¡°Send Tonan back so he can have some rest. While you¡¯re at it, stay and watch over him in the shadows for a while.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing this, Tonan stood up and bowed towards Hiruzen.


    ¡°I will take my leave then. Sandaime-sama, you should also hurry back and get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll go back and rest now.¡± Hiruzen saw the boy off with a smile.


    After Tonan left, the smile on Hiruzen¡¯s face disappeared. He walked to the window, looking into the distance, and said to himself, ¡°They¡¯re even tossing away their spies now? Looks like this war is really coming to an end.¡±


    It was already Year 42 in Konoha. Five years had passed since the Second Shinobi War.


    Ever since the Kumo shinobi infiltrated into Konoha to kidnap Uzumaki Kushina, several other shinobi villages had been making moves in the shadows again.


    Many wars had broken out in the small buffer states between the Five Great Shinobi Countries.


    In particular, after the implementation of the Bloody Mist policy in Kiri, it was like the entire village had become manic. They continually harassed the buffer states bordering the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.


    But after years of fighting, it finally was time for Kiri to stop as well.


    Otherwise, sparks would fly. It wouldn¡¯t take too long then for the Third Great Shinobi War to happen.

 CH 14

    The next day, Uchiha Tonan arrived at the Ninja Academy, wearing a white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses. Although someone attempted to assassinate him yesterday, he also received a very useful piece of information.


    Hatake Sakumo was back.


    In other words, his next target had appeared. Sakumo committed suicide in Konoha when he was 44 years old. There was over a year left for this. As long as he gained Sakumo¡¯s acknowledgment, Tonan was confident of surviving the dangerous Third Great Shinobi War after Sakumo¡¯s death.


    How many chunin parents would have to be sacrificed to attain a kage-leveled powerhouse¡¯s abilities? As soon as he stepped foot in the classroom, Tonan attracted the female students¡¯ gaze.


    The classroom was filled with love-struck exclamations. It had to be said that Uchihas had good genes. In terms of appearance, they were rarely inferior to others.


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    Obito was perhaps the only exception.


    The reason why Tonan did not attract such amorous reactions in the past was that his simple clothes failed to highlight his best qualities.


    In fact, according to his true character, he didn¡¯t want to be so high-profile. However, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. He must establish a public persona.


    When an average person suddenly obtains formidable power, some changes would come about. For instance, among the Uchihas many were innocent and polite in their childhood, but once they became stronger, they would consider themselves very important. Inadvertently, they would become arrogant and haughty.


    Tonan couldn¡¯t use these characteristics as his public persona though. A deeply brainwashed person who stood on Sandaime Hokage¡¯s side must be different from other clan members to some extent. It would be best if he ran in the opposite direction. Gentle, refined, elegant, cultured, and easygoing personas were the most suitable.


    Any character was manifested through appearance, words, and actions. The appearance was the most important among these. The first impression tends to set the label.


    ¡°Everyone, good morning.¡±


    Tonan greeted the female classmates, whose eyes had turned into hearts, with a modest smile. He walked to his seat with a calm look and casually unbuttoned his collar.


    Gudong


    The classroom was filled with gulping sounds.


    ¡°Do all children mature so early in this world?¡±


    Tonan thought this but his expression didn¡¯t change. Treating everyone around as air, he browsed through the textbook, preparing for class. His eyes were focused and serious.


    This pose increased Tonan¡¯s charm by several levels.


    ¡®Ding! Gained Hyuga Chiryo¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Suddenly, the prompt woke Tonan up, and a small arc appeared on the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Sure enough, this works. Gaining emotional acknowledgment by relying on my charm is also a good way.¡±


    Tonan turned his head and looked behind him. He saw a little girl wearing a white dress secretly observing him, using her textbook as cover.


    Seeing Tonan turn in her direction, she quickly covered her face with the textbook, much like a frightened rabbit.


    ¡°He¡¯s looking¡­ he seems to be smiling at me¡­¡±


    Tonan sized up the nervous Chiryo, and then retracted his gaze.


    ¡°Hyuga Chiryo¡­ There is no such name in my memory. She¡¯s either a short-lived person or she got married after growing up and stopped working as a ninja. But then again, most of the people here should have died in the Third Great Shinobi War.¡±


    Tonan remembered the war¡¯s cruelty in the original work. Konoha was beaten to the doorstep, and as long as one was a ninja, they would be dragged to the battlefield to be cannon fodder.


    ¡°There are still a few years left. I hope you all will learn more ninjutsu and cultivate chakra before you die.¡±


    Tonan had such thoughts. At this time, a white pigeon flew over from the horizon and landed on his desk. Tonan gently caressed its head, and the pigeon rubbed its head against Tonan¡¯s hand as if it was enjoying it.


    Under the sunlight, the scene looked very warm.


    ¡°Small animals like to get close to Tonan.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so gentle~¡±


    ¡°I used to think that he was also stupid like Obito, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so virtuous.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The girls huddled and chatted in whispers.


    ¡®Ding! Gained Matsushima Mai¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Uchiha Mina¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Inuzuka Gabi¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Aburame Kaede¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Tonan heard the system¡¯s prompts and glanced at them.


    ¡°Maybe I can become a scumbag. If I create my harem and give birth to a bunch of Uchiha cubs, my children would naturally acknowledge me. Then I can train them well and pinch them to death¡­¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough, even a tiger doesn¡¯t eat its cubs. That¡¯s too inhumane. Besides, time is pressing. Even the Fourth Great Shinobi War is just twenty or so years away. And I¡¯m six years old right now. Even if I got married and had kids at ten, my children will still be too young to be useful by then.¡±


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    Tonan discarded these unrealistic thoughts. He gently patted the pigeon¡¯s head, which then flapped its wings and flew away.


    ¡°Did the Anbu come to take my diary again? Hiruzen, a person like you who peeks into others¡¯ personal lives will not meet a good end.¡±


    At this moment, Umino Naoto walked into the classroom. All students hastily returned to their seats and sat properly. Looking excited, Naoto said, ¡°I have a piece of good news for everyone. The war between Konoha and Kiri is over. And to celebrate the peace, the academy has decided to give everyone three days off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a vacation.¡±


    ¡°We can go to play.¡±


    ¡°Also, the remains of the deceased heroes have been brought back from the frontlines. They will be buried in the morning, the day after tomorrow.¡±


    While speaking, Naoto¡¯s gaze moved towards Tonan. At this moment, the latter had put on a perfect taciturn look, as if he was inwardly sad.


    ¡°Their names will be etched on the memorial stone to be revered by later generations. Konoha will never forget them.¡±


    Naoto¡¯s tone was solemn. He took a deep breath, trying to smile at the extremely excited students below, and said, ¡°Therefore, there are no classes today.¡±


    ¡°Dash, let¡¯s go to play.¡±


    ¡°Yuuta, wait for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Kakashi, do you want to burn your youth with me?¡±


    ¡°No thanks.¡±


    Kakashi simply declined Maito Gai¡¯s invitation, got up, and walked towards the classroom door. As he passed by Tonan, his steps slowed down and he said lightly, ¡°Do you want to practice with me?¡±


    Tonan raised his head and gave Kakashi a lonely look. He took a deep breath, smiled, and said, ¡°Of course, I would want to. Father and mother wanted me to become an outstanding ninja. I¡¯ll try my best to catch up to you.¡±


    The corners of Kakashi¡¯s mouth that were hidden behind the mask slightly rose, but he pretended to be his lazy, careless self. Walking away, he said, ¡°I hope you have gotten stronger to some extent.¡±


    In Kakashi¡¯s view, although Tonan had awakened three tomoe Sharingan, he was still not his opponent. This was because Tonan kept losing intentionally during several training matches. Only if he kept losing to Kakashi, he would have reason to visit his house every day.


    After all, if he could beat Kakashi every time and still wanted to go over to his house daily, that wouldn¡¯t be exchanging pointers for training. That would be showing off strength and bullying others.

 CH 15

    Notes:


    Byakugan, literally meaning White Eye, is one of the three great visual jutsu, the others being Sharingan and Rinnegan.


    Two days later, the frontline combatants returned. The first thing they did was bury those who died. Under Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s leadership, the Uchiha clan members accounted for one-third of the dead in the war with Kiri.


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    The remaining casualties comprised various support and a large number of cannon fodder shinobi. The bodies of the fallen were covered with white cloth and placed on the turf.


    Their relatives came to bid their final farewells.


    ¡°Father, don¡¯t go!¡±


    ¡°Brother, Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Rest in peace. I¡¯ll take good care of your wife.¡±


    ¡­


    Heart-rending cries rang out all around. Tonan tied a white cloth around his forehead and knelt in front of Kotoura and Nanako¡¯s remains, a dim expression on his face.


    The key to a crying scene was not the tears, but convincing others that you were suffering in agonizing grief.


    Howling and mourning wouldn¡¯t make you stand out. Sadness must be presented with calmness, and then complemented by contrasting expressions at the right moments.


    Tonan placed the cups he prepared in front of Kotoura and Nanako¡¯s bodies. Sake and tea were poured into the cups respectively. The tea was brewed strong, and the sake he chose was the most fragrant kind.


    In an instant, the aroma of the sake and tea filled the air, drawing people¡¯s attention. ¡°Father dear, you had a sharp tongue, but I knew you had a soft heart. You never spoke a single kind word to me, but I knew you gave up a lot for my sake.¡±


    Tonan looked at the remains of his parents, and as happy memories passed through his eyes, he said in a calm voice, ¡°I was so nervous on the shinobi entrance exam day. You had a cold face and told me I was worthless. You told me not to disgrace you and the clan. But I knew that you were more nervous than me, your palms were covered in sweat.¡±


    ¡°The sun was so strong that day. I was taking the exam in the classroom but you stood outside waiting for me the whole time. When I told you I¡¯d passed, all you said was ¡®not bad¡¯. But you drank three jars of sake that night when you would usually drink just one cup. You said that ninja must stay sober at all times, but you got drunk that day.¡±


    ¡°My grades were always bad, and you would reprimand me every day. But you would also lead me by the hand to teach me how to refine chakra and throw kunai. Work was already hard on you, but you still stayed up late with me.¡±


    ¡°You told me that ninja improve strength in danger, so you were just setting an example for a worthless son like me. You gave up your secure position in the police force and chose to fight on the frontlines. You said that you would teach me the Phoenix Sage Fire technique if my skills weren¡¯t the worst by the time you returned.¡±


    Speaking up to this point, a stiff smile spread across Tonan¡¯s face as he said senselessly.


    ¡°Now, not only have I unlocked the three tomoe, but I also secretly learned the Phoenix Sage Fire technique, so that I could surprise you when you returned.¡±


    By this point, Tonan¡¯s voice became hoarse. He was holding back his grief, yet he kept smiling on the surface. Tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. Wiping it off, he stood up and began forming hand seals.


    The people around him shifted their gaze towards him. His hands moved so fast, it only left afterimages behind, and he quickly finished the last seal.


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    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.¡±


    A loud and hoarse shout followed. Several fire serpents shot out from Tonan¡¯s mouth towards the sky, colliding together. The commotion diverted people¡¯s attention to him.


    After the Phoenix Sage Fire technique was completed, Tonan¡¯s hands weakly fell to his side, and he spoke with a dejected expression, ¡°I won¡¯t ever get to hear you call me trash again, so let me have my first and final drink with you.


    Tonan raised his head and downed the bottle of sake. Tears and liquor streaks met at his chin before flowing down his neck, soaking his shirt. Those who came to mourn were moved. Even those who were crying their hearts out earlier felt their loss was nothing compared to Tonan¡¯s.


    Uchiha Fugaku was standing among the mourners. At this moment, he too was also looking at Tonan. He said, ¡°To think the clan actually produced such a genius and even one that cherished his family so much. He should¡¯ve received the clan¡¯s nurture and care, but his heart went with the Hokage instead.¡±


    The more Fugaku spoke, the worse his expression became. He was unhappy with the senior clan members¡¯ behavior.


    The Great Elder beside him watched Tonan¡¯s performance with a deep gaze and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t let his looks throw dust in your eyes. This boy¡¯s abilities are far above ordinary men¡¯s. If he can be nurtured, he can lead Uchiha back to the war days¡¯ glory.¡±


    Fugaku looked at the Great Elder with surprise. He moved his gaze back at Tonan, observing the boy more carefully this time. He said with doubt, ¡°But when I¡¯d just returned, I heard some clan members talk about him. They mentioned he¡­¡±


    The Great Elder smiled and patted Fugaku¡¯s shoulder. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind what they say, Fugaku. You¡¯ll see for yourself in the future.¡±


    Fugaku nodded. He chose to believe the highly revered Great Elder¡¯s words. The Elder always had a good eye for people.


    Tonan¡¯s performance was not over yet. After all, both his parents had died, he couldn¡¯t generously pour his emotions only to his father. It was his mother¡¯s turn now.


    ¡°Dear Mother, you¡¯ve always¡­¡±


    Kakashi and Sakumo stood a short distance away, watching Tonan quietly.


    ¡°Kakashi, Tonan is a trustworthy companion. You should cherish this bond.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Kakashi answered curtly, pretending to not care, but his eyes that were looking at Tonan showed his worry.


    ¡®Ding! Achieved Hatake Kakashi¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Tonan, who was deep in his act, suddenly jerked. Kakashi? He had a long life, but his strength in the later stages was only so-so. He wasn¡¯t a good target. What was he even worth?


    Tonan shook his head inwardly. To him, Kakashi was no different from bland food. But he had no idea when he might obtain Sakumo¡¯s recognition.


    There were only a dozen or so people where the Hyuga clan¡¯s fallen members were placed. Hyuga Chiryo was kneeling in front of a body, her eyes lost in thought.


    Since she was far from the center, she hadn¡¯t seen Tonan¡¯s act. Her father was a scout shinobi who died on the battlefield at the very beginning of the war. But till now, no one informed her.


    Chiryo¡¯s father, a special genin, wasn¡¯t very talented. The Hyuga clan would not send their elite to a war of this small scale. Instead, they would toss out the cannon fodder like her father to serve as scouts.


    ¡°The strong ones from the main house enjoy a comfortable life, while the weak in the branch houses are sent to die. Why protect such a dirty clan?¡±


    Chiryo muttered with her head down. Reaching through the long bangs covering her forehead, she gently touched the caged bird mark. A frenzied glint emerged in her eyes, bereft of any of her former pity and tenderness.


    In the next moment, blue veins bulged on her face. She had awakened her Byakugan but no one noticed this because the view was blocked.


    After the burial, all the ninja who participated in the war and the relatives of the fallen came to the memorial. Hiruzen, dressed in his Hokage cloak, began his condolence speech.


    ¡°Where leaves flutter, embers keep on burning¡­¡±


    Everyone had long become sick of this speech, but for their status¡¯ sake, they could only bow their heads in silence. Halfway through the speech, Hiruzen suddenly switched to a new subject.


    ¡°Three Hokage have existed in Konoha since its founding. The Will of Fire has also changed according to the changing times. To sum it up, the core idea of the Will of Fire remains the same, but the focus for each era evolves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve summarized the focus of these three eras. The focus of the first generation Will of Fire was unity¡­¡±


    Tonan, who was standing at the back behind the Uchiha clan, watched Hiruzen with excitement and admiration as the man spoke eloquently on the stage.


    The contents of Hiruzen¡¯s speech came from Tonan¡¯s diary. Not only were the main points copied, but even the minor details were plagiarized. Even so, the people gradually became absorbed in his speech.

 CH 16

    Notes:


    Kamui is a space time ninjutsu that can be used with the Mangekyo Sharingan.


    The speech continued until evening. For the whole duration, Uchiha Tonan¡¯s emotional control was satisfactory. He was fairly successful in setting up the desired public persona.


    This was also because Tonan¡¯s parents did not have any close friends. If they did, seeing his performance right now, they would have acknowledged him immediately.


    Thinking about this, Tonan could only secretly disapprove of them. Poor strength and even worse relationships, they truly were failures in life.


    The next day, Tonan dressed in a white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses and came to Kakashi¡¯s house early in the morning. Even from a distance, through the white pigeon ninja beast, he had seen Kakashi standing at the doorway, looking towards the intersection.


    However, when he appeared, Kakashi pretended to be sleepy, glanced casually at him, and then stared at the rising sun.


    As if the newly rising sun was the most beautiful thing, asking to be treated me his closest partner.


    If the story¡¯s trajectory didn¡¯t change, Kakashi attained the Kamui Sharingan, and then died when Nagato, also known as Pain, launched a surprise attack on Konoha.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that give me¡­¡±


    Kamui was a good technique. It could greatly improve Tonan¡¯s life-saving ability. Looking at it this way, Tonan thought Kakashi was not so worthless after all.


    He looked at Kakashi with a warm gaze, and a small smile appeared on his face. Kakashi saw Tonan looking at him ¡®affectionately¡¯ from the corner of his eye.


    The corners of his mouth hidden behind the mask unconsciously rose as well, but his tone was indifferent as he said, ¡°You came so early.¡±


    Tonan retracted his smile. Under the sunlight, he looked very gentle as he said, ¡°At my parents¡¯ graves yesterday, I took an oath to work hard and become their pride. And father taught me that an upright person does what he says.¡±


    Kakashi nodded and led Tonan to the courtyard.


    Pointing at Tonan¡¯s gold-rimmed glasses, like he was making idle conversation, he asked, ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you, is something wrong with your eyes? Why are you wearing glasses?¡±


    Tonan pushed his glasses up with his two fingers and explained, ¡°I¡¯ve been reading and summarizing concepts and knowledge of the three Hokage-sama every night. And perhaps, the lighting in my home is too dim, my eyes have become a little short-sighted.¡±


    Kakashi frowned a little hearing this and asked, ¡°Does it affect you?¡± His words were full of undisguised concern.


    Tonan smiled, and said, ¡°In a battle, it doesn¡¯t matter much. As soon as I activate the Sharingan, the short-sightedness disappears. Thank you for your concern, Kakashi.¡±


    Kakashi¡¯s eyebrows loosened. Realizing he broke his nonchalant character right now, he turned to the other side, and said, ¡°I was not concerned about you.¡±


    A light breeze accompanied a tintinnabulation coming from the wind chime under the eaves.


    ¡°Tonan-kun is here.¡±


    Hatake Sakumo was wearing baggy casual clothes with a tanto hanging on his waist. He sat cross-legged in front of the door and greeted Tonan with a smile. Tonan quickly placed his hands on his knees, bowed deeply, and respectfully said, ¡°White Fang-sama, I¡¯m extremely sorry to disturb your rest so early in the morning.¡±


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    Sakumo put on no airs. He waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m not disturbed at all, I¡¯m very happy that you¡¯ve become Kakashi¡¯s partner. I also want to thank you for urging Kakashi to train when I wasn¡¯t home.¡±


    Sakumo noticed that Tonan was staring at his tanto.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, do you like sword techniques?¡±


    ¡°I understand them just a little,¡± Tonan said, adjusting his glasses.


    Sakumo took off the short sword, stroked it, and said, ¡°If you like, I can teach you the Hatake Style Sword Technique.¡±


    Tonan shook his head and said solemnly, ¡°No, one must not accept undeserved emolument. More importantly, from the name alone, this technique must have been handed down in your family. I don¡¯t think it should be shared with an outsider like me.¡±


    Hearing Tonan¡¯s righteous answer, Sakumo appreciated the kid¡¯s personality even more, and said, ¡°You are very talented, and you have such a good relationship with Kakashi. I don¡¯t mind passing this technique to you. After you learn this, combining it with your Sharingan¡¯s dynamic vision, you will definitely become much stronger.¡±


    Tonan, however, firmly shook his head again and refused, ¡°I¡¯m sincerely grateful for your kind thoughts but I still can¡¯t accept it. As an Uchiha, I already possess the Sharingan. I should focus on developing dojutsu, which is the most suitable training path for me.¡±


    He was not only able to resist the allure of the Hatake Style Sword Technique, but also discern a clear path for himself.


    ¡°What a good child! Kakashi is lucky to have such a partner.¡±


    Sakumo liked Tonan more and more, and he compromised, ¡°I won¡¯t teach you the quintessence of the technique, but just some basic sword skills. Then you can practice better with Kakashi. This will help improve his sword techniques as well. What do you think?¡±


    All this while, Kakashi was also looking at Tonan. This was was a person he acknowledged. Although this technique was precious, it obviously couldn¡¯t compare to Tonan¡¯s place in his heart. Kakashi didn¡¯t mind Tonan learning his family¡¯s trademark technique. He even wanted to do more to improve Tonan¡¯s strength to some extent.


    Looking at Sakumo¡¯s kindness and Kakashi¡¯s eager gaze, Tonan reluctantly agreed, ¡°Fine, many thanks, White Fang-sama.¡±


    Learning the Hatake Style Sword Technique now was also a good idea. After Sakumo¡¯s death, he could freely use it without arousing anyone¡¯s suspicion. Of course, by that time, he might be better at the technique than Sakumo himself.


    ¡°Both of you come with me.¡±


    Now that Tonan was onboard, Sakumo led the two kids to the backyard to start teaching the sword techniques. This was a first for Kakashi as well.


    Sakumo gave them both a short wooden sword and began to teach from the very beginning.


    ¡°The Hatake Style Sword Technique originated from the ancient samurai, and it¡¯s divided into three steps. The first step is to learn the basics of slashing. This process requires intense training to turn the sword into an extension of your limbs.¡±


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    ¡°The second step is to learn various confrontation skills, and use your sword to deal with different kinds of enemies. This requires actual combat training. The third step is the quintessence of this technique, using chakra to strengthen the sword¡­¡±


    Sakumo was in the process of explaining when Tonan interrupted him and solemnly said, ¡°White Fang-sama, you don¡¯t need to tell me about the third step. Please teach it to Kakashi when you are alone.¡±


    Sakumu paused, nodded, and said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°What an upright young fellow.¡±


    He showed a hint of admiration when looking at Tonan. ¡°Let¡¯s look at how to slash first. In the future, you two need to continuously repeat this action until it turns into instinct.¡±


    Sakumo demonstrated slashing the wooden stake. Tonan had already activated the Sharingan and captured his movements. Sakumo caught a glimpse of the rapidly moving tomoe in Tonan¡¯s eyes, and couldn¡¯t help praising it in his heart.


    Sharingan is truly a powerful dojutsu, at least, in terms of learning basic things, Tonan was far ahead of his peers.

 CH 17

    Uchiha Tonan returned exhausted after a day of practicing sword techniques at the Hatake household. Just as soon as he reached outside the clan¡¯s territory, he saw Umino Naoto standing at the road outside, waiting for him.


    ¡°Tonan!¡± Naoto waved at him, and explained while handing him an envelope, ¡°This is the death benefit from the village, as well as a bonus for taking out a spy. Hokage-sama has been very busy, so he asked me to bring this to you instead.¡±


    Tonan accepted the envelope and bowed to Naoto without even looking at him. ¡°Sorry for troubling you to come all this way, Naoto-sensei.¡±


    Naoto scratched his head and gave his student a warm smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s no trouble at all. You, on the other hand¡­ it really was something to take down a shinobi spy all by yourself, Tonan.¡±


    ¡°It was no big deal.¡± Tonan shook his head.


    Naoto was happy with Tonan¡¯s behavior but also very concerned. He asked, ¡°You look tired. Did you just come back from training?¡±


    Tonan nodded, and said, ¡°Yes, I was fortunate enough to get some pointers from Sakumo-sama. It was a rewarding session.¡±


    ¡°Konoha¡¯s White Fang? To receive even his recognition, Tonan¡¯s aptitude may be greater than I expected.¡±


    At this thought, Naoto added, ¡°It¡¯s good to work hard, but you must also remember to relax. I won¡¯t hold you any longer. Go and rest, I¡¯ll see you at the academy tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Naoto-sensei. Goodbye.¡±


    Naoto turned and left. After walking down half a block, he turned around and saw Tonan still standing at the same spot, seeing him off. He couldn¡¯t help but feel touched.


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d get to teach such a talented student with such a fine character.¡±


    ¡°You should go back now!¡± Naoto shouted from a distance. But Tonan did not respond. He just smiled at him.


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    Once Naoto was out of sight, he finally went into the clan grounds.


    Uchiha guards were patrolling the perimeter. They all nodded their heads kindly when they saw Tonan, and he returned the gesture with a smile.


    No matter which world one was in, that was just how things go.


    As soon as he returned home, Tonan saw the Great Elder standing at his courtyard¡¯s entrance. He had clearly been waiting there for long.


    ¡°Tonan. You¡¯re back,¡± the Great Elder greeted Tonan first.


    With both hands on his knees, Tonan bowed respectfully to him, and said, ¡°Greetings, Great Elder.¡±


    The Great Elder waved his hand with a smile and shoved a thick envelope into Tonan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°We¡¯re all family. There¡¯s no need for formalities. I¡¯m here today to hand you the pension for your parents¡¯ demise and your living expenses for this month.¡±


    Tonan covertly squeezed the envelope. The Great Elder¡¯s generosity was much thicker than Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s.


    Then, with a puzzled expression, he asked, ¡°But hasn¡¯t Hokage-sama handed out the compensation already?¡±


    The Great Elder shot him a meaningful look.


    ¡°Hokage-sama represents the village but the Uchiha clan treats our clan members equally. Now that you¡¯re orphaned, you¡¯ll receive an appropriate amount of living expenses each month. If you face any problems, you can come to either me or the clan leader. Clan members are family. We will do our utmost to help as best as we can.¡±


    After saying this, he patted Tonan¡¯s shoulder, and without any further explanations or actions, he turned around and left. This was a clever move.


    At least it was, in most cases. For Tonan, though, who had seen the ways of the world, it was too naive. This was the trick to giving a gift. Once your goodwill was received, it needed time to ferment. If you stayed around and spoke meaninglessly, people would know you had ulterior motives.


    Once Tonan returned home, he took the money out of both envelopes and put it into the safe. It seemed like he had become hot property.


    The compensation Hiruzen gave him was already way over the limit. There was no way the amount could be this high for two mere genin and for killing a spy. The Great Elder was even more generous, giving almost twice that of what Hiruzen did.


    Tonan guessed the Great Elder did not initially plan this much. He must have noticed Naoto outside the clan¡¯s territory, and gauging by the envelope¡¯s thickness, he must have guessed the approximate amount and then doubled his compensation.


    This worked well for Tonan.


    For the death of two genin parents, the compensation he received was equal to two jonin. Now that he had the money, he could raise a few more white pigeon ninja beasts. Until the Third Shinobi World War began, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about running out of money.


    The next day, Tonan went out as usual and headed to the academy. But before he could leave the clan grounds, he bumped into a classmate.


    Uchiha Mina.


    Mina looked at him in surprise, and greeted, ¡°Tonan-kun, what a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what a coincidence,¡± Tonan said, as a gentle smile appeared on his face.


    The two of them walked to the academy side by side.


    Mina didn¡¯t know Tonan was aware this was no coincidence. He had seen the sneaky way she had been lingering around this road with his white pigeons. But he continued with the charade. After all, there was a high probability she would become ration for him in the future. He should show care to his rations.


    Tonan was reminded that Mina wasn¡¯t the only classmate he had. If he didn¡¯t manage to get Hatake Sakumo¡¯s acknowledgment, then he would be left in a dangerous position. These provisions might play a key role then.


    Especially Mina. For a small-timer who¡¯d never even been heard of in the previous timeline, she was basically set up for death. And, she was an Uchiha. If she could become stronger, then¡­


    If he did it right, and if he were lucky, then he might be able to get her to awaken a three tomoe Sharingan. That would help him with his Mangekyou.


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    Tonan¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked towards Mina. She was looking ahead but was in fact stealing glances at him. When she saw Tonan looking at her, she couldn¡¯t help her heart from racing.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    As soon as the question left her lips, she immediately wanted to slap herself.


    ¡°How could I ask him that? Won¡¯t he feel embarrassed? What if he just started liking me? Wouldn¡¯t he stop if I asked him that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re different from the other clan members, Mina.¡± An old veteran like Tonan had thicker skin than ordinary people, so, of course, he was not embarrassed.


    ¡°Really? What¡¯s different about me?¡± Mina felt fuzzy inside, a hint of blush appearing on her cheeks.


    ¡°Other than Obito, the other clan members I¡¯ve met are all¡­ too arrogant. You¡¯re different. I knew you have a lively personality but I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a cute side as well.¡±


    Tonan spoke lightly with a smile as if he were merely stating a fact without any intention of flattering her. The two of them chatted as they walked.


    Just like the young couple in the previous life.

 CH 18

    In the classroom, because of her father¡¯s death, Hyuga Chiryo sat alone in her seat, looking depressed. There were several male classmates gathered at one side, playing boisterously, who would often peek at Chiryo.


    These boys¡¯ puppy love was secretive but obvious. In these students¡¯ impressions, Chiryo was gentle and delicate, a temperament that stimulated the young boys¡¯ protective desire.


    Although she was sitting on her desk, feeling at a loss, her eyes often glanced towards the classroom door.


    ¡°I heard Tonan-kun¡¯s parents also died on the battlefield. He is an orphan like me. We are the same¡­¡±


    Bang.


    Two boys who were making a ruckus fell on the ground, one holding the other down.


    ¡°Do you give up or not?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Give up or not?¡±


    ¡°Chiryo, Asuma said he likes you.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ no¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I¡­¡±


    Asuma immediately got up and looked at Chiryo, not knowing what to do. She gave him one glance and buried her head in her arms.


    ¡°She is shy¡­ does she like me too?¡±


    Asuma stood there in a daze, letting his imagination run wild.


    ¡°When our son grows up and awakens the Byakugan, should he belong to the Sarutobi clan or Hyuga?¡±


    Just at this time, Tonan and Mina walked in, side by side. A sudden hush spread across the classroom, and after a short pause, erupted into roars. The boys were hooting as if the two had just gotten married.


    Mina had no intention to refute. She just shyly lowered her head. This gave everyone, even the ones who were teasing casually, the impression that the two genuinely had an affair.


    Tonan smiled warmly, neither admitting nor denying as well, and greeted everyone, ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡±


    Amid the hullabaloo, only Chiryo stared fixedly at the duo. Her hands clenched tightly, and she was screaming in her heart.


    ¡°No, Tonan-kun and I are the same. He can only be mine. He hasn¡¯t admitted to anything, he doesn¡¯t have any feelings for Mina. And Mina you, if you dare to rob my Tonan-kun¡­¡±


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    Ferociousness flashed in her eyes, and it just happened to be caught by Asuma, who had been staring at her.


    ¡°Chiryo, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked with concern.


    ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t agree with our son belonging to the Sarutobi clan?¡±


    The morning passed by quickly. In almost every break, Mina took the initiative to come over and chat with Tonan. Sitting at the back, Chiryo stared at them every time. It was as though someone was taking something that belonged with her.


    Only in the break before the last afternoon class, Mina did not come over. Tonan was not interested in playing with his classmates. He would rather sit on his seat and study theory lessons of the higher grades.


    Suddenly, a figure appeared beside him. Holding a book in her hands, Chiryo was nervously looking at Tonan, and said, ¡°Tonan-kun, I didn¡¯t understand what sensei taught in the previous class. Will you explain it to me, please?¡±


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    ¡°Classmates are supposed to help each other. Come, sit down.¡± Tonan smiled and patted the seat beside him.


    Chiryo nodded and took the place. Tonan slightly leaned over and helped her open the book. She could smell the faint soap scent coming from his shirt and her mind instantly buzzed.


    ¡°In the previous class, sensei talked about placement methods for explosive tags and how to activate them remotely. Tell me what part you didn¡¯t understand?¡± Tonan¡¯s gentle voice pulled her back to reality.


    But she was completely distracted just now and had not heard a word of what he said. She stammered, ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed about. Don¡¯t you understand any of it?¡± Tonan leaned closer, pointing at the book¡¯s content, and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I will tell you from the beginning. If you don¡¯t understand, I can repeat it. Don¡¯t worry about me. Just tell me if something is confusing.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Chiryo murmured an assent, her face red like a ripe persimmon.


    ¡°The essence of explosive tags¡­ the effect of moisture on explosive tags¡­¡±


    Behind those two, Mina watched this scene with anger, secretly clenching her fists.


    ¡°Despicable! This bitch pretends to be weak and delicate usually, but now, she dares to seduce Tonan-kun. He is pure-hearted. But if I create a fuss now, he will think I¡¯m causing trouble. I have to stay calm. He doesn¡¯t like violent and haughty girls. I almost fell into this bitch¡¯s plot.¡±


    After a while, the class bell rang.


    Tonan turned his head slightly and said to Chiryo, ¡°The last class is starting soon. I can only teach you tomorrow now.¡±


    Chiryo looked at Tonan¡¯s star-like bright eyes. Half-infatuated and half-intoxicated, she said, ¡°Thank you, may I treat you to a meal to show my gratitude?¡±


    Tonan paused, and said with a bright smile, ¡°But I¡¯m going to Kakashi¡¯s house to train with him after school. I might be a little late for dinner.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I will wait for you.¡±


    ¡°Fine then, but even without this, you don¡¯t need to feel you owe me anything.¡±


    ¡°I just want to thank you. What does Tonan-kun want to eat?¡±


    ¡°I eat everything. Why don¡¯t we eat ramen? It¡¯s economical and delicious.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Chiryo nodded, took her books, and got up to leave.


    Just as she turned around, she saw Mina standing behind. Mina had no expressions on her face but her gaze was one that only women could understand. Chiryo understood it instantly. Mina was warning her.


    With Tonan present here, both of them had to keep their calm. But that did not stop them from silently clashing with their eyes.


    Mina returned to her seat. She had heard Chiryo¡¯s dinner invitation, and couldn¡¯t wait to teach her a profound lesson.


    After school, Mina wanted to ask Tonan to return home together but Kakashi destroyed her plans.


    ¡°Are you coming with me, or¡­¡± Kakashi gestured lazily with his head. Although he had not paid attention to what happened today, he had still observed a few things.


    Kakashi felt Tonan was being amicable with his classmates. Those girls were pestering him on their own accord. Because he had his share of similar experience, which annoyed him very much, he felt Tonan should be in the same situation.


    Therefore, the question was just rhetorical.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll come to your house to practice. Where else could I go?¡± Tonan pretended to be puzzled as he asked.


    Kakashi nodded hearing this, and the two of them left the classroom, side by side.

 CH 19

    After school, Hyuga Chiryo dashed home. After all, she was going out on a date with Tonan, she had to dress up. Uchiha Mina, meanwhile, went to the ramen shop, where this date was to take place and lay in wait. She was going to teach Chiryo a lesson.


    In the blink of an eye, it was evening.


    At Kakashi¡¯s home.


    Tonan¡¯s three tomoe turned in his eyes. Suddenly leaping, he nimbly dodged a hand reaching out under his feet. He pretended to gasp on the surface as he looked at Kakashi who had emerged from the ground.


    ¡°Kakashi! Your Double Suicide Decapitation Technique is getting better. I almost couldn¡¯t dodge it.¡±


    Even though the two of them were sparring with the Hatake clan¡¯s sword techniques using wooden swords, as shinobi, nothing restricted them from using ninjutsu during these sessions.


    Tonan humbly smiled, and continued, ¡°Compared to you, I¡¯m much worse. Other than the Sharingan, I have got nothing. Let¡¯s stop here today though. I¡¯ve promised Chiryo I¡¯d have dinner with her.¡±


    Kakashi nodded and walked Tonan out. After leaving the Hatake household, Tonan headed for the rendezvous point at the ramen shop. A few white pigeons, perched in the bushes not far away, took flight and began scouting the route for him.


    There was hardly any danger in Konoha, much less during the day. But Tonan never had much sense of security. These white pigeons were therefore rarely idle.


    Chiryo was walking along a shopping street with great anticipation. At home, she took a good bath before changing into a pair of new clothes.


    Her pace was slow. This was a road that one had to take while walking from Kakashi¡¯s home to the ramen shop. She could run into Tonan here. As a girl, if she went to the ramen shop too early and waited alone, people might gossip about her.


    ¡°The best way is to enter the shop together with Tonan-kun.¡±


    These were her thoughts. However, just as she reached the street¡¯s corner, a thin hand emerged beside her and pulled the confused Chiryo into the alley.


    Thud.


    Caught off guard, Chiryo lost her balance and fell to the ground. Her new clothes were soiled. While she turned an annoyed gaze at her approacher, a kunai was pointed at her neck. When she finally saw her attacker, it was Mina.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?!¡± Chiryo furiously asked her.


    ¡°Stay away from Tonan-kun.¡±


    Chiryo was about to snap at her when she thought of something.


    ¡°Tonan-kun should be arriving here. He might pass by this alley any second.¡±


    Then¡­


    In the next instant, Chiryo put away her anger and meekly said.


    ¡°How can you do this? We¡¯re classmates!¡±


    ¡°Put that disgusting look away. Only Tonan-kun is pure enough to be deceived by this. A mere Hyuga bitch like you thinks you can seduce an Uchiha genius? Who gave you that confidence? Why don¡¯t you take a good look at yourself?¡±


    ¡°You are going too far!¡±


    ¡°You really think I won¡¯t dare to kill you?¡± Mina pressed the kunai in her hand, just a little more pressure would pierce Chiryo¡¯s skin. A white pigeon just happened to fly overhead right then.


    By this time, Tonan had arrived at the street¡¯s corner. He stopped in place. Through the shared vision with the white pigeon, he could see everything happening inside the alley. Were his two rations getting jealous of each other?


    He stroked his chin and began wondering whether he should go and save the day.


    Hyuga Chiryo, Uchiha Mina.


    Byakugan, Sharingan.


    There seems to be no way of fusing the Sharingan with the Byakugan, so Chiryo wasn¡¯t very useful.


    On the other hand, if Mina were nurtured, there was no saying she wouldn¡¯t be able to awaken her three tomoe before the Third Great Shinobi War. Then, she can become a tribute to his power.


    Since Chiryo wasn¡¯t useful, then who cares? It doesn¡¯t matter if she died.


    After making his decision, Tonan turned around and walked towards another road, taking a detour to the ramen shop.


    Meanwhile in the alley, faced with Mina¡¯s threat, Chiryo cowered like a little kitten being bullied.


    ¡°Mina, I just wanted to thank Tonan-kun for helping me with my homework. I don¡¯t have any other thoughts about him,¡± Chiryo insisted, wiping her tears.


    Mina frowned and put her kunai away.


    ¡°Was I overthinking it? Is this bitch faking? Does such an innocent and gentle person really exist in this world?¡±


    Even though Mina was convinced that Chiryo was feigning innocence, what was the point of her continuing the act under such a situation?


    ¡°Fine. Promise me that you won¡¯t ever speak to Tonan-kun again.¡±


    Mina¡¯s voice was laced with threat. After all, she had true Uchiha blood in her veins. Even though she was female, her personality was not very different from her clan members.


    She acted docile in front of Tonan, but when it came to the same sex, she retained her intimidating character.


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    Chiryo timidly raised her head to look at the sky, then at the entrance of the alleyway.


    ¡°Tonan-kun has still not passed by. Does that mean he took another route?¡±


    The frail look in Chiryo¡¯s eyes disappeared as she slowly stood up.


    ¡°Why are you getting up? Answer me!¡±


    In the next instant.


    Bam!


    Chiryo¡¯s palm hit Mina right in the chest, slamming her into the wall.


    Mina felt a sharp pain where she was hit but her chakra pathways were blocked with the attack, completely restraining her. Her kunai also dropped to the ground during the impact.


    She raised her head with an incredulous look at Chiryo, who was slowly approaching her.


    ¡°How could you possibly¡­¡±


    Mina saw the coldness in Chiryo¡¯s eyes, the veins around which were bulging, as she crouched down to pick up the kunai. Holding the kunai backward, she pressed the tip of the blade against Mina¡¯s chin. Moving closer to her ear, she said in a cold voice, ¡°Tonan-kun is mine. If you dare have any funny thoughts about him, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    Chiryo released the kunai, letting it fall to the ground. After patting the dust off her body, she left the alley.


    Inside the ramen shop, Tonan was at his seat, observing the situation in the alley. To be honest, he knew that both Mina and Chiryo liked him, so they were likely to put on an act in front of him. But he didn¡¯t expect Chiryo to be this good at acting. He always thought that she was like Hinata. However¡­


    ¡°Sure enough, the prettier the woman, the better they are at fooling others,¡± Tonan muttered to himself. He was determined to be warier around women of this world in the future.


    Since she was able to fool him, he had to go back and review the ¡®Essential Spy Disguise Techniques¡¯.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, sorry for being late!¡±


    Chiryo jogged to the ramen shop and stopped by Tonan¡¯s side, panting. Anyone who didn¡¯t know what just happened would think that her flushed cheeks were cute.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I just arrived here myself. You should sit down and catch your breath.¡±


    Tonan stood up like a gentleman and put his hands on Chiryo¡¯s shoulders, helping her to the seat. Then he sat down next to her, lifted the pitcher, and leaned slightly closer to her to pour water in her cup.


    Then, he thoughtfully said, ¡°Don¡¯t rush to eat after a strenuous run. You should calm down with some water first.¡±


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    ¡°Tonan-kun¡­¡± Chiryo looked at Tonan with stars in her eyes.


    This was no act, but a genuine expression of affection.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine. You can only belong to me.¡±


    The waiter at the ramen shop came over and asked, ¡°What would you like to order?¡±


    Tonan turned his head around and asked in a magnetic voice, ¡°Chiryo, what do you want to eat?¡±


    Looking at Tonan¡¯s eyes that were looking right back at her, and listening to his deep voice, Chiryo felt light-headed as if she was intoxicated.


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m fine with anything.¡±


    Tonan nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve eaten here several times with my mother when I was younger, so I¡¯ll order for you.¡±

 CH 20

    The next day, Uchiha Tonan arrived at the academy early. He didn¡¯t meet Uchiha Mina along the way. Presumably, yesterday¡¯s face-off with Hyuga Chiryo dealt her confidence a huge blow.


    But that had nothing to do with him. If possible, he hoped she would be shamed into training harder. It would be even better if she awakened the Sharingan.


    He had barely entered the classroom when he saw Chiryo supporting her face with her hands and staring shyly at him. Tonan immediately nodded warmly at her.


    Mina who was sitting at her desk saw this and gritted her teeth. She was trembling with anger. During the break after every class, Chiryo seized every chance to go over to Tonan¡¯s side and asked him to help with her schoolwork.


    Tonan wouldn¡¯t refuse the approach of his ration. It seemed that in this love triangle, the other two considered him as the harmless prey. As for who was the game and who was the hunter, no one would know until the last moment.


    After school, Chiryo had no reason to pester Tonan. After all, everyone knew that his time post-school belonged to Kakashi. But on the way to the Hatake household, Mina caught up with them.


    ¡°Tonan-kun!¡±


    Tonan and Kakashi turned around at the same time.


    ¡°Mina, did you need something?¡± Tonan adjusted his glasses and asked gently. She took a deep breath, looked straight into his eyes, and said, ¡°I want to become stronger, can you guide me in my training?¡±


    ¡°Troublesome.¡± Kakashi shrugged his shoulders and muttered. He then said to Tonan, ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead to train and wait for you.¡±


    After Kakashi left, Tonan stared at Mina seriously and said, ¡°We are all classmates. We should help each other. I¡¯d be very happy to help you in your training.¡±


    Mina bowed and said, ¡°Thank you, Tonan-kun.¡±


    Tonan nodded, then stroked his chin and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I have to practice with Kakashi every day after school. So, every day after dinner, I¡¯ll guide you for an hour at the clan¡¯s northern training ground. Does this work for you?¡±


    Mina nodded and agreed.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll leave now. See you on the training grounds at night,¡± Tonan turned around to leave.


    But Mina called out to stop him. He paused and asked with a puzzled look, ¡°Was there something else?¡±


    ¡°Do you like Chiryo?¡± Mina stared at Tonan with bated breath, waiting for his reply.


    ¡°What kind of like do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ like between a boy and a girl.¡±


    Tonan just smiled, shook his head, and said, ¡°Why would you think so? I see Chiryo as a younger sister. Moreover, we are still very young, how can we fall into things like puppy love? That¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Puppy love?


    Mina was dumbfounded for a moment. This was the first time she heard anyone use this expression. After all, the average life expectancy in the Ninja World was short. Many got married and had kids in their teens.


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    Wasn¡¯t falling in love before marriage the usual way? And they were already six years old. After this year, they would be seven years old! They were not three-year-old kids anymore. What was wrong with falling in love? Absolutely nothing at all.


    But as long as Tonan said he had no intention of a romantic relationship with Chiryo, Mina¡¯s goal was achieved. She was suddenly full of energy.


    She smiled at Tonan and said, ¡°Never mind, see you on the training ground at night.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan headed to the northern training ground after dinner. At this moment, the sky had already darkened, marked with a few stars.


    Ding.


    Mina was already here, practicing with her kunai. Seeing Tonan, she looked overjoyed.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, you are here.¡±


    Tonan glanced at the kunai target, nodded at Mina, and said, ¡°Mina, you are very diligent. But I just saw your kunai throwing movement, and it¡¯s not up to the mark. Come, let me teach you. You should do it like this.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s lessons started with pressing and groping her body to adjust her posture.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t use your arm to throw a kunai, use your wrist.¡±


    ¡°Yes, bent a little here.¡±


    ¡°When training, use your waist to help control the strength of your body.¡±


    ¡°Come, bend your waist a little more, bend over a little.¡±


    Feeling Tonan¡¯s hands wandering over her, helping her adjust her posture, Mina¡¯s face was blushing. She bit her lip and said, ¡°Tonan-kun¡­¡±


    Tonan looked at her with innocent eyes, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it too difficult?¡±


    Hearing Tonan¡¯s magnetic voice, Mina swallowed a mouthful of saliva, shook her head, and said, ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, I¡¯m just doing what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡± Tonan smiled warmly and continued to help Mina.


    ¡°Retract your belly.¡±


    ¡°Slightly part your thighs¡­¡±


    There was no one around, the sky was dark. And a young boy and girl were alone here. Mina couldn¡¯t concentrate at all. The result was that even after Tonan sincerely helped her, she continuously missed the target.


    An hour later, the two people sat on the grass, side by side.


    Tonan looked at Mina apologetically and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mina. I might be teaching it all wrong, and made you waste an hour.¡±


    Facing Tonan¡¯s apology, Mina immediately got flustered and said, ¡°No, Tonan-kun¡¯s teaching is very good. I was getting distracted during the training. Perhaps, it¡¯s because I¡¯m too tired these days. I¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡±


    Tonan stroked his chin and seemed to suddenly realize something, ¡°Is that the case? Then you should rest.¡±


    Listening to Tonan¡¯s caring words, Mina couldn¡¯t help feeling sweet in her heart. She moved her butt slightly towards Tonan. They were closer now.


    Worried that Tonan would notice her actions, she quickly looked for a topic and said, ¡°Tonan-kun, I heard a clan member say that you unlocked the Sharingan because someone important to you passed away?¡±


    Tonan looked up at the stars and said in a deep voice, ¡°Yes, I awakened the Sharingan because my brother Teno-san was killed by a fellow clan member. As for the three tomoe, it was after father and mother died on the battlefield.¡±


    Mina stared at Tonan¡¯s side profile and said in a daze, ¡°That was harsh. My parents died in the last war but I was still very young at the time. Also, my talent is inadequate. I guess it will be very hard for me to awaken the Sharingan.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I believe you can awaken it.¡± Tonan hastily lowered his head and looked back into Mina¡¯s eyes. Her heart trembled, and as if she was caught doing something wrong, she lowered her head and said, ¡°Unlocking the Sharingan needs strong hatred. But I¡­ it seems I can¡¯t awaken it even with that kind of emotion.¡±


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    ¡°Wrong.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mina looked at Tonan in confusion.


    Tonan said in all seriousness, ¡°The awakening doesn¡¯t rely on hatred.¡±


    ¡°But everyone in the clan says so.¡± Mina was puzzled. After all, the Uchiha clan had existed for so many years, and everyone had figured out the conditions to awaken this dojutsu.


    However, today, Tonan said that this method was wrong. She saw Tonan adjusting his glasses and speak in an inexplicable tone, ¡°Uchiha is a family of love, and the power of love will always be stronger than that of hatred. If you have someone you love and protect, but your strength is not enough, our bloodline gives us the power to awaken our eyes. It is so that we can protect those we love.¡±


    ¡°Love?¡± Mina¡¯s mind was already spinning.


    Tonan nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Because I loved Teno-san, father, and mother, when my strength was not enough to protect them, the Uchiha blood in me fuelled the power to awaken my eyes and protect them.¡±


    Mina vaguely felt that something didn¡¯t add up in this, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it, and it did sound reasonable. Half believing, half doubting, she said, ¡°But I don¡¯t understand love¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Mina felt a hand around her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Tonan patting her with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll help you find a way. I will do my best to make you feel the power of love, alright?¡±


    ¡°Is Tonan-kun confessing his love to me? What am I thinking? Tonan-kun is obviously thinking about helping me awaken the Sharingan. But to awaken, I need to feel the power of love. How can I feel this love?¡±


    While she was thinking, she felt a slight squeeze on her shoulder, and her heart trembled.


    She lowered her head and let out an inaudible murmur.


    ¡°I seem to¡­ have already felt it.¡±


    The night curtain had fallen. In the darkness, Tonan¡¯s deep gaze looked down at the girl in his embrace, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly. It was true that hatred awakened the Sharingan. But the ultimate hatred was birthed from love.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fail to live up to my good intention¡­ ration.¡±

 CH 21

    The next day, Tonan woke up early and walked out of the Uchiha clan¡¯s territory.  Instead of going to the academy, he went to a pet store in the shopping street and picked out a kitten.


    The kitten was white and had four pink little paws. It was very small and fluffy. After putting it into a small cage provided by the store, Tonan went on his way to the academy.


    As soon as he entered the classroom, he attracted a lot of attention, as usual. Among them were Hyuga Chiryo and Uchiha Mina. And Kakashi, as well.


    Tonan walked straight to Mina and placed the cage on her table.


    ¡°I thought about it last night, and I think this little guy might be able to help you.¡±


    Mina was a bit too surprised looking at the kitten in the cage and asked, ¡°Tonan-kun, is this for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    When the students in the classroom saw this, they all chattered away into another discussion about the couple.


    In a silent corner that no one was paying attention to, Chiryo was lost in thought, and her fists were clenched hard under the desk. Her fingernails had pierced through the palm¡¯s skin, causing blood to trickle out.


    Even though Chiryo beat and threatened Mina the last time, the latter was an Uchiha. She was unlikely to remain suppressed. For starters, Mina didn¡¯t think there was much of a gap between their abilities. And after having received Tonan¡¯s guidance, she believed it wouldn¡¯t be long before she surpassed Chiryo.


    When Tonan took the initiative to gift her a pet, she accepted it without any concern.


    During the class, Umino Naoto was lecturing from the podium. As usual, Tonan listened intently, even though he had already learned everything. But to maintain the persona he had in everyone¡¯s hearts, he could only pretend to be attentive in class.


    Chiryo sat rigidly on her seat, staring intently at his back the whole time. Mina, on the other hand, was secretly playing with the kitten that Tonan gifted her. Seeing the cute kitten curled up in a ball inside the cage, Mina curiously put a finger inside.


    Then, she saw the kitten poking its head up, approaching her finger, and giving it a sniff before licking her fingertip with its pink tongue.


    Mina¡¯s heart melted in an instant. When she looked up at Tonan who was sitting at the front, her heart was delighted to the core.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tonan-kun. I¡¯ll take good care of this little guy!¡±


    After the first period, Chiryo came to Mina with an icy look on her face.


    ¡°Come outside,¡± Chiryo whispered. She took the lead and headed towards the field. Glancing at Tonan who was absorbed in his book, Mina fearlessly followed her out.


    Under the tree shade, Chiryo and Mina faced each other.


    ¡°You really think I won¡¯t kill you?¡± The veins around Chiryo¡¯s eyes flared up, and a morbidly ruthless expression surfaced on her face.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop with that weak act? Don¡¯t think I¡¯m afraid of you just because you¡¯ve awakened your Byakugan,¡± Mina replied, crossing her arms and looking at Chiryo as if she had won a big match.


    Chiryo slowly raised her hands and assumed the Gentle Fist seal.


    ¡°Only the same kind of people can be together. Both Tonan-kun and I are orphans. I¡¯m the most suitable one for him.¡±


    Mina grabbed a kunai from her bag and pointed it at Chiryo.


    ¡°Is this a joke! My parents were killed in action during the Second Great Shinobi War. Based on your logic, I¡¯m an orphan too. Why should I give up on Tonan-kun?¡±


    Chiryo was stunned, and silent for a long time, seemingly lost in thought. They were at the ninja academy right now. The most she could do was teach Mina a lesson.


    ¡°If I killed her here, I¡¯d be punished. Even worse, Tonan-kun would find out and I might never have a chance with him again.¡±


    With that in mind, Chiryo put away her Byakugan and knelt on the ground with both hands on the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m begging you. Please give Tonan-kun to me. You still have your clan but I have nothing. I can¡¯t live without him.¡±


    Since she couldn¡¯t take it by force, she had to come at it in another way. Mina never expected Chiryo to pull this trick.


    ¡°Just give up.¡±


    Mina slightly eased her tone, and said ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t you missing a little detail here?¡±


    Chiryo looked up at Mina, puzzled.


    ¡°The Hyugas don¡¯t allow intermarriage with other clans. I had never thought of you as a love rival, I just don¡¯t like you.¡±


    After saying that, Mina¡¯s lips curved into a smile. She put away her kunai and headed back to class. Chiryo¡¯s kneeling today put her in a very good mood. All the haze of her past defeat was swept away.


    Under the tree in the field, only Chiryo was left kneeling with her head deeply bowed, a manic expression on her face. When it was almost time for class, she returned like a walking corpse.


    In fact, most people in Konoha knew about the Hyuga clan¡¯s rule forbidding intermarriage. Just that there was nothing in it to gossip about, so no one usually talked about it.


    It never crossed Chiryo¡¯s mind either. When Mina pointed it out, she recalled that everyone she saw at the clan¡¯s ground was a Hyuga. She had never seen any Hyuga clan members move out of the clan through marriage, or anyone marrying in.


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    Chiryo only needed one simple confirmation to realize that Mina was stating a fact. During class, she couldn¡¯t take in a single word. Her face was pale as a sheet of paper and her eyes were threatening to spill tears that she was forcibly holding back.


    ¡°That means Tonan-kun and I can¡¯t be together. Even if Tonan-kun liked me, the clan won¡¯t agree to it.¡±


    Chiryo reached in between her thick bangs and stroked the caged bird mark.


    ¡°What about leaving everything behind and eloping? Is that even impossible? Caged bird¡­ a cage that one could never be free from. The only way out is death. But there¡¯s no Tonan-kun in the world of the dead.¡±


    When she thought of this, Chiryo moved her gaze slightly and looked at Tonan¡¯s back.


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    ¡°Tonan-kun. Even in death, I want to be with you.¡±


    On the tree outside the window, two white pigeons were nestled together. Tonan had watched everything that happened. Even though he did not know what they said, he could guess it.


    Tonan gave up on Chiryo. All-day long, all she had on her mind was love and relationships, and he wasted so much time eating out with her. He wanted to give her enough hope and courage to compete with Mina but she never thought about working hard.


    Looking at her appearance now, she even seemed despondent. This provision was ruined, so he could only pin his hopes on Mina now.


    Mina seemed to really like that kitten. Once she pours enough affection on it, Tonan planned to find the right opportunity to kill it before the Third Great Shinobi War.


    That way, maybe he could force Mina to awaken her Sharingan.

 CH 22

    The next few days, Hyuga Chiryo never came to look for Uchiha Tonan. Every day, she sat on her seat in a daze, quietly watching him with a morbid look. She was as quiet as a corpse, which made Tonan very uneasy.


    ¡°Chiryo, aren¡¯t you resting well these days?¡±


    Chiryo lifelessly turned her head and looked at Asuma, who seemed very concerned. She paused for a moment, and with a pale smile, she gestured him to come closer with her finger.


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    Asuma¡¯s eyes shone and moved his head a bit closer.


    ¡°Asuma, do you like me?¡±


    Chiryo¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse, but in Asuma¡¯s ears, it was a heavenly sound.


    ¡°I¡­ hehe¡­¡± Asuma scratched his head, looking embarrassed. Happiness had come so suddenly that he was unable to speak clearly for a moment.


    ¡°Can you help me with something?¡±


    Asuma patted his chest and said, ¡°No problem. With me, nothing is impossible.¡±


    Chiryo¡¯s smile disappeared instantly, and it was replaced with an ice-cold look as she said in a low voice, ¡°Find a chance and help me kill Mina¡¯s cat.¡±


    Asuma nearly choked on his saliva.


    ¡°I¡¯m only joking,¡± Chiryo¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and a smile appeared on her face again. Asuma sighed in relief and said, looking embarrassed, ¡°You frightened me, then¡­¡±


    Before he completed his words, Chiryo handed him a piece of paper and said, ¡°Will you help me hand this to Tonan-kun? You cannot peek.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Asuma took the note without thinking too much. After all, the entire class knew that Tonan and Mina were a couple. He walked over to him, put the note on his desk and said, ¡°Chiryo asked me to give this to you.¡±


    Tonan took the paper, unfolded it, and saw the words written on it:


    Tonan-kun, I want to talk to you alone. Tomorrow night, at nine o¡¯clock, I¡¯ll wait for you under the waterfall on the east side of the Hokage Rock. See you there.


    After reading it, Tonan turned his head to look at Chiryo and nodded. A hint of a smile appeared on her pale face.


    Tonan didn¡¯t want to waste time playing some silly rom-com with these two children. However, to be an accomplished hunter, one must remember to always put on a disguise before baring the fangs.


    The next day, October sixth was also a weekly holiday. Hatake Sakumo was resting at home. Tonan would not waste such a big opportunity. Early in the morning, he went to the Hatake household for lessons with Sakumo together with Kakashi.


    He didn¡¯t return home until evening, and after dinner, he came to the Uchiha clan¡¯s northern training ground to train Mina. At this moment, outside the clan¡¯s grounds, Chiryo came over with a bag of cat food.


    ¡°This is the Uchiha clan¡¯s territory, why did you come here?¡± The two patrolling guards saw Chiryo and stopped her.


    Chiryo was like a startled kitten. She quickly lowered her head, then said weakly with a red face, ¡°I¡­ I came to look for Mina¡­ to feed¡­ feed¡­¡±


    One of the patrol guards saw the cat food in her hands and impatiently said, ¡°Feed the cat, isn¡¯t it?¡±


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    Chiryo nodded weakly. The patrol guards obviously felt that such a young child wouldn¡¯t pose any danger and allowed her in, ¡°Go in.¡±


    She nodded her head, and as if she suddenly thought of something, she looked at the patrol guards nervously and said, ¡°Uncle¡­, it¡¯s my first time here¡­ I don¡¯t know the way¡­ can¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I have to patrol and have no time to act as your guide. Mina¡¯s house is over there. There are two cherry blossom trees in front of her house.¡±


    The patrol guard pointed in a direction and walked away.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Chiryo bowed deeply to the patrol guards who had already left. Following in the direction they pointed, she was soon at Mina¡¯s house.


    Mina¡¯s parents had died in the second war, and she was orphaned at a very young age. The clan had assigned a guardian for her earlier but once she was an academy student, the guardian was removed.


    At this moment, there was no one in her house except for the white kitten lying on the floor in front of the door.


    Creak


    The courtyard¡¯s wooden door was left unlocked. After all, this was the Uchiha territory. As long as someone did not need to leave for long, people would usually just close the door.


    When Chiryo pushed open the courtyard door, the kitten became alert.


    Swish


    It hid behind a pillar, and stuck out half of its small head to observe. But when it saw Chiryo, and especially the cat food, it immediately dropped its vigilance and eagerly rushed out.


    This was also because Mina brought it to the academy every day. Only when training together with Tonan, she would leave the kitten alone at home.


    The kitten had been in the academy long enough to see some of Mina¡¯s classmates. Therefore, it was not afraid.


    Mew


    Just after stepping into the small courtyard, Chiryo saw the kitten running over to her feet. It kept rubbing its head on her leg but its eyes were focused on the cat food in Chiryo¡¯s hands.


    Chiryo was unmoved by the kitten¡¯s little shenanigans. She just looked down at it quietly, her eyes filled with indifference. The kitten wanted to eat food. Seeing that its move didn¡¯t work, it changed its way to act cute.


    In its memory, as long as it acted cutely, it would get delicious food. The kitten immediately lied on the ground, rolled over and showed its white belly, and then wriggled around.


    It seemed to be saying: Come, rub me, no need to pity me. A small smile slowly appeared on Chiryo¡¯s face, and she softly said, ¡°What a clever child.¡±


    Seeing the girl smiling, the kitten believed it would be able to eat cat food with a new flavor, and wriggled more. Suddenly, a shadow obstructed its vision.


    Bang


    Mew!


    ¡°Pity, you don¡¯t belong to me,¡± Chiryo turned around and casually threw a note on the dead kitten. She left the small courtyard with the cat food bag and closed the door in passing. Once outside, she put on her weak and delicate look again and headed for her rendezvous with Tonan.


    At this moment, Tonan was still training with Mina. Even though he had trained many pigeon ninja beasts, he couldn¡¯t monitor the entire Konoha at all times. He missed Chiryo¡¯s cruel act.


    Time passed, and the sky was completely dark.


    Nine o¡¯clock.


    After completing Mina¡¯s training for the night, Tonan walked towards the appointed place to meet Chiryo. Meanwhile, a flock of white pigeons took off from the woods and flew into the distance.

 CH 23

    A full moon rose like a bright light, hanging high in the night sky. In the forest, Hyuga Chiryo was walking with an expressionless face.


    Tree shadows from both sides of the road were cast on the ground, giving off a cold and eerie vibe. Chiryo came to the waterfall, and a nostalgic look flashed past her eyes.


    When she was young, her mother would often bring her here for picnics. When she got dirty, she would run to the river below the waterfall to bathe herself. If she was lucky, she would even catch a fish or two.


    She never came here again ever since her parents passed away. Chiryo slowly crouched down and touched the slightly wet dirt underneath. The scene of Tonan tutoring her on her homework played in her mind.


    ¡°Explosive Tags are often laid out in advance and used as traps. Because of this, the effects the surrounding has on the Explosive Tag should be understood.¡±


    ¡°First was the humidity. If the humidity was too high, then the Explosive Tag was likely to get wet, resulting in it failing to go off. But oftentimes, we may be limited by unavoidable geographical factors. That would require special treatment.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary Explosive Tags can be wrapped in dry leaves, slowing the moistening process. One can also sprinkle a layer of chalk on the surface. If it¡¯s humid, but you had ample time to prepare, then you can also get dry soil and wrap the Explosive Tag in it.¡±


    ¡°But of course, you don¡¯t need to do all this if you use expensive damage-proof Explosive Tags.¡±


    Chiryo opened the cat food bag and took out the dry soil from inside, spreading it on the ground. Then, she took out three Explosive Tags from her pocket and placed them on the dry soil. Finally, she sealed them off with the rest of the dirt while also hiding them with the surrounding dead leaves.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, please don¡¯t blame me for this.¡± After she was done talking to herself, she walked step by step to the creek, taking off her clothes as she walked.


    Splash


    Chiryo dipped her naked body into the water. With both hands on the bank, she kept her eyes on the trail, waiting for Tonan¡¯s arrival.


    At this time, Mina returned home as well. As she entered the door, she froze seeing the kitten¡¯s corpse on the floor.


    ¡°Yuki¡­¡± Tears welled up in her eyes as she scrambled towards the kitten. Its abdomen had been crushed into a mass of gore and it had a horrified expression on its face.


    ¡°Who did this? Who¡­¡±


    This kitten meant a lot to Mina not only because it was adorable and intelligent, but also it was the first gift Tonan gave her.


    Immersed in her grief, her eyes suddenly fell on a note on the ground. She reached out with a trembling hand and opened it. It read:


    Sad? If I can¡¯t have it, I¡¯d rather destroy it. I left a note under my desk in the classroom. It has my current location on it.


    ¡°Chiryo, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Mina gritted her teeth. She wiped her tears but suddenly noticed a change in her vision.


    In Mina¡¯s eyes, a single tomoe was turning slowly. She finally awakened the much-desired Sharingan but she couldn¡¯t feel the slightest pleasure. Instead, she got up and rushed straight towards the ninja academy with great urgency.


    The forest path was dappled with the shadows of the branches. Tonan strolled through the path expressionlessly, taking each step exceptionally lightly without making the slightest sound. Just like a beast stalking prey in the night.


    He suppressed his body¡¯s aura, ready to launch a thunderous attack at any moment. Other than the Forest of Death that was sealed off by a barrier, the forests near Konoha were free of any large beasts. Despite that, Tonan was accustomed to being vigilant.


    Coo coo


    The call of birds rang out in the dark forest. Chiryo and Tonan¡¯s agreed meeting time was 9:00 pm. Naturally, Tonan had to arrive on time so he could give her enough time to prepare.


    Splash


    Once he was near the waterfall, he could hear the sound of Chiryo splashing in the water under the loud crashing of the waterfall.


    When he looked over, he saw a silhouette in the darkness with her hands on the bank and body submerged in water, staring at him with fascination.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, you¡¯re here.¡±


    Tonan pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and pretended to be nervous.


    ¡°Sorry, I came at a bad time.¡±


    After saying that, he immediately turned around.


    Seeing Tonan at a loss, a smug smile appeared on Chiryo¡¯s lips. She softly said, ¡°You¡¯re just on time, Tonan-kun. Please wait for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Chiryo, you should hurry and put on your clothes. Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    After saying that, he heard the sound of moving water, and then of bare feet on dry leaves.


    ¡°I¡¯m done. You can turn around.¡±


    When Chiryo¡¯s voice came from right behind him, only then did he move. But Chiryo suddenly embraced him, burying her head deep in his chest.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Seeing Chiryo still naked in his arms, Tonan froze in place, petrified.


    ¡°Tonan-kun. I like you, did you know that?¡± Chiryo closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.


    Tonan looked at the ground behind Chiryo. He saw a trail of water from the shore to here. He said in a nervous tone.


    ¡°I¡­I know.¡±


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    Chiryo tightened her arms around Tonan a little more and asked, ¡°Are you in love with Mina?¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s lips curved slightly. Reaching up, he gently caressed Chiryo¡¯s smooth back with his left hand and said in a warm voice.


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    ¡°What made you think that? I¡¯ve always thought of her as a little sister.¡±


    Whether it was Tonan¡¯s answer or his actions that did the trick, Chiryo wasn¡¯t as high-strung anymore.


    ¡°I hate it so much. Why did I have to be a Hyuga? Did you know the Hyuga clan doesn¡¯t allow its members to marry outsiders? Especially since I¡¯m from a branch house, I was branded with the caged bird from birth. Sometimes, I feel like I am a bird in a cage.¡±


    ¡°All my life, I¡¯m destined to be controlled by the clan, with no freedom or future, not even the right to pursue love.¡±


    ¡°There must be a way out of this,¡± Tonan said, as his left hand slowly slipped down the wet curve and did not stop until he reached Chiryo¡¯s thin waist. Then, with his right hand, he patted her back.


    Chiryo could feel Tonan¡¯s warm hand roaming around her back and she nuzzled his chest comfortably.


    ¡°My parents were weak, but the main house still ordered them to participate in the war. They had no right to refuse. Even when my father died on the battlefield, no one notified me. They don¡¯t think of me as human at all.¡±


    ¡°From a young age, they instilled in me the idea of being loyal to the clan. But I wouldn¡¯t have it. I had no choice but to act soft and meek, to fool them into being sorry for me, into thinking I was useless. Maybe then they might remove my mark and expel me from the clan.¡±


    Tonan looked down at Chiryo with a hint of mockery in his eyes, and said, ¡°How naive.¡±


    Chiryo¡¯s eyes were closed so she missed his expression, and continued talking by herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m too naive. Sometimes, I even think about killing myself. But I couldn¡¯t bear to leave you. Your appearance gave me the courage to live. You¡¯re so gentle, so kind.¡±


    Tonan continued patting Chiryo¡¯s back and said in a slightly cool tone, ¡°Really? You¡¯re not planning to kill yourself anymore?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ please, keep holding me for a while longer, just like this.¡±


    Tears flowed from Chiryo¡¯s eyes, wetting Tonan¡¯s chest.

 CH 24

    At the ninja academy, Uchiha Mina arrived at Hyuga Chiryo¡¯s seat and opened the note she left behind. There, she found Chiryo¡¯s current location.


    ¡°Count your last moments Chiryo, I¡¯m coming to get you!¡±


    Mina crushed the note in her hands, a look of madness appearing on her face as she sped off towards the location. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. A short amount of time had passed.


    As if she¡¯d fallen asleep, Chiryo lay in Tonan¡¯s arms, unwilling to get up.


    As it was just about time, Tonan¡¯s right hand paused on her back. Then he put some distance between him and her, but his left arm remained around her thin waist. He looked into her eyes.


    ¡°Chiryo.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡±


    ¡°I have to say, I admire you,¡± Tonan said, as he moved his lips closer to hers. Both of them could feel their hot breath on each other.


    ¡°But your ambitions are too limited. You¡¯re not strong at all. Strong people don¡¯t cling to this so-called love. So, let me give you a gift.¡±


    After saying that, he slowly lowered his head. Ecstasy flashed past Chiryo¡¯s eyes as she slowly closed them. His left arm around Chiryo¡¯s waist suddenly tightened, pressing her soft body against his own while he rhythmically formed seals with his right hand.


    A few moments later, their lips parted, but the two maintained a distance close enough where the tips of their noses were slightly touching. Tonan whispered in a deep and magnetic voice, ¡°Enough. It¡¯s almost time. The Explosion Tags are already wet.¡±


    The sentence was like a rude alarm, waking Chiryo up with a start. Eyes open, she activated her Byakugan and thrust her delicate right palm on Tonan¡¯s chest.


    Poof


    Crackle


    An arcing Lightning Needle pierced through the back of her head, penetrating through her entire skull and exiting between her brows. In the very next moment, the chakra on Chiryo¡¯s right hand faded away as it lay limply on Tonan¡¯s chest. All vitality vanished, she fell into Tonan¡¯s arms.


    ¡°You love me, so you want me to die with you? That¡¯s not love, but a perversion.¡±


    Tonan had activated his three tomoe Sharingan at some point. As the crimson eyes looked down at the corpse in his arms, he said with a pitying face.


    ¡°No matter what the reason, if you want me to die, then you leave me no choice but to kill you. With your radical ideas, I wouldn¡¯t feel safe if you stayed alive.¡±


    At this moment, Tonan felt a subtle warm current flow through his entire body.


    ¡°This chakra attribute¡­ Water and Earth? Not bad. This is¡­¡±


    In Tonan¡¯s vision, the meridians in Chiryo¡¯s body appeared. When he looked up, it was as if the scenery around him had changed color. It was not the same white color shown by an authentic Byakugan, but a unique red, similar to an infrared detector.


    A 360-degree vision without any blind spots.


    ¡°The abilities of the Byakugan have integrated with the Sharingan? Chiryo, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a treasure.¡±


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    Tonan¡¯s face was filled with joy as he instinctively controlled the eyes. The Sharingan had now disappeared, and the veins around his eyes bulged, activating the Byakugan.


    Aided with the system¡¯s power, Tonan could switch between the Sharingan and the Byakugan at will. He could also supplement the power of one dojutsu into the other.


    This was useful.


    Shwik


    A kunai slashed across Chiryo¡¯s neck, beheading her. Since he killed someone, he had to clean up after himself. After all, there existed the Yamanaka clan in Konoha that could probe into memories of the dead.


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    Thud.


    Chiryo¡¯s headless body fell heavily on the ground. Tonan threw the head into the clearing before quickly forming hand seals.


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Great Fireball Technique.¡±


    A blazing fireball scorched the head in an instant. After finishing up, Tonan unhurriedly fastened his collar¡¯s buttons and smoothed out the creases on his shirt. He turned and left down the path.


    By killing Chiryo, he gained both the Water and Earth attributes, as well as a superficial form of the Gentle Fist. But the most valuable thing he gained was the Byakugan.


    Even more so, he made the unexpected discovery that the Byakugan and the Sharingan were compatible with each other.


    In that case¡­


    In the dark forest, dozens of eyes glowed red, taking in the view of everything happening in the vicinity. As Tonan expected, Mirror Heaven and Earth Change could be combined with the Sharingan to control the pigeons and share their vision with him. Now that the Byakugan¡¯s power was integrated into the Sharingan, he could use it even with these white pigeons.


    The only downside was that a substantial amount of chakra was required to maintain this ability. Even so, Tonan was satisfied. In the shinobi world, the most important thing was information. Otherwise, someone as strong as Uchiha Madara wouldn¡¯t wouldn¡¯t have been stabbed in the back.


    Tonan was in a good mood when he saw a familiar figure running through the forest towards his location through the shared vision with one of the white pigeons. He stopped his footsteps and his face turned dark. He said in a cold voice, ¡°No wonder you were trying to stall¡­ you were thinking of bringing both of us along for the ride.¡±


    After saying that, Tonan slowly walked into the dark jungle. A large cloud drifted over the sky, swallowing up the full moon little by little.


    On the far side, a huge shadow approached as if it were devouring the entire forest. On the other side, a furious Mina was dashing through the jungle. She soon arrived at the waterfall. Since it was too dark right now, she couldn¡¯t see too well.


    As soon as she walked two steps, she seemed to have stepped on something. Looking down, she picked up the object.


    ¡°These¡­ these are that bitch¡¯s clothes.¡±


    Mina frowned. Her nostrils twitched slightly, sniffing twice before muttering, ¡°Why does it smell like roast meat here?¡±


    Mina followed the smell for a few steps before her body froze in place. A cold chill ran down her spine. There, just a short distance away, was the naked and headless corpse of a girl. About five or six meters away from the body was a charred head whose face could no longer be identified, and the ground around it was scorched black.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Looking at the clothes in her hands, Mina gulped. She could guess that the dead girl was Chiryo. Even though it wasn¡¯t her first time seeing a dead body, this kind of situation made her blood curdle.


    Chiryo must have been bathing in the river under the waterfall. Who could have killed her before she could even put her clothes back on? She must have been beheaded before her head was charred with a fire release technique.


    ¡°Has that person left? Could it be an enemy ninja? Or a perverted ninja lurking in the village. I heard the clan¡¯s elder women say they often discovered perverts peeping into the baths¡­¡±


    Many possibilities crossed her mind, and the more she thought, the more fear she felt. She quickly tossed the clothes and ran towards the village. The road along the way was littered with withered leaves, which crunched as Mina stepped on them in her furious run.


    She had to report this to the police. Even though she hated Chiryo, it was a fact that someone killed her. And, there was a high possibility of the culprit being a spy from the enemy village. As a Konoha resident, she had to report such matters as soon as possible.


    ¡°That bitch was better off dead anyway. Now she can¡¯t have any thoughts about Tonan-kun. Thank god I arrived late. Otherwise, I might have been killed together with her¡­¡±


    As these thoughts ran through Mina¡¯s head, a realization hit her, and she slowed down.


    Why didn¡¯t Chiryo ask her to come straight to the river in the first place, and made her go the school instead?


    ¡°She was stalling for time! She must have made plans to meet with someone else from the beginning. And that person was¡­ Tonan-kun!¡±

 CH 25

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    Uchiha Mina stopped, opened her palm, looked at the note palm, and her back was drenched with cold sweat.


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    ¡°How can this be? There is no reason for Tonan-kun to kill her.¡± Mina shook her head, denying this thought. She continued to rush towards Konoha, but she felt a thorn in her heart.


    She started to continuously think about what had happened that day. When she noticed an anomaly, she stopped again.


    ¡°Today, after Tonan-kun and I parted ways, we went into a different direction from usual. He was headed this way! Judging from the traces at the scene, that bitch¡¯s head must have been burned by the Great Fireball. Tonan-kun knows this ninjutsu.¡±


    If someone else had killed her, then her corpse shouldn¡¯t be there, rather it would be on the shore. As a girl, after noticing a stranger, she would definitely try to put on her clothes.


    In other words, she walked over to that place, stark naked.


    Gudong


    Mina swallowed uncomfortably, forcing herself to not think any further. Just when she was preparing to walk again, a figure suddenly appeared on the path ahead. Because of the moonlight¡¯s direction, Mina was unable to see who the person was.


    She could just vaguely discern the tall man¡¯s back and the bird on his shoulder. Mina felt her blood becoming cold and her legs trembling. She couldn¡¯t walk and the fear in her heart spread throughout her body.


    At that moment, that person slowly turned around. In the darkness, those blood-red eyes with three spinning tomoe were especially conspicuous. Mina¡¯s eyes widened in horror. She instinctively opened her mouth, wanting to scream, but no sound came out.


    She seemed to have lost her voice in extreme fear.


    Step, step¡­


    The man walked towards Mina, step by step, and every step seemed to trample on her heart. The distance between the two gradually shrunk, and she could see the person¡¯s face.


    It was Uchiha Tonan.


    Tonan was carrying a basket, and with a refined and easygoing smile, he said, ¡°Mina, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here. Did you also come here to cook outside?¡±


    He lifted the basket in his hand as he asked. It was filled with various kinds of wild ingredients.


    ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right, To¡­ Tonan-kun,¡± Mina smiled stiffly with cold sweat dripping from her forehead. Hearing her, Tonan smiled, patted the white pigeon on his shoulder, and said, ¡°Little guy, go look for food yourself.¡±


    Coo coo


    The white pigeon chirped, spread its wings, and flew into the forest. Immediately afterward, Tonan reached out, gently held her fist that was holding a note, and said warmly, ¡°You are lucky, you¡¯ll get to eat delicious food today.¡±


    Mina¡¯s mind had become blank at that moment. She was so confused she did not resist, and she was pulled along by Tonan. After a while, the two arrived at an open space. In the middle, there was a bonfire, and an iron cooking pot was placed above it, using stones as support.


    Tonan pulled Mina over and made her sit in front of the bonfire. He put the basket¡¯s ingredients into the pot to cook. The flickering fire illuminated his face. That face, which looked flawless in Mina¡¯s eyes before, seemed frightening now.


    However, Tonan didn¡¯t make any strange movements. He just looked at the bonfire calmly and said, ¡°I used the living expenses left behind by my parents when they went to the battlefield to buy books. With nothing to eat, I often come to the forest by myself to cook.¡±


    At this moment, Mina had collected herself a little, and she probed, ¡°Tonan-kun, I wanted to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What do you think of Chiryo?¡± Mina was very tense. She was ready to run if she noticed anything amiss. However, Tonan didn¡¯t show any abnormalities. While flipping the food in the pot with chopsticks, he lightly said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? I think of her as a younger sister. Honestly speaking, she is very cute, but I don¡¯t have any thoughts about her.¡±


    Mina didn¡¯t see any anomaly and let out a deep sigh of relief.


    ¡°Mmm, it smells good.¡±


    Tonan picked up the only piece of fresh green mushroom from the pot with his chopsticks and placed it in front of Mina¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Try this.¡±


    Mina looked at the green mushroom and a lesson from class popped in her head. The more brightly colored the mushroom, the more poisonous it is.


    She smiled stiffly and said, ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t force her. He stuffed the green mushroom into his mouth, chewed it, and said happily, ¡°So tasty, I like this kind of mushroom the most. Unfortunately, I just found one today.¡±


    Then, he picked up a piece of brown mushroom and put it inside his mouth. After eating it, he glanced at Mina, picked up another brown mushroom from the pot, placed it in front of his mouth, and blew it.


    He then moved it in front of her mouth and gently said, ¡°Come on, this mushroom is very delicious, ah~¡±


    Seeing Tonan had already eaten a similar kind of mushroom just now, Mina laid down her guard a little and opened her mouth to eat it.


    A fresh fragrance erupted in her mouth. She could swear she had never eaten such a delicious mushroom before.


    ¡°Is it tasty?¡±


    Hearing Tonan¡¯s question, Mina nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s tasty.¡±


    ¡°Then, eat some more.¡± Tonan began to pick up another piece of brown mushroom and kept blowing on it. By now, Mina had already dropped most of her vigilance.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, I want to ask you one more thing.¡±


    ¡°Mmm?¡±


    ¡°Did you see Chiryo today?¡±


    ¡°No, why are you asking about her again?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just casually asking.¡±


    After speaking, she opened her mouth and ate the mushroom. Tonan shook his head and reproached, ¡°It¡¯s not safe for a girl to run into the forest at night. I heard many girls in the village had accidents at night recently. The guards are investigating everywhere.¡±


    After he spoke, Mina immediately exclaimed, ¡°What? Is it a pervert?¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t seem to be surprised hearing Mina¡¯s question. He said while picking up a mushroom, ¡°He should be considered a pervert, but he isn¡¯t weak. He is not caught yet.¡±


    Mina nodded, hesitated for a bit, and put out the final test, ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t come out to cook. The weather was so hot, so I was going to the river to bathe.¡±


    Tonan smiled, reached out his hand, rubbed Mina¡¯s hair, and said in a pampering voice, ¡°So, that¡¯s why you¡¯re here. But it would be best if you return home and bathe with clean water. The river water is not too clean. If you get sick, I¡¯ll be very sad.¡±


    ¡°Mmm~¡±


    Mina had already relaxed completely now. She felt the person in front of her gave her a special sense of security.


    ¡°Mina, how can you doubt Tonan-kun? He is so good, how can he kill a person? He also has no reason to kill that bitch. Even if he¡¯s lustful, as long as he opens his mouth, wouldn¡¯t she do anything for him? He¡¯s so smart, how can he be so stupid at this moment?¡±


    Thinking of this, a sense of guilt emerged in her heart. She started to consider whether to tell him about Chiryo¡¯s death. But after thinking for a while, she didn¡¯t say it.


    If he learned about it, he will go to that waterfall to check the situation. And if by chance that pervert returns, he will be in danger.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave this to the guards.¡±


    After a while, the food in the pot was over. Tonan stood up, patted his butt, and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you home. It¡¯s already so late, I won¡¯t be at ease if you went back alone.¡±


    After speaking, he held Mina¡¯s hand and walked towards the village.

 CH 26

    Uchiha Tonan and Uchiha Mina walked out of the forest, using Ground Travel to cross Konoha streets and head towards the clan¡¯s territory.


    While walking, Mina suddenly stumbled. Tonan was quick to catch her in his arms and asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mina¡¯s face gradually turned pale. She shook her head and said weakly, ¡°Tonan-kun, my head feels a little dizzy¡­¡±


    Looking very worried, he pressed the back of his hand on her forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re burning up. You must have caught a cold while you were bathing.¡±


    ¡°N¡­No¡­¡± Mina tried to explain, but she found herself unable to speak anymore. Her mind was in a state of confusion. Gradually, she could no longer remember what just happened. Right at this moment, Tonan pulled Mina hard into his arms and moved her head closer.


    Just like that, the two kissed under the streetlight. In the distance, an Anbu leaped from a rooftop and turned his gaze towards them.


    ¡°Are all little brats this precocious these days?¡± the Anbu muttered to himself and left, unwilling to stay around for this display of affection.


    After the Anbu was gone, Tonan let Mina go. At this moment, her mind was in a complete blur. There was still some distance before they reached the Uchiha clan grounds. Not only did they have to watch out for the Anbu but they also had to avoid the clan¡¯s night patrol.


    This was not too tough though. Tonan lifted Mina by the waist and blinked his eyes. The white pigeons¡¯ eyes lying in hiding all glowed red with the Sharingan. Combined with the piercing vision of the Byakugan, the patrollers on the road became visible to him.


    Fwoosh


    Tonan dashed towards the grounds like a black shadow. Holding Mina, he constantly changed direction and avoided the patrol left and right. Finally, they arrived undetected at her home. Tonan carried her into the courtyard and glanced at the dead kitten in the yard before striding into the house.


    He placed Mina on the bed. Through the penetrative view of the Byakugan, he studied the locations of her meridian points. Then, he firmly tapped on her pain point. Her eyes snapped open. Tonan¡¯s rapidly turning three tomoe entered her vision.


    ¡°Genjutsu ¨C Hell Viewing Technique.¡±


    Late at night, the moon was completely hidden by the overcast clouds.


    Rumble


    A thunderous roar broke out as a lightning bolt cut through the sky. The sound jolted Mina awake and she looked around.


    ¡°This place is¡­ how did I end up in my room?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I was sparring with Tonan-kun, then I came back home. I saw¡­ what did I see? Why can¡¯t I remember?


    Mina hit on her head with her fist as if trying to remember something important.


    Shwaa


    The continuous rainfall thrumming overshadowed everything else. For some reason, Mina had a surreal feeling. Suddenly, her eyes widened. Through the windows, a blue light struck every now and then, showing a dark, hazy, humanoid figure slowly walking past the window.


    Tap, tap¡­


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    Mina jumped out of the bed and pulled out her kunai, eyes alert. The footsteps sound reached the door before coming to a halt.


    Rumble


    Thunder clapped as an icy lightning flash lit up the courtyard. Mina could vaguely see the figure outside unsheathe a blade. She slowly scooted next to the door and crouched down in wait.


    Second by second, time passed. The person behind the door did not move. By now, the rain was so loud that even if Mina held her breath, she could hardly hear anything.


    ¡°Did he leave?¡±


    She quietly gulped and slowly moved her body a little, eyes fixed on the door. As lightning struck in the sky again, the figure disappeared from the door.


    Phew¡­


    Mina heaved a sigh of relief. Her body had long been soaked with sweat.


    ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±


    A cold voice suddenly asked from behind her. Mina looked around with a start. Horrified, she activated her single tomoe Sharingan instinctively. She saw the figure holding a long blade in its right hand and something round in its left.


    The lightning flickered outside the room again, and the sudden brightness allowed her to see who this person was.


    Uchiha Tonan!


    Held by its hair in his left hand was a face she knew well. Fear and despair were imprinted on Hyuga Chiryo¡¯s face. Scarlet blood dripped from the blade, sliding off the tip before falling pitter-patter on the ground.


    ¡°No¡­ No!¡±


    Mina wanted to run, but her body would barely budge. She could only be pushed into a corner, as Tonan moved step by step towards her, slowly raising his blade.


    ¡°Why¡­ Why¡­¡±


    Mina lifted a trembling hand and tried to make seals, but she couldn¡¯t remember a single one.


    ¡°Savor this pain.¡±


    A cruel smile played on his lips as he stabbed the blade violently into her stomach. Feeling a sharp pain hit her, her pupils contracted.


    Shwik


    Shwik


    Tonan stabbed the blade into her over and over again, seemingly taking pleasure in doing so.


    As her blood gushed out, Mina felt her mind collapsing and her strength gradually leaving her. The single tomoe disappeared as her eyes closed shut.


    Purr


    Purr


    ¡°What¡¯s that sound? Be quiet¡­What¡¯s that wet feeling?¡±


    Mina slowly opened her eyes and woke up in her bed. The soft sunlight from outside warmed her body. A little kitten was licking her face. She sat up and wiped the saliva, taking the kitten in her arms. Petting its head, she said, ¡°I think I had a nightmare. Yuki, are you hungry?¡±


    Meow~


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    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m late!¡± Mina yelped and jumped out from her blanket. But she then glanced at the calendar hanging over her bed.


    October 6.


    ¡°What the hell? It¡¯s an off day.¡±


    She sighed with relief and took the cat food out of the cupboard, pouring it into the kitten¡¯s bowl. She also made breakfast for herself before sitting down under the eaves alone, eating as she looked at the cherry blossom trees in the courtyard.


    For some reason, she would fall into a trance after every few bites, as if she had dementia. Even Mina did not realize how quiet her surroundings were as if no one was around.


    Time gradually passed by. In the blink of an eye, it was evening.


    Mina woke up with a start and looked up at the sky. Then, packing up her things, she headed for the training arena.


    On the way there, she heard the sound of clan members talking from the courtyards on both sides. But she could only hear them, not see them.


    Mina didn¡¯t think too much about it. At this hour, most people should be eating dinner at home. By the time she realized it, she had already arrived at the arena.


    She saw Tonan sitting on the grass, waving at her with a smile.


    ¡°Tonan-kun¡­¡± Mina mumbled, a happy smile appearing on her face as she walked over to him.

 CH 27

    The sky had darkened. Uchiha Mina felt out of form today. She would space out during the training session with Uchiha Tonan, often missing out on his pointers.


    ¡°Mina, if you feel unwell, you should go back and rest,¡± Tonan patted her shoulder, pulling her back to reality.


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    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tonan-kun. Perhaps, it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t sleep very well last night,¡± Mina apologized.


    Tonan soothingly stroked Mina¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s end for today, then. You go back home. I¡¯ve something to do today, so I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    Mina nodded and listlessly walked towards her house. However, as soon as she stepped home, she saw her kitten had died tragically in the courtyard. And there was a note on the ground that had the location of the waterfall written on it.


    That emotional outburst triggered Mina¡¯s one tomoe Sharingan. She threw the note on the ground and bolted out as if she had gone crazy.


    In the dead of the night, Mina ran through the forest and soon arrived not far from the waterfall. Suddenly, she stopped and hid in the cover of the dense forest.


    She saw Hyuga Chiryo come out of the water, stark naked, walk up to Tonan, and tightly hug his back.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, I like you.¡±


    Mina, who was hiding in the darkness, burned with anger. She gritted her teeth and muttered, ¡°This bitch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chiryo, I know you like me but I¡¯ve always thought of you as a younger sister. Moreover, I¡¯ve someone in my heart already.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s firm voice resounded in the night.


    ¡°Who!? Who do you like?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always liked Mina. My heart is completely taken by her and cannot hold anyone else.¡±


    Seeing Tonan resolutely reject Chiryo, Mina¡¯s anger instantly dissipated, and she felt sweet in her heart.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s there to like about her? Where don¡¯t I measure up? Tonan-kun, don¡¯t leave, you can do whatever you like with me,¡± Chiryo roared hysterically.


    ¡°Chiryo, please conduct yourself with some dignity,¡± Tonan pried open her hand and left without looking back.


    Chiryo fell to the ground and cried as he walked away. Mina watched her for about ten minutes before she quietly walked out from the forest and came behind her.


    ¡°This bitch not only killed Yuki-chan but also wanted to seduce Tonan-kun with her beauty. Kill her!¡±


    ¡°Kill her!¡±


    The devil¡¯s voice rang in Mina¡¯s head and she subconsciously raised a kunai. Chiryo seemed too deep in her sorrow to notice the movement behind her.


    Swish


    The kunai sliced through Chiryo¡¯s neck, and her head was cut off. Only then did Mina come to her senses and looked at the blood-bathed kunai in horror.


    ¡°I killed someone! What should I do now¡­ If anyone finds out, I¡¯ll be sentenced to death.¡±


    Mina staggered a few steps and regret filled her heart. She turned around and ran towards Konoha. But just after two steps, she stopped, her face distorted with a hint of ferociousness.


    A voice whispered in her mind.


    The Yamanaka clan can examine the deceased¡¯s memories.


    Mina turned around. Staring at the severed head with her bright red Sharingan, she began to form hand seals.


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Great Fireball Technique.¡±


    Mina, who had never released a Great Fireball before, successfully did so. The huge fireball hit its target, burning Chiryo¡¯s head in an instant. After doing this, Mina was unwilling to stay for another second and ran towards Konoha.


    At the intersection before entering the village though, she bumped into Tonan. He was walking towards the village by himself. Surprised to see her here, he asked, ¡°Mina, how come you¡¯re here?¡±


    Mina forced herself to calm down and replied with a smile, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I came out for a walk.¡±


    Taking her word for it, Tonan nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s too late. It¡¯s not safe for a girl to walk alone. Let me walk you home.¡±


    He took her hand in his and they walked together towards Konoha. They silently passed through several quiet streets, not saying anything through the way.


    Suddenly, Tonan opened his mouth and said, ¡°Mina, actually, I¡­ I like you. Will you go out with me?¡±


    ¡°Tonan-kun¡­ I¡­¡± Mina was hesitant. Had it been earlier today, she would have accepted it eagerly. But at this moment, her heart was in chaos, and she had no interest in dating. When all was said and done, her hands were stained with a person¡¯s life.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, I want to tell you something.¡± Mina stared at Tonan in front of her.


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­, I killed Chiryo right now. It was on the spur of the moment. You¡¯ve to believe me! Do you think the village will sentence me to death?¡±


    Mina became increasingly agitated as she spoke, and tears filled her eyes.


    Tonan was shocked. It took him a long time to collect himself. He then solemnly said, ¡°As your boyfriend, I will definitely protect you. I¡¯m sure this matter would be found out. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go and confess to Hokage-sama, and beg him to be lenient.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Calm down!¡± Tonan¡¯s voice was deep. He then took a deep breath and softly said, ¡°Listen to me Mina, you don¡¯t need to worry about this. I love you.¡±


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    He kissed Mina¡¯s forehead and then knocked her unconscious.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    In Mina¡¯s room, Tonan¡¯s forehead was full of sweat, and he was exhausted. Closing his eyes and opening again, he deactivated his Sharingan. He took the note, that Mina was firmly holding on to, and left the room.


    Coming to the dead kitten in the courtyard, he placed the note next to it. As for the original note that was on the ground, he took it away.


    With the scapegoat arranged, everything was set. Taking a final look, like a ghost in the darkness, he leaped away from the courtyard and rushed home.


    When he saw Mina in the forest, he had already hatched this plan.


    First, he made Mina eat mushrooms containing neurotoxins that impacted the nervous system making people lose recent memories. Although Tonan also ate them, he had eaten the green mushroom, which had detoxifying properties, before that.


    To ensure the neurotoxin had the greatest effect and would smoothly erase her memories, he also destroyed her spiritual power using genjutsu continuously.


    Immediately afterward, he created an illusion domain, making everything she experienced in the illusion overwrite her real memories.


    The final step was to replace the evidence. He guessed that for such a minor matter with irrefutable proof, Konoha¡¯s higher-ups wouldn¡¯t send very professional personnel to investigate.


    If there was truly some oversight, then flaws would appear. At that time, he could only hope that Sarutobi Hiruzen would override all objections and protect him.


    He had used too much chakra and spiritual power to construct an illusion domain for Mina earlier. Therefore, he went straight to sleep after he returned home.


    Tomorrow, he had to put on a good show.

 CH 28

    The next day, dawn lined the horizon. Uchiha Tonan struggled to get up. The intense genjutsu he used the day before consumed much of his chakra. A few hours of sleep were not enough to replenish it. His body was sluggish.


    The first thing he did after waking up was open up his diary.


    Nothing noteworthy happened in recent days. Hence, his diary comprised only fillers. The content of the Will of Fire was written over and over again until Tonan himself wanted to throw up.


    October 6.


    Something big happened today. I thought about it for a long time, but I cannot pen it even now. Last evening, Chiryo asked me to meet her at the waterfall in the forest. She said she had something to tell me.


    Unexpectedly, she appeared in front of me naked! And wanted to become my woman. I ran. I have only thought of her as a little sister. What¡¯s more, I¡¯ve already fallen in love with Mina.


    I thought this would¡¯ve been the end of the matter, but¡­


    I never thought I¡¯d bump into Mina on my way back to the village at night. Her expression didn¡¯t look right, but I didn¡¯t notice it at first. I gathered my courage and confessed my feelings to her. I even kissed her.


    She didn¡¯t reject me, which made me so happy that I felt like the happiest person in the world. But then she told me, she killed Chiryo with her own hands¡­


    I don¡¯t know what to do. According to the village¡¯s rules, Mina should be executed for what she did. But I can¡¯t bear for that to happen. Now, Mina and I are the only ones who know this secret.


    On one hand, it¡¯s my village, and on the other, my lover. Who should I choose?


    The words written were extremely messy and stopped abruptly at this point.


    Tonan also left a few ink dots on the blank space left behind. Then, he tossed the pen on top of the open diary and left the house with a lost look on his face.


    On the road, he dilly-dallied for more than two hours before he arrived at the Hokage Residence. Inside the Hokage¡¯s office, Sarutobi Hiruzen was leaning back in his chair with a leisurely expression, smoking a pipe.


    Suddenly, he sat up straight.


    Immediately after, Tonan knocked on the office door.


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    Pushing open the door, Tonan came inside. He looked at Hiruzen with a pale face, liked he wanted to speak but paused again. Eventually, he just dropped his head and remained silent.


    ¡°Tonan, what happened?¡±


    Tonan clenched his fists and kneeled on the ground at once. Tears overflowing from his eyes, he sobbed, ¡°Hokage-sama, I¡¯ve killed someone. Please execute me!¡±


    Hiruzen was startled for a moment. He came to Tonan¡¯s side and said in a grim voice, ¡°Tonan, raise your head and look at me.¡±


    Tonan slowly lifted his head, but before he could even meet Hiruzen¡¯s eyes for more than a second, he lowered it again. His eyes were constantly moving, looking guilty.


    Hiruzen frowned, but he felt at a loss on what to do. Right now, the most important thing was to suppress this matter. Hiruzen immediately called the Anbu over.


    ¡°Bring Tonan to the Interrogation Department. Don¡¯t let anyone interrogate him without my orders,¡± Hiruzen commanded with a serious face.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Anbu answered. He grabbed Tonan and left using the Body Flicker Technique.


    This was a tricky situation for Hiruzen. Tonan had shown value far beyond any of his peers, and he was also loyal to him. Hiruzen did not want to execute him just like that. But in Konoha, regardless of who was murdered, the murderer must be punished according to the rules.


    ¡°If it¡¯s really impossible, then I can just assign him to the Root and keep him anonymous hereon. That would spare his life.¡±


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    Hiruzen had already begun thinking of a way out.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s something wrong here. If he¡¯s already decided to turn himself in, then why would he look guilty, like he¡¯s hiding something?¡±


    Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly. Something unusual caught his attention.


    Guilt meant that he lied. In that case¡­


    ¡°Anbu.¡±


    ¡°Hokage-sama.¡±


    ¡°Go to Tonan¡¯s house and bring me his diary.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Fifteen minutes later, the Anbu presented Tonan¡¯s diary to Hiruzen. Hiruzen quickly flipped through it to the final few days.


    Sure enough! This kid actually fell in love without telling anyone.


    ¡°The village on one hand, and your girlfriend on the other, so you chose to become a scapegoat?¡±


    Hiruzen shut the diary and handed it to the Anbu.


    ¡°Take the diary back. And bring Uchiha Mina to the Interrogation Department.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Hokage-sama.¡±


    Once the Anbu left, Hiruzen headed for the Interrogation Department with his hands behind his back. Konoha¡¯s Torture and Interrogation Department was built underground and special shinobi kept watch at many checkpoints to ensure no blindspot.


    ¡°Hokage-sama.¡± The leader of the Konoha Interrogation Department, Yamanaka Takuya, greeted Hiruzen at the door.  The two talked as they walked towards the interrogation room.


    ¡°Yakuya, Tonan hasn¡¯t been interrogated yet, right?¡±


    ¡°No. Will you interrogate him yourself?¡±


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just listen from the side.¡±


    ¡°The most recent information we obtained shows that Uchiha Mina is the culprit. At the same time, she¡¯s Tonan¡¯s girlfriend.¡±


    On the face of it, Hiruzen was making a simple comment but there was an unmissable undertone to it.


    ¡°I see. I understand.¡±


    The interrogation room had an adjoining chamber divided only by a single mirror. Sitting inside, Hiruzen quietly watched the scene unfold in the interrogation room.


    Takuya entered the room with a cool expression. He saw Tonan sitting on the chair as if his soul had left his body, not even lifting his head.


    Clearing his throat, Takuya said, ¡°Uchiha Tonan. I understand your situation, but I also have a few questions to ask you.¡±


    Looking as if all hope had abandoned him, Tonan said, ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll confess everything.¡±


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    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯ll confess everything?¡± The veins on Takuya¡¯s forehead were bulging. Had Hiruzen not been watching them right now, he would have punched Tonan. Taking a deep breath, Takuya opened his book, lifted his pen, and wrote quickly as he bombarded Tonan with rapid-fire questions.


    ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with the deceased?¡±


    ¡°Classmates.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the last place you saw the deceased?¡±


    ¡°Under the waterfall east of the Hokage Rock.¡±


    ¡°What was she doing at the time?¡±


    ¡°She was taking a bath.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your motive for killing her?¡±


    ¡°Motive?¡± Tonan stiffened.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you decide to kill her?¡±


    The question came too quickly, and Tonan looked like he hadn¡¯t even thought about how to answer it. Eyes darting left and right, he hesitantly replied, ¡°Because¡­ because¡­ she likes me.¡±


    Takuya slammed his pen on the book and yelled, ¡°Do you think that¡¯s a good enough reason?!¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t like her¡­¡± Tonan was so anxious that his forehead was covered in sweat as he incoherently explained, ¡°She appeared naked in front of me. She even hugged me. I was angry, so I¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know the consequences of taking the blame for someone else?¡± Takuya¡¯s tone had gone completely cold. Arms over his chest, he had given up making records.


    Up to this point of the interrogation, he could determine that Tonan was not the murderer, so there was little point in writing a statement.


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking the blame for anyone! I¡¯m not, please, you have to believe me!¡± Two streaks of tears ran down Tonan¡¯s cheeks as he pleaded with Takuya.


    Takuya sneered, ¡°Fine. Let me ask you one last question. How¡¯d you kill her?¡±


    As soon as that question came out, Tonan was at a loss for words again.


    He lowered his head and took a deep breath. More than ten seconds passed before he lifted his head and spoke uncertainly, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember. I think I killed her with a kunai¡­¡±


    ¡°Be specific. Where¡¯d you stab her with the kunai? Did you stab her two centimeters above the heart?¡± Takuya rapped his fingers loudly on the table as if to draw the boy¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s where it was!¡± Tonan widened his eyes and answered with uncertainty.


    But when Takuya heard Tonan¡¯s admission, he gathered his book and pen, not sparing him another glance.


    ¡°Enough. Our investigators have already checked the crime scene. The deceased¡¯s head was decapitated before it was burned with fire. Uchiha Tonan, obstructing official duties is a punishable offense.¡±


    ¡°You dare to take the blame for someone else in the face of the Interrogation Department? You¡¯re a fool!¡±


    Saying that Takuya left the interrogation room without a second look at Tonan and entered next door.

 CH 29

    ¡°Hokage-sama, you heard that too.¡±


    ¡°Alas! Is Uchiha Mina caught yet?¡±


    ¡°We have already locked her in another interrogation room before you arrived. Did you want to see the interrogation?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two left and went to the next interrogation room where Mina was locked up. At this moment, she was sitting on a chair. Her face filled with fear, she looked extremely worried.


    Bang!


    Yamanaka Takuya walked into the room, sat indifferently in front of her, and began his questions.


    ¡°Tell me what you did yesterday in detail. If you confess, I might help you get a lenient punishment. You should know Uchiha Tonan wanted to take the blame for you today but his lies were too obvious. I saw through it easily.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t confess, I can only handle this matter according to the law and execute him.¡± Takuya lied to pressurize Mina.


    ¡°Tonan-kun¡­ wanted to die for me¡­ No, I don¡¯t want it to be like this. It was me who did it, it has nothing to do with him.¡±


    It was obvious that Mina¡¯s thoughts weren¡¯t too complicated. Hearing Takuya¡¯s words, she immediately became agitated.


    ¡°Why did you kill Hyuga Chiryo?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It was unintentional¡­ I was impulsive.¡±


    ¡°Answer my question, why¡¯d you kill Hyuga Chiryo?¡±


    ¡°She killed Yuki-chan first, then she used her naked body to seduce Tonan-kun. At that time, I was so angry.¡±


    ¡°Yuki-chan?¡±


    ¡°Yuki-chan is the cat Tonan-kun gave me. It was his first gift to me.¡±


    Takuya wrote down the motive for the crime in his notebook. He nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°Alright, beginning from when you woke up yesterday, tell me everything. Don¡¯t omit a single thing. You can¡¯t hide anything from me.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday¡­¡±


    Soon, Mina told him everything she remembered. When she was done, Takuya frowned a little and seriously asked, ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Her eyes filled with hopelessness, Mina nodded.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, thank you for your kind intentions, but let me bear the consequences of my action.¡±


    Takuya left the interrogation room with his notebook and came to Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s side.


    ¡°Hokage-sama, according to Uchiha Mina¡¯s confession, she¡¯s indeed the one who killed Hyuga Chiryo. This is the record. Please take a look at it.¡±


    Hiruzen took the record and read it carefully. The motive, process, and description of the crime scene were all in line with what we found out from Tonan¡¯s diary.


    ¡°Well, this should be about right.¡±


    Takuya hesitated for a bit, but he still expressed his doubts.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel something is amiss.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hiruzen raised his head in confusion and asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t put a finger to it, it¡¯s just an intuition.¡±


    Since a high-ranked professional such as Takuya raised doubts, Hiruzen wouldn¡¯t take it lightly.


    ¡°For killing a classmate, she¡¯ll be executed according to the village¡¯s rules anyway. You can ask someone to examine her memory.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Hokage-sama.¡± Takuya replied and was preparing to instruct someone, when Hiruzen interrupted him, ¡°Wait, let me speak with Tonan-kun and ask for his opinion as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± This time, Takuya could also see how high Tonan¡¯s position was in Hiruzen¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Ask for an opinion? Why ask? Could it be that if Tonan doesn¡¯t want us to examine her memories, Hokage-sama wouldn¡¯t allow us to do so? Or, as long as Tonan insisted, Hokage-sama would protect a death-row prisoner?¡±


    A young Uchiha kid was such a heavyweight!


    In the interrogation room, Tonan had his hands stuck in his hair. He looked thoroughly depressed and dejected.


    ¡°Tonan.¡± Hiruzen quietly entered the room, walked to him, and gently patted his shoulder. Tonan raised his head. Seeing the kind and warm-looking Hiruzen in front of him as if he had seen a close relative, tears glistened in his eyes.


    He hugged Hiruzen and cried, ¡°Hokage-sama, I¡­ I¡­¡±


    The corners of Hiruzen¡¯s mouth rose slightly. He sighed and said, ¡°Child, I can understand your thoughts, but there are things we can¡¯t change.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sad.¡±


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    ¡°Mina has already confessed to her crime, and according to the village¡¯s rules, she must be executed. This is the only way in which can give justice to the villagers and the Hyuga clan.¡±


    Tonan was startled listening to Hiruzen¡¯s words. He looked at him in disbelief and said, ¡°Does she have to die?¡±


    ¡°This is terrific.¡±


    Hiruzen didn¡¯t answer immediately. He seemed to hesitate for a while and tentatively said, ¡°The deceased, after all, was a Hyuga. It¡¯s not the Uchiha clan¡¯s internal affairs. No one can show favoritism. Tonan, I hope you can understand.¡±


    Hiruzen already had a plan in his mind. If Tonan insisted on protecting Mina, he would use other means to quietly save her. This way, Tonan would be deeply indebted to him and do things for him wholeheartedly.


    It¡¯s just that it may put him in a compromising situation, and it would affect his authority to a certain extent. But at this moment, Tonan stopped crying. He stood up slowly, wiped his tears, and said to Hiruzen, ¡°I understand. Rules are the foundation of the village. I¡¯m sorry, Hokage-sama, I was ignorant before. Please forgive my selfishness.¡±


    After speaking, he put his hand on his knees and bowed deeply to Hiruzen.


    ¡°It seems that the village and my status are higher than that little girl¡¯s in his heart.¡±


    Hiruzen was overjoyed. It would be best if he could completely resolve this matter without using special means. Moreover, after Mina¡¯s death, Tonan will completely lose his familial and romantic love.


    ¡°At that time, I will be his sole spiritual pillar. This is perfect!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You are, after all, still young and not mature enough. I hope you will not begrudge the village because of this.¡±


    Tonan took a deep breath, shook his head firmly, and said, ¡°I won¡¯t, this is Mina¡¯s doing. I won¡¯t blame other people. I¡¯m not someone who cannot differentiate right from wrong.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded and casually added, ¡°Because it is related to a human life, and Mina is about to be sentenced to death, the Interrogation Division needs to examine her memories.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s heart sank a little, secretly thinking, the situation was far from good.


    On the surface, he said with a heartache, ¡°Will it affect her body?¡±


    Hiruzen hesitated for a bit and answered honestly, ¡°If we examine her memories for too long, Mina may become of unsound mind. Fortunately, the incident didn¡¯t happen too long ago, so we just need to examine yesterday¡¯s memories, and there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. It¡¯s just that the process might be a little painful.¡±


    Tonan closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°She must be very scared right now. As her boyfriend, I want to accompany her.¡±


    ¡°If by chance she revealed something that gives the game away, then I can amend it in time.¡±


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    Hiruzen wouldn¡¯t refuse such a simple request. He immediately nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡±

 CH 30

    Sarutobi Hiruzen led Uchiha Tonan out of the interrogation room. They came back to Yamanaka Takuya, and Hiruzen said, ¡°Let Tonan watch from the side while you look into her memories. I have other commitments at the moment, so I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Thank you, Hokage-sama.¡±


    Hiruzen patted Tonan¡¯s shoulder and sighed as he left.


    After seeing Hiruzen off, Takuya glanced at Tonan, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Tonan nodded and followed him deeper into the Torture and Interrogation Department. They arrived outside the interrogation room, and two guarding shinobi bowed.


    ¡°Takuya-sama.¡±


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    Takuya nodded and said, ¡°Take this guy in to observe. Notify me if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Tonan walked in and saw a whole range of medical equipment and several unknown drugs all over the interrogation room. In the middle was an iron bed with an electric light bulb hanging above. A blindfolded Uchiha Mina was lying atop. Metal rings restrained her hands, feet, and neck.


    Her breathing was calm and even like she was deep asleep. Two Yamanaka shinobi, who were in charge of the memory investigation, were in the midst of preparations. One of them, called Yamanaka Hayakawa, was sorting through papers, while the other, Yamanaka Ryochi, was drawing a blue liquid into a syringe.


    ¡°Sit there and don¡¯t speak. Don¡¯t move around either,¡± Hayakawa said, pointing to a chair at the side without looking up.


    Tonan silently sat down.


    ¡°Is the sedative ready? She¡¯s young, so don¡¯t overdo it,¡± Hayakawa reminded Ryochi after sorting the papers.


    Ryochi nodded silently. He arrived at Mina¡¯s side, and inserted the syringe into her veins, pushing the drug in.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to start,¡± Ryochi said, and closed his eyes and pressed both hands between Mina¡¯s brow, beginning the memory probe.


    Mina¡¯s body suddenly jolted as if she was struck by electricity and began to shudder. Whimpering sounds came from her mouth as if she was undergoing unbearable torture.


    Indifferent towards all this, Ryochi began to describe what he saw.


    ¡°I see it. The date is October 6th.¡±


    Hayakawa, who sat beside Tonan, quickly began writing in a notebook.


    ¡°She got up, fed the cat, and made breakfast¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, she was daydreaming in the yard¡­¡±


    Tonan watched with a pained look, but his heart jumped.


    Sure enough, long-duration genjutsu came with its flaws.


    ¡°How long was she daydreaming for?¡±


    ¡°Past noon now.¡±


    ¡°During the afternoon, she packed up her things and left.¡±


    Tonan kept up his anguished expression, but he was constantly planning in his head.


    Judging by the chakra fluctuation of the probing ninja, he must be a chunin. The other was about the same level as well.


    ¡°If I cast genjutsu on both of them¡­ No. It¡¯s too risky. I¡¯ll just keep watching for now.¡±


    ¡°She arrived at the arena and met with a person called Uchiha Tonan.¡±


    ¡°She was sparring with me last evening,¡± Tonan suddenly interjected.


    Hayakawa¡¯s face cooled and he warned, ¡°Be quiet!¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Tonan lowered his head, but a cold glint flashed past his eyes.


    ¡°She was distracted, her mind was constantly wandering off during the training, and she went home just after an hour. She saw her kitten was dead. Next to its body was a note. It said¡­¡±


    Hayakawa nodded as he recorded the information. The memory they saw matched up with the evidence so far. It was a solid case.


    ¡°She arrived at the waterfall and hid in the grass. There, she saw Tonan with another girl. ¡°That girl, Hyuga Chiryo, was professing her love to Tonan.¡±


    ¡°Tonan turned her down and left. Then, she came out and cut off the girl¡¯s head, burning it using a Great Fireball.¡±


    On the iron bed, Mina¡¯s body began convulsing as if she were having a seizure, foaming at her mouth.


    ¡°Enough! She can¡¯t take it, don¡¯t torture her anymore!¡±


    Tonan shouted, which interrupted Ryochi¡¯s jutsu. Next to him, Hayakawa turned to the tear-streaked Tonan and coldly said, ¡°Tonan, is it? Do you know the consequences of obstructing an interrogation? If you repeat this, I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave. I must perform my duties as an interrogator.¡±


    After rebuking him, he turned to Ryochi and said, ¡°Continue. Look at her memories from the previous day as well.¡±


    ¡°No! kill me, kill me!¡± Mina wailed. Due to the interruption, she regained her ability to speak.


    Ryochi paid no attention to her pleas. Such scenes were too commonplace here. As long as he continued the jutsu, all the distracting noise would cease. He immediately placed both hands back in between her brows.


    When he heard Hayakawa¡¯s instruction to search the memories from the day before, Tonan¡¯s mind turned, and the tomoe in his eyes began to spin.


    He took out his kunai and turned into a dark shadow, leaping towards Mina.


    ¡°You little brat, I¡¯ve put up with you long enough!¡±


    The two Yamanaka shinobi reacted quickly. They had been wary of Tonan¡¯s mood swings for a while now. Both approached him at once and attacked to subdue him.


    Bash


    Bash


    Ryochi punched Tonan¡¯s stomach and Hayakawa kicked his back. Tonan coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.


    ¡°Mina¡­¡± His eyes slackened as he raised a hand towards her with difficulty.


    ¡°This person might be important. We won¡¯t get into any trouble, will we?¡± Ryochi frowned.


    ¡°He¡¯s obstructing official work. We¡¯re in the right if word gets to Hokage-sama.¡± Hayakawa grabbed Tonan by the hair and dragged him outside.


    The interrogation room¡¯s door was opened and the two shinobi watching outside looked at Hayakawa with shock. ¡°Hayakawa, what are you doing? Put Ryochi down immediately!¡±


    Hayakawa was stunned at those words, and asked in confusion, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Then, he looked down.


    ¡°This is¡­ Ryochi! Where has that little brat gone?¡±


    The one that Hayakawa was dragging out was not Tonan, but his fellow interrogator. What was even scarier was that Ryochi still had a thoughtful expression on his face like he was wondering about Tonan¡¯s background.


    Hayakawa quickly put Ryochi down and the three looked at each other before turning back in unison.


    ¡°Oh no!¡±


    In the torture room, the lamp above continued to illuminate the iron bed at the center. Tonan emerged from the shadows, his face pale and three tomoe spinning in his eyes.


    One hand gently stroked Mina¡¯s hair, as he aimed a kunai at her heart with the other.


    ¡°Tonan¡­¡± Mina murmured. The genjutsu was beginning to lose its effect on her mind and she recovered some of her memories.


    Fragmented images began coming back to her, and it all eventually settled on the scene where Tonan used his genjutsu on her.


    At this moment, Mina understood everything. At once, she struggled with all her might. But the metal rings didn¡¯t budge. She couldn¡¯t move.


    Seeing her resistance, a sad look appeared on Tonan¡¯s face and he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°It¡¯s fine now, Mina. The pain will end soon.¡±


    His words were to soothe but the voice Mina heard was just like the whispers of a devil from hell.


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    She pleaded in a voice full of fear, ¡°Help me!¡±

 CH 31

    Notes:


    Sannin, meaning the Legendary Three Ninja, are Konoha¡¯s three renowned ninja, hailed as the greatest of their time.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Puchi


    A kunai was ruthlessly stabbed into Uchiha Mina¡¯s heart. And at almost the same time, two guarding ninja rushed at Uchiha Tonan and placed their kunai on his neck.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Yamanaka Hayakawa looked at the iron bed with an ugly expression. He shouted at Yamanaka Ryochi, who just staggered up at the door.


    ¡°Immediately inform Takuya-sama.¡±


    Yamanaka Ryochi had just awakened from the genjutsu. He was still unaware of what had transpired. As his mind cleared, he dashed out.


    Hehe¡­


    At this moment, Tonan let out a miserable laugh, and tears of blood overflowed from his eyes. Ignoring the kunai on his neck, he brought his lips to Mina¡¯s forehead and gently kissed it.


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    ¡°Mina¡­ I love you¡­¡±


    At this moment, Yamanaka Takuya, who heard the commotion, also walked in. On seeing the chaos in the interrogation room, he was surprised and asked, ¡°What happened here?¡±


    Hayakawa hastily replied, ¡°Takuya-sama, we had begun the memory probe¡­¡±


    After listening to the sequence of events, Takayu also became silent. He looked at Tonan, whose eyes were filled with inconsolable grief, and said, ¡°Give me the memory record, and all of you withdraw.¡±


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    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Tonan ignored Takuya, and he unlocked the metal rings that bound Mina. Only the blindfold remained. He picked up her body and walked outside with a desolate look.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Takuya wanted to stop him but he retracted his hand before it reached halfway and sighed, ¡°Go.¡±


    Tonan glanced at Takuya with a dull face and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He turned and left with staggering steps. Looking at Tonan made Takuya feel sad for some reason.


    ¡°You can already use Sharingan so skillfully. Even two chunin were unable to stop you¡­ such capability¡­¡±


    Takuya squinted his eyes and looked at the record in his hands.


    ¡°Let Hokage-sama make the decision.¡±


    After leaving the Torture and Interrogation Division, Tonan didn¡¯t go straight to the graveyard. He also didn¡¯t go to the clan. Instead, he chose a detour and walked through the bustling Konoha shopping streets.


    How could there be no audience for such a scene?


    Along the way, people pointed at him. The guards wanted to step forward and ask questions, but they were stopped by the Anbu, who was dispatched by Sarutobi Hiruzen.


    ¡°Where is he going?¡± In the Hokage office, Hiruzen pondered while watching the crystal ball in front of him.


    Tonan¡¯s current state was far from good. In just three months, he lost a clan brother, both his parents, a classmate, and his girlfriend in quick succession. Familial love, friendship, and love, nothing was left behind.


    If it was any other child in his place, he would definitely turn dark. Even if that didn¡¯t happen, he would become dejected.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be hard dealing with this, why didn¡¯t I think of it before? I should have done something to protect that girl. Tonan, I hope you¡¯ll not fail to live up to my expectations.¡±


    Tonan carried Mina¡¯s corpse and came to the swing outside the Ninja Academy and sat there. In the dark, there were quite a few Anbu monitoring the situation.


    ¡°Mina, this is where we first met. Without you, I don¡¯t plan to stay here any longer either. At the end of the term, I¡¯ll apply for early graduation. Do you want to look around one last time?¡±


    Tonan reached out and gently pulled Mina¡¯s blindfold.


    Under the blindfold, Mina¡¯s eyes were wide open with fear.


    ¡°Died with a grievance? Then, don¡¯t look, else you might frighten others!¡±


    Tonan pretended to sob, retraced the hand that was pulling the blindfold, and wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes.


    He then carried Mina¡¯s corpse and went to the graveyard for burial. After burying the girl he loved, he knelt there for the entire night.


    Perhaps, it was because of Hiruzen¡¯s secret order but no one came to disturb him the whole time he was there. After all, this was the time when Tonan was at his weakest and needed a crying shoulder the most.


    It was also the best time to take advantage of the void and enter his heart. How could Hiruzen leave such a great chance to others? When the early light was brightening the sky, Hiruzen came behind Tonan.


    ¡°Tonan, pull yourself together. Mina definitely wouldn¡¯t want to see you like this.¡±


    Hearing Hiruzen¡¯s voice, Tonan turned around and stood up. He forced himself to smile and said, ¡°Yes, Mina always said that she likes mature and calm people, I can¡¯t cry¡­ can¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    While speaking, tears threatened to spill out. He used his hands to wipe them and explained, ¡°Dust got into my eyes.¡±


    Looking at him like this, Hiruzen sighed. He gently caressed Tonan¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Alas¡­ you¡¯ve experienced a lot and also lost too much in a short time. But you have the village and me. And many, many people care about you.¡±


    ¡°You are young now. The village will protect you. I will also protect you. When you grow up, we¡¯ll rely on you to protect the village.¡±


    Tonan was startled after hearing his words. He stared at Hiruzen with crystal clear eyes and muttered, ¡°Hokage-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Tonan¡­¡±


    ¡°Hokage-sama¡­¡± Finally, unable to restrain his feelings, Tonan hugged Hiruzen and cried like a child who had suffered too much. Hiruzen looked down at the grieving Tonan, and his eyes narrowed. No one knew what he was thinking.


    Tonan, who was crying profusely, had many thoughts spinning in his head right now.


    ¡°Why is it so hard to gain this old man¡¯s acknowledgment? Apart from those parents, the few whose acknowledgment I have are all children. This system also has no progress bar. It¡¯s really a pain.¡±


    Just like this, some time passed. The sun had already risen from behind the Hokage Rock. The golden sunlight fell on them, accompanied by green leaves flying with the wind. The scene was harmonious and peaceful.


    Tonan noticed that the time was almost up, and he got out of Hiruzen¡¯s arms. He took a deep breath. Trying to look cheerful, he said, ¡°Hokage-sama, thank you. I will get back on my feet and protect our village.¡±


    Seeing Tonan was no longer too sad, Hiruzen felt relieved.


    ¡°There¡¯s no dejection and no darkening. This is better than I expected.¡±


    He showed a kind and warm smile and said, ¡°Will you be able to go to the academy on time? Or should I approve a day¡¯s leave for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Is all going well at school and home¡­¡±


    The two left the graveyard chatting about Tonan¡¯s everyday experiences. Only when they reached the shopping street¡¯s intersection, did they part their ways.


    What happened yesterday had already become a grapevine. When Tonan was on his way home, people around him talked in whispers, occasionally pointing at him.


    As the subject of the gossip, Tonan had no opinion. In any case, he was the innocent, grief-stricken person in all this.


    Sensing something, Tonan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Soon afterward though, his expression turned calm again. Straight ahead, there was a man with very pale skin and long hair walking towards him.


    ¡°Look, look, Orochimaru-sama, one of the three Sannin.¡±


    ¡°Orochimaru-sama.¡±


    ¡°Orochimaru-sama.¡±


    The people around greeted in succession, looking at the person with reverence. Orochimaru calmly nodded back at them. It had just been a few years since the end of the second war, and the Sannin were the pride of the entire Konoha.


    When Orochimaru arrived in front of Tonan, the latter placed his hands on the knees, bowed showing similar reverence, and said, ¡°Orochimaru-sama.¡±


    Orochimaru didn¡¯t pay any special attention to Tonan. He just nodded as he did to the others and the two passed by.


    However, after Orochimaru had walked a short distance, his snake eyes narrowed. His intuition told him someone was spying on him. He paused and turned around to look. But he saw nothing out of the ordinary on the wide and long street.


    ¡°Was it a misperception?¡± Orochimaru double-checked, and after confirming there was nothing unusual, he left.


    Once Orochimaru disappeared at the street¡¯s turn, Tonan took off the duck mask. Just a moment ago, when he brushed past Orochimaru, he felt a special and familiar chakra.


    Therefore, he used Byakugan to observe. In Orochimaru¡¯s ninja bag, there was a sealed test tube, which had a pair of Sharingan immersed in some kind of liquid.


    ¡°Has it already begun? It seems I have to be more careful. I shouldn¡¯t attract them.¡±


    ¡°Young fellow, this mask makes you look very handsome.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but I won¡¯t buy it.¡± Tonan smiled at the shopkeeper and put the mask back on the shelf.

 CH 32

    Once he returned home, Tonan flipped open his diary and began writing a doleful entry. Even though his hands did not stop filling in the words, his mind was on those Sharingan in the test tube.


    After he finished writing, he sat under the eaves and stared at the Uchiha clan members who occasionally passed by, lost in thought. Right now, all the Uchiha had returned to Konoha. If Orochimaru wanted to get his hands on a pair of Sharingan for his experiments, he could only acquire it from the village.


    Tonan had three tomoe and lived at the edge of the clan¡¯s territory. He was a very convenient target.


    ¡°The war is completely over. This is really unsettling. If I¡¯d known this would happen earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have refused the Great Elder.¡±


    Tonan rubbed his temples. When he unlocked his third tomoe, the Great Elder planned to have Tonan move to the center of the clan grounds. But Tonan had already sided with Sarutobi Hiruzen at the time, and with so many secrets of his own, he turned down the offer.


    ¡°I can only rely on myself,¡± Tonan murmured. Surveying the courtyard¡¯s layout, he got up and headed to the storage room. One must not wish harm upon others, but one must also not be unguarded against others. Tonan had always adhered to the principle of not provoking others when unprovoked, and vice versa.


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    He just had to take a little more precaution now.


    The rest of the day was peaceful. Tonan didn¡¯t plan on causing any more trouble for the time being. That was also because graduation was coming up.


    ¡°Tonan-kun! Are you and that Kakashi going to apply for early graduation?¡± a surprised Uchiha Obito asked Tonan.


    Tonan modestly nodded, and said, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure if I can manage it, but I want to try.¡±


    When Maito Guy overheard the conversation between them, he rushed straight to Hatake Kakashi and asked excitedly, ¡°Kakashi, are you really going to apply for early graduation?¡±


    Kakashi nodded indifferently. Guy clenched his fists and as if flames were burning in his eyes, he passionately said, ¡°Sure enough, you¡¯re worthy of being my arch-nemesis! Youth should burn with passion! Since you want to graduate early, let me join you and we can compete and see who will be able to graduate! The loser must run 500 laps around the field!¡±


    Guy¡¯s voice was so loud that the entire classroom heard it. Many of the girls came over and started speaking with starry eyes.


    ¡°Kakashi, are you graduating early?¡±


    ¡°Is Tonan-kun graduating early too?¡±


    ¡°Tonan-kun is amazing! He¡¯s already so confident to be able to graduate early.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even use genjutsu yet but Tonan-kun already has a genin¡¯s skills.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-kun is the most amazing!¡±


    ¡°No, Kakashi is the most amazing!¡±


    ¡°Tonan-kun!¡±


    ¡°Kakashi!¡±


    There were too many fangirls on both Tonan and Kakashi¡¯s sides, and both sides ended up arguing just like that.


    Obito was disgruntled when he saw Rin by Kakashi¡¯s side. He slammed on the table and announced, ¡°I¡¯ve decided, I¡¯ll also apply for early graduation! I¡¯m the future Hokage after all, how can I fall behind?¡±


    But all he got in return was a series of eye-rolls. Only Rin kindly reminded him, ¡°Obito, you have to excel in all three basic types of jutsu and also get straight As.¡±


    ¡°What?! Three jutsu!¡± Both Obito and Guy covered their faces with their hands at the same time, faces distorted as if they¡¯d eaten dirt. But Guy was the first to come around. With hot tears streaming down his face, he said to Kakashi, ¡°Damn it, as expected of you, Kakashi. You win this time!¡±


    The hubbub was still on when Umino Naoto entered the classroom. He cleared his throat loudly and everyone hurried back to their seats.


    With both hands on the table, Naoto announced, ¡°Settle down, everyone. Your final exams are tomorrow, so I hope you¡¯ll do your best. Both Tonan and Kakashi have applied for early graduation. The two of you will take your exams in the grade three¡¯s classroom. Don¡¯t be late. The school will end early today, so go home and rest up.¡±


    ¡°Burn on, youth!¡± As soon as Naoto left the room, Guy rushed out. From the looks of it, he was going to fulfill his promise of running 500 laps in the field.


    ¡°The exam is tomorrow. Do you want to go for dinner this evening? I heard a new ramen restaurant opened up in the shopping street. They say it¡¯s very good.¡±


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    ¡°Good luck, Kakashi!¡±


    ¡°See you, Tonan-kun!¡±


    ¡­


    When almost everyone had left, Kakashi got up and came to Tonan, passing him a scroll, and said, ¡°Here, it¡¯s inside.¡±


    Tonan smiled and accepted it. The scroll contained something that would greatly increase his sense of security.


    ¡°Thanks, Kakashi. How much?¡± Tonan took out his wallet and asked.


    Kakashi lazily put both hands behind his head, and replied, ¡°No need.¡±


    Tonan put on a serious face and earnestly said, ¡°Kakashi, do you see me as your friend?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ what are you asking me that for?¡± Kakashi blushed and turned his head aside.


    ¡°If you think of me as your friend, then take the money. Friends help each other when they¡¯re in need. They don¡¯t leech off each other even if those things are not important to you.¡±


    Tonan slipped cash into Kakashi¡¯s hand. Kakashi looked down at the thick wad of money and froze.


    ¡°I won¡¯t feel good if you don¡¯t take it, and I don¡¯t think I could bring myself to trouble you again in the future.¡±


    ¡°Annoying.¡± Kakashi carelessly stuffed the money into his pocket and asked in a seemingly casual tone, ¡°Are you coming to my house?¡± There seemed to be a hint of enticement in his voice¡­


    Seeing Kakashi accept the money, Tonan narrowed his eyes in a smile, and replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m planning to rest up at home today.¡±


    Once he returned home, Tonan shut the front gates and went to his room. He opened the scroll, and after forming a few seals, he placed his palm on it.


    ¡°Unseal.¡±


    White smoke rose, and the objects sealed inside the scroll appeared before him. Tonan made an inventory. Three damage-proof Explosion Tags, four Fuma (wind demon) Shuriken, two fuel barrels, chakra wire, and a barrel of quick-setting cement.


    These things may not seem much, but they were expensive and not something the average person could afford. Especially the three damage-proof Explosion Tags and the chakra wire.


    A chunin may be able to afford it because they could earn enough in just a few missions. But he spent almost half of his parents¡¯ death benefits on this. Most of these things were considered controlled products that only ninja could buy.


    Of course, if Tonan really wanted to buy them, he could also purchase them from the clan. But he was worried he might draw Hiruzen¡¯s misunderstanding and sour their ambiguous relationship.


    Fortunately, though, he had a good brother like Kakashi. He figured that the latter must have asked Hatake Sakumo to buy these for him. There was also the possibility of course that Kakashi took them directly from his home.


    Tonan began attaching the chakra wire to the Fuma Shuriken, as well as to the several kunai. After connecting them, he sealed the weapons into a storage scroll.


    Once the sky turned dark, he moved the rest of the things into his courtyard. At the same time, the white pigeons lurking around the house activated the Sharingan to avoid anyone from discovering what was happening in the courtyard.

 CH 33

    Notes:


    Clan¡¯s territories or grounds will be referred to districts to differentiate from other similar spaces


    Ninja headband is a forehead protector engraved with the village¡¯s symbol


    The next day, Uchiha Tonan, who had otherwise slept late due to bustling most of the night, woke up surprisingly early. After washing up, he changed into new clothes, took his ninja bag, and left for the Academy.


    Today was the final exam and also graduation day. A large group of parents had gathered outside the Ninja Academy. When Tonan arrived, the parents began to discuss him in whispers.


    ¡°He is the Uchiha genius, Uchiha Tonan. My child says he and the other genius Hatake Kakashi have applied for early graduation.¡±


    ¡°It looks like this kid may be in his second year.¡±


    ¡°You are not very concerned about the children, are you? Tonan and Kakashi are just first-grade students.¡±


    ¡°How come other families¡¯ children are so capable?¡±


    ¡°I heard that Tonan was very sad when his parents passed away and he awakened his Sharingan. Just thinking about it, I want to commit suicide drowning in the river to make my kid awaken his Sharingan.¡±


    ¡°You know, it is a good thing for a family to live a normal and happy life.¡±


    ¡°This kid looks refined and cultured. He doesn¡¯t look very powerful.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, he was carrying a little girl¡¯s corpse on the streets a couple of days ago.¡±


    ¡°That was him?! I heard that girl was his girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Children nowadays¡­ how can they fall in love so early? This is not alright, I need to be stricter with my kid. At least, they should reach third grade before falling in love.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry so much¡­ isn¡¯t your kid a girl?¡±


    At that moment, Tonan, whose path was blocked by the two idly chatting parents, politely said, ¡°Excuse me, can you please let me through?¡±


    ¡°Yes, little fellow, go, go.¡±


    ¡°Do your best.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, uncles.¡±


    After Tonan entered the academy, one of the parents watching him distractedly stroked his chin and said, ¡°Actually, if my girl could make this young kid fall in love with her, it wouldn¡¯t be so bad.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan walked all the way to the examination center. He pushed opened the door and saw about fifty to sixty students seated inside. There was still time, and most of the students hadn¡¯t arrived yet.


    Even the early-bird Kakashi hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Tonan smiled warmly and nodded at other students in the classroom. He took his place as per the exam proctor¡¯s seating arrangement.


    About half an hour later, the other students came in one after another.


    ¡°Is that white-haired kid and the kid with the glasses the first-year students who applied for early graduation this year?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t underestimate them. Since I usually sat by the window, I have seen some of the other grades¡¯ combat training. Those kids are remarkably strong.¡±


    ¡°Silence,¡± the exam proctor solemnly instructed, and added, ¡°The test paper will be distributed now. There will be no chatting from here onwards. If anyone is caught cheating, your paper will be graded zero.¡±


    Soon, the test paper was handed out to everyone. Tonan could tell at first glance itself that the paper was very simple. It was so easy that even Naruto could have passed it. It comprised only multiple-choice questions. It looked like the theory learned in the academy was useful for the chunin exams only.


    Tonan shook his head, picked up the pen, and began answering at full speed.


    Question: How is chakra produced?


    Among the three choices, choosing C, whether by knowing the answer or just because it was the longest, was right either way.


    Question: What can the clone created by Clone Technique do?


    ¡­¡­


    There were twenty such absurd multiple-choice questions, and the answer for twelve of them was C. In other words, even without understanding anything, one would pass as long as C was ticked for all answers.


    At this moment, most of the people had finished their test papers, and quietly sat on their seats.


    After about half an hour, the proctor began to collect the test paper. At this time, Umino Naoto made a special trip to the graduation examination room to help supervise the exam. It looked like he had already finished supervising the first-year exam.


    Immediately after entering, he gave Kakashi and Tonan an encouraging look. Tonan nodded and smiled back. After collecting the papers, the proctor stood up and announced, ¡°Next, it¡¯s the ninjutsu test. This year¡¯s ninjutsu topic is Substitution Technique.¡±


    Hearing this, the entire classroom was filled with complaints.


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°Why the Substitution Technique with the most number of hand signs?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember all hand signs of the Technique.¡±


    ¡°I can make hand signs, but I fail nine out of ten times.¡±


    ¡°Last year, it was Transformation Technique, which was the simplest.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, yesterday, Nosuke-sensei swore that this year¡¯s examination topic was Clone Technique.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Looking at the clamor, blue veins popped on the proctor¡¯s forehead. He slammed on the podium and shouted, ¡°Shut up! If you want to speak again, get out.¡±


    Silence reigned in the exam room once again and the proctor continued, ¡°There are two students who applied for early graduation this year. And because their test content is different from the others, their test takes precedence.¡±


    He nodded towards Naotok, which then took the lead and called out in a clear loud voice, ¡°Hatake Kakashi.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes focused on Kakashi. As for the student himself, he lazily walked to the platform as if he was bored. Naoto awkwardly smiled at the proctor beside him, coughed, and said, ¡°Kakashi, be serious. Come and perform all the three basic ninjutsu.¡±


    Hearing his sensei¡¯s instruction, Kakashi raised his hands, which seemed to disappear in the next moment, leaving blur images. The other students couldn¡¯t see the signs he was making.


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    Even before the white smoke rose, another Kakashi appeared beside him. In the next moment, Kakashi, who was standing in the original position, turned to Tonan. And the clone began to walk towards the classroom¡¯s door.


    ¡°What about the Substitution Technique¡­¡± Naoto pointed out but just as he spoke, he heard a bang. Kakashi, who was standing on the spot, turned into a substitute wood.


    ¡°May I leave now?¡±


    Kakashi, who everyone thought was a clone, stood in front of the door, his hand already at the doorknob.


    The proctor said with high praise, ¡°Very good. Not only are you proficient in the three basic ninjutsu, but you can also use them together. Three days later, come to this classroom to receive your ninja headband, and also meet your lead sensei.¡±


    The proctor recorded the results in a notebook. Kakashi just shrugged his shoulders, pushed open the door, and walked out.


    ¡°Amazing.¡±


    ¡°Was this is a freshman? Didn¡¯t you tell me that he¡¯s a freshman?¡±


    ¡°Kakashi is so powerful. Is that genius of the Uchiha clan even more powerful?¡±


    ¡°I heard that that person has already awakened the Sharingan.¡±


    ¡°They are not letting other people live.¡±


    At this time, Naoto also looked at Tonan, who was in his seat, and called out, ¡°Next, Uchiha Tonan.¡±


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    Tonan walked to the front, bowed to the two teachers, then made a ¡®Ram¡¯ sign. Along with the rise of white smoke, Tonan turned into the appearance of Naoto. Then he released the Transformation Technique and began to use the Clone Technique.


    ¡°Ram-Snake-Tiger¡±


    Two identical Tonans appeared in front of everyone.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like he is comparable to that white-haired one.¡±


    ¡°And here, I thought that he was more powerful one.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not much but he¡¯s still a bit better than me.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Tiger-Boar-Ox-Dog-Snake¡±


    Tonan finished making hand signs slowly and rhythmically. Then, his body turned into a ball of white smoke, a substitute wood fell on the ground, and his figure appeared at one side.


    ¡°Sensei, is this fine?¡± Tonan looked at the proctor and humbly asked.


    Following Kakashi¡¯s brilliant feat, Tonan¡¯s performance was a bit of a letdown.


    The invigilator nodded, casually put a good score in his notebook, and said, ¡°Not bad but you don¡¯t seem too proficient in them yet. You need to practice more in the future. You have passed the test. Come back after three days.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t care about the proctor¡¯s differential treatment. He placed his hands on the knees and bowed, ¡°Thank you, proctor-sensei. Many thanks, Naoto-sensei.¡±


    Naoto knew that Tonan¡¯s comprehension of the three basic ninjutsu was not inferior to Kakashi. And he had a more favorable impression of his simple performance. He looked at the polite student and said with an understanding smile, ¡°This is the result of your hard work. Go back and rest now.¡±


    Tonan nodded, turned around, and walked outside the classroom. The invigilator took advantage of the free time to organize the materials and whispered to Naoto, ¡°You have such good students. They graduated only after a year. It¡¯s truly enviable.¡±


    Naoto was overjoyed in his heart. He scratched his head happily and said, ¡°I was just lucky, just plain dumb luck.¡±


    ¡®Ding! Gained Umino Naoto¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Tonan had just walked outside the examination hall and stopped in his tracks when he heard the system¡¯s prompt. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and the corners of his mouth twitched as he turned to look at Naoto.


    Naoto, who had been scratching his head, suddenly frowned. He felt a chill run up his back.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Naoto raised his head and looked at the students in the examination room. Finally, he caught sight of the smiling Tonan, who was looking back at him. For some reason, Naoto thought Tonan¡¯s smile looked terrifying.


    He swallowed and asked in confusion, ¡°Tonan, did you want something?¡±


    Tonan¡¯s smile brightened, which greatly reduced the chill on Naoto. ¡°Naoto-sensei, I¡¯ve become a genin. You¡¯ve to work hard, otherwise, I¡¯ll catch up to you soon,¡± Tonan said in a jovial tone, then turned around and left.


    Naoto smiled shyly, and instantly forgot the strange feeling just now.


    ¡°This kid, he¡¯s encouraging his sensei now.¡±


    The proctor muttered to himself and leisurely said, ¡°I think what he said is true. With his talent, I guess he will become a chunin like you within a few years.¡±


    ¡°Next, Akimichi Honoka.¡±


    Naoto was dumbfounded hearing his words. After thinking carefully, he agreed with the proctor¡¯s words.


    ¡°Just thinking about my students surpassing me makes me happy. But if I¡¯m surpassed too soon, my students might not respect me. Looks like I must become a jonin before you and Kakashi become a chunin.¡±


    Thinking about that, didn¡¯t Tonan already kill a chunin¡­

 CH 34

    Notes:


    Root is a branch of Konoha¡¯s Anbu training subdivision.


    Jinchuriki is referred to humans who have tailed beasts sealed within them and exhibit extraordinary powers due to the immense chakra reserves.


    Once the examination was completed, the list of graduates and their specific scores were sent to the Hokage office. The next step was for Sarutobi Hiruzen to decide on the ninja team grouping with two of his advisors, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.


    Each team¡¯s leader was also to be decided now. Weaker genin teams were usually led by chunin. Only those with great potential were eligible to be led by jonin teachers. Homura brought over a stack of report cards and began assigning teams according to each graduate¡¯s specialty.


    ¡°Ino-Shika-Cho will be grouped in a team as usual,¡± Homura said while bunching three report cards and handing them to Koharu.


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    Koharu, in turn, matched it with a leader based on various considerations. Hiruzen sat deep in thought at his desk, taking puffs out of his cigarette as he looked at two report cards.


    Homura glanced at him and asked, ¡°Sarutobi-sama, how are you going to pair up the two geniuses who graduated early?¡± This question attracted Koharu¡¯s attention as well. Hiruzen exhaled a smoke ring and mused, ¡°Let¡¯s just group both of them in one team.¡±


    Homura said, ¡°We would still need one more person.¡±


    Hiruzen put his pipe down on the table and thought for a moment before instructing, ¡°Just leave them as a pair for now. Kakashi and Tonan are almost at chunin level. Tonan might be a little weaker, but he¡¯s already capable of subduing two chunin for a short period if he uses genjutsu with his Sharingan. His taijutsu and ninjutsu are weaker, but it compliments Kakashi well.¡±


    Koharu nodded and thought for a moment, ¡°Have you decided which leader to assign to them?¡± Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, seemingly mulling over this. Right at this moment, the office door was pushed open, and Shimura Danzo walked in. He asked, ¡°Hiruzen, how is the division of this year¡¯s genin teams coming along?¡±


    Hirutobi frowned, and replied with another question, ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±


    Danzo walked up to Hiruzen and said with a self-assured expression, ¡°As someone from Root who watches over Konoha, why can¡¯t I care about the new graduates?¡±


    Hiruzen gestured towards Homura and Koharu, and said, ¡°It¡¯s still work in progress.¡±


    Danzo looked at the report cards in Homura and Koharu¡¯s hands, then squinted at the two report cards in front of Hiruzen. He said meaningfully, ¡°I heard both Kakashi and the Uchiha genius graduated early.¡±


    Hiruzen calmly slipped the two report cards into the drawer and nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided to pair them into one team.¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s actions annoyed Danzo but he asked in a solemn voice, ¡°Has the leader been decided yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still in consideration.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to consider this anymore. I have a suitable candidate I can recommend.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°A jonin from the Aburame clan ¡ª Aburame Ryosuke.¡±


    Hiruzen was surprised. He thought about it for a moment. Ryosuke was a veteran jonin. He was indeed more than capable of leading Kakashi and Tonan. But Hiruzen had the nagging feeling that something was off about Danzo, so he immediately shook his head and refused, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll work out.¡±


    Danzo grunted, ¡°Why not? Kakashi would have inherited the White Fang¡¯s sword technique, and he¡¯s outstanding in ninjutsu. On the other hand, that Uchiha kid has awakened the Sharingan and is more than proficient in genjutsu. The two of them hardly have any shortcomings as a team but they are missing the most important member ¡ª a medical-nin.¡±


    Hiruzen froze at his words. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t figure out when had Ryosuke ever displayed any medical ninjutsu talent. So, he suspiciously stared at Danzo and asked, ¡°And Ryosuke knows medical ninjutsu?¡±


    Danzo replied, ¡°The latest bug he hatched is very special. Not only can it detoxify poison, but it can also create a special agent that can be used to salvage a life.¡±


    Hiruzen picked up his pipe for another smoke after hearing this. The smoke that floated up seemed to waft into his eyes as he narrowed them. Ryosuke¡¯s details came to his mind.


    This jonin from the Aburame clan had been almost invisible. But he seemed to be a cousin of Aburame Torune from Root. Even though Ryosuke was not a Root member, all signs indicated he had been pulled onto Danzo¡¯s side.


    But if he didn¡¯t want Ryosuke, who should he consider? What was the greatest thing this two-man team lacked?


    Kakashi had the White Fang to guide him, so there didn¡¯t seem to be any leader needed to help him. As for Tonan, with the three tomoe Sharingan, even if his taijutsu and ninjutsu were lagging, with his dynamic vision, his taijutsu would gradually grow beyond his peers. And, with the Sharingan, he would eventually excel in ninjutsu too.


    At present, they shouldn¡¯t evaluate the two from the strength but the character aspect. Tonan had experienced too many upheavals in his life, and he couldn¡¯t keep an eye on him all the time. He had to have a sunny and cheerful person who represented the Will of Fire to lead him before he goes astray.


    Suddenly, a sunny, smiling face came to Hiruzen¡¯s mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s decided.¡±


    Hiruzen decisively rejected Danzo, and said, ¡°No, I have a candidate in mind.¡±


    Danzo, who thought that victory was at hand, couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. He slammed the table in anger and questioned Hiruzen, ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you think I harbor ulterior motives?¡±


    Both Homura and Koharu tried to persuade him.


    ¡°Danzo, calm down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to sit and discuss than getting agitated.¡±


    Hiruzen waved his hand and said with a determined face, ¡°Enough, I¡¯ve already decided for Namikaze Minato to lead this team.¡±


    Danzo froze for a moment before asking in disbelief, ¡°Namikaze Minato? The Nine-Tails¡¯ jinchuriki¡¯s boyfriend? What are you thinking, Hiruzen? That brat has only just been promoted to a jonin. Are you planning to ruin the two geniuses?¡±


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    Hiruzen was already annoyed at this moment, so his face cooled instantly. Putting his pipe aside, he said, ¡°Watch your attitude. I¡¯m the Hokage here.¡±


    Danzo intensely stared at Hiruzen, but Hiruzen wouldn¡¯t budge. The two were in a deadlock for a few seconds before, with an extremely bitter grimace, Danzo scoffed and said, ¡°You¡¯ll regret this.¡±


    He walked out of the Hokage office in anger and headed to Root. As soon as he arrived, the anger disappeared from his face, returning to a calm look, and he muttered to himself, ¡°What genjutsu did that evil little brat cast on you to make you so defensive against me? And what ill intentions could I even have? Everything I do is for Konoha¡¯s sake.¡±


    He asked Root¡¯s leader, Aburame Ryohei, who was next to him, ¡°How are the experiments progressing at Orochimaru¡¯s side?¡±


    ¡°Not very good. The last pair of Sharingan was destroyed.¡±


    ¡°What did Orochimaru say?¡±


    ¡°He said that it was because the energy contained in the Sharingan was insufficient to counteract the exuberant life force in the cells. He suggested you find more Sharingan for him, preferably of higher quality.¡±


    ¡°I see. Isn¡¯t that cousin of yours willing to join Root? Go and recruit him now. Once you¡¯re done, bring him to me. I have a task for him. If he does a good job, he¡¯ll be welcomed here. If not¡­¡±

 CH 35

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    At the Uchiha district, after hearing about Uchiha Tonan¡¯s early graduation, the Great Elder came to visit him at his home. Tonan was sitting under the eaves, whittling a piece of wood with his kunai.


    Wood scraps scattered on the floor, and a life-like wooden sculpture appeared. The subject he was carving was none other than Uchiha Mina. Even after death, people¡¯s memories hold significance for the living. Putting Mina¡¯s carving inside, he picked up another piece of wood and began carving Uchiha Teno.


    The Great Elder pushed open the ajar courtyard gate and saw Tonan carving Teno¡¯s wooden figurine.


    ¡°Great Elder, is there something I could do for you?¡± Tonan put down the carving and bowed with his hands on his knees, as he politely inquired.


    The Great Elder smiled and looked at him up and down. He also did a quick sweep of the house from the corner of his eyes and saw several sculptures placed on a partition.


    They were all of Tonan¡¯s parents and Mina.


    ¡°We¡¯re all family here, you don¡¯t have to be so formal.¡±


    The Great Elder smiled and sat next to Tonan like an old grandpa next door. After a pause, Tonan got up and headed inside to pour him a cup of fresh tea. Bringing it back, he sat down next to him.


    ¡°You really like your tea, don¡¯t you Tonan?¡± The Great Elder narrowed his eyes, sipping on the tea.


    Tonan nodded and stroked the finished carving in his hand. ¡°That¡¯s right. Usually, studying consumes much of my energy, so tea helps me freshen up.¡±


    The Great Elder squinted at the carving in Tonan¡¯s hand and sighed, ¡°It feels like you¡¯ve graduated in the blink of an eye, time really flies.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because time flies that every second should be cherished. Don¡¯t wait until you lose something before you regret it,¡± Tonan said as his kunai continued trimming the half-carved wood block.


    The Great Elder looked at the flock of white pigeons flying in the distance. He said, ¡°You¡¯re not like the other clan members. I should say you¡¯re the most unique person I¡¯ve ever met. I thought I was the one who knew you best, but sometimes, I feel like I can¡¯t understand you at all.¡±


    ¡°Leaving Teno for the end. Is it out of guilt?¡±


    Tonan paused with a start, a puzzled expression appearing on his face. He replied, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure I understand what you¡¯re saying, Great Elder.¡±


    The Great Elder smiled and said, ¡°You are patient and rational. You are even able to separate reason from emotion perfectly, acting with logic even during the most critical situations.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s heart jumped, but he put on a despondent expression and shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s not what I am at all. I always act on impulse, and even raised a hand against the senpai at the Interrogation Department.¡±


    The Great Elder sipped his tea unhurriedly before setting the cup aside. He took out a yellowing book from his robe and placed it between them. Then he said, ¡°This has been in my possession for some time. Let me return it to you now.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s pupils shrank slightly. He picked up the book and the two of them sat there in silence. Now that winter was approaching, the cool breeze felt cold against his back. This book was the compiled notes he had given to Teno back then.


    The poison on it had long evaporated but Tonan realized the part where the poison was applied had reacted distinctly. It had turned extremely yellow.


    He miscalculated. Sure enough, he was too inexperienced back then.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t awakened my Sharingan and gained value far beyond those of the others, then maybe I would¡¯ve been the one who was executed that day.¡±


    Many thoughts raced through his head at once. He could bully his peer or ordinary chunin and genin, but silencing someone with murder? Unlikely. Lesser so the veteran elite jonin like this Great Elder. Only a fool would be confused by that smiling face. This old man could probably wring him to death with a pinch of his finger.


    But if he can¡¯t fight, he could follow. In the next moment, Tonan threw up the book and blinked his eyes, activating his Sharingan.


    Woosh


    The kunai hit the book precisely and nailed it to a tree in the yard. He then leaped and quickly formed seals with his hands.


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Phoenix Sage Nail Crimson Technique.¡±


    Dense little fireballs shot out from his mouth, smashing into the big tree.


    Boom


    The entire tree was instantly enveloped in flames. As the cold wind flew by, the flames dotting the tree flickered like stars in the sky. Standing with his back against the Great Elder, Tonan was silent for a long time.


    The Great Elder breathed heavily as he looked at the burning tree, and then turned his gaze towards Tonan¡¯s back. A single word came to his lips, ¡°Genius.¡±


    He slowly got up and headed towards the gate. When he passed Tonan by, he reached out to pat him lightly on the shoulder. Just as he was about to leave, Tonan suddenly said, ¡°Great Elder, please trust me. I¡­ will always be an Uchiha. But right now, I can only be like this.¡±


    The Great Elder¡¯s footsteps halted. The delight on his face was obvious when he turned to meet Tonan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve always believed in you. Come to the clan¡¯s shrine in a few days. I¡¯ll take you somewhere so that you can pick up your new ninjutsu.¡±


    Then, with an encouraging look at Tonan, he left.


    ¡°Take care, Great Elder.¡± Tonan bowed deeply with both hands on his knees.


    ¡®Ding! Obtained Uchiha Tenzou¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    One cannot say too much while dealing with a shrewd old man. Just say a third of it, then leave him to figure out the rest himself. After the Great Elder left, Tonan straightened his body and breathed a sigh of relief.


    Just then, a thought flashed into his mind. His pupils suddenly shrank. He saw two yellow handprints on his pants. His face turned ugly at once. Rubbing the handprints with his finger, he sniffed it. It had a light fragrance on it.


    ¡°This crafty old bastard tricked me!¡±


    Tonan inhaled deeply to suppress the rage in his heart. Returning to his usual calm, he turned around and walked into the bedroom. Then, he took out the ¡®Advanced Spy Camouflage Techniques¡¯ that had been gathering dust in the cabinet.


    At night, at the Naka Shrine of the Uchiha clan, the Great Elder and Uchiha Fugaku sat opposite each other in seiza.


    ¡°Great Elder, why have you called me?¡±


    ¡°Tonan is more talented than we expected.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    A frenzied look filled the older Uchiha¡¯s eyes, as he said, ¡°I saw him perform the Phoenix Sage Nail Crimson Technique, and the fluctuation of his chakra was already close to a jonin level¡±


    Fugaku was shocked. The Great Elder looked at the stone tablet in the shrine, his heart pounding, and he said, ¡°That¡¯s not the most important part. The most important part is that his heart has always been loyal to the Uchiha.¡±


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    Fugaku calmed down a little and stroked his chin. ¡°You mean to say that everything he shows on the surface was a lie?¡±


    The Great Elder nodded. ¡°Not only does he have talent far beyond ordinary people, but he is of a caliber that none in the Uchiha can match. Everything he has done so far is just to hoodwink Konoha¡¯s top rung.¡±


    Fugaku¡¯s eyes lit up, but then he frowned, and asked, ¡°So, who was the one who poisoned Teno back then?¡±


    ¡°It was him. It must have been to awaken his Sharingan.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    ¡°It was true that his relationship with Teno was good, and he really did like Mina. But reason told him what he must do to obtain power.¡±


    Everything made sense to Fugaku now, and several thoughts stormed in his mind. ¡°Is that why he destroyed the bond himself? No wonder he chose to end Mina¡¯s life with his own hands at the final moment. But he had already awakened the third tomoe. Why would he need to do this?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he feels that he has already reached that level¡­ the Mangekyou¡­ but he most likely failed. After all, he¡¯s still young.¡±


    ¡°But I trust that he will be able to awaken the Mangekyou in time. Then, he will wield the power of the legends,¡± the Great Elder stated with confidence.


    ¡°What do you intend to do now?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep this between the two of us for now. We should wait for that boy to grow up some more. What we need to do now is to keep our distance from him. When Konoha¡¯s top rung is here, we must appear as if we¡¯re trying to pull him to our side.¡±


    ¡°Also, I¡¯ve decided to pass on that jutsu to him¡­¡±

 CH 36

    At Root headquarter, a ninja wearing a cat mask went down on one knee and greeted, ¡°Danzo-sama.¡±


    Shimura Danzo, who was sitting on a seat, looked down at him indifferently and said, ¡°Aburame Ryosuke, your evaluation mission is to bring Uchiha Tonan here. If the situation deems necessary, you can kill him and dig out his Sharingan. But that will lower your evaluation score. Only after passing this test, you can officially become a Root member. But you should know the consequences of failure.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Danzo-sama,¡± Ryosuke responded, turned around, and left. After he was gone, Danzo tapped on the armrest with his finger. Another Root ninja walked out from the shadows and knelt on one knee in front of him.


    ¡°Torune, go and monitor from a distance. If this matter alarms the Anbu or the Uchihas, trigger the cursed seal. There¡¯ll be trouble if this matter spreads.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The winter moon was bright and cold. It illuminated Konoha with ice-like white radiance. At this moment, Tonan was already in deep sleep. Outside the quiet Uchiha district, the officers were patrolling and chatting in groups of twos and threes.


    Since the war had just ended, the Konoha ninjas had relaxed a bit.


    ¡°Did you hear about Tonan?¡±


    ¡°Hear what in particular?¡±


    ¡°Of course about his early graduation. If I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s just six years old, turning seven in a few months. And he¡¯s already a genin. That¡¯s truly amazing.¡±


    ¡°The Uchiha clan bestowed him with the talent but not only does he maintain distance with clan members but he is closer with the Konoha higher-ups.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think we can blame him completely. After all, anyone else in his shoes wouldn¡¯t be able to bear what happened to him.¡±


    ¡°That had nothing to do with the Uchiha clan.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you know. This is confidential so don¡¯t spread it. I heard that Kotoura and Nanako were very stern with Tonan since he was a child because he was not strong enough. Tonan never got parental love. Later, he got close to Teno with great difficulty, but Tetsugo, also from the clan, killed Teno. If it was anyone else, they may even hold a grudge than just distance themselves.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right. When Kotoura and Nanako were being buried, I saw that kid was grief-stricken. It even made me want to cry!¡±


    ¡°They are his biological parents. Their harshness made him look for love in other places, but that doesn¡¯t mean he hated them.¡±


    ¡°When you put it like that, it does seem reasonable.¡±


    ¡°By the way, where did you hear all this?¡±


    ¡°The day before yesterday, my mother told me during lunch. She said that it was inside intel she got from a friend who holds a high position in Konoha.¡±


    ¡°The day before yesterday¡­ wasn¡¯t your mother shopping for groceries together with my mother that day?¡±


    Slap~


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just a bug.¡±


    Right above this patrolling team, under the night¡¯s cover, a horde of insects silently entered the Uchiha district.


    The district was divided into the inner and outer areas. The inner area, housing the more expensive and busy real estate, was like a small town with stores and necessities.


    The outer area was similar to the countryside with large farmland and narrow roads. There were small courtyards scattered here and there. Most were occupied by the Uchiha clan¡¯s civilians and some chunin and genin. Tonan¡¯s courtyard, part of the fringe area, was also located here.


    It was not that Tonan¡¯s parents couldn¡¯t afford a house in the central area. It was just that Kotoura was innately ambitious and proud. He wanted to purchase a house in the best location. Unfortunately, Konoha¡¯s development was rather fast, and the property prices rose faster than his savings. As a result, purchasing a house kept being delayed.


    A big insects swarm advanced closer to Tonan¡¯s courtyard, hiding under the dense trees on both sides of the road.


    The horde eventually gathered together on top of a big tree and transformed into Ryosuke, who was wearing a cat mask. He scanned his surroundings. According to his information, the kid¡¯s house should be here.


    Ryosuke¡¯s gaze moved to a small courtyard at the district¡¯s edge. In the next moment, he used Body Flicker Technique and disappeared.


    The moment Ryosuke had appeared, Tonan, who was sleeping soundly, suddenly woke up, three tomoe spinning rapidly in his eyes.


    ¡°Is he from the Anbu or Root? If it¡¯s Anbu, it¡¯s fine. Sarutobi Hiruzen must have sent him. But if he¡¯s from Root, then¡­¡±


    Tonan recalled the Sharingan immersed in a test tube. In most instances, midnight visitors were rarely up to any good. The white pigeons lurking everywhere in Konoha simultaneously activated the Sharingan. And with Byakugan¡¯s boost, Tonan checked several crucial positions like a searchlight.


    ¡°There¡¯s no one in the Hokage office! Hiruzen isn¡¯t looking for me.¡±


    But he didn¡¯t have the luxury of time to think because Ryosuke was already outside his room. The intruder slowly reached out and pushed open the door.


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    Suddenly, a shadow flew towards Ryosuke, and a cold wind blew against his face, making him feel tingling pain.


    Ding


    At the critical moment, he raised a kunai and blocked the attack. Just as he was about to release the parasitic insects to subdue Tonan, he saw Tonan look surprised.


    Tonan took a few steps back, placed his hands on his knees, and said apologetically, ¡°Sorry, Anbu-sama, I thought it was a spy from an enemy village.¡±


    ¡°Does he think I¡¯m from the Anbu? It seems he has often come into contact with them before. This saves me a lot of effort.¡±


    Ryosuke thought through things quickly and said in a deep voice, ¡°Uchiha Tonan, Hokage-sama has asked for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Anbu-sama. I¡¯ll follow you,¡± Tonan put away his kunai and looked relaxed as if he had completely dropped his guard.


    Ryosuke walked over with vigilance and grabbed him. On the surface, it looked like he was preparing to use the Body Flicker Technique to take him away, but secretly, he was commanding parasitic insects to sneak into Tonan¡¯s body.


    This mission was going so smoothly it was unbelievable. However, the parasitic insects inside Ryosuke¡¯s body suddenly emitted strange chakra fluctuations, which was a warning signal.


    ¡°This is bad! It¡¯s an illusion!¡±


    The very experienced Ryosuke reacted and broke free from the illusion in an instant. He was still standing at the doorway at this moment, and Tonan¡¯s hand was just an inch away from him.


    ¡°Caught you.¡± Tonan¡¯s eyes were ice-cold, and the moment his hand touched Ryosuke, he activated ninjutsu.


    ¡°Lightning Style ¨C Ground Travel!¡±


    Fire Style and Lightning Style were the best choices to deal with the Aburame clan. Tonan planned to use lightning style to paralyze Ryosuke, and then use the fire style to send him on his way.


    Bang


    Just after Tonan released Ground Travel, Ryosuke¡¯s figure disappeared, and a substitution wood fell on the ground. The real Ryosuke had already appeared on the branch of a big tree that was burnt bare in the courtyard.


    Swish


    Whistling sounds resounded everywhere.


    ¡°This little devil¡¯s movements are too fast.¡±


    Ryosuke narrowed his eyes and used the Insect Transformation Secret Technique to change into a swarm of insects, and leap towards the sky.


    At that time, four fuma shuriken flew over Ryosuke¡¯s previous location from four different directions and cut the branch into shreds. They latched on the enclosing wall without losing force.


    ¡°What a powerful little devil.¡±


    Ryosuke¡¯s figure landed on the roof and looked at Tonan who had appeared in the courtyard at some point. The four fuma shuriken had almost blocked all his routes of retreat. If he didn¡¯t possess the Insect Transformation Secret Technique, he might have fallen into his opponent¡¯s trap.


    After this short exchange, Ryosuke no longer took Tonan lightly. He regarded him as an enemy of equal stature and immediately began making hand seals.


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    ¡°Secret Technique ¨C Insect Tide.¡±


    A large wave of parasitic insects poured out from Ryosuke¡¯s body, condensed into a black wind, and rushed towards Tonan.

 CH 37

    Aided with the Sharingan¡¯s dynamic vision and the Byakugan¡¯s piercing vision, Uchiha Tonan, who was at a corner in the yard, could see dense chakra spots coming at him after Aburame Ryosuke used a secret technique.


    When the chakra was just about to shoot into the soles of his feet, he began running along the courtyard walls, avoiding the insect tide. He also kept throwing kunai at Ryosuke.


    Faced with the attacks, Ryosuke deftly jumped a few times and dodged them perfectly.


    ¡°Difficult little brat, it all ends here!¡±


    Ryosuke felt confident as he silently made seals. To ambush Tonan, he made another insects horde lay in wait at the front, as the earlier continued the chase from behind. The insects waited quietly on the ground, covered under the house¡¯s shadow.


    As long as Tonan ran a few steps forward, this group of insects would trap him in an encirclement along with the insects behind.


    Stomp


    Tonan stamped his foot on the ground.


    Just now, Ryoichi had just finished his seals.


    ¡°Secret Technique ¨C Insect Sphere.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Tonan saw the insects in front and shrieked. He was enveloped by the insects that pounced on him from all directions. Under Ryosuke¡¯s command, in just a few moments, the parasitic bugs frantically attacked Tonan¡¯s chakra and devoured it all.


    Once it was all done, Ryosuke came closer to Tonan and the parasitic insects flew back into his body. Without a moment¡¯s delay, he wanted to knock Tonan out and take him to Root.


    After all, a live capture would earn him higher points in the assessment, and a qualified tool must always try to complete its task perfectly.


    Just as Ryosuke raised his hand, a violent warning came from the parasites that had returned to his body.


    ¡°No! Another genjutsu!¡±


    Ryosuke unraveled the genjutsu again and saw a wooden sculpture instead of Tonan on the ground.


    ¡°Where is he?!¡±


    Ryosuke calmly analyzed the situation, eyes constantly scanning his surroundings. But he found nothing. There was barely even any sound. Silently, a large shadow appeared on the ground, and in reflex, Ryosuke raised his head to look at the roof.


    Tonan was standing where Ryosuke stood earlier with the cold moon behind him. Against the moonlight, his face was not clear, but the crimson Sharingan stood out in stark contrast.


    Coo coo


    Several dark bird-shaped figures landed on Tonan¡¯s shoulder, also revealing the red Sharingan.


    ¡°Make sure to follow the right person in your next life.¡±


    Tonan looked down at Ryosuke. Slightly raising his left hand, he swiftly made several seals with his right hand. The moment his left hand moved, a crisp light flashed across the courtyard.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡±


    Under his mask, Ryosuke¡¯s expression showed horror for the first time.


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!¡±


    Boom


    A fire snake slithered along with the chakra wire and speedily headed towards the courtyard. During the fight, Tonan had used fuma shuriken to spread chakra wires all over the courtyard. Ryosuke¡¯s current predicament was similar to an insect caught in a web, struggling to escape.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Watching the flames stretch all over, Ryosuke didn¡¯t use his insects. Instead, he was forced to run to the spot where the fire was yet to spread.


    ¡°If he wants to burn me alive with these flames, then he can dream on!¡±


    But Tonan¡¯s move was too conspicuous. The Uchiha clan would surely be alerted.


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    ¡°Mission¡­ failed. No! I¡¯ll die if I fail! As long as I can escape this fire, I¡¯ll have the opportunity to complete my task.¡±


    Not far from the Uchiha district, Aburame Torune¡¯s figure appeared on top of an electricity pole. The burning flames reflected in his eyes.


    ¡°Is the plan¡­going to fail? One more minute left. If you don¡¯t finish the brat off by then, don¡¯t blame me.¡±


    In fact, regardless of whether this mission was a success or not, Torune knew that Ryosuke was likely to die today. When the Anbu get serious, they¡¯re sure to find out the culprit, even if it was one of their own.


    Danzo sent Torune specifically to ensure Root was not implicated. From the very beginning, his name never appeared on Root¡¯s list. Whether Ryosuke completed this mission or not, the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal would still trigger and destroy Ryosuke¡¯s brain in an instant.


    The curse would also dissipate after his death, leaving no trace behind for any investigation to bear fruit.


    At this time, the ninja in the Uchiha district¡¯s center also noticed the commotion and dispatched towards Tonan¡¯s residence. The Great Elder and Uchiha Fugaku rushed to the front of the crowd.


    ¡°Damn it, who¡¯s it?¡± Fugaku¡¯s face was grim. The Great Elder too looked gloomy. He couldn¡¯t help but regret not convincing Tonan to move near the district¡¯s center.


    Ryosuke was just about to escape from the net of flames. Chakra wire, after all, was expensive and limited. There was no way Tonan could cover the entire courtyard.


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    ¡°You little brat, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Under the mask, Ryosuke¡¯s eyes were cold to the extreme. Clearly, this failure caused the usually straight-faced him to be very irked.


    As he ran, his hands formed seals to release a powerful jutsu that could kill Tonan in one fell swoop.


    ¡°Watch your strength. Don¡¯t destroy those eyes.¡± Ryosuke reminded himself.


    Meanwhile, when Tonan watched Ryosuke run away from the flames, the corner of his lips curved slightly.


    The fish was in the net.


    In the next moment, as if the ground was pulled from under Ryosuke¡¯s foot, he felt he was stepping on air.


    ¡°This is¡­a trap!¡±


    Ryosuke would never have thought that someone would actually set up a trap in their own home. At once, he thought of escaping using the Insect Transformation Technique.


    But at this moment, Tonan moved. His left hand tugged sharply, as he flung more kunai with his right hand. The kunai and the fuma shuriken with the attached chakra wire had just fallen mid-air when they were hit by the incoming kunai, helping them regain momentum.


    Tonan leaped up and pulled the net formed by the chakra wire towards Ryosuke.


    ¡°Do it!¡±


    Ruthlessness flashed past Ryosuke¡¯s eyes and he continued performing the Insect Transformation Technique to escape from the sea of fire. Even if he was going to lose a large number of insects, it was safer than falling into an unknown trap.


    Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly. He could see through Ryosuke¡¯s intentions from the flow of his chakra alone. He formed more seals with his right hand.


    ¡°Lightning Style ¨C Ground Travel.¡±


    Crackle


    Electrical arcs flashed around the fire in an instant as the whole net shrunk. This stopped Ryosuke from performing the Insect Transformation Technique. The parasitic insects were too densely-packed. They would be electrocuted. In the best-case scenario, they would be paralyzed and in the worst-case, they would be burned down.


    All happened in a flash, and in that moment¡¯s hesitation, Ryosuke lost his footing and fell into the trap. Tonan immediately covered the trap¡¯s opening with a large net of fire and lightning.


    Splash


    The sound of water rang out.


    ¡°Am I in water? Is this brat planning to electrocute me to death in water? It¡¯s over¡­¡±


    Under his mask, Ryosuke was horrified. But in the next moment, his fear and despair intensified. That was because he discovered he did not fall in water but oil.


    He could no longer use his insects even if he wanted to. They would be stained by the oil, and there was both fire and lightning above¡­


    Sizzle


    Looking up, Ryosuke saw dazzling fire and arcing lightning at the entrance of the trap. And around him were several explosion tags that were currently burning¡­


    Rumble


    Following an earth-shattering explosion, fiery pillars of fire rocketed from the trap, venting towards the night sky.


    Half of Konoha could see the rising flames.

 CH 38

    From a distance, Aburame Torune saw the raging fire and didn¡¯t hesitate to activate the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. However, he didn¡¯t feel any response from it.


    ¡°Is he dead? This fire style is so powerful. Was it Uchiha Fugaku? Or, that old fellow¡­¡±


    A figure flashed through Torune¡¯s mind, and in the next instant, he disappeared without a trace.


    Mission, failed¡­


    The fire burned the house the moment it erupted and spread rapidly under the cold wind. In the room, Uchiha Tonan leisurely took out the money and land deed from the cupboard and threw them into the basement.


    Then, he put his diary and the Sarutobi Hiruzen-signed book ¡®Will of Fire¡¯ under his arm. He casually stepped to the left, dodging a burning beam, turned around, and walked out.


    It was evident that the one who attacked him was from the Aburame clan. Judging from his attire, he was not from Anbu, but from Root.


    ¡°It seems Danzo has evil thoughts towards me. Danzo¡­ Orochimaru¡­ I can¡¯t beat them.¡±


    Tonan considered himself broad-minded, and not some who held grudges. If they were willing to accept, he would be very happy to join forces with them.


    The Great Elder and Fugaku had arrived outside the courtyard by now.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Fugaku frowned, looking at this towering fire.


    ¡°It seems we¡¯re too late.¡± The Great Elder¡¯s expression was ugly. But suddenly, the eyebrows of the two rose, and they were visibly relieved.


    A clear sound of footsteps came from the midst of the sea of flames.


    Step, step, step


    Tonan calmly walked out, and barely a moment after he was outside, the house behind him miserably collapsed.


    Boom, boom


    The Great Elder asked with concern, ¡°Tonan, are you alright?¡± The other jonin had also arrived, along with many Uchiha shinobi. Tonan¡¯s figure looked very small in contrast to the monstrous flames behind him. But no one here dared to look down on him.


    Tonan quietly exchanged a glance with the Great Elder. He adjusted his glasses apologetically, bowed deeply towards everyone, and said, ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for causing such chaos and disturbing everyone¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Fugaku hastily asked, ¡°What happened here? Was it another enemy spy?¡±


    Tonan shook his head and said, ¡°I cannot answer that because this needs to be reported to Hokage-sama first.¡±


    His words offended the Uchihas who had rushed over, and they exploded.


    ¡°Damn it! We hurried in vain.¡±


    ¡°Great Elder, Patriarch, let¡¯s leave. We don¡¯t need to care about this brat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he has already betrayed the clan. Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with us.¡±


    The Great Elder firmly believed that Tonan had created a cover for himself. He narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Tonan, everyone is worried about your safety. Don¡¯t you trust your own clan members?¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t answer. He just stood there quietly. The Great Elder observed the fire pillars that had already begun to extinguish and then looked at Tonan. There was fanatical excitement in his eyes.


    Strength, wisdom, and this caliber of endurance, he was simply a heaven-sent gift to the Uchiha clan. The Uchihas present were very furious and complained continually. However, without the explicit instruction of the Great Elder or Fugaku, they could only do their best to restrain themselves.


    They couldn¡¯t leave, and staying here made them feel embarrassed because their good intentions were wasted on an ingrate. It was difficult to bear.


    The Great Elder¡¯s expression changed slightly, and with a kind and warm smile on his face, he said, ¡°Tonan, in fact, the clan members are very concerned about you. They¡¯re just not very good at expressing it. Don¡¯t take it to your heart.¡±


    At that moment, a group of Anbu appeared not far away.


    ¡°Tonan, are you alright?¡± The Anbu made way, and Hiruzen, who was in plain clothes, stepped forward. He looked very anxious and concerned. Tonan¡¯s eyes lit up, a warm smile appeared on his face, and he replied, ¡°Hokage-sama, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Hiruzen inadvertently looked at the two books Tonan was carrying. Pretending to have a lingering fear, he said, ¡°I rushed over as soon as I heard the news. Fortunately, you are fine. But who attacked you?¡±


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    Tonan pursed his lips as if it was something difficult to speak about.


    ¡°Tonan, Hokage-sama has already come here. You can say it now. Could it be that we, as your clan members, don¡¯t have the right to know?¡± The Great Elder began to act and said with a dull look.


    Tonan merely glanced at the Great Elder and then turned his attention to Hiruzen again.


    Hiruzen nodded and said, ¡°Go ahead, tell us.¡±


    Only after that, Tonan opened his mouth. He informed, ¡°The attacker was a ninja dressed as Anbu, and his ninjutsu used insects. He said he was from Root, and a man named Danzo wanted to see me. But I¡¯ve never heard of anyone called Danzo, so I refused his request. And then he attacked me.¡±


    ¡°Beautifully done!¡±


    The Great Elder was overjoyed in his heart, thinking that Tonan was deliberately provoking the relationship between the higher-ups of Konoha. He feigned to be furious and said to Hiruzen, ¡°Hokage-sama, shouldn¡¯t you give the Uchiha clan an explanation about this? The people of Root attacked the genius of our clan late at night. What¡¯s their intention?¡±


    Hiruzen frowned. He hadn¡¯t expected Root to do this. But after careful consideration, there was a 90 percent chance that this was truly their handiwork. Initially, Hiruzen wanted an Anbu to use water style to put out the fire and examine the corpse. But now, he was hesitant.


    ¡°Danzo, you¡¯ve done a great job!¡±


    ¡°The Anbu will investigate it. If the facts are true, of course, I¡¯ll follow the village rules.¡±


    Hiruzen was very upset with Danzo. He reached out, caressed Tonan¡¯s hair, and said with a concerned look, ¡°Tonan, your house is destroyed now. Have you considered moving to another place?¡±


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    This time, the Great Elder was truly anxious. He hastily said, ¡°Hokage-sama, Tonan is a member of the Uchiha clan. Since his house is destroyed, the Uchiha will give him another house in the central area. Are you trying to split our clan?¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so serious. Don¡¯t you see I was just asking?¡± Hiruzen was fully aware that it was practically impossible to get Tonan out of the Uchiha clan. He said that only to deepen his good impression.


    Tonan had already shrunk behind Hiruzen, and he looked at him with hope. Hiruzen lowered his head, looked at Tonan¡¯s eyes, and sighed, ¡°I was inconsiderate. Child, just follow your Great Elder¡¯s arrangements.¡±


    Tonan pursed up his lips and nodded obediently.


    ¡°Since this matter is settled, Tonan, come with me. I¡¯ll take you to your new residence,¡± the Great Elder said coldly and then called Tonan.


    ¡°Hokage-sama, I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Tonan looked at Hiruzen as if reluctant. But he walked out from behind him and left. Looking at Tonan¡¯s back, as he followed the Great Elder to the district¡¯s central area, Hiruzen couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly.


    ¡°This child is so sensible that it¡¯s distressing.¡±

 CH 39

    Notes:


    Namikaze Minato is the shinobi who created the chakra shape transformation technique Rasengan (means spiraling sphere) and excelled in the teleportation technique the Flying Raijin, or Flying Thunder God Technique


    After the Uchiha clan left, Sarutobi Hiruzen led the Anbu group back to the Hokage Residence. He barely even reached his desk before he called Shimura Danzo to his office.


    The two had a massive argument that ended on a bad note. Not that Uchiha Tonan expected Hiruzen to do anything to Danzo for his sake. He was just borrowing the Hokage¡¯s mouth to send Danzo a warning so that the latter would back off for at least some time.


    ¡°Can¡¯t really trust anyone.¡± Tonan was lying in his spacious new bedroom, looking up at the ceiling. He finally felt a little safer after the increase in his strength, but now, that feeling was gone again.


    This time, the one who came for him was just an ordinary Aburame jonin. With the Sharingan and Byakugan, he just about managed to restrain his opponent, but he had no confidence in winning. This was a rude reminder that he wasn¡¯t strong enough.


    It should be about a year before Hatake Sakumo¡¯s incident. He was running out of time. The only prey who acknowledged him right now were Umino Naoto, Kakashi, and apart from Uchiha Tenzou, the three useless girls in his class.


    It seemed like the most suitable one at hand was Naoto. Even though Naoto wasn¡¯t very useful, he was still a chunin. If he took him out, he would inherit a chunin¡¯s chakra and spiritual energy.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem that useful after all.¡±


    An ordinary civilian chunin such as Naoto knew only a few jutsu, and his experience in combat was also insufficient. The most important point was that Tonan didn¡¯t want to take the risk of making a move himself. It was easy to slip up if he took the initiative to attack someone. If someone were to discover that he murdered Naoto, then he would be completely done for.


    The best hunters lurked in the dark, waiting for their prey to reveal themselves. For a hunting ground as large as Konoha, there would always be suitable targets prancing around. Lost in thought, Tonan sighed before shutting his eyes and drifting to sleep.


    The morning sun shone through the sky of dawn and woke the sleeping Konoha. Today was the day Tonan would officially become a genin. He woke up early and washed up. Packing his bag, he left the house.


    Even though this was the center of the Uchiha district, the Great Elder had arranged a home for him that was as spacious as the previous one. As soon as he stepped out of the house, Tonan saw his clan members pointing and talking about him on both sides of the street.


    Clearly, the word of his biased behavior from last night had spread across. Some people did not even bother with the volume of their voices. Tonan could faintly hear insults. But this did not affect him even in the least bit. These people were all his future rations who would help the evolution of his Sharingan.


    If insulting him made his ration happy, he would be happy to oblige as well.


    ¡°Beginning the day so early, Tonan?¡± Tonan was startled by the sudden voice from the adjacent house. It was the Great Elder wearing a kind smile while watering flowers. Tonan had not noticed that the two of them were neighbors.


    He immediately leaned over and bowed, ¡°Good morning, Great Elder.¡±


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    ¡°Come to my place first thing after you return,¡± the Great Elder instructed. Tonan nodded and quickened his pace slightly, leaving his home. Staying with this old shrewd for even one moment longer unsettled him. Hiruzen was easier to handle.


    At the Ninja Academy, Tonan randomly found a seat when he entered the classroom. After a while, Kakashi too walked into the room and looked around for a while. When he spotted Tonan by the window, he strolled over to him.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to class these last few days?¡±


    ¡°I was in a bit of a situation.¡±


    Kakashi nodded and said nothing more.


    At around nine, the proctor who supervised the genin exam walked into the classroom and cleared his throat. ¡°Congratulations, you have all passed the Ninja Academy¡¯s examination and have become genin. Other than special assignments, genin teams are made up of three members and a leader.¡±


    ¡°When I call out your name, please come up to the podium to receive your forehead protector.¡±


    ¡°Team 1, Furukawa Nohara, Inuzuka Kou, Hyuga Hokawa.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Team 9, Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Tonan.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll now hand over to your new leaders. They¡¯ll be here soon,¡± the proctor informed before leaving the room.


    In just a moment, the new team leaders walked into the room one by one to take away their team¡¯s genin.


    ¡°Team 9, come with me,¡± a blonde-haired youth who had a slightly childish look waved at Kakashi and Tonan. Tonan narrowed his eyes and nodded with a smile. Following that, the two of them left with the blonde-haired youth. Tonan could already guess the identity of this person.


    With his spiked yellow hair and kind-looking boyish face, it couldn¡¯t be anyone else other than Namikaze Minato.


    The Flying Thunder God, Rasengan, these were all good stuff. If possible, he might be able to get Uzumaki Kushina in the bag as well. But that was a little too distant in the future. There were several years to go. A faraway spring cannot quench the present thirst.


    At the rooftop, Minato sat on top of the railing, fiddling with a kunai in his hands, carefully observing the village¡¯s two rumored geniuses. He saw Kakashi leaning on the railing, his eyes nearly questioning Minato¡¯s capabilities.


    Minato did look too young and didn¡¯t appear reliable at all. Tonan, on the other hand, stood straight and well-mannered. Time ticked second by second. Tonan retained his warm smile, not feeling the slightest bit of impatience.


    Coo coo


    Several white pigeons landed on Tonan¡¯s shoulder and nuzzled his face intimately. He lightly stroked the white pigeon¡¯s head and whispered, ¡°Shush, I¡¯m busy right now.¡±


    Coo coo


    Like it understood him, the pigeons spread their wings and flew away. Seeing this, Minato broke the silence, ¡°The pigeons seem to really like you.¡±


    Tonan nodded, and said, ¡°Yes. They¡¯ve always been very friendly and like to stick around.¡±


    ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Namikaze Minato, a Konoha jonin, as well as your leader. My favorite food is ramen, and my dream is to become the future Hokage. What about you?¡±


    Minato first turned his gaze to Kakashi, who did not break character and responded indifferently. ¡°Hatake Kakashi. There¡¯s nothing I like particularly. My dream is to become a powerful shinobi one day.¡±


    As he said this, Sakumo¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but emerge in Kakashi¡¯s head, and he clenched his fists slightly.


    ¡°Father, soon or later, I¡¯ll become a ninja as powerful as you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an amazing dream. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll achieve it someday.¡± Minato smiled and turned to Tonan.


    Tonan turned his head to the side and pushed up his glasses. ¡°I¡¯m Uchiha Tonan. I like drinking tea, reading books, and feeding small animals. As for my dream¡­¡±


    Tonan broke into a dazzlingly warm smile, like it was something that was his very reason for being, and said, ¡°I want more people to acknowledge me.¡±


    At this moment, Minato seemed to see a shadow of his younger self in Tonan, and he also smiled at him. ¡°That¡¯s a special dream. I believe that you¡¯ll receive the acknowledgment of the whole of Konoha in the future.¡±


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    A trace of longing flashed past Tonan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Nothing would make me happier than that coming true.¡±


    Minato jumped down from the railing and came to Tonan¡¯s side, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Alright, introductions are over. Let¡¯s begin now. Come with me.¡±

 CH 40

    Namikaze Minato led his two students to Konoha¡¯s twelfth training ground. He coughed lightly, put on a serious face, and said, ¡°Although you have passed the academy¡¯s examination, you need to pass one more test before you can receive genin missions. If you fail this, you have to go back and repeat a year.¡±


    This was a little trick Konoha¡¯s team leaders used to frighten new genin and give them a little pressure in advance. But it was obvious that Minato hadn¡¯t grasped its essence yet, because his kind and gentle face barely passed off as frightening. On the contrary, it looked like he was pretending to be a profound thinker.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kakashi replied indifferently. And Tonan said with a serious look, ¡°Kakashi and I will try our best to complete the test.¡±


    Minato nodded, took out two bells, shook them in front of them, and explained, ¡°I have two bells here. Each bell represents the qualification to become a genin. You two must snatch it from me within an hour.¡±


    He hung the tiny bells on his waist and said with a bright smile, ¡°If you two are ready, you can start now.¡±


    Swish


    Kakashi¡¯s figure disappeared instantly, and it was not clear where he hid. As for Tonan, he adjusted his glasses, bowed towards Minato, and said, ¡°Minato-sensei, I¡¯ve offended you.¡±


    In the next instant, the ground below Minato cracked, and Kakashi burst out with his hand reaching towards the bells. But the moment his finger touched the bell.


    Bang!


    Minato¡¯s figure disappeared, and a substitution wood fell on the ground. On the big tree not far away, a smiling Minato, with his arms folded across his chest, appeared. He looked at Tonan, who was still standing in the same place, and said, ¡°Tonan, you should both come together. Kakashi alone can¡¯t snatch the bells.¡±


    Dingling


    Just as he finished speaking, he turned around to see Tonan right behind him. Moreover, the bells on his waist had already fallen into his hands. Tonan shook the bells and asked with a smile, ¡°Sensei, is the test over?¡±


    Minato was surprised for a fleeting moment, but he then smiled and said, ¡°This genjutsu is very good.¡± The genjutsu was immediately unraveled, and Minato jumped, jumping from the ground to a big tree, dodging a surprise attack from Kakashi.


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    At this moment, Tonan had just put down his hand that had adjusted his glasses. And the three tomoe were slowly spinning. He bowed deeply to Minato and said, ¡°Minato-sensei, I¡¯ve offended you.¡±


    Everything that happened just a moment ago was an illusion. The chase had begun just now. Minato stood on a tree and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about hurting me.¡±


    ¡°Minato-sensei, be careful,¡± Tonan warned as he made hand seals.


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Great Fireball Technique!¡±


    A huge fireball flew towards Minato, and at the same time, Tonan threw several kunai. The kunai collided with each other in midair, constantly changing paths.


    Ding, ding¡­


    Minato jumped, dodging the fireball along with the kunai behind it.


    Step.


    But just as he touched the ground, he noticed the earth under him had turned into a swamp, and his body sank involuntarily.


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Dark Swamp.¡±


    Not far away, Kakashi had released the ninjutsu. Seeing Minato already trapped, he leisurely walked over and lightly said, ¡°Hand over the bells.¡±


    Bang!


    ¡°Clone Technique, when did he do it?¡±


    Kakashi narrowed his eyes and looked around, but Minato was already standing behind him at this time. He reached out and gently tapped Kakashi¡¯s shoulder.


    Bang!


    Kakashi turned into a cloud of smoke. He too was a clone.


    ¡°It seems your partnership is very good,¡± Minato said to the empty surrounding, but intentionally or unintentionally, his eyes swept across two bushes.


    Swish


    Suddenly, four fuma shuriken flew out, and they came at Minato from four different directions.


    ¡°Using special ninja tools?¡±


    Minato didn¡¯t bat an eyelid. When the fuma shuriken reached in front of him, he jumped lightly, and just happened to step on the central part of the shuriken, perfectly dodging the attacks. But when he had begun to fall under the effect of gravity and reached closer to the shuriken, he was surprised to notice that they were each connected with chakra wires.


    Moreover, these chakra wires were shrinking. If he kept falling like this, he would be entangled in those wires.


    ¡°Great tactics!¡±


    Minato took out a kunai and swung it towards the chakra wires. Although the wires couldn¡¯t be cut, he could borrow the kinetic energy to accelerate his fall. At this moment, in the Hokage office, Sarutobi Hiruzen was watching Minato¡¯s test using his Crystal Ball Technique.


    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that Kakashi and Tonan¡¯s strength is already at chunin level. For such a team, assigning D-ranked missions would be a waste of talent.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and suddenly frowned as he thought of something.


    ¡°Did this kid also learn lightning style? It seems his ninjutsu talent is higher than what I thought.¡±


    On the other side, Minato continuously slashed the chakra wires, escaping from the fate of being bound. But just when he was about to land, Kakashi broke out from the ground below once again with a serious look. He then thrust his tanto towards Minato¡¯s arm with his right hand, and at the same time, extended his left hand to grab the bells hanging on his waist.


    The corners of Minato¡¯s mouth rose slightly as he swung down a kunai with his right hand.


    Ding


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    As Kakashi¡¯s tanto and a kunai collided, Kakashi put more strength into it, and Minato flew back into the sky again.


    ¡°Lightning Style ¨C Ground Travel.¡±


    Crackle


    At this moment, Minato realized that the fuma shuriken had not fallen on the ground at all, but were stuck on the surrounding trees. Several kunai, also connected with chakra wires, were suspended from different points, forming a net.


    There was a lightning net formed above Minato. Seeing that he was about to throw himself right into it, a smile appeared on Kakashi¡¯s mouth behind his mask. Tonan¡¯s Sharingan was spinning rapidly, observing Minato¡¯s chakra fluctuations.


    This was the real body. There was no sign of using the Substitution Technique so far. But Minato cannot be so weak. During the entire process, Tonan was just assisting Kakashi. He hadn¡¯t revealed much of his strength.


    Although this Minato was very young, his power should be higher than this level. Suddenly, Tonan¡¯s eyes shrunk slightly.


    ¡°The test is over, both of you have qualified.¡±


    Minato¡¯s figure appeared on the fuma shuriken. He looked at two newly minted genin below with admiration and said, ¡°This test focuses on testing your teamwork. But your performance far surpassed my expectation. If it weren¡¯t for insufficient mission records, your strength is enough to become chunin.¡±


    ¡°He has mastered Flying Thunder God Technique already! Did he leave the technique¡¯s mark on the shuriken while dodging just a moment ago?¡±


    Tonan slightly narrowed his eyes, smiled, and bowed to Minato. He said, ¡°Minato-sensei, you are flattering us. If this was a real battle, Kakashi and I would have been defeated long ago.¡±


    Minato scratched his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m a jonin, after all. When you two reach my age, you might be much better than me. Alright, to celebrate the creation of Team Nine, how about we go eat some ramen?¡±


    Kakashi put away his tanto and glanced at Tonan. He was not in the mood to eat ramen at all. Since he was unable to snatch the bell, he wanted to go back to train and improve his strength. However, Tonan squashed the plan and said, ¡°Thank you sensei. Kakashi and I will be grateful.¡±


    Seeing that Tonan had agreed, Kakashi also shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°There is half an hour before lunchtime. Let¡¯s go to the Ramen Ichiraku restaurant located in the shopping street. I¡¯ll come after picking up someone.¡±


    Without really waiting for a reply, Minato disappeared in front of the two of them.

 CH 41

    Notes:


    Kurama, also known as Nine Tails or Kyubi, is the tailed beast sealed in Uzumaki Kushina, a jinchuriki.


    At noon, Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Tonan sat in Ramen Ichiraku, waiting for Namikaze Minato¡¯s arrival. Tonan looked around at the restaurant¡¯s layout. It was plain, and a little rustic. As for what the netizens from his previous life said about the owner being Otsutsuki Teuchi or whatever, Tonan didn¡¯t want to find out right now.


    It would be fine if it were just a rumor, but if it was true, then he would be asking for death. Very soon, Minato arrived, bringing along a red-headed kunoichi wearing a green vest.


    Minato pointed to the woman next to him and said, ¡°Tonan, Kakashi, let me introduce you. This is Uzumaki Kushina.¡±


    Kushina¡¯s demeanor was not reserved even by a little bit, but quite the opposite. Pushing Minato out of the way, she rushed up to Kakashi and Tonan and looked at them curiously.


    ¡°So, these are the rumored new generation geniuses of Konoha? Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Uzumaki Kushina.¡±


    Kakashi nodded nonchalantly. Tonan glanced at Kushina and smiled in an elegant and easy-going way, and greeted, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Uchiha Tonan. Minato-sensei¡¯s student.¡±


    Minato scratched his head with a smile. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s all take a seat.¡±


    ¡°Is everyone here? What do you all want to eat?¡± Teuchi walked out of the kitchen and laid out the menus in front of them.


    Kushina raised her hand and shouted, ¡°A large pork bone ramen!¡±


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    Then, she glanced at Minato and added, ¡°Two bowls!¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t look at the menu, he just smiled and said, ¡°The same for me as well, but with less seasoning, please. I prefer lighter food. Sorry for the trouble.¡±


    Kakashi answered indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll have the same as him.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Teuchi nodded, gathered the menus, and headed back into the kitchen. Soon after, four steaming bowls of mouth-watering pork bone ramen were served.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dig in!¡± Kushina hurriedly picked up her chopsticks. Just then, the Nine-Tails¡¯ voice appeared in her head.


    ¡°Kushina.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Kurama? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a strong sense of evil from that brat¡¯s heart.¡±


    When she heard that, Kushina¡¯s hand stilled. She slightly turned her gaze towards Kakashi. But the Nine-Tails in her body corrected her, and said, ¡°Not the white-haired kid, I¡¯m talking about the Uchiha brat.¡±


    Looking at the gentle-looking Tonan, who was slowly chewing his food, she frowned, ¡°You must be mistaken. He looks as gentle as Minato.¡±


    ¡°My perception can¡¯t be wrong. The evil chakra in his body unsettles me. But it¡¯s nothing compared to the evil thoughts in his mind.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s looking over.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, senpai? Is there something on my face?¡±


    Tonan looked at Kushina with a puzzled expression while wiping his face with a tissue.


    ¡°Those eyes¡­ strange. Speaking of which, can I inherit her tailed beast abilities after she dies? Now that¡¯s a question. If I keep going and kill all the jinchuriki, won¡¯t I become a natural Ten-Tails? If it can be enhanced in a loop¡­¡±


    Thinking up to this point, an inexplicable emotion appeared in Tonan¡¯s eyes as he looked at Kushina.


    ¡°He seems to be thinking something evil about you.¡±


    Kushina¡¯s face stiffened. She said aloud, ¡°I just remembered¡­ I¡¯ve been hearing people talking about you in the village of late.¡±


    Clatter


    Tonan froze and his chopsticks fell to the ground. Then, lowering his head, seemingly dejected, he asked hoarsely, ¡°Is that right?¡±


    Minato grabbed a new set of chopsticks for Tonan. Passing it to him, he said in a warm voice, ¡°Eat while it¡¯s hot. It won¡¯t taste as good once it¡¯s cold.¡±


    Tonan nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and began chomping on the noodles in big bites, but drop by drop, tears fell into the bowl.


    ¡°Tonan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Kushina was confused. She didn¡¯t expect this sort of reaction. Tonan looked up, his red eyes faintly glistening with tears. He said with a forced smile, ¡°Huh? It¡¯s too delicious. I¡¯ve never eaten such good ramen before.¡±


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    Then, he lowered his head and continued stuffing his mouth with noodles.


    ¡°Want another bowl?¡± Minato patted Tonan¡¯s back with a sympathetic look. But Tonan suddenly stood up, and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m full now. I¡¯ve to clean up my house today, so I¡¯ll leave you all to it if that¡¯s alright.¡±


    With that, he headed back towards the Uchiha district using Ground Travel. Just as he was leaving, he had even sneakily wiped his tears. Minato reached out and wanted to say something to him, but he couldn¡¯t find the right words. Finally, when Tonan was about to turn into the street, he shouted out, ¡°Remember to meet me in front of the Hokage Residence tomorrow morning at eight o¡¯clock!¡±


    Tonan paused in his steps. Nodding, he left without turning back. Kakashi put down his chopsticks with an expressionless face and turned to Kushina with a cold gaze. ¡°I¡¯m done, as well.¡± And then Kakashi left on his own.


    Minato looked down, and the ramen in Kakashi and Tonan¡¯s bowls seemed almost untouched. Minato and Kushina didn¡¯t have any appetite anymore either. After eating a bit, they left with taciturn faces.


    When on the road, Kushina couldn¡¯t wrap her head around what happened. She asked Minato, ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing. Just watch what you say in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ I just said that people in the village were talking about him. Why was he so upset?¡±


    ¡°What were they talking about him?¡±


    ¡°They called him a genius, and that he graduated from the academy in only a year. Isn¡¯t that worth talking about?¡±


    Minato smiled and shook his head, ¡°I guess all three of us misunderstood.¡±


    ¡°What else could it be?¡± Kushina looked puzzled. After some hesitation, she continued, ¡°Did you know the Nine-Tails inside me can sense evil thoughts in people around me.¡±


    Minato frowned at her words. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Kurama said that Tonan has evil thoughts lurking in his heart.¡±


    Minato shook his head, and said, ¡°But based on what I understand, as well as the impression I got of him today, he didn¡¯t come across as a bad guy.¡±


    Kushina pursed her lips and chose to believe in Minato. ¡°I hope Kurama was wrong.¡±


    Minato sighed. From what he knew of Tonan¡¯s situation, he explained to Kushina, ¡°Tonan¡¯s been through a lot. In just half a year, he has lost a fellow clan brother, his parents, and his girlfriend.¡±


    Kushina got curious, and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Minato patiently narrated Tonan¡¯s recent experiences. Listening to him, Kushina had a realization, ¡°After all those tragedies, it¡¯s no wonder his heart is filled with darkness.¡±


    Minato nodded, and said, ¡°When I met him yesterday, he said that he dreams of gaining the acknowledgment of more people, and I can see that he meant that from the bottom of his heart.¡±


    Kushina¡¯s mind began running wild. ¡°In that case, he must be the type who¡¯s dark inside and bright outside.¡±


    ¡°Hokage-sama told me about this. Tonan needs someone who can help him out now.¡±


    ¡°No wonder you¡¯ve been asked to become a team leader as soon as you were promoted to a jonin. It¡¯s because of your personality¡­¡±

 CH 42

    Notes:


    The ¡®Konoha Hypocrite¡¯ release schedule will now be a chapter daily.


    Ryo is the currency used in the Naruto world. It is based on an old Japanese gold coin that was used in Japan before the Meiji period, later replaced by the yen.


    Izanagi is a genjutsu that is cast on the user instead of others and is the most powerful amongst this type of genjutsu.


    Uchiha Tonan returned home in a rush, shut the door, and poured himself a cup of tea. He fell into deep reflection.


    At lunch, Tonan had noticed Uzumaki Kushina¡¯s peculiar gaze, when she was observing him. It wasn¡¯t ordinary but rather guarded with strong vigilance. It was similar to that of herbivorous animals that had to go to the crocodile-infested pond to drink water during the dry season on the prairie.


    Tonan couldn¡¯t understand where he gave the game away. His only choice at the time was to put on an act on the scene and leave in a hurry. He was anxious that he would expose too many flaws if he continued to stay.


    ¡°What exactly went wrong that made her so cautious against me in just our first meeting? She said people in the village were talking about me lately. But my actions were clearly on the side of righteousness and grief without the slightest flaw.¡±


    Strange¡­


    Tonan understood the principle of reflecting on one¡¯s actions three times a day very well. Only with this kind of paranoid diligence, could he make continuous progress in his pursuit to be a master huntsman. Kushina¡¯s intuitive vigilance might just be the Uzumaki physique and the Nine-Tails within her body.


    Or maybe Kushina had an innate skill similar to telepathy or the Mind Reading Technique.


    ¡°So, she can see through my perfect disguise and look at my soul? This is not so easy to deal with¡­ wouldn¡¯t Kushina die during the Kyubi rebellion?¡±


    Tonan sipped the tea while his finger rapidly tapped on the table.


    Tap, tap, tap¡­


    Suddenly, an idea sprung in his mind, and his frantic finger tapping stopped.


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    ¡°I¡¯ve got it! She can look directly at soul essence, isn¡¯t it? Then, I will just disguise my soul.¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose slightly, and he walked to the mirror. In his eyes, three tomoe were already spinning rapidly.


    ¡°Genjutsu ¨C Hypnotic Eyes!¡±


    ¡°I deeply respect Kushina. I respect her to the extent of regarding her as a parent figure, seeking motherly love from her. She illuminates my heart like a bonfire on a dark night.¡±


    ¡°When I see her, my soul¡¯s fire will ignite and dispel all the darkness. Only on the day, Naruto will be born, my soul¡¯s fire will extinguish on its own.¡±


    Tonan entered a trance-like state, as a flame bloomed in his dim soul space. His eyes bled immediately after and his visual power was greatly depleted. But the result was notable. Now, whenever Tonan thought about Kushina, an intimate feeling emerged in his heart.


    ¡°A prey, after all, is a prey¡­ you can¡¯t escape.¡±


    ¡°This damned heartache¡­¡±


    In the dimly lit room, a magnetic voice resounded.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    In the evening, the Great Elder came over to Tonan¡¯s house. He made this trip specifically to take him to the Naka Shrine. This could be regarded as the foundation for the Uchiha clan, and also its spiritual symbol. Only the Patriarch and Great Elder could enter and leave this place at will.


    There were no electric lights here. Oil lamps were used to light it up. In the room, an oil lamp flickered, continuously moving the Great Elder and Tonan¡¯s shadows on the wall.


    ¡°Tonan, this is the birthplace of the Uchiha clan. Usually, only when there is an important ceremony or event, everyone gathers here. But I brought you here today because of two reasons.¡±


    ¡°Last time, you did a great job of sowing discord among the Konoha top brass. Sarutobi Hiruzen was under tremendous pressure and was forced to give our clan generous compensation. This is a part of your share.¡±


    While speaking, the Great Elder pushed a brand new bankbook in front of Tonan. Tonan shot a glance at the numbers with a wooden expression.


    600,000 Ryo.


    This alone was equivalent to an A-ranked mission reward. Converting it into pork bone broth ramen, it would be about ten thousand bowls.


    Seeing Tonan not moved by a considerable sum of money, the Great Elder thought even highly of him. ¡°This compensation is very large. After all, no one could find conclusive evidence. Now, you¡¯re young, and the clan fears you may lose yourself if you¡¯ve too much money. That¡¯s why, after much thinking, the clan decided to give you 600,000 Ryo. The rest of the money is stored with us. You can let me know whenever you need it.¡±


    Tonan smiled slightly, as he picked up the bankbook, and put it in his ninja bag.


    ¡°This is a lot, Great Elder, thank you.¡±


    The Great Elder nodded with satisfaction and said while giving a scroll to Tonan, ¡°You¡¯ve become a genin now. You can choose three jutsu from the inheritance scroll. These jutsu are more advance than the previous ones. I¡¯ve discussed with Fugaku and we¡¯ve also decided to give you the clan¡¯s strongest profound meaning. This is equivalent to choosing two jutsu. Take a look.¡±


    Tonan had never heard of the Uchiha clan believing in a powerful profound meaning.


    ¡°Is it Izanagi?¡±


    Tonan opened the scroll. And he saw the name of the profound meaning written on top of the scroll ¡ª Flicker Clone Technique.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Tonan was startled.


    The Great Elder smiled slightly, and he explained, ¡°The difficulty level of training this jutsu is super S-rank, and it falls into nin-tai-genjutsu. Because of the training difficulty, the later generations split it into Body Flicker Jutsu and Clone Jutsu via research.¡±


    ¡°Later, Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama, used it as a reference and created Shadow Clone Technique that produced physically real clones.¡±


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    Flicker Clone Technique, Body Flicker Technique.


    Tonan suddenly recalled a person from the original book ¡ª Shisui the Teleporter. His Body Flicker Technique was not movement-type ninjutsu, but rather split into several physically real clones during a battle. And these tangible clones wouldn¡¯t just disappear when they were attacked like shadow clones.


    This was a divine skill. Tonan rolled up the scroll and said with a grateful look, ¡°Thank you, Great Elder.¡±


    The Great Elder then spread out a huge scroll in front of him again and said while pointing at it, ¡°You can choose one more jutsu. It¡¯s not that the clan is hesitant to give you more, but this is a rule set by our ancestors.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Tonan was not greedy either. It wasn¡¯t like the more ninjutsu, the better. He browsed through the scroll. The ninjutsu recorded in it were obviously more advanced than what he had seen earlier. Most of them were the combination-type jutsu such as tai-nin, nin-gen, tai-gen, and so on.


    Their training difficulty was higher, but their power and effect were also more powerful. Simple ninjutsu couldn¡¯t compare to them. Tonan finally saw a ninjutsu at the side of the scroll, and his eyes lit up. He then pointed at it and said, ¡°This one.¡±


    The Great Elder looked at the spot where Tonan had pointed.


    Secret Technique ¨C Beast Infestation.


    The Great Elder narrowed his eyes and said with a frown, ¡°Beast Infestation, this jutsu only works on ninja beasts. You have to use chakra to transform ninja beasts¡¯ physique, and at the critical moment, you can make them go berserk.¡±


    ¡°This jutsu was developed by our ancestors using the Aburame clan¡¯s Insect Infestation as a reference. But its effect in actual combat is not very impactful, and it usually consumes a lot of chakra. Are you sure you want to choose this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Tonan said with certainty.


    ¡°Alright, then.¡± The Great Elder nodded, made a hand sign, and slammed on the scroll. Then, a small scroll appeared in front of him and he glanced at Tonan.


    Tonan understood his indication. He grabbed the scroll and put it in his ninja bag.


    ¡°Tonan.¡± The Great Elder¡¯s voice suddenly became serious.


    Tonan adjusted his glasses, sat upright, and said, ¡°Great Elder, did you have any instruction?¡±


    ¡°What do you think about¡­ where our clan¡¯s future is?¡±


    Tonan paused for a moment and replied, ¡°Blind obedience will not change the Uchiha clan¡¯s status quo.¡±


    The Great Elder narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    Tonan got up, looked down at the Great Elder, and said four words in a resolute tone.


    ¡°The strong are respected.¡±


    After speaking, he turned around and walked away.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be looking forward to that day.¡±


    The Great Elder squinted his eyes and looked at the stone tablet deep in the room. He muttered to himself, ¡°Everything, for the Uchiha.¡±

 CH 43

    Stars glittered in the night sky like a velvety black backdrop inlaid with countless pearls. Uchiha Tonan walked out of the Naka Shrine, but he didn¡¯t return home. Instead, he headed towards the training ground.


    The difficulty level of the Flicker Clone Technique was too high. After all, it was a nin-tai-genjutsu, which was not something ordinary geniuses could easily grasp. Tonan estimated that he would have to invest a great deal of time in it.


    He might even need to devour some rations so that his talent would increase to the required standard for this technique. Beast Infestation was comparatively simpler. After all, Tonan had the combined spiritual power of quite a few people. He also could be regarded as a genius worthy of the title.


    He activated the Sharingan and scanned his surroundings. After confirming no one was around, he took out a scroll from his ninja bag and opened it. The three tomoe spun rapidly as he memorized the scroll¡¯s content.


    Tonan took half an hour to commit everything to memory, before putting away the scroll. He then used Mirror Heaven and Earth Change and controlled the white pigeons lurking in various places to fly over to his location.


    Coo, coo


    Once the white pigeons¡¯ flocked over to him, landing on him and the ground around him, he bit his finger to draw some blood. He then, turn by turn, fed it to each of the pigeons under his control. Once this was done, he began to form hand seals.


    The Beast Infestation technique had two types of hand signs. The first was to transform the ninja beasts, and the second was to make them go berserk during a battle. Tonan began with the transformation signs. This alone consisted of over two hundred hand seals, making it extremely tedious and complex.


    Swish


    As soon as he completed the last hand sign, Tonan slammed his palm on the ground.


    ¡°Secret Technique ¨C Beast Infestation.¡±


    A powerful chakra fluctuation gushed out and entered into the white pigeons. Their appearances began to change at breakneck speed. Their bodies expanded and their pale white feathers turned bright-red. Under the chakra transformation, their feeble-looking beaks also curved little by little, resembling fangs, hard enough to tear their prey apart.


    Time passed by, but the pigeons¡¯ bodies continued to grow, their feathers becoming deep shades of blackish-red, akin to a breed of crows.


    More than half of Tonan¡¯s chakra had already depleted but this initial transformation must be completed in one go. If not, all his previous efforts would have gone down the drain. Tonan remained expressionless and squeezed out more chakra from his body.


    It took him ten more minutes to transform the white pigeons successfully. Their final appearance was like black hawks, especially their pitch-black metallic hooked beaks, which exuded a sense of danger at a glance. The once innocent bird now emitted the aura of a beast.


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    Tonan stopped using the technique and sighed in relief. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. At this time, these white pigeons immediately reverted to their original form, once again at a speed visible to the naked eyes.


    Looking at the current docile pigeons, it was difficult to imagine they were the same fierce creatures from just a moment ago. A lingering change reflected in the pigeons¡¯ eyes that showed a bit of intelligence now.


    They kept rubbing themselves against Tonan intimately and were continuously using his chakra to strengthen their physique. But the chakra consumption didn¡¯t exceed his recovery speed.


    Tonan could feel that the connection between him and the pigeons had deepened and a strange smile came on his lips. He reached out and scratched a white pigeon¡¯s neck with his finger and said, ¡°If an opportunity presents itself, it might be time to end your meatless diet.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The next day, Tonan got up, washed his face, and cooked a bowl of porridge for himself. He put on his ninja headband, sorted out his tools, and walked towards the Hokage Residence. When he arrived at the entrance, he saw Namikaze Minato and Hatake Kakashi waiting for him.


    Tonan bowed apologetically and said, ¡°Sorry, I made you both wait.¡±


    Minato scratched his head and replied with a silly smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright¡­ you are not late. We arrived earlier than the agreed time.¡± Tonan nodded without saying anything. But seeing the two did not move, he couldn¡¯t help but ask in confusion, ¡°Why aren¡¯t we going?¡±


    Minato seemed like something unfortunate came to his mind. His expression froze a little, and he answered with a guilty conscience, ¡°Let¡¯s just wait a bit longer.¡±


    Just like this, the three waited for another hour before they saw Uzumaki Kushina jog over. Kushina was carrying a white plastic bag that had three lunch boxes in it.


    She placed a hand on her hip and lifted the plastic bag with the other. She said, ¡°You all mustn¡¯t have eaten breakfast yet. I specially prepared this for you.¡±


    Minato looked at the sky and sighed. Then very awkwardly, he said, ¡°Thank you very much.¡± But showed no intention to take the lunch boxes. This was because Minato was familiar with Kushina¡¯s culinary skills, and dreaded it. It could only be described in three words ¡ª hard to explain.


    Kushina took out a lunch box and first handed it over to Tonan and said, ¡°Come on, Tonan, I made this especially for you. I remember you like bland food.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t reach out to take it but kept staring stupidly at the lunch box in her hand. After a few breaths, he slowly raised his head and looked at Kushina. The moment their eyes met, the hypnotic genjutsu in his mind triggered automatically.


    Tonan¡¯s eyes seemed to have become a bit clearer, and his expression while looking at Kushina gradually became affectionate¡­


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Kushina felt that Tonan¡¯s gaze was strange.


    Recalling how the Kyubi had said that Tonan had evil intentions towards her, she subconsciously gulped.


    ¡°What is this brat thinking today? He isn¡¯t thinking about killing me, is he?¡±


    Tonan pursed his lips, raised his hand, and pushed the lunch box back. He then put his hands on his knees. bowed deeply towards Kushina and said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Kushina-senpai. It¡¯s just that I have already eaten in the morning. I¡¯m unable to eat any more now.¡±


    Kushina was stunned hearing his words, and the corners of her mouth twitched. She feigned a smile and said, ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡±


    In her heart, however, she was roaring and shouting.


    ¡°Damn it, I woke up early to especially make breakfast, and you didn¡¯t even taste it. If you weren¡¯t so tragic, I would have made you taste my fist today!¡±


    The perceptive Minato noticed that Kushina was on the verge of exploding, and he didn¡¯t dare to rub her up the wrong way. He amicably said, ¡°We¡¯re a bit late and we need to hurry to receive our mission order.¡±


    He hastily pulled Kakashi and Tonan with each hand and rushed towards the Hokage Residence. After the three left, Kushina stomped and threw the plastic bag into the nearby trashcan. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m angry.¡±


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    She placed both hands on her hips, took a deep breath, and shouted in her heart, ¡°Kurama, did that brat have evil intentions towards me again?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No? He¡¯s sensible.¡±


    ¡°But it was very strange. Not only did he suddenly have no evil intentions towards you, but he seemed to have great goodwill. He has a lot more goodwill towards you than towards Minato. It was very similar to what human children have towards their mothers,¡± the Kyubi explained.


    Kushina was dumbfounded. ¡°Is it because I made him breakfast?¡±


    ¡°It could be. Human minds are too complicated, they change rapidly.¡± In the tailed beast space, Kyubi closed its eyes after speaking.


    Outside, Kushina gave a small smile, and confidence flashed in her eyes, ¡°It seems that children like me when I¡¯m warm and gentle.¡±


    Suddenly, her eyes opened wide, and she exclaimed, ¡°The breakfast I made!¡± Immediately afterward, she rushed towards the trashcan, startling two stray dogs that were having their meal so much that they ran away with their tails between their legs.

 CH 44

    Namikaze Minato walked into the Hokage Residence with Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Tonan in tow. Once in the office, he asked, ¡°Hokage-sama, are there any tasks we could take up?¡±


    Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Tonan who was following behind Minato and looking at him with reverent eyes. Silently, he nodded at him. Then, he said to Minato, ¡°There just happens to be a troublesome E-rank mission. Take them and get them familiarized for now.¡±


    ¡°E-rank? Isn¡¯t D-rank the one for beginners?¡± Minato was puzzled.


    Hiruzen cleared his throat. ¡°The reason for that is because the client this time is from the first batch of the civilian shinobi from when Konoha was founded. He¡¯s old and his legs are paralyzed, so he¡¯s asked someone to help with cleaning his house.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s paying a commission of only 200 Ryo. Considering his seniority, we have no choice but to accept it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Minato hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should accept the mission or not. After all, the payout was only 200 Ryo, to be divided amongst three of them. Based on the rules, he would get 50 percent while Kakashi and Tonan would equally share the remainder.


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    A single bowl of pork bone ramen cost 60 Ryo. This payout was too less. Seeing Minato¡¯s hesitation, Hiruzen sighed, ¡°This mission has been left unattended for several days because no one is willing to accept it. The pay is too small after all. But if you¡¯re willing to take it, then I¡¯ll record it down as a D-rank mission for you.¡±


    Tonan looked at the frown on Hiruzen¡¯s face with a heartfelt expression and tugged on Minato¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Minato-sensei, let¡¯s accept it.¡±


    Seeing that Tonan had no problem with it, Minato nodded, ¡°Alright, Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    As expected, Tonan was very understanding. Hiruzen smiled amiably at him before handing the mission details over to Minato. The three of them bowed to Hiruzen and left the Hokage¡¯s office.


    After walking out, Minato handed the details to Tonan, and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you understand the task. Both of you will need to work for it when the time comes.¡±


    Tonan accepted the mission information and smiled. The three of them had just left the Hokage Residence when they suddenly saw Uzumaki Kushina. Half her body was in the trash bin, leaving a pair of legs flapping around outside.


    Minato¡¯s mouth twitched, but he calmly asked, ¡°Kushina, what are you doing?¡±


    Clang


    Kushina was taken by surprise and she fell to the ground together with the bin, the rubbish falling all over her. She jumped out from under the pile and frantically stammered, ¡°No¡­ nothing¡­¡±


    Before anyone could say anything, she yelped and ran, ¡°I have a lot of work to do, so I¡¯m leaving now!¡±


    ¡­


    Under the eaves of a dilapidated house in the center of Konoha, an old man with a fierce-looking face was sitting in a wheelchair, sizing up Minato and his team. He gruffly asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re the shinobi who accepted the mission?¡±


    Minato smiled and patted Kakashi and Tonan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s right. These two youngsters will help you clean your house.¡±


    The old man nodded coldly. ¡°The two of you better be careful. If you break anything, you¡¯ll have to pay for it.¡±


    After that, he pushed his wheelchair into the house while yelling, ¡°If you don¡¯t clean up thoroughly, I won¡¯t sign your mission paper! Don¡¯t think it¡¯s easy to earn money of me just because I¡¯m old!¡±


    Minato turned to the two of them. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you both to it now. Meet me on the Hokage Residence rooftop once you¡¯re done with the mission.¡±


    After that, his body disappeared in an instant. For a D-rank mission such as this, the team leader need not be involved. They just had to supervise their teams. Unlike catching cats or dogs, cleaning a house wasn¡¯t dangerous. So, Minato didn¡¯t bother wasting any time here.


    Tonan and Kakashi looked at each other for a moment before rolling up their sleeves and heading to work. Kakashi barely ever did housework, but fortunately, Tonan was there to guide him on how to tidy things up.


    However¡­


    Crash


    Kakashi looked dumbfounded at the teapot that landed on the floor, speechless. Just a moment ago, he was trying to put the teapot in place. But as soon as he lifted it, the handle broke off directly.


    ¡°You damned brat, that teapot is from Ichidaime-sama¡¯s era!¡± Hearing the commotion, the old man rushed over in anger.


    Kakashi responded indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    When he heard Kakashi take the initiative to compensate, much of the old man¡¯s anger dissipated. He took an abacus out of his pocket and began calculating. ¡°The price tag was 20 Ryo when I first bought it. Now, with the appreciation of the price¡­ you owe me¡­ 2000 Ryo.¡±


    Kakashi nodded and pulled his wallet out of his ninja bag and began counting the money. Tonan, who was arranging miscellaneous items in a drawer, saw this and got up to stop his teammate who was foolishly giving money away.


    ¡°Grandpa, if you buy a new teapot, the most expensive one wouldn¡¯t be more than 200 Ryo, would it?¡±


    ¡°So many years have passed, this is an antique. It¡¯s not the pot that is expensive but the years and the sentiments behind it.¡±


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    Kakashi wasn¡¯t willing to fight for petty change, so he pulled Tonan¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t discuss this any further. I¡¯ll pay.¡±


    The old man accepted the 2000 Ryo that Kakashi handed him, stuffing it into his dried-up purse. ¡°Very well, you two can continue.¡±


    Tonan sighed helplessly and said to Kakashi, ¡°Kakashi, why don¡¯t you head back? I¡¯m better at cleaning. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    Kakashi wasn¡¯t happy doing these trash missions, but he replied in a small voice, ¡°But this is my task.¡± Tonan smiled warmly and patted his shoulder. ¡°This is our task. All that matters is that we get it done. You go back and train. The greatest help you can offer our little team is by getting stronger.¡±


    Kakashi hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. The old man glanced at Tonan and warned, ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve already accepted the mission so you can¡¯t give up. After all, I¡¯ve paid the money.¡±


    Tonan smiled warmly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandpa. I¡¯ll do my best to clean your house.¡± After assuring the man, he busied himself again in clearing up the clutter. Seeing the seriously-working Tonan, the old man was relieved and went under the eaves to soak in the sun.


    When Tonan was busy cleaning the bedroom, he suddenly saw a tanto hanging on the wall. He narrowed his eyes and took it down, unsheathing it slowly. The blade was polished and faintly reflected a cold glow. Tonan instantly recognized this as a precious chakra weapon.


    Without leaving any trace, he put the blade back in its original place before burying himself back at work. An immature idea formed in his mind.

 CH 45

    Under the eaves and the warm sunlight, the old man was feeling sleepy. Suddenly, Uchiha Tonan¡¯s gentle voice came from the room. ¡°Grandpa, were you a ninja in the past?¡±


    The old man opened his eyes, shook his head, making his mind clearer, and subconsciously said, ¡°Have you heard of the Sango clan?¡±


    Just as he said that he recalled something. Looking at the plants in his yard, he became a little absentminded, and said with a desolate look, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have heard of it, because I¡¯m the only one left. The Sango clan was a distinguished samurai family in ancient times. Later, when ninja flourished, the Sango also changed into a ninja clan.¡±


    ¡°But during the Warring States Period, all the clan members died, leaving behind just two or three descendants. When Shodaime Hokage established Konoha, only I was left in the entire clan. Not long after that, the First Great Ninja War broke out, and our clan also entered the battlefield. That war not only took my legs but also my son and my wife.¡±


    Old people don¡¯t stop speaking once they start. When the old man did stop, he realized he had said too much. However, Tonan didn¡¯t seem to mind. Instead, he even curiously asked from the room, ¡°Back then, you must¡¯ve been very strong.¡±


    The old man¡¯s eyebrows rose, and he replied proudly, ¡°Of course! Back then, I used to be an Anbu squad leader. I led my squad to complete many S-ranked missions. It¡¯s a pity¡­¡±


    The old man patted his paralyzed legs lightly. ¡°Wars are cruel¡­¡±


    In the room, Tonan finished putting the last piece of junk into the cupboard. With the sunlight spilling in from the window behind him, it was hard to see his expression. Tonan slowly got up, picked up a handkerchief, and walked towards the lavatory.


    Since the junk material was already cleaned up, he just needed to wipe off the dust. But when Tonan opened the door, the scene in front made him frown. The place was full of filth and the toilet looked like it had been clogged for the longest time.


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    An unpleasant odor filled the air, which when inhaled was irritating to the eyes. Tonan could now guess why this old man issued a ninja mission to come and clean up this place even though he hated to spend.


    At this moment, the old man pushed the wheelchair and came behind him. He coughed lightly and said with a guilty conscience, ¡°Cough, cough, young fellow, giving up a mission will leave a negative mark on your record.¡±


    Tonan turned around, narrowed his eyes as he looked at the old man, and said with a smile, ¡°Do you have a toilet plunger in your home?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The old man shook his head. Tonan nodded and said with a bow, ¡°Please wait for a moment.¡±


    After speaking, he walked away from the courtyard. Not long after, he returned with a tool under the old man¡¯s nervous gaze. He immersed himself in cleaning, ignoring the filth around him.


    The old man looked at Tonan, who was working hard without complaint, feeling a hint of apology. After Tonan finished cleaning the restroom, he got up and began to wipe the furniture.


    During the entire process, he remained focused. Even when cleaning the little things, he took out a small brush and carefully cleaned it. The old man could swear he had never seen anyone do housework this diligently. It was simply art.


    By noon, Tonan had already wiped the floor thrice. After spraying air fresheners everywhere, he came up to the old man, looking respectful, put his hands on the knees, and bowed, ¡°I¡¯ve finished cleaning up. You can please check.¡±


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    The old man saw that Tonan¡¯s originally spotless white shirt was now wrinkled and discolored. He felt guiltier in his heart. ¡°You¡­ you did very well.¡±


    Tonan smiled, handed over the mission sheet and a pen to the old man, and said, ¡°In that case, please do sign the mission sheet.¡±


    The old man happily signed it and hesitated for a while. He then took out the 2000 Ryo he had taken from Kakashi, feeling a hint of heartache. He put the money along with the mission sheet in Tonan¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°This is your tip. You can now leave.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, you are so kind. I thank you on behalf of Kakashi.¡±


    With a bright smile on his face, Tonan left the courtyard and went to the Hokage Residence to report the mission¡¯s completion.


    After he left, the old man pushed the wheelchair to the bedroom and took out a photo from the bedside cabinet. In the photo, there was a happy family of three. The old man extended his trembling hand and gently caressed it.


    ¡°If Imaru hadn¡¯t died, I would¡¯ve great-grandchildren by now, and they would be as cute as that kid.¡±


    The old man sighed, placed the photo back into the bedside cabinet, turned around, and went to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator, but there were just a few rice balls left, which were leftovers from the morning.


    Since his family passed away, he had become even more unsociable and eccentric. Moreover, he was widely known as a miser, and the neighbors didn¡¯t associate with him much. The old man took out two rice balls from the refrigerator, and held them in his hands, preparing to eat them after they thawed.


    ¡°I have to go out again in the afternoon,¡± he sighed and reclined on the wheelchair. No one knew what he was thinking.


    Coo coo


    At this moment, most of the villagers had returned home for lunch. It was quiet outside, except for a few sporadic chirps. The old man¡¯s eyes slowly closed while leaning on the wheelchair, and he fell asleep.


    Time slowly passed by.


    Knock, knock, knock¡­


    After an unknown period of time, he could hear someone knocking at his door. The old man blinked a few times before he finally woke up. He shouted, ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡±


    Knock, knock, knock¡­


    The knock persisted, but no one answered him. The old man frowned, pushed his wheelchair, and grabbed the door handle. Just at that moment, the knock stopped abruptly.


    The old man frowned even more and slowly turned the door handle, then ferociously pushed the door. The moment it opened, warm sunlight spilled in.


    He saw Tonan holding ingredients in both hands. Tonan smiled brightly and said, ¡°Earlier, when I was cleaning, I saw you didn¡¯t have much to eat in the refrigerator. I guessed it¡¯s inconvenient for you to go grocery shopping, so I brought some over for you.¡±


    The old man was stunned for a moment. When he collected himself, he shook his head and said, ¡°Thank you, young fellow, but I don¡¯t need these things. The problem is my legs. It¡¯s very difficult to cook even if I want to. So, I eat rice balls usually. If I want to eat meat, I just wrap the rice balls with some bacon.¡±


    Tonan looked at the old man¡¯s legs and gently said, ¡°Since I¡¯ve bought them, it would be a waste if you don¡¯t eat them. How about I cook for you? In any case, I¡¯m also the only one left in my family. Let¡¯s just eat together. I¡¯ll also have some company that way.¡±


    The old man¡¯s expression changed a little. It was obvious he was moved. He replied, ¡°Do as you wish.¡±


    Tonan smiled, walked in, took the rice balls from the old man¡¯s hands, and threw them into the trashcan. ¡°These rice balls aren¡¯t nutritious. Don¡¯t eat them.¡±


    He then made his way to the kitchen, tied an apron around his waist, and started cooking.


    Light a fire, pour oil.


    tac, tac, tac¡­


    The rhythmic sounds of vegetable chopping could be heard.

 CH 46

    Not long after, the old man in the living room smelled a delicious aroma wafting in from the kitchen and secretly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.


    Uchiha Tonan walked out and started placing the food dishes on the dining table. The meal comprised one meat dish, with two vegetables, one soup, and two bowls of rice.


    Once all was set, he turned to the old man and said, ¡°I personally prefer lighter food. I don¡¯t know if it suits your taste but would you like to try it?¡±


    The old man had not eaten such a wholesome meal for a very long time. He picked up his chopsticks and tasted the food. His eyes were opened wide with delight.


    So delicious!


    He began to eat, one big mouthful after another. Tonan smiled and filled the empty bowl with soup. He pushed it in front of the old man and said, ¡°Take your time, otherwise you might choke on the food.¡±


    He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat elegantly. In his past life, he could cook, and later he had absorbed Uchiha Nanako¡¯s abilities. This system was very humane. Cooking skills were also considered among abilities.


    Tonan¡¯s culinary skills had soared, and most older people preferred lighter food. Not surprisingly, therefore, the meal particularly appealed to the old man¡¯s appetite. And as the saying goes, the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach.


    ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m Uchiha Tonan. I¡¯m not sure how to address you.¡±


    The old man swallowed the food in his mouth and replied in good spirit, ¡°Sanbo Motoyoshi.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Motoyoshi, you should eat more meat to nourish your body.¡± Tonan politely put a piece of tender meat into Motoyoshi¡¯s bowl.


    Motoyoshi narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Young fellow, your cooking skill is not bad, but I don¡¯t have money to hire you.¡±


    Tonan shook his head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not short of money.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s comment got Motoyoshi speaking again. ¡°Not short of money? That does make sense because you¡¯re an Uchiha after all. I never thought that clan could produce a bright child like you.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you though, you¡¯re young and you have no concept of money. Money must be saved. Don¡¯t spend it if you don¡¯t have to. Back then, during the Warring States Period, you don¡¯t know how many civilians starved to death. It was the same for ninjas as well.¡±


    Tonan looked confused, like a na?ve youth who was ignorant of the world, ¡°Ninjas also starved to death?¡±


    Motoyoshi sipped the soup, and sighed, ¡°Ninjas are just physically strong. At that time, the chaos of war was everywhere. Without a large clan¡¯s protection, who would produce any food with peace of mind. After some time, even if one wanted to steal for sustenance, there was no place to rob. Food was more expensive than explosive tags.¡±


    ¡°Many ninjas couldn¡¯t put up with it, and just to fill their stomachs they had to become dogs for the large clans.¡±


    Tonan ladled more soup into Motoyoshi¡¯s bowl and thoughtfully asked, ¡°That¡¯s why grandpa Motoyoshi is so diligent and thrifty?¡±


    Motoyoshi¡¯s expression became solemn hearing this question. He took the soup from Tonan, took a few breaths, and said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason.¡±


    Tonan saw that Motoyoshi was feeling low at this moment, so he didn¡¯t pursue and continued to eat quietly. After the meal, he washed the bowls and chopsticks and made a pot of tea for Motoyoshi before preparing to leave.


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    In the living room, Motoyoshi looked at the tea and sighed, ¡°Young fellow, I think you¡¯re a good person. If it¡¯s lonely to live by yourself, you can come live with me. There¡¯s a spare key in the shoe cabinet.¡±


    Tonan stopped his steps and turned his head to see Motoyoshi. He happily agreed, ¡°I¡¯ve to train in the afternoon. I¡¯ll move in tomorrow night. From here on, I request Motoyoshi Grandpa to advise me as much as possible.¡±


    Tonan left soon after. En route to Kakashi¡¯s house, his mind was calculating several theories.


    ¡°This old man used to be an Anbu squad leader. His strength would¡¯ve been first-rate. If I can get his acknowledgment, I wonder how many abilities I will inherit after he dies. Judging from his age, he shouldn¡¯t be very far from his last day.¡±


    ¡°How is ability inheritance calculated in such cases? If it¡¯s the abilities at the moment before death, then I will basically just get his knowledge. But if it¡¯s inheriting the abilities at his peak state, that would be impressive.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, there are many aged people in Konoha, who¡¯ve survived wars. Their strength cannot be weak considering sustaining until now would¡¯ve been no joke. Most of them are elites. Could it be that this is the correct way to use the system?¡±


    ¡°No wonder it is called the inheritance system.¡±


    Tonan felt he had stumbled upon a whole new world. He raised his hand, adjusted his glasses and his steps became much lighter.


    ¡­¡­


    The next day, the sky wasn¡¯t bright yet, when Motoyoshi woke up from his sleep.


    When people get old, their sleep becomes very light, and they would get up early every day. Looking around the empty room, he couldn¡¯t help thinking about Tonan.


    That young fellow should have gone for a mission in the morning. And since he has to train with the team leader in the afternoon, he would be moving in at night.


    Motoyoshi got out of the bed and climbed onto his wheelchair with difficulty. He then wheeled himself out of the bedroom. However, just after he pushed open the bedroom door, he was stunned.


    The original incandescent lamps in the living room were replaced with warm-colored fluorescent lamps. On the dining table, there were two bowls of porridge and three plates of side dishes.


    Tonan was sitting in front of the table in a seiza style, immersed in reading a not very well-known book.


    ¡°Cough, cough¡± Motoyoshi coughed lightly to attract his attention. Tonan raised his head and quickly got up. He ran behind Motoyoshi and helped him push the wheelchair to the dining table.


    ¡°Grandpa Motoyoshi, why did you wake up so early? The porridge is a little hot. You might need to wait for a while.¡±


    Motoyoshi looked at the food on the table and then at Tonan. He asked, ¡°Did you come here this early to cook for me?¡±


    Tonan returned to his seat, sat down seiza again, adjusted his glasses, and replied, ¡°An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening, I always like to get up early. After all, early birds get the insects.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s very good¡­¡±


    Motoyoshi looked at Tonan and appreciated him more.


    ¡°How wonderful it would be if he was my descendant! He¡¯s obedient, hard-working, and sensible. And he¡¯s so thoughtful in handling matters. He seems to possess all the good qualities of this world.¡±


    ¡°What book are you reading?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m learning how to hide and disguise myself. I¡¯ll be taking different missions soon. If I¡¯m not proficient enough in these matters, I might drag my teammates down.¡± Tonan didn¡¯t lookup. He continued to mark key points while flipping through the book.


    ¡°Where did you buy this book from?¡±


    ¡°From the bookstore in the shopping district.¡±


    Motoyoshi frowned and said, ¡°That nuisance bookstore? Such a book is full of empty words. You can¡¯t learn much from it. If there¡¯s something you don¡¯t understand, you can ask me. Although I¡¯m old, I have experience. I¡¯ve done several assassination missions before. I can share my experiences with you as a reward for taking care of me.¡±


    Tonan looked up, closed the book, and gently said, ¡°I am taking care of you out of my wish. Talking about rewards is like treating me as an outsider.¡±


    Motoyoshi picked up the porridge, blew it lightly, and asked casually, ¡°You can ask me nonetheless. What do you want to know?¡±


    Tonan thought for a while and said, ¡°If I meet a samurai, how can I get him to acknowledge me?¡±

 CH 47

    Uchiha Tonan¡¯s query on how to gain a samurai¡¯s acknowledgment raised a trace of doubt in Sanbo Motoyoshi¡¯s mind. He narrowed his eyes and coldly asked, ¡°You are being so kind to an old person like me. You aren¡¯t an enemy spy, are you?¡±


    Motoyoshi¡¯s words startled Tonan but he collected himself and smiled. He took off his glasses and activated his Sharingan. The three spinning tomoe in his eyes greatly shocked Motoyoshi, not letting him calm down for a long time.


    ¡°I was being silly and let my imagination run wild. I¡¯m just an old man with nothing. There is no advantage anyone can take of me. Besides, your Sharingan already has the three tomoe. I guess the Uchiha clan will give you whatever you want.¡± Motoyoshi smiled, ridiculing himself.


    He began explaining to Tonan as he ate the porridge, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to gain a samurai¡¯s acknowledgment. The samurai are stubborn people with rigid beliefs. You need to understand what the samurai spirit is. In fact, to understand it¡­¡±


    Tonan ate his food, diligently listening to Motoyoshi¡¯s explanation. Tonan had by now given up on using affection to gain Hatake Sakumo¡¯s acknowledgment. After all, Sakumo had Kakashi, and his affection towards his son would always take precedence.


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    His goal had shifted to gain belief acknowledgment. He did gain the Great Elder¡¯s acknowledgment, which he presumed to be the same. The Great Elder saw him as the Uchiha¡¯s hope and nurtured him as a successor.


    As for strength acknowledgment, he estimated it applied only for people who had brute strength.


    Motoyoshi spoke very briefly about the samurai spirit. He ended by saying that he would share more in-depth concepts after Tonan comprehended what was discussed today. After the two finished the meal, Tonan washed the dishes.


    He then found a thin blanket and covered Motoyoshi. Motoyoshi looked at it in confusion, and asked, ¡°Why are you putting this on me?¡±


    Tonan smiled, stuffed a hot-water bottle under the blanket, and replied, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, but it¡¯s too boring for you to stay inside the entire day. I thought I¡¯ll take you out to get some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°¡­ alright.¡±


    The two looked like a grandfather and grandson pair leisurely roaming around Konoha¡¯s streets. Motoyoshi couldn¡¯t recall how long it had been since he came out like this. Usually, when he left home, he would at most go to the grocery store to buy daily necessities.


    Along the way, the villagers saw Tonan and began talking while pointing at him. Motoyoshi noticed this and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are they discussing you?¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and answered lightly, ¡°Yes, people all over the village have been talking about me recently.¡±


    This caught Motoyoshi¡¯s interest, and his tone became a little lively. He said, ¡°I never thought you were so famous. Tell me more about it.¡±


    A stiff smile appeared on Tonan¡¯s face, and he said in a low voice, looking dejected, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it another time.¡±


    Motoyoshi, who was very experienced, noticed this was a difficult topic for Tonan, so he played along and said, ¡°Actually, I also don¡¯t really like gossip. The air outside feels so different.¡±


    Just like this, Tonan pushed Motoyoshi¡¯s wheelchair along the mountain path and arrived above the Hokage Rock to watch the sunrise. The gentle sunlight covered them in a golden hue. Motoyoshi felt unprecedented satisfaction and felt much more energetic.


    He looked around and said, ¡°The village has changed so much over these years.¡±


    Tonan reached out to adjust the blanket that was about to curl up into a ball on Motoyoshi¡¯s body and chimed in, ¡°And there¡¯ll be even more changes in the future.¡±


    There was a hint of warmth on Motoyoshi¡¯s face, and as if he was talking in his sleep, he asked, ¡°Tonan, do you know your chakra attributes?¡±


    Tonan looked at Konoha that was gradually waking up to a new day¡¯s hustle and bustle, below the Hokage Rock, and asked, ¡°Grandpa Motoyoshi, why are you asking me about this?¡±


    ¡°Just like that.¡±


    Tonan nodded and answered, ¡°I haven¡¯t tested it formally, but I seemed to have the fire, lightning, water, and earth-type chakra.¡±


    Motoyoshi frowned and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t have any wind attribute?¡±


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    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth slightly rose. ¡°There could be.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Motoyoshi seemed to be thinking about something.


    ¡°Grandpa Motoyoshi, I have to reach the meeting place in half an hour. I¡¯ll take you back home now.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    As the days passed, Motoyoshi had completely accepted Tonan. They behaved exactly like a grandfather and grandson now. Motoyoshi even expressed he would pass down the Sanbo-style ¨C Gale Slash to Tonan.


    However, Tonan rejected it sternly on the grounds that he was too young, and his Sharingan hadn¡¯t fully developed yet.


    Every morning, Tonan would complete a mission with Namikaze Minato and Kakashi. In the afternoon, he would either go to Kakashi¡¯s house to train or practice the basic curriculum such as walking on water, climbing trees, and how to refine chakra more efficiently with Minato.


    During the weekly team dinner, Uzumaki Kushina would also show her face and take care of Tonan in the passing. Every night, Tonan locked himself in a room to study the Flicker Clone Technique.


    The training difficulty of this profound meaning was, in fact, too high. Not only the achievement in each nin, tai, and gen technique should have reached a set standard, but one should also have sufficient innate talent and intellect.


    Despite being at it for such a long time, Tonan hadn¡¯t even reached the entry point yet.


    On this day, his peaceful life was finally disturbed.


    In the Hokage Residence, Sarutobi Hiruzen pushed a mission sheet in front of Minato, and said, ¡°Considering your team¡¯s strength, we have decided to assign you this B-ranked mission.¡±


    Minato frowned slightly and asked, ¡°B-ranked mission? Isn¡¯t it be too early for them?¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and explained, ¡°This mission is special. Although it¡¯s B-ranked, it¡¯s just an ordinary protection mission. And there¡¯s a high probability of no ninja attack.¡±


    Minato was puzzled, ¡°If there¡¯s a low chance of ninja attack, shouldn¡¯t this be a C-ranked mission?¡±


    Hiruzen smiled but said nothing. He just pointed at the reward on the mission sheet. This meant that the commission played a vital role.


    ¡°The employer is the Fire Temple. The Fire Temple¡¯s Master Chigo is going to the Supu Temple for a Buddhadharma debate. You have to ensure his safety. As his security detail, although the mission is not dangerous, we cannot relax our vigilance. Master Chigo¡¯s status is noteworthy, and he is most likely the Fire Temple¡¯s successor. I chose your team because of your Flying Thunder God Technique. If something happens, you can protect him.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Minato collected the mission details and his travel pass for leaving the village. He then turned around and said to Kakashi and Tonan who were behind him, ¡°This mission is going to be a long one. You two should return home, get things ready and reconvene at the village gate at one o¡¯clock in the afternoon.¡±


    Tonan nodded and quietly gave Hiruzen an ambiguous look. He then left the Hokage Residence with Minato and Kakashi.

 CH 48

    After leaving the Hokage Residence, Uchiha Tonan headed to the Uchiha district. He bought sufficient ninja tools and food pills from a clan member¡¯s ninja goods store and then rushed back to Sanbo Motoyoshi¡¯s house.


    At this moment, Motoyoshi was drinking tea in the courtyard.


    Su


    Settled in his wheelchair, he took in a deep breath. His senses were subjected to the mixed smell of the warm tea and fresh flowers in the courtyard. In this unique fragrance, there was some bittersweetness¡­


    Motoyoshi closed his eyes, and held the teacup, as savored a sip at a time. ¡°The taste of a high-grade tea is truly different.¡±


    Ever since Tonan began to look after him, his days had become much more comfortable. Not just steeping tea but Tonan took care of all the household duties as well. He would also trim the flowers and plants in the courtyard every few days.


    In addition, he would bring home clothes, tea, and various kinds of strange supplements every day. Most importantly, he footed all the bills.


    At first, Motoyoshi refused to use them. He thought Tonan was spending money extravagantly. But over time¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s truly worth it,¡± Motoyoshi took another sip, slightly narrowed his eyes, and muttered, ¡°This young fellow is filial. I wonder if he has the wind attribute chakra. If he has, then¡­¡±


    Motoyoshi chuckled but at this moment, Tonan hastily walked in from outside the courtyard.


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    The old man came back to his senses and inquired with a smile, ¡°Tonan, how come you are back early? Was there no mission today?¡±


    Tonan smiled, picked up the teapot, and filled Motoyoshi¡¯s teacup. He replied, ¡°We¡¯ve been assigned an escort mission but we need to leave the village for a while. I hurried back so that I could get things in order.¡±


    After speaking, he walked into the house and began packing stuff. Seeing this, Motoyoshi put down the teacup on the stone table and pushed his wheelchair towards the door.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s an escort mission, you have to do well. This is your first C-ranked mission.¡±


    Tonan replied while tidying up the room, ¡°It¡¯s not C-ranked but B-ranked.¡±


    This piece of information not only startled Motoyoshi but made him feel indignant. He solemnly said, ¡°You¡¯ve just become a genin. Why¡¯s that brat, Sarutobi, assigning you a B-ranked mission already? Let¡¯s go meet him. I¡¯ll come along. I¡¯ll get justice for you. Does he want you to die?¡±


    Tonan smiled faintly but did not stop his actions. He explained, ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous. It was a C-ranked mission initially, but the employer had deep pockets, and the money he gave reached the B-rank standard. Therefore, the mission¡¯s rank was also raised.¡±


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    Motoyoshi relaxed hearing this, and said, ¡°That should be alright then. You little kid, you are lucky to meet such a spendthrift employer.¡±


    Tonan walked back and forth in the room, continuously fiddling with things, and casually replied, ¡°We can¡¯t really say that, they¡¯re spending money to buy peace of mind after all.¡±


    Motoyoshi stroked his beard and pondered for a bit. ¡°That¡¯s true. Kakashi and you are both geniuses. Ordinary genin can¡¯t compare to your strength. Moreover, your team leader, that yellow-haired boy, is very capable in terms of speed. That employer didn¡¯t spend his money in vain. Why¡¯re you fiddling around so much? Do you want to take so much along?¡±


    Tonan wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his hands continued to be busy as he explained, ¡°I¡¯m preparing everything that might be necessary on the road. Oh, that¡¯s right, I¡¯ve placed the microwave on a low stool for you. Just turn it on when you want to heat the food. I¡¯ve also placed the daily necessities lower so that it will be easier for you to access.¡±


    Tonan walked into the kitchen as he began listing the whats and whatnots and opened the refrigerator that was stuffed with different kinds of food. Seeing this, he shook his head and said, ¡°We can¡¯t keep these ingredients.¡±


    Immediately afterward, he tied an apron around his waist, took it all out, and placed it on the chopping board.


    Tac, tac, tac¡­


    Rapid chopping sounds filled up the kitchen. Motoyoshi pushed his wheelchair to the living room. He looked at Tonan who was busy as a bee and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry so much about me. I¡¯ve lived alone for so many years, I can take care of myself.¡±


    Tonan disagreed. He squatted down and took out old tea leaves from the kitchen cabinet, and replied, ¡°I know, but you¡­ you¡¯re too frugal. I want to criticize this about you. Just look at the kind of tea you drank. Drinking these things is bad for your health. Anyway, I¡¯ve placed the new tea leaves in the cabinet. As for these, I¡¯ll throw them in the garden as fertilizer.¡±


    He walked towards the courtyard, with Motoyoshi shouting in the background. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, I spent money to buy them.¡±


    Tonan turned a deaf ear and threw the old leaves into the flower beds. Motoyoshi¡¯s face was filled with heartache but there was very little he could about it.


    ¡°By the way, speaking about money¡­¡± Tonan hit his forehead as if he remembered something. He took out a banknote of ten thousand Ryo from his purse and tucked it into a coat that was hung behind the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m putting this money in your coat¡¯s pocket. You should buy whatever you need. Don¡¯t try and save anything from this.¡±


    Motoyoshi frowned, and looking at Tonan, who was still busy bustling about, he said, ¡°You do D-ranked missions every day, and you spend so much money for me. Where did you get the money anyway?¡±


    Tonan replied with an indifferent tone, ¡°It¡¯s the death compensation the village gave after my parents died in battle.¡±


    Motoyoshi was startled and took a deep breath. He pushed his wheelchair to the door and took out that banknote. It was at this moment that he realized, for the first time, how heavy the weight of money can be.


    ¡°Take it back, how can I use this money?¡±


    Tonan, however, blocked Motoyoshi¡¯s hand. He shook his head, and said, ¡°If we complete this mission, I¡¯ll get forty thousand Ryo as a reward. I can easily earn it back.¡±


    Motoyoshi was anxious. Although he was greedy for money and a miser, he wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to spend a kid¡¯s hard-earn money. He tried to reason, ¡°I¡¯m an old man, who never goes out. Why would I need so much money?¡±


    Tonan squatted down, took Motoyoshi¡¯s hands in his, and earnestly said, ¡°When I¡¯m not at home, if by chance something happens, going to the hospital will cost money.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, your legs aren¡¯t fine, so you¡¯ll have to take our neighbors¡¯ help. If there¡¯s really an accident, you cannot be stingy. Give people something to express gratitude. This money is for emergencies or else my mind won¡¯t be at ease.¡±


    After speaking, Tonan patted Motoyoshi¡¯s hand, got up, and resumed his work.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Motoyoshi looked at the banknote in his hand and actually choked with sobs.

 CH 49

    Uchiha Tonan¡¯s preparations took most of the morning. It was already noon by the time he was done. He took off his glasses and wiped them with a tissue, and then set meal on the dining table.


    Looking at Sanbo Motoyoshi, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat now. I¡¯ve to leave after that.¡±


    Just as they began, Tonan once again plunged into his attentive instructions. ¡°I¡¯ve put the rice balls in the refrigerator. Just take them out and heat them when you want to eat. It should be enough for you until I return. Remember to heat them, though. Eating cold food is bad for your stomach. Also, I made rice balls with meat and vegetables. Don¡¯t be picky.¡±


    ¡°I¡­,¡± Motoyoshi covered his face with his rough hands and before Tonan could say more, the old man began sobbing. Tonan was so alarmed that he hastily came to his side and held his shoulders. He asked with a worried look, ¡°Grandpa Motoyoshi, why are you crying? Was I talking too much?¡±


    Motoyoshi waved his hand and repeatedly shook his head. It took a long time for him to recover, and his tone was still shaky. ¡°I don¡¯t need your money. There is a hidden compartment under the bed in my room. It has my life savings. You need money the most when you are away from home. You don¡¯t need to compromise to accommodate me. Take proper care of yourself, and return safely¡­¡±


    Before he could go on, he broke into sobs once again and bawled like a child. Tonan kept comforting him, ¡°But I¡¯ve money and I¡¯m rich. Besides, the travel and other costs will be reimbursed by the employer. Keep your savings for yourself. Isn¡¯t saving money your favorite thing?¡±


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    ¡°In¡­ in that case¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s fine¡­¡±


    Motoyoshi cried for some more time. It was indeed difficult for him to part with money.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been thrifty but if you think about it, I can¡¯t bury the money with me. Anyway, remember, the money belongs to you hereafter. It¡¯s roughly twenty million Ryo. Also, take the tanto that¡¯s in my bedroom. Use it to defend yourself.¡±


    Seeing that he had calmed down, Tonan picked up the rice bowl and chopsticks and put them in Motoyoshi¡¯s hands. He returned to his seat and soothingly said, ¡°I¡¯ll respectfully refuse the tanto. It¡¯s a chakra blade after all. It¡¯s too precious.¡±


    Motoyoshi began to slowly push food into his mouth and said while chewing, ¡°How can a sword be more precious than a human life?¡±


    Tonan, however, still shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m just a genin. If I go out with a chakra blade, it would easily attract unwanted attention.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also right,¡± Motoyoshi nodded.


    ¡®Ding! Gained Sanbo Motoyoshi¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Tonan¡¯s chopsticks paused for a moment before he continued eating as if nothing happened. After the two finished their meal, Tonan casually mentioned, ¡°By the way, I registered your name in the hospital some time ago.¡±


    Motoyoshi frowned, thought for a while, and asked with confusion, ¡°Why would you register me? I¡¯m completely fine.¡±


    Tonan explained while washing dishes, ¡°It¡¯s just a routine health checkup. When I come back, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital. If there are any health problems, it¡¯s better to detect and treat them early. It¡¯s even better if there are none. But here onwards, you have to do a health checkup once every six months.¡±


    Motoyoshi waved his hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s too stressful. I¡¯m not going, definitely not going. Cancel the registration.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s hands that were washing the dishes paused, and he used a solemn tone as he said, ¡°I want you to accompany me forever. After all¡­ I¡¯m an ill-fated person.¡±


    This low side of Tonan broke Motoyoshi¡¯s heart. He sighed and agreed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do the health checkup once you¡¯re back.¡±


    After speaking, he pushed the wheelchair to the courtyard and looked at the neatly trimmed flowers and plants, lost in his thoughts.


    Tonan¡¯s departure time was close. He put on the ninja bag and set off.


    When he was passing by Motoyoshi, he exhorted, ¡°Put the clothes for laundry separately. I¡¯ll wash them after I return.¡±


    With that, he walked out of the courtyard. Motoyoshi nodded and pursed his lips. Looking at Tonan¡¯s back, which was going farther away, he chased with the wheelchair and yelled, ¡°Child, be careful about your safety. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, just ask your leader-sensei. Eat more food, don¡¯t make yourself suffer.¡±


    While he was yelling, Tonan had already left.


    ¡­¡­


    At the village¡¯s gate, the agreed meeting point for Team Nine, Tonan arrived ten minutes earlier than the appointed time. However, Namikaze Minato and Hatake Kakashi were already there, apparently having waited for a long time. Even Uzumaki Kushina had found time to come and see them off.


    ¡°Sorry, I kept you all waiting for a long time.¡± Tonan bowed apologetically to the three of them. Minato smiled foolishly, scratched his head, and laughingly said, ¡°You¡¯re not late, you don¡¯t need to apologize.¡±


    Kushina walked to Tonan, firmly patted his shoulders, and said, ¡°Tonan, you don¡¯t need to be so polite when you¡¯re with us. It looks like you¡¯re treating us as outsiders.¡±


    Tonan nodded obediently and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pay attention next time, Kushina-senpai.¡±


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    Kushina smiled faintly, trying her best to look gentle and amiable. She slightly bent over and asked, ¡°Little kid, did you prepare everything necessary? Such as kunai, shuriken, food pills, etc.¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and nodded his head. ¡°If that¡¯s all, then I am prepared,¡± he replied.


    Kushina straightened up, gave the other three a mysterious look, and took off the backpack behind her. Then, she unzipped it in front of them. The content inside turned Minato pale with fright.


    ¡°Tada! I¡¯ve prepared boxed meals for all of you. It takes at least two days to reach the Fire Temple from here. You can eat it when you¡¯re hungry on the way.¡±


    The corners of Minato¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. He tried his best to look cheerful and said, ¡°There was no need to go through such trouble.¡±


    Kakashi immediately retreated two steps with a look of horror.


    Seeing their response, Kushina¡¯s expression collapsed, and she looked like a volcano ready to erupt at any time.


    ¡°Do you think that the meals I made are not delicious?¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Minato and Kakashi hastily waved their hands denying the charge.


    In the past, the food Kushina made had a very heavy flavor. But since she got to know Tonan had a palate for light food, in consideration for him, she developed a habit of not adding salt. This made it very hard for Minato and Kakashi to swallow the food.


    Although the food pills had no taste either, they could be consumed in one bite. But the boxed meals had to be chewed on one bite after another. Since it was tasteless, they couldn¡¯t swallow it even if they wanted to.


    Just when Kushina was about to explode, Tonan¡¯s overjoyed voice resounded, ¡°Kushina-senpai, thank you for preparing so many boxed meals for me. Truly, thank you so much.¡±


    Kushina¡¯s anger was instantly extinguished. She glanced at Minato with a smug look and stuffed her backpack into Tonan¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Tonan is the most understanding one.¡±


    Minato smiled awkwardly and quickly changed the topic. ¡°It¡¯s already late, we should register and set off now.¡±


    The three made their way to the registration office at the gate. After showing the mission sheet and the travel passes, they left Konoha together.


    Behind them, Kushina kept waving her hands and shouted out, ¡°Take care of yourself, come back soon.¡±

 CH 50

    Notes:


    The Land of Wind is one of the more prominent countries in the Shinobi World, located to the southwest of the Land of Fire; Suna is its hidden village.


    Daimyo is the political leader of a country, responsible for all decisions concerning the country including privileges to the hidden village.


    Wind Daimyo is the government leader of the Land of Wind.


    The Land of Hot Water is a country that shares borders with the Land of Frost, the Land of Sound, and the Land of Fire.


    The Land of Lightning, one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, is located northeast of the Land of Fire.


    Heika, equivalent to ¡®Majesty¡¯, is the most formal style of nobility in Japan.


    As Team Nine left Konoha for its first B-ranked mission, at the Daimyo Residence of the Land of Wind, a high-profiled meeting was underway.


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    The Wind Daimyo sat behind a curtain with his officials sitting below on both sides.


    ¡°Fire Temple¡¯s Master Chigo is going to the Hot Water Temple to discuss Buddhist doctrine. What do you all think about this latest development?¡± the daimyo¡¯s deep voice came from behind the curtain.


    An old man seated in the front thought for a while and replied, ¡°This situation is anything but reassuring. It seems to just be a Buddhist debate, but in fact, it¡¯s the Land of Fire throwing an olive branch to the Land of Hot Water.¡±


    The daimyo was stunned for a moment. Not convinced, he asked, ¡°Miyaji-dono, why would you think so?¡±


    Miyaji narrowed his eyes slightly, stroked his beard, and said, ¡°This may be an anecdote for ordinary people, but for Buddhists, it¡¯s a rare grand event. Even if they had to crawl all the way, they would go there. Many a grain of sand piled up to make a pagoda, and little drops of water make the mighty ocean! No one knows how many Buddhists are there in the Ninja World. When the time comes, they will flock together, and once so many gather, it will boost the economy.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, if this debate is brilliant and has enough influence, then, for the years to come, Hot Water Temple will become a sacred place. At that time, as long as the Land of Fire extends some assistance, the Land of Hot Water¡¯s national power will snowball. Realizing the benefits, perhaps, the two will completely side with each other.¡±


    The more the daimyo mulled over Miyaji¡¯s analysis, the more he agreed. He sighed deeply and said, ¡°At first, I thought it was just a small event. I never thought it would have such deep ramifications. It seems that the relationship between those two countries is getting closer. Just had to hear such bad news early in the morning. Miyaji-dono, I wonder if you have any countermeasures.¡±


    Miyaji smiled inwardly, lightly coughed, and answered, ¡°Heika, between Fire Temple¡¯s Master Chigo and the Hot Water Temple¡¯s monks, who do you think is better at Buddhist doctrine?¡±


    ¡°Master Chigo, undoubtedly.¡±


    ¡°I may have an inept plan.¡± Miyaji stood up, placed his hands behind his back, and continued, ¡°Imagine the Hot Water Temple loses the debate, leading to a complete loss of face. And in retaliation, they issue a contract to assassinate Master Chigo. Does this sound believable?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± The officials present exchanged awkward looks. They didn¡¯t know whether they could speak candidly or not against a senior official. Miyaji slightly squinted his eyes and said with a smile, ¡°It seems it¡¯s not plausible enough, but that doesn¡¯t matter. No matter how bad a lie is, there will always be some fools who believe it. Especially those ignorant Buddhist believers.¡±


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    The daimyo carefully asked, ¡°Is Miyaji-dono suggesting¡­¡±


    Miyaji bowed towards the curtain and slowly articulated his plan, ¡°Make the virtuous and prestigious Master Chigo sleep forever in the Land of Hot Water.¡±


    As soon as he voiced this, a young official stood up and refuted, ¡°I think Miyaji-sama¡¯s proposal is flawed. Anyone with a discerning eye could see through such an ill-founded plan.¡±


    Once he spoke up, other officials, who disagreed with the plan, also joined in. Miyaji however, still looked confident. Completely unaffected, he said, ¡°I know this plan has pitfalls but as long as Chigo dies, Heika can just send people to fan the rumors. The first rumor is that the Hot Water Temple monks felt inferior to Master Chigo¡¯s Buddhist practice and became jealous enough to hire a contract killer to assassinate him.¡±


    ¡°As for the second rumor, the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire¡¯s alliance threatened the Land of Lightning. Therefore, they got Master Chigo assassinated, destroying the diplomatic relations between the two nations.¡±


    After Miyaji spoke, the daimyo and his officials fell into deep thought. Miyaji sat down on his seat and leisurely said, ¡°If it were just one rumor, I fear not even a handful would trust it. After all, faced with a single rumor, people would subconsciously choose to either accept it or not. But with two rumors, they would choose to believe the more obvious one.¡±


    Behind the curtain, the daimyo rubbed his palms and laughed, ¡°It¡¯s a good strategy. The dogs of these two countries will bite each other. Kofu, send someone to Suna to issue an S-ranked mission.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Miyaji interrupted, ¡°I don¡¯t think Suna should take this task. It¡¯s better to send someone to the Underground Bounty Station and issue a bounty mission. Let the rogue ninjas do this. When people investigate, they wouldn¡¯t reach our Land of Wind.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    After the discussion was over, all officials walked out of the Daimyo Residence. One of the older officials followed Miyaji, and asked, ¡°Miyaji-sama, is there anything else behind this move?¡±


    Miyaji stopped, pretending to casually look around. He lowered his voice and replied, ¡°Do you mean I was being an alarmist just a moment ago?¡±


    ¡°I think we both know the answer to that.¡±


    Miyaji placed his hands behind his back, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know the situation of the last few years. Heika has begun placing new people in important positions. We few are the only officials from the older generation. If we don¡¯t do something to make him feel a sense of crisis, showing our value in passing, I fear we¡¯ll have to retire and return home.¡±


    ¡°Once we lose our powers, the question will be whether we can die peacefully or not. Just look at what happened today. Even before I finished speaking, some rookies began to counter me. They don¡¯t attach any importance to us old fellows.¡±


    Another official nodded hearing Miyaji¡¯s words and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. The current juniors are full of idealism. They don¡¯t see the reality. Recently, the state of affairs between the nations has become tense again. Our finance is also getting tighter. Two days ago, Suna sent a letter asking to increase this year¡¯s military expenditure.¡±


    Miyaji frowned and asked, ¡°Did Heika agree?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Miyaji nodded, moved his head closer to the person¡¯s ear, and whispered, ¡°Help me take care of something. I don¡¯t like that youth from today. Go and tell Suna that he is embezzling public money and taking bribes. Ask them to send some ninjas to investigate him. As long as conclusive proofs are placed in front of me, I¡¯ll privately donate 500 million Ryo.¡±


    Miyaji patted the person¡¯s shoulder lightly and turned around to leave. Just after a few steps though, as if he thought of something, he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether the proofs are real or fake. As long as it can prove his crime, it¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­


    Two days later, Namikaze Minato¡¯s party arrived at the Fire Temple. Seeing them at the temple¡¯s gate, a sweeper monk put his palms together and said, ¡°You gentlemen must be the Konoha ninjas.¡±


    Minato nodded and took out the mission sheet from his bag. He handed it to him and said, ¡°Yes, this is the mission proof.¡±


    After examining the sheet, the monk returned it to Minato and said, ¡°Master Chigo is meditating. Please follow me.¡±


    The group followed the monk to the meditation room, which was located in the temple¡¯s backyard. At this moment, Master Chigo was mediating and chanting sutras. But suddenly he frowned. He opened his eyes and muttered, ¡°What a pure evil desire.¡±


    Just as he said this, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Master Chigo, the ninjas from Konoha have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Bring them in.¡±


    Minato¡¯s party walked into the room and bowed to Master Chigo. They greeted, ¡°We pay our respect to Master Chigo.¡±


    With a smile on his face, Chigo put his palms together and said, ¡°There is no need to be so courteous. I¡¯ll have to rely on you during this journey.¡±


    ¡°This is our mission.¡±


    ¡°You all should rest here in the Fire Temple tonight. We¡¯ll set out early tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    At this moment, Chigo¡¯s gaze fell on Uchiha Tonan. He took out a Buddhist scripture from his bosom and said with a smile, ¡°Young fellow with glasses, I have a scripture here for you. You can read it if you are interested. It can cleanse the soul.¡±


    Tonan hastily put his palms together and respectfully took the scripture. ¡°Many thanks, Master Chigo. I will read it carefully after I go back.¡±


    ¡°What does this old man mean by giving me a Buddhist scripture without any rhyme or reason? Could he be another Kushina?¡±

 CH 51

    Notes:


    The Land of Rice Fields was the first name of the Land of Sound, a neighboring country of the Land of Fire and relatively new in the political scene.


    The Konoha ninjas settled in the Fire Temple and far from them, in the Underground Bounty Station of the Land of Rice Fields, Kakazu, a rogue ninja was collecting the pay after completing a bounty mission. Right now, he was busy counting the bills in front of a cashier.


    For him, listening to the crisp banknotes was a melodious sound but the moment of delight did not affect his sharp eyes. Amid the counting, his movement paused. He took out a note from the bundle and instructed the staff member next to him, ¡°This is a bit old, change it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kakazu-sama.¡± The staff member hastily replaced it with a new note.


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    At this moment, the person in charge of this bounty station came out from behind and cautiously whispered to Kakazu, ¡°Kakazu-sama, a piece of news just came in¡­ an S-ranked mission has been issued.¡±


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    Kakazu¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. An S-ranked mission meant a big score. He asked, ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°15 million Ryo.¡±


    Putting his money into a suitcase, Kakazu shut it carefully and said, ¡°Give me the mission.¡±


    The person in charge looked to be in a dilemma. He replied in a low voice, ¡°This is a top-secret mission. If you see it, you have no choice but to accept it. Moreover, the employer has specific demands, one of which being each bounty station can only assign one person to take the mission.¡±


    Kakazu waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take it. You know my strength, I¡¯ll be able to handle it.¡±


    The person in charge nodded and took out a mission sheet. He handed it over to Kakazu along with the relevant details. ¡°The assassination target is Fire Temple¡¯s Master Chigo. The employer has a time requirement as well. The target must be assassinated only when he is leaving the Hot Water Temple. Most importantly, you must not let him enter the Land of Fire.¡±


    The information confused Kakazu and he re-checked, ¡°Is it just killing a monk?¡±


    The person in charge nodded and said, ¡°Yes, the monk himself must not be difficult to handle, but there¡¯s a possibility there will be ninjas protecting him.¡±


    After getting the confirmation, Kakazu took the mission sheet with satisfaction.


    ¡°15 million is enough. It just so happens there are two small fries in the Land of Hot Water as well. I can take care of them together on the way.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Five days later, Namikaze Minato and his party arrived at the Rose Street of Hot Water Temple with Chigo. They hadn¡¯t faced any obstacles making the journey smooth. The temple was built on the top of a hill not far from Rose Street.


    At this moment, the street was bustling with different activities. Buddhist believers came from various regions to watch the debate. Seeing Chigo, they kowtowed on both sides of the street, their faces filled with devotion.


    This place was Land of Hot Water¡¯s inner region, making it practically a danger-free zone. Therefore, Minato let Chigo walk upfront and walked behind along with Uchiha Tonan and Hatake Kakashi.


    Every few steps, Chigo would stop and return the believers¡¯ greetings. Only after they arrived at the foot of the Hot Water Temple¡¯s hill, they were able to shake off the fanatical followers.


    Minato wiped the sweat from his forehead and remarked with a bright smile, ¡°Master Chigo is very popular.¡±


    Tonan nodded. Looking at Chigo¡¯s back, he muttered, ¡°Is this what it means to be a virtuous eminent monk? All these believers must acknowledge Master Chigo from the bottom of their hearts.¡±


    Hearing this, Chigo calmly replied, ¡°It¡¯s not me but Buddha that they acknowledge.¡±


    ¡°Looks like becoming a Buddha is also not a bad idea!¡±


    Tonan¡¯s yearning resurfaced and as soon as that happened, Chigo, who was walking ahead, frowned. He senses the pure evil desire even more vividly.


    Glancing at Tonan, he casually asked, ¡°Young fellow, have you ever put any thought on the kind of person you want to become?¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and thought for a bit. He then replied, ¡°Before my father passed away, he once instructed me to become a pure, virtuous person, who was free from vulgar fascinations.¡±


    Minato smiled and rubbed Tonan¡¯s head. ¡°I believe in you, you can absolutely do it.¡±


    Chigo was confused hearing Tonan¡¯s answer. His ability to sense Tonan¡¯s desires came from a spiritual perception called the heart-eye. While this was acquired by practicing Buddhism, what he perceived couldn¡¯t be said to be completely accurate.


    ¡°You should often read the Buddhist scripture I gave you. And if you feel like you¡¯re lost one day, you can come to the Fire Temple and meet me.¡±


    By now, the group had arrived at the hilltop. They saw the Hot Water Temple monks standing there, welcoming Chigo with folded hands. The temple head, Eshu, took the initiative to respectfully greet, ¡°Welcome, Master Chigo.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Master Eshu.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll hold the Buddhist debate tomorrow. Master Chigo, please rest in the temple tonight.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    At night, Tonan and Kakashi took turns to guard Chigo. Kakashi took the first half, and Tonan guarded in the second. The crescent moon was like a small boat anchored among the few and scattered branches.


    In the monastery room, sitting cross-legged in front of a Buddha statue, Chigo was meditating. Outside his door, Tonan sat perfectly still. He was secretly controlling the white pigeons to monitor the area. In this world, one must never relax vigilance at any time.


    The pigeons lurking in various places activated Sharingan. Under the Byakugan¡¯s perception boost, the entire Rose Street was in Tonan¡¯s full view. He could distinctly see the chakra coursing through many people. Most of these ought to be the Land of Hot Water¡¯s ninjas, who especially came to maintain order.


    Suddenly, a figure captured by a white pigeon entered Tonan¡¯s vision.


    ¡°This amount of chakra¡­ That¡¯s!¡±


    Tonan activated his three tomoe and used Mirror Heaven and Earth Change with full power, continuously narrowing the field of vision. A person¡¯s figure appeared in his eyes, enlarging until it became clearer.


    At this very moment, Kakazu, who was resting in an inn, felt like someone was peeking at him. He got up from the bed and looked out of the window but only saw an empty street. There was nothing.


    ¡°Was that my misperception?¡± Kakazu muttered to himself. He could no longer perceive that feeling, so he went back to sleep but decided to be more alert.


    The moment Kakazu had gotten up, a white pigeon on the roof had already spread its wings and flown away.


    ¡°That guy is so sharp. Why is he here? It cannot be for me¡­ there¡¯s no bounty on my head.¡±


    Tonan quietly deactivated the Sharingan.


    Creak


    At that moment, the door behind Tonan opened, shining a dim light on him. Tonan turned and saw Chigo looking at him with a solemn expression. Earlier, when Tonan had activated the Sharingan, Chigo felt an extremely evil power.


    ¡°Master Chigo, you haven¡¯t slept yet,¡± Tonan inquired with a gentle look.


    Chigo remained silent for a while. He walked over and sat down. Looking at the desolate crescent moon, he solemnly said, ¡°I felt an evil aura just now.¡±


    Tonan moved his gaze away from Chigo. He also looked at the night sky and muttered, ¡°It was from me, right?¡±


    Chigo nodded and replied in a low voice, ¡°Since you¡¯re a ninja, I shouldn¡¯t worry myself.  But I¡¯m a monk after all. It¡¯s my job to deliver all living beings from suffering.¡±


    The chilly moonlight illuminated Tonan¡¯s calm face. After a long silence, he slowly opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Are you trying to convert me, Master Chigo?¡±

 CH 52

    Chigo shook his head and stared at Uchiha Tonan with a deep gaze. He finally said, ¡°Ordinary people may not be able to see through you, but I can see the evil under your hypocritical mask. You were right. You¡¯re very pure, so pure that I¡¯ve no confidence in converting you.¡±


    Tonan looked at the night sky and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. With a slight smile on his face, he asked, ¡°Master, do you think tonight is a good night to kill people?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to silence me to protect your secret?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because you want to keep this hypocritical mask while you¡¯re still young and weak.¡±


    Shaking his head, Tonan laughed and looked straight at Chigo¡¯s eyes. He pointedly asked, ¡°Is good or evil judged by thoughts or by actions?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Chigo frowned and started to think.


    Tonan continued his question, ¡°Kind-hearted, but hands stained with blood. Evil-minded, but helping others do good deeds. Among these two kinds of people, who¡¯s good and who¡¯s evil?¡±


    Chigo remained silent for a long time before he sighed and said, ¡°If you¡¯re the latter, then I believe you¡¯re a good person. Will you tell me your story? I¡¯m curious why your heart is so dark.¡±


    Tonan lowered his head and began speaking in a deep tone, ¡°It all started when I was still at the Ninja Academy¡­¡±


    With Tonan¡¯s narrative, time passed by quickly. The more Chigo listened, the more immersed he became. Sometimes, he frowned, and sometimes, he found it unbearable. In the end, he sighed and sadly said, ¡°It¡¯s truly been too cruel on you.¡±


    Tonan merely gave a wry smile. He looked at the brightening horizon and said in a daze, ¡°The moment I killed Mina with my own hands, I fell into a dark abyss. But if I hadn¡¯t done that, would I not be letting the dead Chiryo down? How can I be worthy of the Will of Fire that I¡¯ve always adhered to?¡±


    Chigo looked at Tonan¡¯s small body and comforted, ¡°Ill-fated relationship is hard to undo, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± He reached out his hand to gently pat the young boy¡¯s shoulder but Tonan slapped it away, and roared while trembling, ¡°Since I¡¯m not wrong, why do people always give me the cold shoulder? Just like you, Master, everyone, everywhere is guarded against me!¡±


    Chigo was stunned for a moment. He said, looking remorseful, ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t practice Buddhism well enough.¡±


    Tonan took a deep breath and waved his hand. He said, ¡°I apologize, I was unable to control my emotions. In fact, I¡¯ve been reading the Buddhist scripture you gave me.¡±


    Seeing Tonan restrain his emotions, Chigo felt guiltier. He gently asked, ¡°Did it help you?¡±


    Tonan shook his head and replied, ¡°It didn¡¯t help. I just learned what Buddha is.¡±


    Chigo was amused despite himself. He didn¡¯t believe that the six-year-old boy could comprehend the difficult age-old question of ¡®What is Buddha¡¯ by just reading an ordinary scripture.


    But he still curiously asked, ¡°Will you tell me what is Buddha in your heart?¡±


    Tonan looked devout as he said, ¡°Buddha is the symbol of wisdom and enlightenment.¡±


    ¡°Your perception is very unique.¡± Chigo nodded, not commenting on whether this way of thinking was correct or incorrect.


    Tonan struck while the iron was hot, ¡°I read a sentence in the scripture, drop one¡¯s cleaver and become a Buddha.¡±


    Chigo smiled and explained, ¡°Legend has it that Master Segen, a great eminent monk in ancient times, said these words and also instructed later generations to spread it widely. According to rumors, Master Segen was closest to Buddha himself.¡±


    ¡°Throughout the ages, many monks wanted to comprehend the arcane truth of this sentence, but they gained nothing. No matter how you think about it, it seems illogical.¡±


    Tonan nodded and said, ¡°This sentence is a fallacy in itself. It¡¯s used to deceive people.¡±


    Chigo retracted his smile and pretended to be stern, ¡°Child, you shouldn¡¯t slander the great ancestor. How could this sentence be a fallacy? It¡¯s just that we are not proficient enough in Buddhist doctrine, and we can¡¯t fully comprehend it yet.¡±


    Tonan shook his head and argued in earnest, ¡°The reason why this sentence was spread widely was to give a person holding a cleaver, a reason to lay it down. It was to save people under the cleaver. If someone had already killed many people, he might feel his sin was beyond forgiveness. And he may continue to go down the wrong way.¡±


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    ¡°But if he recalled this sentence when he¡¯s going to kill the next person, he just might stop. This was Master Segen¡¯s wisdom.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s perspective stunned Chigo and he fell into deep thought. But after thinking for a while, he noticed a glitch and asked Tonan, ¡°Your argument made sense, but monks can¡¯t deceive anyone, otherwise, they¡¯ll go to hell. Master Segen was the first-generation monk, who set the rules. How could he deliberately violate them? So this point doesn¡¯t make sense after all.¡±


    ¡°This must be Master Segen¡¯s enlightenment.¡±


    Tonan stood up, and facing the rising sun on the horizon, he spread his hands as if he was trying to embrace the light.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t go to hell, who will¡­¡±


    Chigo¡¯s scalp tingled, and as if he had gone insane and was raving, he muttered to himself, ¡°If I don¡¯t go to hell, who will¡­ wisdom, enlightenment, become a Buddha¡­¡±


    Facing the first rays of the morning sun, the corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth gradually rose, and he softly said, ¡°This world is very simple. But when the heart is in chaos, we¡¯ll not be able to see it. Heaven gave us eyes and ears. Why do we still neglect the root and pursue the tip?¡±


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    Chigo hastily nodded and closed his heart-eye. The evil aura that was lingering in his heart immediately vanished. The first rays of sunlight were dazzling. But it was soft in Chigo¡¯s eyes because Tonan was blocking it.


    ¡°Night and day coexist. When one side of the world falls into darkness, the other must be luminous¡­ it¡¯s dawn.¡±


    ¡®Ding! Gained Chigo¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Tonan heard the system prompt and slightly slanted his head. He smiled gently as the sun lit up his face, making him look youthful and bright.


    ¡°Good morning, Master Chigo.¡±


    With that greeting, Tonan left, leaving behind Chigo, sitting alone in the same spot. After a long time, the old monk slowly regained his senses and let out a long sigh. He got up and walked into his monastery room while continuously chanting.


    ¡°Wisdom¡­ enlightenment¡­ become a Buddha¡­ if I don¡¯t go to hell¡­ who will¡­¡±


    After returning to his room, Tonan sighed in relief and a smile of success played on his face. He had invested so much time and effort to trick Chigo because when he had activated the Sharingan, with his Byakugan ability, he saw profound chakra inside the monastery room.


    He then recalled Chiriku, a Ninja monk from the Fire Temple¡¯s Twelve Guardian Ninja team who was able to send Kakazu flying in the anime story from his previous life.


    How was Tonan to know that Chigo, who seemed to have a foot in the grave, was actually a big shot?


    At first, Tonan just wanted to stabilize his relationship with him, deeply worried that Chigo may just kill him regardless of the consequences. However later, he discovered he was able to fool him with just some fancy words.


    Therefore, he simply put more effort into it and took advantage of the time when Chigo¡¯s mind was in chaos to trick him to shut his heart-eye and gain his acknowledgment in one fell swoop.


    Now that he had a big fish like Chigo in his pocket, he didn¡¯t need to worry about small fry like Kakazu.


    Moreover, he gained his acknowledgment. So far, this mission brought him great tidings.

 CH 53

    Notes:


    Iwagakure is the hidden village of the Land of Earth, one of the five great Shinobi countries.


    Kohona, Kiri, Kumo, Iwa, Suna are also known as Leaf, Mist, Cloud, Rock, Sand


    Rogue-nin, criminals in effect, are ninja who abandoned their villages


    The Buddhist doctrine debate progressed smoothly. When Chigo talked about his understanding of Buddha, the onlookers felt his words were astounding. Despite not truly comprehending them, these words were the arcane truth in the ears of the monks and Buddhist believers.


    The debate conference concluded in the evening. Chigo stayed for two more days under the enthusiastic request of the Hot Water Temple monks before leaving for Konoha.


    In these past few days, Uchiha Tonan regularly observed Kakazu¡¯s movements. Kakazu stayed calm and seldom left the inn. It was as if he was awaiting something. Given the circumstances, it was obvious that it was for them to leave the temple. As time passed by, Tonan discovered several more jonin-leveled rogue-nin. These people too became his observation targets.


    The group traveled down from the hilltop where the Hot Water Temple was located. When they reached Rose Street, Tonan suddenly asked, ¡°May I take some time to buy something, please? Will you all wait for me?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Namikaze Minato awkwardly looked at Chigo. Since they were in the midst of a mission, they would need their employer¡¯s approval to do any personal work.


    Chigo kindly smiled at Tonan and said, ¡°Go on, we¡¯ll wait here for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Master Chigo.¡±


    Tonan came to a gift store on the street and began exploring. Today was February first. It would take about five days to escort Chigo back to the Fire temple, and two more days to return to the village.


    In other words, if there was not much delay on the road, they would reach the village on February eighth. That would be just in time for Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s birthday.


    Tonan had written in his diary that he wanted to give him a birthday present. And the most important aspect of an upright person was to be true to his words.


    When buying a gift for elders, one needed to pay attention to certain aspects. The gift must display sincerity and move the receiver¡¯s heart. The second part depended on whether the gift was usable or not, but the first depended on whether it was expensive or not.


    Expensive of course meant much higher-priced compared to similar gifts. Tonan walked to the counter and asked politely, ¡°Excuse me, do you sell tobacco here? The kind that is used in a smoking pipe?¡±


    The shopkeeper nodded and said, ¡°You mean tobacco shreds, right? We do keep it. Do you want to give it to someone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I want to give it to my grandpa as a gift.¡±


    ¡°What a filial child¡­ come, come, this is¡­¡±


    Even before the shop owner could say anything further, Tonan waved his hand and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to see it all. I just want the most expensive one that can¡¯t be bought in the Land of Fire.¡±


    The shopkeeper was momentarily taken aback. He glanced at Tonan¡¯s ninja headband and immediately plastered a flattering smile. He took out a box of tobacco shreds from the top shelf.


    ¡°This is what you want. It costs 16,000 Ryo, thank you for the patronage. Do you want to pack it?¡±


    Tonan nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I will give you an extra grand. Use the most luxurious packaging box to wrap it. More importantly though, please give me a receipt of 66,000 Ryo.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± The shopkeeper was dumbfounded once again, and this time he didn¡¯t respond for a while.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do it?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°Pack the receipt together in the box.¡±


    Tonan cheerily paid the money. He took out a small scroll from his ninja bag and sealed the gift box inside. Ordinary tobacco shreds cost only about 100 Ryo, and the tobacco shreds Hiruzen smoked cost about 500 Ryo. Tonan could already imagine the shocked expression on Hiruzen¡¯s face when he received the gift.


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    ¡­¡­


    Coo coo


    Minato¡¯s party was crossing a dense forest. The closer they reached the Land of Fire¡¯s border, the taller were the trees. At this moment, it was almost dusk. The forest was already filling up with mist, and everyone could smell the moist and cold fragrance in the air.


    With every step, the soil below would slightly sink. It was clear there was a light rain here not long ago. They would encounter puddles occasionally, on and off seeing their reflections passing through in them.


    Swish


    Suddenly, several kunai flew out from the surrounding forest.


    ¡°Watch out! Enemy attack!¡±


    Minato was the first to react. With a few kunai, he took point in front of Chigo and knocked the incoming attacks one after another.


    Hatake Kakashi and Tonan were also on guard and surrounded Chigo. Minato looked solemn at this moment. His ears moved slightly like he picked on some noise, and he flung three more kunai towards the rear.


    Dang, dang, dang


    The kunai pierced deeply into the tree trunk and three ninjas, who were standing on the branches, had already jumped away. One of them was a rogue-nin wearing Kumo¡¯s forehead protector. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and yelled, ¡°Konoha¡¯s ninja team, we just want this old man¡¯s life. If you are sensible, you¡¯ll get lost now.¡±


    These were the rogue-nin of Cloud, Mist, and Rock.


    ¡°I wonder if Minato can handle them.¡± At this moment, Tonan had already activated his Sharingan, pretending to be serious.


    ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t agree.¡± A grin appeared on the Cloud rogue-nin¡¯s face. He said to the other two beside him, ¡°Leave this yellow-haired jonin boy to me. You two take care of the rest. But don¡¯t even think about monopolizing the bounty for yourselves.¡±


    The Rock rogue-nin also had a violent temper. He shouted back, ¡°Why¡¯re you speaking so much nonsense? Just kill ¡®em all!¡±


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Mobile Core!¡±


    Rumble


    Tonan and the others noticed the change below their feet and deftly jumped away. The place where they were standing just a moment ago completely sunk in, becoming a bottomless pit.


    Minato took out a kunai and said, ¡°Kakashi, Tonan, take Master Chigo to a safe place. Leave these people to me.¡±


    Tonan nodded, carried Chigo on his back, and took off along with Kakashi. Just when the Rock and Mist rogue-nin wanted to chase after them, Minato suddenly appeared on the tree and ruthlessly thrust his kunai towards the Rock rogue-nin.


    ¡°Such speed¡­ what¡¯s this ninjutsu?¡±


    The Rock rogue-nin¡¯s pupils shrunk. Minato¡¯s pace shocked him but he used a kunai to block the attack. Minato was patient enough to not make follow-up attacks seeing this one was blocked. In the next moment, he disappeared and appeared behind Cloud rogue-nin.


    ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re underestimating us!¡±


    The Cloud rogue-nin shouted as he punched Minato with his right fist covered in electricity.


    Bang!


    The tree was smashed into smithereens. However, just when his fist was about to make contact, Minato vanished and appeared on the other side and accurately threw specially-made kunai all around the battlefield.


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    Whenever he was about to be hit, or whenever someone wanted to chase after Tonan and the others, Minato would immediately repeat this attack format.


    The three of them had no choice but to fight against him.


    ¡­¡­


    Not long after, Minato noticed a flaw in the Mist rogue-nin. He instantly used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear behind him and kicked him away.


    Bang!


    Water splashed everywhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s a water clone.¡±


    Minato was alarmed but he thought that by now the others would have put some distance between them.


    ¡°I can only get rid of these two right now. I¡¯ll have to believe that Kakashi and Tonan can stop the Mist rogue-nin.¡±

 CH 54

    Notes:


    A tachi, nearly as popular as the katana, is a traditionally made Japanese sword, used by the samurai class of feudal Japan


    At this moment, Uchiha Tonan, carrying Chigo on his back, and Hatake Kakashi were running furiously. If they could continue for another half hour, they would reach a small town at the Land of Fire¡¯s border.


    Leaf ninjas were permanently stationed at this junction. While running, Tonan noticed a puddle of water ahead of them. Its chakra was too conspicuous to his eyes. Just when they passed it, a figure jumped out and swung his tachi at Chigo.


    Just as that blade was about to strike his neck, Kakashi reacted quickly. He drew out his tanto, blocked the blade, and shouted, ¡°Leave quickly.¡± He began to fight the attacker.


    Although Tonan was aware that a trifling rogue ninja couldn¡¯t kill Chigo even in the wildest imagination, he secretly thought it was a pity. He ran quickly without looking back.


    ¡°Tonan, aren¡¯t you worried about your companion?¡± Chigo, who was still on Tonan¡¯s back, calmly asked. Tonan was silent for a while and replied, ¡°Kakashi is very strong. He¡¯ll definitely beat the enemy.¡±


    Even if Kakashi truly died, Tonan would just make a wooden sculpture of him, and pray daily. Chigo nodded and smiled slightly, ¡°You must be stronger. After all, you¡¯ve awakened the three tomoe Sharingan. In fact, sometimes, you don¡¯t need to hide your inadequacy.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s heart thumped, but he replied without batting an eyelid, ¡°Kakashi is strong.¡±


    Chigo muttered, ¡°In that case, why are you thinking of sticking out for your companion?¡±


    The two people moved forward in this fashion for about ten minutes, and the surrounding mist gradually became denser. Tonan saw the Mist rogue-nin, who was waiting ahead through the eyes of a nearby white pigeon.


    At this moment, Tonan had no intention to pretend in front of Chigo. The old monk had already seen through him. Even if he continued the charade, he would only make a joke of himself like a clown. He stopped and placed Chigo on a rock. ¡°Master Chigo, rest here for now.¡±


    Chigo nodded and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    When Tonan got up, the mist around had already become so dense that it turned milky white. ¡°Silent Killing Technique?¡± The three tomoe in Tonan¡¯s eyes spun as he looked straight ahead.


    ¡°I love killing Uchihas. The three tomoe Sharingan? That¡¯s commendable¡­ but too bad it¡¯s useless against the dense mist¡­ I¡¯ll personally gouge out your eyes and drink your blood.¡±


    In the thickening mist that significantly impaired visual ability, the Mist rogue-nin wanted to break Tonan¡¯s fighting spirit with daunting words. As he continued his claptrap, he didn¡¯t realize that each of his moves was under Tonan¡¯s scrutiny.


    He very much resembled a clown.


    ¡°Guess where I am.¡±


    Swish


    Tonan bent to one side, dodging a blade swung towards him from behind. At the same time, he looked at the rogue Cloud ninja behind, who looked slightly surprised.


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    ¡°You¡¯re very lucky, you actually dodged it.¡±


    The Mist rogue-nin gave a ruthless smile and disappeared in the dense mist that was equivalent to his perception range. He could observe every enemy move within this mist.


    The ambiance was silent, and the damp moisture continuously blew against Tonan¡¯s skin, disturbing his senses. The rogue-nin seemed to have turned into a beast in the dark forest, coldly eyeing its prey.


    Such a situation would get the better of ordinary people, as they would rack their brains on where the next sudden attack could come from. It wouldn¡¯t take long for their spirit to collapse. However, for Tonan, who had the Byakugan, all this was ineffective.


    He quietly stood in the same place, waiting for the real prey to take the bait. As time passed by, Tonan¡¯s endurance surprised the rogue-nin. He decided to not wait any longer and attack.


    The moment he swung his long blade though, Tonan turned around and raised a kunai.


    Ding


    The kunai easily blocked the tachi. ¡°In front of my eyes, you¡¯ve nowhere to hide.¡±


    The rogue-nin¡¯s eyes shrunk and he distinctly saw a pair of slowly spinning Sharingan amid the dense mist. Since this attack failed, he retreated, and asked with an ugly expression, ¡°How did you predict my attack?¡±


    The Mist rogue-nin noticed the surrounding mist was denser than before. Worse still, his perception ability was abruptly cut off. Just then, Tonan¡¯s indifferent voice resounded in the dense mist.


    ¡°Silent Killing Technique.¡±


    At this moment, it was clear who was the hunter and who was the prey.


    ¡°Guess where I am.¡±


    A sharp kunai made an arc. The Mist rogue-nin subconsciously dodged, but his arm was still cut.


    ¡°That brat actually injured me? How can he use Silent Killing Technique? Is this the Sharingan¡¯s copy ability?¡±


    A sudden realization came to his mind. ¡°No! When I used the technique, that brat didn¡¯t see it. Also, Uchihas don¡¯t have a water-attribute chakra. That means¡­¡±


    The rogue-nin grinned hideously, and a pallid light flashed through his eyes.


    ¡°The Sharingan¡¯s illusion is truly powerful. But it also depends on who¡¯s using it.¡±


    The rogue-nin rapidly circulated the chakra within his body.


    ¡°Genjustu, dispel.¡±


    The next moment, the mist¡¯s concentration reduced a little, and his sense of perception resumed. The wound on his arm also disappeared.


    ¡°Sure enough! It must¡¯ve happened when I looked at his eyes just now?¡±


    At that moment, Kakashi, who had been fighting against the water clone on the other side, slashed it. The clone immediately turned into water.


    Kakashi¡¯s eyes shrunk, and his complexion became ugly. He rushed towards the direction where Tonan had taken off. ¡°You better be fine.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°I was careless just a moment ago and got caught in a genjustu.¡± The Mist rogue-nin frowned as he sensed the disappearance of his water clone.


    ¡°I can¡¯t waste any more time. I must finish this mission now.¡± Immediately afterward, he used Water Clone Technique.


    ¡°You¡¯ve completely pissed me off now.¡± The Mist rogue-nin emerged from the puddle below Tonan, who looked at it and instantly finished making hand seals. When just half of his head had come out, Tonan¡¯s leg slightly moved.


    ¡°Lightning Style ¨C Ground Travel.¡±


    An electric current instantly spread around from the bottom of his feet.


    Bang


    The rogue-nin¡¯s body turned into a water splash. Tonan smiled, ¡°Water Clone?¡±


    At this moment, the rogue-nin¡¯s real body had quietly appeared behind Chigo, who was chanting scriptures with his eyes closed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you first, then go to kill that brat.¡±


    The blade in his hand slashed Chigo¡¯s neck.


    Bang


    ¡°What? How can it be a water clone?¡±


    The Mist rogue-nin was confused. He was certain that the old monk had been sitting there from the very beginning. He had sensed it from his perception ability.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Where did that old man go?¡±

 CH 55

    Notes:


    Taki, a village hidden by a waterfall, is located in an unnamed country


    Senjutsu, sage techniques, is a specialized field of jutsu that uses natural energy


    After a failed attack, the Mist rogue-nin noticed his perception ability was cut off again. A cold chill ran down his spine, and he exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°No, this isn¡¯t my technique.¡±


    Tapping on his back, a finger slowly appeared.


    Puchi


    Crackle, crackle, crackle


    The Mist rogue-nin lowered his head with difficulty and saw lightning was flickering in his chest.


    ¡°Sorry, this is my technique.¡±


    Uchiha Tonan¡¯s cold voice came from behind.


    Thump


    Everything in front of the Mist rogue-nin became dark, and his corpse heavily fell in the water. The mist dissipated, and Tonan jumped and carried Chigo who was sitting cross-legged on a branch.


    Kakashi arrived just then. ¡°Tonan¡­ are you alright?¡±


    Tonan looked at a breathless Kakashi and adjusted his glasses. ¡°We are fine, this rogue-nin was a little weak and he underestimated my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Kakashi looked down at the enemy¡¯s corpse but had some doubts. He had faced Tonan¡¯s genjutsu in the past. Was it this strong?


    Looking at his teammate, Tonan¡¯s eyes slightly moved. He took out a pill from his ninja bag and gave it to Kakashi. ¡°For you, it¡¯s very delicious, eat it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Although Kakashi didn¡¯t understand why he had to eat this now, he still did so given his trust in Tonan. It tasted sour and sweet and was crispy.


    Soon after, they spotted Namikaze Minato not far away. Minato jumped on a few branches and landed in front of the three of them. Seeing them uninjured, he sighed in relief. ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯re all fine.¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Uzumaki-sensei, did you take care of that rogue-nin?¡±


    Kakashi frowned a little. Minato nodded and looked at Chigo on Tonan¡¯s back. ¡°They are already dealt with. Let¡¯s take Master Chigo away from here right now.¡±


    Just when Minato wanted to approach Tonan, the surrounding mist suddenly thickened again, engulfing everyone.


    ¡°There are more attackers.¡± Amid the dense mist, Tonan shouted.


    Minato frowned, and immediately charged towards the voice. A ball of black fluid came out from his body and surprise attacked Tonan and Chigo.


    Simultaneously, his appearance also changed from Minato to Kakazu.


    Bang


    Water splashed on the ground.


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    ¡°Water clones! Damn it, that brat tricked me!¡± Fury filled Kakazu¡¯s head, and he formed hand seals.


    ¡°Wind Style ¨C Pressure Damage.¡± But even before Kakazu could release his ninjutsu, he realized something was awry with him. The accumulated experience from years of contract killing and bounty hunting made him instantly identify the reason.


    The mist was poisonous. Kakazu could barely wrap his mind around this when explosive tags buried under the ground began to activate.


    Crackle, crackle, crackle


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    Bang!


    In the forest, a miniature mushroom cloud rose leaving only the burning smell of smoke behind. Tonan had laid the explosive tags stealthily when he was fighting against the Mist rogue-nin.


    On the branch not far away, Kakashi glanced at the gentle-looking Tonan beside him with a strange look and said, ¡°You prepared so much before leaving?¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and smiled slightly. ¡°Yes. The clan¡¯s ninja store was running a promotion. Buy two explosive tags and get a bottle of poison for free. I thought it was a good deal, so I bought six of them. Later, I found the poison had expired. I¡¯ll report them to the clan after returning.¡±


    Just after Tonan finished speaking, Kakazu¡¯s roar came from the midst of the smoke and dust. ¡°You¡¯ve truly infuriated me now! All of you die for me!¡±


    Before the smoke completely dissipated, a ball of black matter suddenly rushed out and attacked Tonan¡¯s group of three. They immediately jumped, narrowly dodging the danger.


    Kakashi¡¯s expression turned ugly as he said, ¡°What the hell is he? Even that didn¡¯t kill him?¡±


    After landing on the ground, Chigo, who was on Tonan¡¯s back, patted his shoulder. He got off and explained. ¡°That¡¯s Earth Grudge Fear¡­ You must be a Taki¡¯s traitor ninja, the famous bounty hunter, Kakazu.¡±


    Chigo pushed Kakashi and Tonan behind him. ¡°You two, step aside. He¡¯s not someone you can deal with.¡±


    Tonan grabbed Chigo¡¯s hand and said with a solemn look, ¡°Master Chigo, rest assured, you are our client. We will protect you even if we have to risk our lives.¡±


    Chigo looked at Tonan and smiled. He said while shaking his head. ¡°You truly are intelligent.¡±


    At this moment, the mist had dispersed. Kakazu got up staggering, and there was a ball of black matter with a doll mask next to him. Tonan knew his tactic just now had taken one of Kakazu¡¯s lives.


    Kakazu made hand signs rapidly. ¡°Fire Style ¨C Searing Migraine.¡±


    A scorching hot column of flame shot towards the three. Chigo opened his eyes in anger, and an illusory golden thousand-armed Bodhisattva appeared behind him. He gently raised his right palm and pushed it forward.


    Bang


    The column of flame that was flying towards them extinguished. In addition, with the remaining power, Kakazu was sent flying dozens of meters away, breaking countless trees.


    Kakashi¡¯s jaw dropped seeing this. And a question appeared in his mind ¡ª is this the person we are protecting?


    After the smoke dissipated, Kakazu had disappeared without a trace. Chigo relaxed his posture and said lightly. ¡°Alright, the assailant has been driven away.¡±


    Tonan looked at Chigo with reverence. He put his hands on his knees and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Master Chigo.¡±


    ¡°That move just now didn¡¯t resemble ninjutsu. Is it senjutsu? Or something else.¡±


    At this moment, Tonan couldn¡¯t wait to inherit all of Chigo¡¯s abilities. However, considering the great difference in strength between them, he had to hold back this little ambition.


    Kakashi felt Chigo was powerful enough to not need their protection. He thought of Minato, who was still fighting, and couldn¡¯t help ask, ¡°Are we going to help Minato-sensei?¡±


    Tonan pondered for a while, then shook his head. ¡°No, let¡¯s go to a town first. Minato-sensei can easily escape if he can¡¯t defeat his opponents. We¡¯ll just be a burden if we go.¡±


    He then took the initiative to carry Chigo on his back again and ran towards the town. Not long after, Minato got rid of the Cloud rogue-nin with some difficulty. He was worried that Tonan and Kakashi wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the Mist rogue-nin, so he exchanged a few moves with the remaining Rock rogue-nin and got away.


    As for that rogue-nin, after experiencing Minato¡¯s strength first hand, he didn¡¯t dare chase after him.


    Five days later, Minato¡¯s team safely escorted Chigo to the Fire Temple.


    ¡°Thank you all.¡±


    After Chigo signed the mission sheet, he turned to Tonan. With a smile, he said, ¡°Tonan, if you become tired of the ninja life, you can consider coming to the Fire Temple.¡±


    Tonan put his palm together and replied, ¡°Thank you for your kind consideration but my dream is to gain all villagers¡¯ acknowledgment, then use my life to protect them. I will never leave the village.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. If your mind changes one day, you¡¯re welcome any time.¡±

 CH 56

    Notes:


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    Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Konoha¡¯s eight colors appear to be completely made by Naruto fans


    At the Underground Bounty Station, a group of trembling staff shrank in a corner.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Chigo was just an ordinary monk?¡± Kakazu grabbed the person in charge¡¯s collar with a gloomy face. Not only did he fail this mission, but he also lost two lives. If he hadn¡¯t escaped quickly, this miscalculation would have turned fatal for him.


    Facing the furious bounty hunter, the trembling station boss said, ¡°Kakazu-sama, that¡¯s what the intelligence said. We investigated him as well and there was no record of him ever taking any action.¡±


    Kakazu didn¡¯t let go and pursued, ¡°Do you know that I almost died there?¡± The person quickly replied, ¡°Since this happened due to an error in the information, our bounty station will compensate you.¡±


    ¡°Compensation!¡± Kakazu snorted with disdain before asking, ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    In the Hokage Residence, Namikaze Minato and his team reported the successful completion of the mission. Listening to the report and reading the Fire Temple¡¯s letter, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction and said, ¡°You all did a very good job. Because you encountered three jonin rogue-nin and the rumored bounty hunter, Kakazu, the Fire Temple has increased the reward to 600,000 Ryo. This mission is now promoted to A-rank. Considering Tonan and Kakashi¡¯s excellent performance, both will be promoted to chunin as special cases.¡±


    Tonan and Kakashi bowed to Hiruzen. ¡°Many thanks, Hokage-sama.¡±


    Hiruzen put away the mission sheet and continued, ¡°The mission reward is recorded in your bankbook. Now, take some rest. Hereafter, you don¡¯t need to take any D-ranked missions.¡±


    Seeing the official matter concluded, Tonan smiled. He then took out the gift he bought and placed it in front of Hiruzen. ¡°Hokage-sama, I got you something from Rose Street. Happy Birthday.¡±


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    Contrary to expectations, Hiruzen didn¡¯t react as enthusiastically. He merely nodded towards Tonan and said with a smile, ¡°Just the thought was enough. I¡¯ll leave it here, for now, and open it later tonight.¡± He moved the gift to the side as he spoke.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Tonan nodded without any change in expression. At this time, a middle-aged ninja in high spirits walked into the office. ¡°Hokage-sama!¡±


    The moment Hiruzen saw this person, a sincere smile appeared on his face. ¡°Shinnosuke, you¡¯re back. Come in and meet them, they¡¯re Konoha¡¯s future pillars.¡±


    Minato nodded at Sarutobi Shinnosuke and said, ¡°Hello, Shinnosuke-senpai, I¡¯m Namikaze Minato.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± Shinnosuke nodded with a smile and turned towards Tonan and Kakashi.


    ¡°These two are Konoha¡¯s famous geniuses, Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Tonan.¡± Hiruzen laughed and introduced them to Shinnosuke. ¡°Shinnosuke, as a senpai, you should look after them. These two young fellows just completed an A-ranked mission, and are promoted to chunin. Especially Tonan, he killed a Mist rogue-nin.¡±


    When Shinnosuke heard this, an inexplicable emotion flashed in his eyes. Looking at Tonan, he said,  ¡°Truly admirable.¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses, and replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not worth mentioning. The opponent was careless and fell for my illusion. I haven¡¯t seen Shinnosuke-senpai in the village before.¡±


    Shinnosuke reached out and patted Tonan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve been staying at the daimyo¡¯s. A few days ago, I applied for leave and came back to look around. Since I was here, I thought I could also find some outstanding ninjas and take them to the Fire Capital to help maintain order.¡±


    Tonan quietly nodded his head. Minato finally opened his mouth at this time, ¡°Hokage-sama, we¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s eyes on Shinnosuke didn¡¯t move and he casually waved his hand. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Tonan bowed towards Hiruzen and turned to leave. ¡°No wonder Hiruzen¡¯s being so cold to me. His biological son¡¯s back. If I recall correctly, Shinnosuke should be among the Konoha eight colors. He has been staying with the daimyo all along¡­ It seems Hiruzen intends to help his son ascend to a higher position.¡±


    ¡°And here I was wondering why I never gained his acknowledgment! Looks like I was nothing more than a dog he wanted to gift to his biological son. Everything he has done so far was to domesticate me for the son in his heart.¡± Tonan¡¯s steps didn¡¯t pause. But just before leaving the office, he glanced at the happily chatting father and son pair.


    ¡­¡­


    The next day, in the Konoha Hospital¡¯s corridor, Tonan pushed Sanbo Motoyoshi to the window to bask in the sun. ¡°Grandpa, rest here for a bit. I¡¯ll go get the medical report.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Motoyoshi waved his hand indifferently. Tonan came to the doctor¡¯s office and handed the token he received after completing the health checkup procedure. The doctor inspected it and took out a medical report from the drawer. ¡°Are you Sanbo Motoyoshi¡¯s relative?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m his grandson.¡±


    The doctor looked at various tests results in the report and explained, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with your grandpa. It¡¯s just that, as a person ages, the bodily function inevitably declines.¡±


    Tonan nodded and asked, ¡°Does the decline in bodily function have any effects?¡±


    ¡°It more or less affects the lifespan. Your grandpa is seventy-one this year. He¡¯s already advanced in age.¡±


    ¡°Can he accompany me to adulthood?¡±


    The doctor coughed and handed over the medical report to Tonan. ¡°How¡¯s that possible? In his condition, if he stayed happy, he can live for about five more years. But he has to rest more, and get enough sleep.¡±


    Tonan looked at the medical report, and with a solemn look, he said in a low voice, ¡°Doctor, may I make a request?¡±


    The doctor frowned and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Tonan continued, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell my grandpa that he can live for only five more years. No matter how he asks you, please say he can live a long life. He wants to see me get married and have children. I know how he is. Once he learns his time is limited, he won¡¯t be able to stop thinking about it.¡±


    The doctor appreciated Tonan¡¯s concern and nodded, ¡°We also understand this. It¡¯s a white lie after all. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell him.¡±


    Tonan bowed and thanked, ¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡±


    He crumpled the medical report and threw it into the trash. Smiling brightly, he left the doctor¡¯s office. ¡°Alright grandpa, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°What took you so long? Where¡¯s the medical report?¡±


    Tonan appeared like he was hiding something and said, ¡°The doctor said that there¡¯s no problem with your body, and you can live a long life. There¡¯s no need to take the report.¡±


    This made Motoyoshi suspicious. ¡°Are you lying to me?¡±


    Tonan smiled stiffly and replied, ¡°Why would I lie to you? You just live to be a hundred years old and hold your great-grandchildren.¡±


    After speaking, he hastily pushed Motoyoshi away. In the corridor, the doctor, who had just come out of the office, saw this and couldn¡¯t help sighing in admiration, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such a filial young fellow for a long time.¡±

 CH 57

    After returning home, Uchiha Tonan began cooking passionately. In the past, he would make two or three dishes, but today, he was uncharacteristic. He prepared eight dishes in one go.


    At the dinner table, Sanbo Motoyoshi¡¯s heart became restless seeing this. ¡°Why did you cook so much today? The two of us can¡¯t finish it.¡±


    Tonan explained while serving Motoyoshi a bowl of rice, ¡°The doctor said that I should give you more food and replenish your nutrition. If you want to eat something specific, just tell me. I¡¯ll make it for you tomorrow.¡±


    Motoyoshi shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not picky. Everything¡¯s delicious.¡±


    He picked up the rice bowl and began eating. For some reason though, Motoyoshi lost his appetite today. The dishes he relished in the past turned tasteless in his mouth. After the meal, Tonan didn¡¯t go to Hatake Kakashi¡¯s house for training either.


    Instead, he chatted with Motoyoshi in the courtyard while watching flowers. In the past, Tonan used to listen to Motoyoshi talk about his glory days. Today, however, he was the one who kept chatting, as if he would never have the chance to say these words again.


    Later at night, Tonan took the initiative to wash Motoyoshi¡¯s feet and was at it for over two hours. Motoyoshi saw Tonan¡¯s dull eyes, and his hands that kept washing his legs repeatedly. A trace of melancholy appeared on his face. Unable to finally endure, he sighed, ¡°Stop washing, child. If you continue, the remaining skin will be gone.¡±


    Tonan nodded quietly and took the water away before helping Motoyoshi to the bed.


    Coo coo


    Late at night, birds kept chirping outside the window. Motoyoshi tossed and turned on the bed. He couldn¡¯t fall asleep. He kept thinking about what was wrong with his body that made Tonan behave so odd today.


    ¡°If there was a cure, that child would¡¯ve definitely admitted me to the hospital for treatment. Since he didn¡¯t, does that mean the issue with my body is incurable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a crippled old man. The way I dealt with hunger in the past¡­ it would be a wonder if my health was good. But what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Motoyoshi kept fidgeting, thinking about several things. In the end, though, he tired out and gradually fell asleep. In the darkened room, snoring sounds began to resound.


    Just when Motoyoshi was about to enter deep sleep, he was awakened by a light sob. Moreover, this sound was coming from right beside him.


    Out of the instinctive reaction he developed since he was young, he immediately opened his eyes and turned to look over. He saw a dark figure sitting by his bedside. Motoyoshi recognized it was Tonan from the outline.


    He asked in confusion, ¡°Tonan, what¡¯re you doing here? Why didn¡¯t you go to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­ I couldn¡¯t sleep¡­ I wanted to see you more.¡± Tonan replied in a low voice.


    After a long time, Motoyoshi sighed and asked, ¡°Tell me honestly, is something wrong with my body?¡±


    Tonan shook his head vigorously and answered, ¡°There truly isn¡¯t. Don¡¯t think too much and sleep. I¡¯ll leave after watching you for a while.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    In the dark, Tonan stared at Motoyoshi quietly. Motoyoshi, who was feeling sleepy earlier, was no longer in the mood. He looked back at Tonan with a warm gaze.


    The next day, the sun had just risen. Motoyoshi sat in a wheelchair with dark circles under his eyes. He was being pushed around Konoha streets by Tonan as they strolled around.


    ¡°Grandpa, look, that used to be my school.¡±


    ¡°This school looks pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, look over there¡­ Hokage-sama works there.¡±


    ¡°Hokage Residence is being renovated again.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, look, look¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


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    At noon, Tonan made another table full of dishes. Motoyoshi listlessly ate the food and asked in a tone full of vicissitude, ¡°Tonan, are you going to train with Kakashi this afternoon?¡±


    Tonan shook his head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not going, I want to spend more time with you.¡±


    Motoyoshi looked at Tonan with affection and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to accompany me. Just go and train. I can hold on.¡±


    Tonan hesitated for a while, then pursed his lips and agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After the meal, he put a red envelope in Motoyoshi¡¯s coat pocket and worriedly said, ¡°Grandpa, if you¡¯ve any problem, you must immediately call the neighbors. After calling them, hand over this envelope first. They¡¯ll be more attentive then.¡±


    Motoyoshi patted Tonan¡¯s hand and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re just going for half a day. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Tonan nodded and reluctantly left. After about ten minutes had passed, Motoyoshi shook his head, trying to forcibly lighten his mood. With a sense of determination, he pushed his wheelchair out of home and headed towards Konoha Hospital alone.


    After half an hour, Motoyoshi found the doctor¡¯s office they met yesterday. ¡°Doctor, I came for a health checkup yesterday.¡±


    The doctor was surprised to see Motoyoshi alone. He looked around and discovered Tonan was not there. Therefore, he nodded and said, ¡°I remember you, you are Sanbo Motoyoshi, right?¡±


    Motoyoshi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I came today to ask about my health condition.¡±


    The doctor smiled, ¡°Your health is very good. There¡¯s no illness. Rest assured.¡±


    Motoyoshi did not believe this and asked again, ¡°So, how long can I live?¡±


    The question caught the doctor off guard for a moment. Recalling what Tonan had said yesterday, he coughed lightly and said, ¡°According to my years of medical experience, you¡¯ll live a hundred years without any problem.¡±


    Motoyoshi, who was observing the doctor¡¯s expression, noticed the change. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ I¡¯m a doctor, I¡¯m responsible for what I say.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a white lie, right?¡±


    The doctor¡¯s smile stiffened and he weakly said, ¡°How can that be¡­¡±


    Looking at the doctor¡¯s expression, the experienced Motoyoshi understood everything. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright¡­ that¡¯s good¡­ thank you, doctor.¡±


    After speaking, he pushed the wheelchair outside of the office. Behind him, the doctor shouted, ¡°Eat whatever you want, stay in a good mood, and get enough sleep.¡±


    This sentence made Motoyoshi even surer he didn¡¯t have long to live. After returning home, he took his chakra tanto hanging in the bedroom and gently stroked it.


    ¡°It seems I won¡¯t live long. No wonder Tonan has been so strange. I wonder when I¡¯ll die. Is it a year from now or two? Or is it in a few months? I never thought death was already this close to me. It seems it¡¯s time to pass the Sanbo Style Blade Technique to Tonan. After that, I¡¯ll have no regrets.¡±

 CH 58

    At night, Sanbo Motoyoshi looked at a dazzling lineup of food and sighed, ¡°Tonan, when are you going to test your chakra attribute to see if you have the wind attribute?¡±


    Uchiha Tonan raised his head, put the remaining rice of the bowl into his mouth, and said while chewing, ¡°I tested it. I just have the water, earth, fire, and lightning attributes¡­ no wind attribute.¡±


    Motoyoshi was stunned for a moment hearing this and asked again, ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    Tonan nodded, and while picking up the rice grains from his bowl with chopsticks, he stressed, ¡°I really don¡¯t have it.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have it, then you don¡¯t have it. It can¡¯t be forced.¡±


    Motoyoshi felt empty in his heart. He nodded and hesitatingly said, ¡°Today, I went to meet the doctor.¡±


    Tonan was dumbfounded for a moment. He raised his head slightly, and said without a change in expression, ¡°What did he tell you?¡±


    Motoyoshi smiled warmly and replied, ¡°Everything that should¡¯ve been told.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s expression became gloomy, and the chopsticks in his hand paused. He continued to quietly pick the rice grains. He had already finished the food in his bowl, but he didn¡¯t seem to realize it.


    Motoyoshi sighed inwardly and put on a smile. ¡°There¡¯s no rice in the bowl¡­ let me fill it for you.¡±


    Tonan put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a paper towel. His hand was trembling slightly. Without warning, he swept all the food on the table to the ground. His face was red, the veins on his neck bulged, and he was breathing heavily. Only after some time had passed, he composed himself and said in a calm tone, ¡°I¡¯ll go find him and settle the account.¡±


    Motoyoshi frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°Tonan, calm down!¡±


    Tonan pursed his lips and squatted down. He covered his eyes with one hand, and his whole body was quivering. Motoyoshi¡¯s eyes were full of anguish. He pushed his wheelchair to Tonan¡¯s side and reached out his hand to gently stroke his head. He comforted, ¡°Everyone has to die someday.¡±


    Tonan shook his head frantically while sobbing, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I¡¯m an ominous person. I harmed you. If you didn¡¯t have me, then you would¡¯ve been able to live a healthy life for a long, long time.¡±


    Motoyoshi shook his head and replied, ¡°It has nothing to do with you. If you weren¡¯t here, no one would even know if my corpse had rotted. In these last moments, just accompany me, alright?¡±


    Tonan nodded, and he seemed to suddenly remember something. He grabbed Motoyoshi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You won¡¯t die. I¡¯ll find a specialized doctor to examine you in a few days. Perhaps, that doctor was not skilled enough and made an error. When I met him, I felt he was not very reliable.¡±


    Motoyoshi was reluctant. ¡°There¡¯s no need, Tonan. Accept the reality, don¡¯t waste money.¡±


    ¡°No, he must be wrong!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright he slipped up. For now, though, it¡¯s enough as long as you stay with me.¡±


    Over the next few days, Tonan was always with Motoyoshi. Every day, before dawn, he would push the old man on the wheelchair to look around the village. In the afternoon, he would chat with him in the courtyard.


    At night, he would sleep until midnight and then go to Motoyoshi¡¯s bedroom to quietly watch him. Motoyoshi¡¯s situation deteriorated at a rate visible to the naked eyes. Sometimes, he even seemed to hallucinate and his speech gradually became unclear.


    On this day, Tonan went to the Hokage Residence to look for Sarutobi Hiruzen. Just as he entered the door, he saw Sarutobi Shinnosuke sitting on Hiruzen¡¯s desk, chatting with him while drinking tea.


    Seeing Tonan walk in, Shinnosuke hastily got off the desk and looked at him with a kind expression, ¡°Tonan, how come you¡¯re here?¡±


    Tonan put his hands on his knees and bowed to Hiruzen, ¡°Hokage-sama, there¡¯s something wrong with grandpa Motoyoshi. I want to issue a mission. Please help me find a medical-nin to examine him.¡±


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    ¡°Is that so!? Cough cough,¡± Hiruzen secretly winked at Shinnosuke and the latter helped Tonan get up. As if he was the older brother next door, he said with concern, ¡°Tonan, you won¡¯t need to issue a mission for this. I happen to know a top medical-nin. How about we meet him now? I believe he¡¯ll definitely try his best if I request him.¡±


    Tonan looked at Shinnosuke¡¯s seemingly sincere eyes and nodded with a moved expression. ¡°Thank you for helping me, Shinnosuke-senpai.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave, I¡¯ll take you to him.¡± Shinnosuke put his arms around Tonan¡¯s shoulder and led him out of the Hokage office. Hiruzen looked at the receding back of the two and took a deep breath. ¡°These tobacco shreds are truly good.¡±


    Half an hour later, Shinnosuke and Tonan found the medical-nin, and Tonan accurately reported Motoyoshi¡¯s recent situation. The more he listened, the more the medical-nin frowned and solemnly asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying your grandpa¡¯s morale began to collapse after learning he has only five years to live?¡±


    Tonan nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, grandpa hoped to live until he could hold a great-grandchild. This news gave him a big blow. No matter what you discover later, please tell him that the last result was wrong, he has no health problems, and he can live a long life. Please!¡± Tonan bowed deeply towards the medical ninja.


    The medical-nin sighed and agreed, ¡°I understand, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­


    In the courtyard, Motoyoshi was in the wheelchair basking in the sun and sleeping soundly. Suddenly, with a loud ¡®bang¡¯, the door was roughly pushed open by Tonan.


    Motoyoshi was awakened with a start. He saw Tonan hastily come over while pulling a medical-nin. Shinnosuke stood outside the door and didn¡¯t go in to disturb.


    ¡°Grandpa, this is Konoha¡¯s famous medical-nin.¡±


    Motoyoshi glanced at the doctor, nodded, and said, ¡°We¡¯ve troubled you.¡±


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    The medical-nin nodded, and without wasting time, started to check Motoyoshi¡¯s condition. As time passed, he frowned more deeply. Seeing his expression, Motoyoshi weakly asked, ¡°Doctor, can I be saved?¡±


    The medical-nin retracted his hands and answered with a smile, ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? Your health¡¯s very good. According to my experience, you can easily live to a hundred years.¡±


    Motoyoshi paled at this reply and said with a forced smile, ¡°Good¡­ that¡¯s good. Thank you.¡±


    Seeing the medical-nin was preparing to leave, Tonan hastily followed, ¡°Doctor, I¡¯ll see you off.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Tonan left the courtyard with him.

 CH 59

    Notes:


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    Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation is a jutsu that binds a deceased person¡¯s soul to a living vessel, restoring the dead as they were when alive to do the summoner¡¯s bidding


    Kinjutsu, meaning Forbidden Techniques, are techniques that have been banned from being taught or used


    After Uchiha Tonan walked out of the courtyard with the medical-nin, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was waiting outside, curiously asked, ¡°How¡¯s his condition?¡±


    The medical-nin signaled the two of them with his eyes. Tonan and Shinnosuke took the hint and followed him to some distance along the street. Only after that, the medical-nin stopped. Taking out a pen and paper to write the medical report, he said, ¡°His condition¡¯s serious. I estimate it¡¯s a psychological problem and it¡¯s severe enough to leave him only a few months to live. You¡¯ve to be prepared.¡±


    Tonan looked startled but slowly nodded. ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    Shinnosuke patted Tonan¡¯s shoulder lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll request Hokage-sama to approve a leave for you. You should spend time with that grandpa.¡±


    The medical-nin sighed and asked, ¡°Do you need me to give you a medical report?¡±


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll leave now. If I take too long, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll notice,¡± Tonan shook his head, bowed, and turned to leave.


    Just before he turned around, Sanbo Motoyoshi, who was observing from a distance, retracted his head and pushed the wheelchair back to the courtyard. Although he was unable to hear their conversation because of the distance, he could guess its gist from their actions and expressions.


    Motoyoshi had thoroughly given up hope now. ¡°It seems I truly can¡¯t live on¡­¡±


    After a while, Tonan walked in with a smile. ¡°Grandpa, the doctor said you¡¯re in good health. I was panicking unnecessarily. I¡¯ll cook us a fine meal.¡±


    Motoyoshi nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Cook less. In any case, we can¡¯t finish it¡­ don¡¯t tire yourself.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­


    Half a month later, lying in a bed in the Konoha Hospital, Motoyoshi, who had become skin and bones, used all his willpower to open a small crack in his eyes. With his last gasp, he said ¡°Child, I¡¯ve put my will in the bedside cabinet. Don¡¯t be sad. Promise me you¡¯ll live happily.¡±


    Tonan reached out and grabbed Motoyoshi¡¯s withered hand. He said with a calm look, ¡°You can rest assured, I¡¯ll inherit everything from you and live well. If you¡¯re tired, close your eyes and rest. Don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    ¡°Good child¡­¡± Warm memories of the two of them getting along flashed through Motoyoshi¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandpa. I¡¯ll do my best to clean your house.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, were you a ninja in the past?¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m Uchiha Tonan. I¡¯m not sure how to address you.¡±


    ¡°An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening, I always like to get up early. After all, early birds get the insects.¡±


    ¡°I want you to accompany me forever. After all¡­ I¡¯m an ill-fated person.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    There was some unwillingness in Motoyoshi¡¯s eyes as his eyelids slowly closed, and was replaced with a hint of a smile as he passed away peacefully. The medical device sounded an alarm.


    One of the hospital staff came in and stood behind Tonan, and comforted, ¡°The patient¡¯s heart has stopped. My condolences, child. Your grandfather reached the end of his lifespan.¡±


    ¡°I understand, please let me accompany him alone for a while.¡± Tonan quietly sat beside the hospital bed.


    In the last few days, Motoyoshi wanted to commit suicide a few times. But Tonan was by his side and didn¡¯t give him a chance. This was because Tonan wanted to test something. He wanted to see how much power he would get from a person dying a natural death.


    Just now, a warm current surged in his body, slowly spreading through every nerve and muscle. As Tonan examined it, he noticed the chakra hardly increased and the spiritual power was not much either. But there were many ninja experiences and about a dozen new techniques including the Sanbo Style ¨C Blade Technique that he got.


    ¡°Although the effect is much worse than expected, it¡¯s not that bad. After all, to a certain extent, chakra just increases battle endurance. If chakra could decide everything, then wouldn¡¯t the people summoned by the impure world reincarnation be invincible?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do belong to an inadequate chakra group and I need to continuously take extra nourishment. In addition, if I can, I should start to think of ways to get high-powered ninjutsu. In any case, with the system in my hands, as long as I hunt diligently, I¡¯ll definitely not lack chakra.¡±


    ¡°Returning to the key point here, though, this old fellow had some interesting things when he was young.¡±


    Among them, there were quite a few techniques, whose practical value was no less than kinjutsu in Tonan¡¯s eyes. Not only the Body Flicker ninjutsu that was mastered by all Konoha jonin, but Motoyoshi had also mastered the Shadow Clone Technique and the S-ranked ninjutsu called Reconstruction Technique.


    The Reconstruction Technique was a kind of secret nin-taijutsu that could change one¡¯s height, appearance, and voice. But it took roughly ten minutes to activate this technique and one couldn¡¯t just turn into another person.


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    The advantage of this technique was that other people couldn¡¯t see through it. There would be no effect in battling as well. After reconstruction, as long as one didn¡¯t take the initiative to remove it, even Byakugan wouldn¡¯t be able to see through it.


    Tonan had now mastered the Body Flicker Technique and the Shadow Clone Technique. These two would help him comprehend the Flicker Clone Technique.


    He believed that as long as he worked harder, he would be able to comprehend this profound meaning, greatly increasing his combat power.


    Soon, two days passed. Tonan found a scenic place to bury Motoyoshi. Following Motoyoshi¡¯s will, the land deed, money, and his chakra tanto all belonged to Tonan now. Once Motoyoshi¡¯s matter was settled, Tonan returned to the Uchiha district.


    The first thing he did after coming back was to visit the Great Elder, whom he had not seen for a while. In the Great Elder¡¯s living room, the two of them sat seiza-style, facing each other.


    The Great Elder looked at Tonan, who had gotten a lot taller and was carrying the chakra tanto. He nodded with satisfaction, ¡°It seems you miscalculated this time. That old man died too quickly.¡±


    Tonan sipped the tea and calmly said, ¡°That¡¯s alright. I managed to gain a lot.¡±


    The Great Elder also picked up the teacup, nodded with a smile, and said, ¡°That¡¯s also true. I heard that old man¡¯s name when I was still a genin. He was a famous miser, who just stayed in his house, never going out. However, now, all those assets belong to you. And this chakra blade is worth a lot as well.¡±


    Tonan shook his head and commented, ¡°These are just materialistic possessions. The biggest gain of this trip was Senior Motoyoshi¡¯s careful teaching.¡±


    The Great Elder frowned. He honestly couldn¡¯t figure out what a commoner ninja could teach Tonan. He asked in confusion, ¡°What could he possibly teach you?¡±


    Tonan smiled faintly and leisurely put down the teacup. He then slowly raised his right hand and pointed at a wall. The wind attribute chakra gradually condensed into a small ball at his fingertip and flew out.


    Puff


    A compressed air bullet shot out from his finger and hit the wall, leaving a hole in its wake. In the next moment, a beam of light entered the room through the hole, shining on the Great Elder¡¯s face.


    This was B-ranked no-seal ninjutsu mastered by Motoyoshi, Wind Style ¨C Air Bullet. Tonan had also thought of imitating Rasengan and rotating it, but he failed. After all, the size of the air bullet was too small, and it was very difficult to control.


    The Great Elder didn¡¯t care about the damage to the wall. Instead, he got up with excitement, and carefully examined the hole.


    ¡°This is¡­ you have the wind attribute chakra?!¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses, and said with a veiled smile, ¡°I tested it a while ago, and to my surprise, I¡¯m fortunate enough to have all five chakra attributes.¡±

 CH 60

    Notes:


    The Land of Rivers is a country that borders between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire.


    The Land of Rain is a small country that sits between Land of Earth, Land of Fire & Land of Wind


    The Great Elder¡¯s beard trembled in excitement, and he returned to his seat looking ecstatic. ¡°This is good, very good¡­ you¡¯re truly an Uchiha genius. Sharingan innately has copy ability. But because most of the clan members are limited by chakra attributes, they can¡¯t display the full potential of this ability.¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯re different. You¡¯ve all five attributes. As long as you have the time to grow, I believe you can even surpass Sarutobi Hiruzen, who is known as The Professor.¡±


    Uchiha Tonan nodded with a smile. He picked up the teapot, and pouring tea into the Great Elder¡¯s cup, he said, ¡°Oh, I almost forget to inform you. I was fortunate enough to be promoted to chunin some time ago.¡±


    The Great Elder calmed down and looked at the courteous Tonan. The more he saw, the more he increased Tonan¡¯s evaluation in his mind. Soon after, he laughed and said, ¡°I know about this, but since you had chosen ninjutsu not long ago, I thought I should let you train those for some more time before letting you choose again. However, I didn¡¯t expect you to have all five attributes.¡±


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, you can learn as many of the low-ranked ninjutsu the clan has, as you want. As for advanced compound ninjutsu¡­ Did you learn Flicker Clone Technique?¡±


    Tonan shook his head and lightly answered, ¡°I¡¯m still studying it but it won¡¯t be long before I succeed.¡±


    The Great Elder nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t be too impatient. After all, practicing the Flicker Clone Technique is extremely strenuous. Though with your talent, I believe you¡¯ll be able to practice it successfully. I¡¯d suggest don¡¯t learn any other superfluous advanced ninjutsu before you master it so you can conserve energy.¡±


    Tonan smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll comply with the Great Elder¡¯s suggestion.¡±


    ¡°Alright, wait for a bit.¡± The Great Elder got up and walked into the storage room. After a while, he returned to his seat and handed a sealed scroll to Tonan.


    ¡°This scroll records all low-ranked ninjutsu in the clan but other than lightning and fire style, the other attributed ninjutsu are relatively fewer.¡±


    Tonan smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. This is already enough. By the way, Great Elder, there¡¯s one thing I wanted to ask you. I want to buy some property with beautiful landscape in the village and build a welfare home.¡±


    ¡°Welfare home?¡± The Great Elder frowned. Tonan nodded and explained, ¡°The welfare home will include both orphanage and old-age home.¡±


    The Great Elder thought for a while and realized Tonan¡¯s plan. Although he didn¡¯t think this method would work, he chose to respect Tonan¡¯s decision. ¡°How big a place are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin with something as big as the Ninja Academy. We¡¯ll just expand it later if it¡¯s not large enough.¡±


    When the Great Elder heard this, he frowned as if he was thinking about something. After a long time, he sighed deeply and said with an embarrassed look, ¡°Tonan, you know that although I control the clan¡¯s finances, the other clan elders also review the monthly financial reports.¡±


    Tonan shook his head and clarified, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to ask the clan to pay for it. I¡¯ve inherited Senior Motoyoshi¡¯s properties and it¡¯s about 20 million Ryo.¡±


    After Tonan finished speaking, the Great Elder looked even more awkward.


    ¡°Is that insufficient?¡± Tonan asked in confusion.


    The Great Elder nodded, ¡°If it was twenty years ago, it would¡¯ve been enough. But now, Konoha¡¯s land price is becoming much more expensive. Your money is not enough even to buy land in the suburbs.¡±


    ¡°How much do I need then?¡±


    The Great Elder raised two fingers hearing his question and said, ¡°200 million, and that¡¯s just to buy the land in the suburbs.¡±


    Tonan inhaled a sharp breath and remained silent for a long time. He then stood up and bowed to the Great Elder, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll return to train now. Farewell.¡±


    At home, Tonan carved a wooden statue of Motoyoshi. He then came to a secret room and spread open the sealed scroll. While browsing through the ninjutsu, he mulled over his future course of action.


    Tonan wanted to build a welfare home to adopt Konoha¡¯s orphans and the lonely old people. This way, he could gain their acknowledgment and then, quietly harvest them in secret. He planned to harvest one batch after another in a steady cycle, just like crops.


    Orphans would replenish his chakra and spiritual energy, while the old people would provide him with various experiences and ninjutsu. He never expected Konoha¡¯s property price would reach such exaggerated levels that it would bring his plan to a grinding halt.


    The guaranteed minimum reward for an S-ranked mission was just one million Ryo. With this as a benchmark, he calculated he needed to perform at least over a hundred S-ranked missions to collect 200 million Ryo.


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    It looked like he had to shelve this plan for the time being.


    ¡­¡­..


    In the coming days, Tonan followed Namikaze Minato and Hatake Kakashi to execute some ordinary C-ranked missions. Most of the time though, he either learned new ninjutsu or trained with Kakashi.


    Since he was in the golden age of physical development, his strength grew rapidly every day. As for to what extent he had reached, Tonan himself was not sure because he had no target to test his strength. After all, it was not wise to display his true strength in front of Kakashi and the others.


    It was also worth noting that Tonan would often encounter Sarutobi Shinnosuke in various places by coincidence. Every time they met, Shinnosuke taught him ninjutsu and inquired about his well-being. Tonan sensed Shinnosuke was intentionally showing goodwill towards him, trying to draw him to his side.


    In addition, every time Tonan followed Minato to the Hokage Residence to report mission completions, Hiruzen would mention Shinnosuke by accident or by design. Konoha¡¯s considerate green sprout this and cherishes villagers that and so on. It was like introducing a blind date!


    That being the case, Tonan also didn¡¯t resist getting closer to Shinnosuke. Hiruzen was after all still in power. But peaceful days were always short.


    On this day, Minato received an emergency alert, and his team gathered at the Hokage Residence again. Hiruzen didn¡¯t take out the mission sheet but explained its content in a solemn tone.


    ¡°This is a sub-mission of an S-ranked mission, set to be A-ranked for the time being. Not long ago, there was a coup d¡¯¨¦tat in the Land of Rivers, which its daimyo suppressed. However, many participants in the coup were wandering ninjas. After the coup failed, they kidnapped Land of Rivers¡¯ Princess Haruka and fled to the Land of Rain. The Land of Rivers¡¯ daimyo was furious and issued an S-ranked rescue mission to Suna, Ame, Iwa, and Konoha, all at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Because of this, the nature of the mission also changed. Whichever village rescues Princess Haruka will prove its ability and success in completing missions. Hatake Sakumo, captain of an Anbu unit, and Aburame Torune, captain of Root, have already set off. I believe with their strength, they will be able to rescue the princess.¡±


    ¡°As for your mission, go to the five towns at the Land of Fire border respectively and stay there as reinforcement. After receiving the hostage, you¡¯ll escort the hostage together from the Land of Fire to the Land of Rivers. In this mission, saving the hostage is the top priority.¡±


    ¡°As for your other two teammates, they are already waiting at the village¡¯s gate. When the time comes, you can just follow their instructions.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Team Nine responded in unison and left the Hokage Residence, heading towards the village gate.

 CH 61

    Notes:


    Raikiri, an S-ranked jutsu also known as Lightning Blade, is Hatake Kakashi¡¯s signature technique


    After Team Nine left the Hokage Residence, Sarutobi Shinnosuke walked into the office. ¡°Old man, why didn¡¯t you let me take this mission? Even if you didn¡¯t want me to go to the hostage rescue, why didn¡¯t you let me take charge of this mission that¡¯s not dangerous?¡±


    Sarutobi Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and said in a low voice, ¡°With White Fang in the lead, this mission is essentially not an issue. You¡¯re aware Konoha is not receiving enough missions lately. This reinforcement mission¡¯s rank is high, but there¡¯s almost no danger, so all forces want to take it.¡±


    ¡°Among the five available slots, Danzo asked for two. As for the remaining three, after careful consideration, I decided it¡¯d be more appropriate to assign them to Minato¡¯s team. After all, I intend for Tonan to accompany you to the Land of Fire soon.¡±


    ¡°Judging from his talent, he¡¯ll become a powerhouse sooner or later, which can help you tremendously. This mission is just to make his ninja career record look better. Don¡¯t compete with your future subordinates and just take a good break.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­


    Ten minutes later, Uchiha Tonan¡¯s party arrived at the village gate. They saw two Konoha ninjas there, both wearing green flak jackets and forehead protectors, each carrying a tachi on their back.


    ¡°Are you Konoha¡¯s Team Nine? Let¡¯s introduce ourselves briefly, I¡¯m Kamiya Kazuki.¡±


    ¡°Yoshida Taro.¡± The other jonin said coldly.


    Both of them had deadpan, near paralyzed faces. They introduced themselves expressionlessly. Tonan adjusted his glasses. He was seventy percent certain these two were from the Root.


    Minato nodded and said, ¡°Namikaze Minato.¡±


    Kakashi said indifferently, ¡°Hatake Kakashi.¡±


    And Tonan placed his hands on his knees, bowed very politely, and said, ¡°Uchiha Tonan, please take care of me.¡±


    ¡°Is he the mission target Danzo-sama mentioned?¡± Kazuki showed a stiff smile and said, ¡°Let¡¯s first complete the formalities to leave the village, then I¡¯ll arrange the garrison sites according to your strengths.¡±


    The five of them headed to the registration office at the village gate and then passed through Konoha¡¯s barricade. After walking out of the village, Kazuki took out several maps from his ninja bag.


    ¡°There are five towns with garrisons stationed in them, and each has a different probability of reinforcing the two lords. You three, show the ninjutsu you excel at. I need to get a general understanding of your strength.¡±


    Minato scratched his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m proficient in the Flying Thunder God¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, and just show it.¡± Taro impassively berated, being completely discourteous to Minato. The interruption stifled Minato but he was easygoing by nature. He didn¡¯t get offended and instead sincerely demonstrated.


    He threw a special kunai, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared in another spot.


    Kazuki¡¯s stiff smile was back again. He picked out a map and handed it over to Minato. ¡°Very good, your speed is excellent. This is the map of the town you¡¯ll be stationed in.¡±


    Kazuki turned to Kakashi, who simply raised his hands without saying anything.


    Crackle, crackle, crackle


    Harsh sounds of birds chirping reverberated. Kakashi crouched slightly as his left hand held his right wrist. His right hand was curved like a tiger¡¯s claw, ball-shaped lightning flashing violently in it.


    The scattering electric current looked terrifying and everyone¡¯s pupils shrank. Even Tonan wondered, ¡°Has he already developed the Raikiri? Kakashi¡¯s talent is simply absurd.¡±


    Kakashi suddenly rushed towards the big tree beside him.


    Bang


    A big hole appeared in the tree¡¯s trunk and Kakashi retracted his hand. His body trembled slightly as he panted.


    Tonan raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°False alarm, that¡¯s just a half-done product. It flexibly transforms the chakra¡¯s shape and nature but it didn¡¯t use the lightning element to stimulate the body¡¯s potential and enhance the speed. Without incredible speed, this Raikiri¡¯s destructive power is mediocre. Not to mention, it causes high damage to the user.¡±


    The other three also saw through these flaws but they didn¡¯t undermine Kakashi even for a moment due to this. For a chunin, this move could be a clincher. It was evident that the present immature technique was self-created and no-seal ninjutsu. There was immense potential for development.


    Kazuki nodded, and handed over a map to Kakashi. ¡°It¡¯s a promising ninjutsu. This is your map.¡±


    Kazuki and Taro next turned to Tonan at the same time. Tonan adjusted his glasses and said with an embarrassed look, ¡°Senpai, I¡¯m good at the Sharingan genjutsu and it can only be used against human targets. It seems I cannot show it here.¡±


    Taro squinted his eyes and coldly said, ¡°Use it against us, and use your full power.¡±


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    Tonan nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡± He closed his eyes and opened again as the three tomoe slowly spun in it.


    Taro and Kazuki were both expressionless, not giving any inkling into their thoughts. Tonan finished making hand signs and asked politely, ¡°Senpai, may I begin?¡±


    Kazuki nodded.


    ¡°Senpai, please look at my eyes. If you don¡¯t do that, it¡¯ll not work.¡±


    Without any hesitation, the two stared straight at Tonan¡¯s eyes.


    In the next moment. ¡°Genjutsu ¨C Hell Viewing Technique.¡±


    The surrounding vicinity underwent subtle changes, which unless closely observed, wouldn¡¯t be discernable at all. Kazuki and Taro noticed that Minato and his team disappeared.


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    Kazuki looked around and said lightly, ¡°Is this the Sharingan¡¯s genjutsu?¡±


    Taro stood there without any change in expression.


    Swish


    Suddenly, a ninja wearing an animal-style mask appeared in front of them, and said in a loud voice, ¡°You two, the mission has changed, Dan¡­¡±


    Before the other party finished speaking, Taro made a hand sign.


    The illusion was shattered.


    Ah


    Tonan screamed in pain. They saw Tonan hunched over with his hands on his knees, blood and tears overflowing from his eyes. He was experiencing the genjutsu backlash.


    Taro said indifferently, ¡°Your genjutsu is rubbish.¡±


    His team member hurt and rebuked seemed to rattle Minato and he retorted on Tonan¡¯s behalf, ¡°Genjutsu is not suitable for facing the enemy head-on. Tonan¡¯s genjutsu is very powerful. It¡¯s just that you were warned and prepared, so the effect was not as strong.¡±


    Kazuki smiled apologetically and handed a map to Tonan. ¡°Sorry Tonan, Taro is always like this. Alright, this is your map. Let¡¯s head to the border together.¡±


    Had Taro not forcefully broken the illusion, Kazuki himself would¡¯ve done it. The genjutsu caster could see what¡¯s occurring in the illusion. It was very likely that the information would be leaked. And regardless of whether it exposed Danzo¡¯s information or about their mission, both were not feasible for Kazuki and Taro.

 CH 62

    Notes:


    Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal was given to Root members to ensure no information about the organization or Shimura Danzo was leaked


    Swish


    Suddenly, a ninja wearing an animal-style mask appeared in front of them, and said in a loud voice, ¡°You two, the mission has changed, Danzo-sama has an order.¡±


    Kamiya Kazuki and Yoshida Taro instinctively knelt on one knee and lowered their heads. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Immediately though they both exchanged a look and reacted at the same time. It was impossible for Root members, who had the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, to call Danzo¡¯s name out loud.


    Therefore, the two of them made a hand sign at the same time and sped up the flow of their chakra.


    ¡°Genjutsu, break.¡±


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    ¡°Genjutsu, break.¡±


    Puff


    The moment the illusion shattered, Uchiha Tonan spat out a mouthful of blood, and his Sharingan automatically deactivated. Bloody tears spilled from the corner of his eyes.


    Namikaze Minato and Hatake Kakashi immediately ran to his side to support him. Seeing Tonan¡¯s miserable appearance, Kakashi glared at Kazuki and Taro, his hand reaching into his bag to tightly grab a kunai.


    Minato, who was always temperate in his demeanor, too was furious. He asked Kazuki and Taro with a standoffish look, ¡°It¡¯s just a test, why did you have to forcefully break the genjutsu?¡±


    Tonan hastily waved his hand and weakly interjected, ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ it¡¯s me who didn¡¯t think it through. I forgot to tell senpai the code to stop the test. This was the only way for them to break the genjutsu.¡±


    Kazuki wanted to make an apologetic expression, but since he always had an impassive face, he didn¡¯t know how to. Therefore, he just bowed to Tonan and apologized, ¡°Sorry, we didn¡¯t expect your genjutsu to be so potent. Out of instinct, we subconsciously broke it forcibly. Your Sharingan genjutsu is truly powerful.¡±


    Tonan smiled with a pale face and shook his head, ¡°Senpai, you are praising me too much. If the enemies are on guard and keep their eyes shut, I can¡¯t accomplish anything.¡±


    When everyone present heard this, they couldn¡¯t help but frown a bit.


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    Kakashi and Minato both thought, ¡°Tonan¡¯s too na?ve. He divulged such vital information to others.¡±


    Kazuki and Taro looked at each other without batting an eyelid. Kazuki handed the map to Tonan and said, ¡°This is your map.¡± He then gestured at Taro, who took out three thumb-sized tubes with a small red button from his bag.


    ¡°This is a signal flare, one for each person. Release it when you come into contact with the two lords. At that time, everyone must immediately head to its location for support.¡±


    Since Tonan didn¡¯t argue with the two, Minato and Kakashi also kept their peace. In any case, they did apologize and their action didn¡¯t seem intentional. The three of them took the signal flare from Taro and put them in their bags.


    ¡°Tonan, rest for a bit, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± Minato thoughtfully carried the weakened Tonan on his back. The five people advanced towards the Land of Fire border.


    For about two days, the group was dashing across the forest. According to the map, after a short while, everyone would part ways and take off to their respective garrison towns. Along the way, Tonan was contemplating the abnormal aspects of this mission.


    The first was the mission itself. An S-ranked mission that needed both Anbu and Root captains¡­


    This was around the time that Hatake Sakumo was going to die, which implied this mission was most likely to fail. Unfortunately for him, even though he had worked hard for so long, he had not gained Sakumo¡¯s acknowledgment. Though he learned much about the Samurai spirit from Sanbo Motoyoshi, he had yet to find a suitable time to have a conversation with Sakumo alone.


    ¡°Am I really going to miss out on a big fish like Sakumo? No, if I can¡¯t get his acknowledgment, I should stop his suicide. Either way, once he acknowledges me, with his glass heart, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to put him to death.¡±


    There was one more point Tonan found fishy and it was regarding the two strange teammates for this reinforcement mission. Tonan had used the Hell Viewing Technique to see through their deepest fears but he didn¡¯t find much.


    Fortunately, the genjutsu continued, which indicated those two did have people or things they dreaded, and from the illusion, it was obvious Danzo was one of them.


    Coupled with their usual paralyzed faces, it was practically certain they were Root ninjas. Tonan wouldn¡¯t dare to relax his vigilance in front of the subordinates of a villain like Danzo, who stopped at nothing to do evil.


    Especially since he knew that Orochimaru was already experimenting with the Sharingan. There had been no news of missing people in the clan recently, so Danzo might be lacking Sharingan now. But the Uchiha ninjas joined the Konoha Police Force and it was a bad idea for Danzo to make a move within the village.


    Wasn¡¯t he the best prey then?


    Three hours later, the group had already reached closer to the Land of Fire borders. As per the plan, the five of them parted ways and headed towards the towns according to their maps.


    Tonan, however, kept an eye out. Some of his white pigeons followed Kazuki and Taro from a distance.


    After about half a day, Tonan arrived in his designated town. This kind of a place that was closer to the border, was typically not prosperous. Most of the civilians engaged in farming and some simple business activities.


    Being a border, the Land of Fire soldiers were stationed here and some genins, who had accepted C-ranked missions, were also here. Most of these genins were relatively older and had no promotion prospects.


    Although the reward for a C-ranked mission was not too high, it had long-term stability, and there was also a certain amount of profit. Tonan greeted them briefly and checked into an inn following the duty captain¡¯s arrangements.


    He put the tea leaves he carried along into the teapot, mixed it with water, and boiled it on the gas stove.


    After that, he waited calmly. No matter how strong Sakumo was, he would have just about entered the Land of Rain. Calculating the distance and the inevitable battles along the way to rescue the hostage, it would take about seven or eight days for anything to happen.


    He didn¡¯t need to be anxious. Since he knew the original plot, he knew Sakumo would fail this time. He just didn¡¯t know one thing ¡ª Sakumo chose to give up the mission to save whom.


    The person he saved also blamed him so it was unlikely to be Kakashi or Minato. From this hypothesis, it could only be the three Root Ninjas involved in the mission.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve not gained Sakumo¡¯s acknowledgment yet, should I first get rid of those two teammates? But then, the mission might not end up in failure. I do have time to figure things out.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s thoughts made him smile. He got up and lifted the steaming teapot from the gas stove, and returned to the table.

 CH 63

    Notes:


    According to Chinese beliefs, the dead must pass three tests before passing to the next life, the first being the Bridge of Helplessness


    Just when Uchiha Tonan was considering whether or not to kill the two dubious teammates, he noticed something through the white pigeon¡¯s sight. It was precisely those two who right now had briefly greeted the garrison towns¡¯ personnel and sneaked out.


    A playful smile slowly formed on Tonan¡¯s face as he poured the tea into the cup and took a sip. A moment later he chuckled as if he thought of something funny. ¡°Is living well not enough for you all? Why do you keep provoking me? I¡¯m walking on the broad road, but you want to cross your Bridge of Helplessness. It¡¯s not very smart.¡±


    Time passed by and the sky gradually darkened. The town¡¯s civilians returned home to rest, leaving behind only a few small and dim lamps on the streets to battle the pervasive darkness. As if worried the gloom was not sufficient, it began to drizzle.


    Since this place was near the Land of Rain, showers and downpours were commonplace here. The fine rain knitted into a soft net, like a sticky and wet cobweb, covering the entire town. Under its curtain, the sounds of insects and birds disappeared in unison, and the town was as quiet as a graveyard.


    At this moment, two figures quietly appeared at the town¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Is he in your perception range yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can sense him. He¡¯s in that inn, very likely on the second floor.¡±


    ¡°That brat¡¯s genjutsu is a bit powerful. To be on the safe side, we¡¯ll close our eyes as soon as he activates the Sharingan. As long as we don¡¯t look at his eyes, he¡¯ll be defenseless.¡±


    The two looked at each other and slinked into the town. As for the soldiers and the genin on duty, they were very unlikely to detect their trace.


    Rumble


    With rumbling sounds, the rain became heavier, pouring down in torrents on the ground. The inn¡¯s second floor was pitch black but lightning flashes occasionally lit up the corridor. At this moment, two humanoid-shaped figures, hanging upside down from the ceiling, could vaguely be seen on either end of the corridor.


    Yoshida Taro made a hand sign and sensed Tonan¡¯s exact location. The two treaded softly from both ends to the center of the ceiling. It was pouring heavily, the dense pitter-patter covering the sleeping sound of the inn rooms.


    The two of them walked to a door, step by step, and lightly landed on the floor. Taro gave Kamiya Kazuki a signal with his eyes and they slowly pulled out their tachi.


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    Kazuki reached out his left hand and gently touched the door.


    The next moment.


    Bang!


    The door was blasted open, and it was pitch dark inside. The two turned into shadows as they rushed in. Tonan, who was sleeping soundly, woke up with a start. He quickly turned over and sat up.


    He looked at the two intruders and activated his Sharingan. But at that moment, the two simultaneously closed their eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s you two!¡± Tonan exclaimed. Kazuki and Taro didn¡¯t care about his fuss and ferociously thrust their tachi in the direction of his voice.


    Bang!


    Tonan turned into a cloud of smoke. The two noticed something was wrong, and Taro used Sensing Technique. Immediately afterward, he frowned and said, ¡°That was just a shadow clone. There¡¯s no one in the room, let me detect him.¡± Taro began to increase his perception range.


    Crash


    Just at that moment, they heard the sound of a trashcan knocking over downstairs. The two opened their eyes, and Kazuki hastily rushed to the window and looked below. He spotted Tonan frantically trying to escape in the rain, running into the distance.


    ¡°Chase!¡±


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    The two jumped out of the window. One pursued him through the streets holding his tachi, and the other followed him from the rooftops.


    ¡°Help! Enemy attack!¡± Tonan yelled while running wildly. His every step was so heavy that the water on the ground splashed high. His bawl seemed to awaken the quiet town from its slumber. In the narrowly packed residential area, one window after another began lighting up.


    ¡°That damned brat.¡± Kazuki cursed and nodded towards Taro on the rooftop. Taro understood his signal. He sheathed his tachi and formed hand seals. Kazuki joined him on the roof and placed his palms on Taro¡¯s back, transmitting his chakra.


    ¡°Nirvana Temple Technique.¡±


    Many white feathers appeared in the sky and fluttered down to the ground. These feathers seemed illusory. They bypassed the walls and fell into every household. The residents and the genin stationed in the town fell into a deep sleep one after another.


    Because this technique¡¯s range was too large, Kazuki and Taro consumed over half of their chakra. But they had no time to recoup because Tonan was already out of the town and running towards the mountain not far away.


    To avoid troubles that might arise due to a delay, the two decided to overlook their chakra consumption. They used the Body Flicker Technique to increase their speed but they were shocked to discover that Tonan too had learned this technique at some point.


    Whenever they were close to catching up, he would use it to increase the distance.


    Rumble


    Furious thunderclaps were continuously reverberating throughout the mountain for a long time. In the blink of an eye, the sound of rain had turned deafening. The sky seemed to have countless holes, the abundant rain pouring on earth like a waterfall.


    Coo coo


    Coo coo


    Shrill bird cries grew louder in the mountain forest, making people shudder.


    Step, step, step¡­


    The mountain forest soil was soaked by the rainwater and turned into mud. Tonan ran desperately. He turned back from time to time, his face displaying his panic and terror. Kazuki and Taro continuously jumped one branch after another with tachi in their hands not leaving sight of their target.


    They were soaked by the rainwater but did not have a single mud stain on their clothes. The distance between them and Tonan was shrinking at a noticeable speed.


    Tonan was a trifling chunin in the end. Using the Body Flicker Technique several times was challenging his limit. In their view, he was already a lump of meat on the chopping board waiting to be hacked.


    Thump


    Perhaps because the ground was too slippery, Tonan accidentally fell. He was covered in sludge from head to toe, his appearance miserable. But on the brink of death, he did not care about it. He heaved himself up and crawled on his limbs to get up and run away.


    Suddenly, he stopped. He realized there was no way to run further because there was a cliff up ahead. He didn¡¯t think much or pause for long and ran in another direction. But he stopped again, his panic turning into utter despair.


    Kazuki and Taro were standing on a big tree straight ahead, staring at him indifferently with tachi in their hands. On their otherwise wooden faces, only their eyes had a hint of disdain.


    Tonan gasped for breath, knelt on the mud, and slammed his head on the ground. He begged them for mercy, ¡°Senpai¡­ please let me go¡­¡±

 CH 64

    Root members would not waste their words on an assassination target, especially when their objective was unambiguous. Ignoring his pleas, Kamiya Kazuki and Yoshida Taro jumped down from the tree and attacked Uchiha Tonan.


    Tonan raised his head and activated his scarlet Sharingan.


    ¡°Genjutsu ¨C Hell Viewing Technique.¡±


    However, the two were guarded against his genjutsu from the very beginning. As soon as he had moved his head, they closed their eyes in unison.


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Tonan gritted his teeth and cursed. The moment they landed on the ground, they used Body Flicker Technique with all their power and disappeared in an instant. In the next moment, they were on Tonan¡¯s left and right sides respectively.


    They ferociously thrust their tachi forward, aiming at his waist.


    Puchi


    Blood splattered everywhere. Tonan was stabbed. His eyes were wide open, his mouth slightly parted and blood spurted out like free-flowing water. Finally, he gave up and lowered his head.


    Rumble


    Thunder clapped all around. Lightning flashes made strange shapes and spread out in all directions, splitting the entire sky. It was like a doomsday scene.


    Just when the two were immersed in the joy of completing the mission¡­


    Coo coo


    Coo coo


    Impatient bird cries emerged from everywhere. In the dark forest, many pairs of scarlet and savage Sharingan lit up, looking like a blood-drenched swarm of fireflies.


    ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s all¡­ Sharingan¡­¡± Kazuki¡¯s eyes shrunk, and he gulped. Suddenly, the two of them felt a sharp pain in their abdomens and vomited a mouthful of blood at the same time. They intuitively looked at the source of their torment and their eyes widened in horror.


    They saw Tonan¡¯s head had turned 180 degrees and he was looking at them with cold-blooded eyes. His Sharingan had begun to slowly spin.


    ¡°They¡¯re hungry, I¡¯ll have to trouble you two.¡±


    The next moment, Tonan exploded like an inflated balloon and white pigeons eagerly competed with each other to fly out. What alarmed them more was the realization that they had pierced through each other¡¯s bodies with their own tachi.


    Their blood flowed along the blade and dripped on the ground. Kazuki and Taro simultaneously turned their heads with difficulty and looked at the white pigeons gathering on the cliff¡¯s edge.


    The pigeons fused one by one and turned into Tonan. He didn¡¯t have the miserable appearance from earlier. On the contrary, he had gotten an umbrella at some point and was looking into the distance. There was not a speck of dirt on his body. He may even pass off as a relaxed sightseer.


    Looking at his back view, holding an umbrella, the two of them became absentminded. After a while, they came back to their senses. The previous scenes in their memory collapsed inch by inch and they recovered their true memories.


    ¡­¡­


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    The moment they opened the door, they wanted to kill Tonan. When Tonan used the Sharingan genjutsu, they closed their eyes to avoid it.


    However, they hadn¡¯t closed their eyes at all, and they unknowingly fell into the genjutsu. In this illusion, they used all their strength to release the Nirvana Temple Technique, which almost exhausted their chakra. Tonan leisurely held up an umbrella and led the two, who were like walking corpses, out of the town¡­


    All the way to this place¡­


    Later, he controlled them to stab each other.


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    ¡°But when¡­¡± Kazuki vomited blood and asked in disbelief. Tonan slowly turned around, and his cold and serene Sharingan was spinning slowly. He smiled politely and said in a gentle voice, ¡°When we were at the village gate, I used genjutsu on you. Didn¡¯t you want to see it?¡±


    ¡°How is it? Was it any good? Never mind, I¡¯ve got an even better technique to show you.¡±


    Tonan initiated the Secret Technique ¨C Beast Infestation. Just after he finished, the white pigeons lurking in the forest shrieked at the same time. Their bodies enlarged by several times, and their feathers became raven black and glowed with a metallic luster.


    Their soft beaks changed into hard black hooked fangs and they rushed towards the two people who were already a withering oil lamp.


    Ah


    Flesh tearing and bones crushing sounds filled up the forest.


    In this place, the rain goes away as quickly as it comes. Soon, the dark clouds dissipated, and the downpour gradually stopped. The distant mountain range¡¯s outline was framed with a golden hue.


    ¡°What nice weather.¡± Tonan narrowed his eyes, closed the umbrella, and casually threw it down the cliff.


    Coo coo


    A white pigeon that had eaten its fill turned back into its docile appearance and landed on his shoulder. It affectionately rubbed its head against Tonan¡¯s cheek. He smiled gently and reached out to caress the white pigeon¡¯s head. ¡°Since my senpai asked to see the full power of my genjutsu, it would be really bad for me as a kohai to refuse.¡±


    The white pigeon nodded like a human. At this moment, another white pigeon flew over and landed on Tonan¡¯s other shoulder. He looked at this pigeon and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you for your thoughts, but I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    The white pigeon¡¯s eyes flashed. It raised its head and swallowed the meat in its mouth. Soon afterward, several white pigeons landed on his body one after another. On the horizon, a red sun peeked from the range¡¯s morning mist, dyeing the morning red. It also dyed Tonan and the white pigeons in the same shade.


    ¡°Disperse, return and be alert.¡± Tonan stretched himself and walked towards the town located at the mountain¡¯s foot. While passing by the place where the two Root members had died, he picked up the ninja bags with disgust. He took out the useful things and put them into his bag.


    Coo coo


    Behind, the white pigeons flew away chirping. The morning mist gradually dispersed under the sunlight, and the world became clearer. Not far from the cliff, there were bits and pieces of clothes and two Konoha forehead protectors on the mud.


    The next moment.


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Dark Swamp.¡± The soil turned into a swamp, swallowing all traces.


    Tonan had in fact left behind a trick at the village gate itself. On one hand, he intentionally let out that his Sharingan genjutsu would have no effect if the opponents shut their eyes. On the other hand, he used the hypnotic eye to place a suggestion in their subconscious in the illusion world.


    When those two violently broke his genjutsu, he had taken the initiative to dispel the illusion and went along with the flow after that. Tonan had thought it would take a long time before he would be able to use this trick. However, beyond his expectation, the chance came so soon.


    When Kazuki and Taro broke into his room, Tonan had triggered the trick he placed in their subconscious before. As a result, when they saw Tonan activating the Sharingan, they subconsciously thought they had shut their eyes but their eyes were wide open, and they were affected by the full power of his genjutsu. In context to this, Tonan¡¯s evaluation of the two was only two words.


    Offering themselves.

 CH 65

    Uchiha Tonan returned to the town, had breakfast in a hotel, and went back to the inn to catch up on sleep. The next few days, the town was calm. Tonan stayed in the inn, continuously using white pigeons to monitor if anyone was coming from the border.


    As each day passed, he felt something was amiss. With Hatake Sakumo¡¯s strength, he should have already returned by now. Could it be that Sakumo and the others arrived at the towns where the two Root ninjas were stationed?


    Since there was no one there, no one released the signal flare to notify the rest of the team members?


    This was possible. However, Tonan had no intention to go over and investigate.


    If by chance he did run into them, how would he explain? Should he say he had some sort of telepathy and guessed the jonin stationed in that town had disappeared?


    In the middle of the night on the tenth day, a red light streaked across the sky, flying over to the town. Tonan got up and rushed to the window to look over. He saw a red light arriving in the sky above the town and exploding like fireworks.


    ¡°Looks like this signal flare had tracing properties,¡± Tonan muttered to himself.


    Soon afterward, he jumped out of the window and ran toward the direction the red light had flown over. Kamiya Kazuki and Yoshida Taro had intentionally arranged for Tonan to be in the farthest border town to seize the Sharingan.


    This place was the outermost from where the signal flare was released. Tonan ran for nearly five hours before he arrived at the location. The sky had already turned bright. This place was also a garrison town.


    He saw Hatake Kakashi standing at the town¡¯s intersection. Seeing Tonan, he waved his hand. Tonan ran over and pretended to be panting as he asked, ¡°What about the mission?¡±


    ¡°Failed.¡± Kakashi shrugged indifferently.


    Tonan frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? With White Fang-sama involved, how can it fail?¡±


    Kakashi looked behind him, then lowered his voice. ¡°That guy was poisoned by Suna, and to save him, my father exchanged the hostage for the antidote.¡±


    Tonan suddenly realized, ¡°So, that¡¯s what happened¡­ That¡¯s the correct choice. After all, that person is the Root captain, and for Konoha, he¡¯s more important than the hostage. In any case, even if the hostage was handed over, Suna would also escort the hostage safely to the employer. Konoha just lost the rewards. It¡¯s not a major problem.¡±


    ¡°That guy has a conscience. He said he¡¯d make up for this mission¡¯s monetary reward after returning to the village.¡±


    After speaking, Kakashi pointed to a tea shop in the town behind him and said, ¡°Minato-sensei has already arrived, you can join them. I¡¯ve to wait for the other two guys.¡±


    Tonan smiled faintly and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting all this while. How about I wait here instead? Your father failed the mission, you should go console him.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t want to meet the Root captain, lest he might give himself away when talking about the other two. Kakashi rolled his dead-fish eyes and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to console. It¡¯s just an S-ranked mission.¡±


    Tonan reached out, pushed Kakashi, and said, ¡°Just go. In any case, it¡¯s the same whether you wait or I wait.¡±


    Since Kakashi failed to persuade Tonan, he could only nod. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Time passed by slowly. It was already noon but there was no sign of the other two team members.


    Sakumo, Aburame Ryoma, Namikaze Minato, and Kakashi had all come to the town¡¯s intersection. Sakumo said solemnly, ¡°They¡¯re still not here. Perhaps, they ran into enemies. Let¡¯s divide into two teams and look for them.¡±


    However, Ryoma rejected this suggestion without hesitation. ¡°No need, since they haven¡¯t arrived yet and haven¡¯t called for help with signal flares, they are dead.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go check in case they¡¯re still alive?¡± Minato scratched his head and asked. Ryoma replied, ¡°It was clearly explained that in this mission, whether it¡¯s coming late, or not releasing the signal flare in case of danger, both are very serious crimes. Even if they¡¯re alive, they¡¯ll be executed when they return. This is the Root¡¯s rule.¡±


    Sakumo sighed and nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll not delay in that case. Let¡¯s return to the village.¡±


    ¡­¡­


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    In the Hokage Residence, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the four people in front of him. He appeared irritated as he smoked.


    ¡°White Fang, you did the right thing. Ryoma, after all, is your companion and also the Root captain. Whether it¡¯s for you or the village, saving him is more important than an S-ranked mission. Go back and rest for some time. This mission was hard on you.¡±


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    After everyone left, Hiruzen couldn¡¯t help sighing, looking at the big monetary reward on the mission sheet. If he had known earlier, he would have sent White Fang alone for this mission.


    Meanwhile, at the Root headquarter, Shimura Danzo looked at Ryoma, who was kneeling on one knee, with a gloomy face. ¡°Do you know how much effort I wasted to get this opportunity? And what are the results? The hostage was handed over to Suna because of you. We didn¡¯t get that brat¡¯s Sharingan. And both Kazuki and Taro are missing.¡±


    Ryoma lowered his head and impassively replied, ¡°Danzo-sama, this mission¡¯s failure was indeed my fault. As for Kazuki and Taro, I suspect they exposed flaws midway and made Minato suspicious.¡±


    A hint of chill flashed through Danzo¡¯s eyes, ¡°You mean, Minato killed those two?¡±


    Ryoma wasn¡¯t completely certain of this, and he stated another possibility. ¡°It could be the Uchiha kid as well.¡±


    Danzo narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded. ¡°This possibility can¡¯t be ruled out. As long as an adult Uchiha awakens the three tomoe, he would have an elite jonin¡¯s strength. Although this brat¡¯s still young, he¡¯s already in the golden stage of development.¡±


    ¡°Last time, he was able to kill Ryosuke relying on traps, but this time he might truly be able to defeat two jonin by himself. It¡¯s just that the possibility is too small. After all, before Kazuki and Taro set off, I warned them to pay close attention to his genjutsu.¡±


    After speaking, Danzo looked at Ryoma who looked like a robot, and discarded his plan to punish him. He sighed, ¡°Withdraw for now. We¡¯ll talk about this later.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Ryoma left, Danzo leaned on the seat and muttered to himself, ¡°Orochimaru¡¯s experiment has stopped completely now. I¡¯ve to find a way to get Sharingan. But none of the Uchihas with the three tomoe Sharingan leave the village¡­ That abominable evil clan¡­¡±


    Everyone who returned to the village thought they would go back to their former calm lives. However, one piece of news from the Land of Waterfall pushed the entire Konoha into turmoil.


    On that day, Hiruzen furiously rushed to the Root headquarter. Danzo stood opposite him and asked indifferently, ¡°Hiruzen, how come you found the time to come to my place?¡±


    Hiruzen threw a scroll at Danzo¡¯s feet and said with a solemn look, ¡°Look at this information yourself. You need to give the village an explanation.¡±


    Danzo frowned and opened the scroll. Immediately afterward, his pupils shrank.


    ¡°How can this be!¡±

 CH 66

    Satutobi Hiruzen was agitated. He suppressed the anger in his heart and said, ¡°Because of the hostage mission, the Land of Rivers Daimyo has now issued an edict. All their missions will be entrusted to Suna for the next ten years. Do you know how much Konoha lost because of Aburame Ryoma?¡±


    Shimura Danzo put away the scroll and asked in a low voice, ¡°Hiruzen, tell me, what do you want?¡±


    Hiruzen decisively replied, ¡°Ryoma must die.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Danzo agreed without reluctance. Someone¡¯s head must roll for such a grave matter. Since Ryoma was a mere tool for him, he would simply forfeit it. However, this was not enough to placate Hiruzen. He continued, ¡°Root will be downsized and its annual funding will be halved. The personnel will be let go on a large scale.¡±


    Danzo immediately raised his voice, ¡°Hiruzen, do you want to destroy Konoha?¡±


    Hiruzen snorted and replied indifferently, ¡°Three days later, I¡¯ll hold a meeting with the patriarchs and senior officials from Konoha¡¯s various clans to discuss this. Prepare yourself.¡±


    Hiruzen left Root after throwing these words at Danzo, who was left alone and stood quietly on the same spot for a long time.


    Later in the day, Ryoma¡¯s voice could be heard in the Root. ¡°Danzo-sama, I failed to fulfill my duty in this mission, I¡¯m willing to accept any punishment.¡±


    Danzo sat in his seat. In the shadows, his finger continuously tapped on the armrest.


    Tap, tap, tap¡­


    Time passed little by little. Finally, Danzo broke the deadly silence. ¡°Send people to spread this news. I want everyone in Konoha to know about this before tomorrow¡¯s sunrise.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve to come together with me in the meeting three days later, where you must insist you were asking White Fang to save the mission back then. White Fang alone decided to give up on it. I don¡¯t believe Hiruzen will punish him. This is the only way to save your life and the Root.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The next day, the entire village began to talk about this S-ranked mission.


    ¡°Did you hear? Some time ago, White Fang-sama and Aburame Ryoma teamed up to save the Land of Rivers¡¯ Princess. White Fang-sama saved the hostage, but Suna poisoned Ryoma. White Fang-sama had to exchange the hostage for the antidote to save him.¡±


    ¡°I also heard about this yesterday. Now, to show their gratitude, the Land of Rivers will entrust all its missions to Suna for the next ten years.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big loss. These missions should¡¯ve been Konoha¡¯s.¡±


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    ¡°Yes, Konoha¡¯s already not receiving enough missions lately. My son has been resting at home for a month already, but he still has no mission to take.¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, everything is Ryoma¡¯s fault. He¡¯s really useless.¡±


    ¡°Yes, why did White Fang-sama save him? Shinobi should prioritize the mission.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Aburame Ryoma is an Anbu, and he¡¯s stronger than most jonin. In these years, he has completed many S-ranked missions. Anyone would¡¯ve chosen to save him at that time.¡±


    ¡°Anbu? So he is White Fang-sama¡¯s comrade¡­ no wonder.¡±


    ¡°How do you think this will be resolved in the end?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard the higher-ups will hold a meeting in two days to discuss this.¡±


    ¡°The damage to Konoha is too heavy. I guess Ryoma will be executed.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan also heard these rumors in his clan¡¯s district. His mind was filled with several thoughts. ¡°This is bad. If Aburame Ryoma says this was entirely Sakumo¡¯s decision, the villagers will turn against Sakumo. Even if most people didn¡¯t want Sakumo to die, this concerns everyone¡¯s interest. Some unpleasant words will be said.¡±


    ¡°For some people, words have no destructive power but for an overly sensitive person like Sakumo, it¡¯ll be like a blade scraping his bones. I must prepare.¡±


    Tonan slowly drew out the chakra tanto and caressed its shiny blade. In his mind, he repeatedly recalled the samurai spirit Sanbo Motoyoshi had described.


    That afternoon, he headed to the Hatake household and trained with Kakashi as usual. Sakumo was sitting under the eaves, watching the two. On the surface, he didn¡¯t show anything unusual. Perhaps, it was because the villagers¡¯ words were not targeting him but Ryoma.


    After their training, Kakashi said while panting, ¡°Tonan, you¡¯ve become stronger again.¡±


    Tonan stood there calmly, adjusted his glasses, and gently replied, ¡°In order to make you train to your heart¡¯s satisfaction, I¡¯m always pushing hard every time.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Kakashi was doubtful. In the past, every time Tonan used this excuse, Kakashi believed it. But today, Tonan looked very fake.


    Tonan shrugged his shoulders and smiled, ¡°For us, true or false isn¡¯t important.¡±


    Kakashi was dumbfounded for a moment hearing his words. Then, the corners of his mouth slightly rose under the mask. He put his hands in the trouser pocket, recovering his usual sluggish look, and changed the topic, ¡°These white pigeons are here again.¡±


    Tonan looked at a pigeon¡¯s flock in the courtyard¡¯s garden and walked over. Stroking a white pigeon¡¯s head, he said, ¡°They¡¯ve already become my ninja beast.¡±


    ¡°Ninja beast?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m rearing them. It¡¯s just that they don¡¯t seem very intelligent. I don¡¯t know how they can help me.¡±


    Kakashi thought for a bit and said, ¡°A weak ninja beast like this can be used for scouting at best.¡±


    Tonan nodded. ¡°That was my plan as well but no matter how many special feeds they eat, they won¡¯t be able to speak or communicate.¡±


    Kakashi hesitated for a moment. ¡°If you want, there are some sealed summoning scrolls in my house. You can pick a summoning beast you like.¡±


    Tonan, however, shook his head and said, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter if they can¡¯t help me. I feel attached to them after raising them for so long.¡±


    Tonan patted a white pigeon¡¯s head and said, ¡°Alright, go.¡±


    The other white pigeons flapped their wings and flew away, but the one in front of him cooed twice and pointed its butt to Tonan.


    Tonan said with a doting smile, ¡°I just said a few words, and you¡¯re angry. Forget it, I don¡¯t care about you. Kakashi, I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    Tonan bade farewell to Kakashi and walked towards the Hatake household¡¯s gate. When he was passing through the front courtyard, he bowed to Sakumo. ¡°Sakumo-senpai, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you.¡±


    Sakumo smiled and nodded. He looked at Kakashi after Tonan left and said, ¡°Kakashi, you need to work harder.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Tonan has already surpassed you.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡±


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    After saying this, Kakashi went back to the courtyard and began to train again.

 CH 67

    Two days later, in the Hokage Meeting Room, various clans¡¯ patriarchs and senior Konoha officials gathered. As the Anbu and its subdivision Root captains, Hatake Sakumo and Aburame Ryoma were also present.


    Seeing everyone in attendance, Sarutobi Hiruzen lightly coughed and said, ¡°I believe everyone already knows about the fallout of the recent Land of Rivers¡¯ mission.¡±


    Hiruzen had just started speaking, when the Aburame clan¡¯s patriarch stood up, deeply bowed to him, and said, ¡°Hokage-sama, please give Ryoma a chance.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke, ignored the patriarch, and continued, ¡°The mission¡¯s failure resulted in a heavy loss to the village. Someone needs to bear the responsibility for this. Ryoma, what do you think?¡±


    Hiruzen stared at Ryoma with a meaningful look.


    Ryoma stepped forward under everyone¡¯s gaze, bowed impassively, and said, ¡°Hokage-sama, please don¡¯t punish White Fang-sama.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s expressions towards Ryoma turned strange. Sakumo himself was puzzled.


    Hiruzen frowned and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Ryuoma answered in a low voice, ¡°A shinobi must prioritize the mission. In order to save the hostage, I didn¡¯t care about being poisoned and asked White Fang-sama to take away the hostage. I never imagined he would act on his own to give up the mission and exchange the hostage for the antidote, wasting my painstaking efforts.¡±


    Hiruzen never imagined Ryoma would blame the innocent. His complexion became gloomy. ¡°You mean to say this was White Fang¡¯s fault.¡±


    Ryoma nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t do anything against the shinobi code during the mission. I was even willing to use my life to complete the mission. But White Fang-sama, despite having completed the mission, decided to give up. He¡¯s not qualified to be a ninja.¡±


    ¡°You can ask him whether I asked him to save me or not back then. However, considering he was trying to save me, I don¡¯t want you to punish him.¡±


    Hiruzen looked at the silent Sakumo. He was so angry that he smiled as he said, ¡°Good, you explained this so well. Even if it was his dereliction of duty, in the end, everything happened because you were poisoned. Could it be that you have no responsibility?¡±


    Just as he said this, Hiruzen realized his error. And at this time, Danzo impatiently jumped in the conversation, ¡°Hiruzen, the one who committed the fault was White Fang, not Ryoma. Ryoma was just not strong enough. Even if he died in the mission, no one would have said anything. But it¡¯s not fair to make him bear the responsibility.¡±


    ¡°As the Hokage, how can you blatantly make Ryoma bear the blame for White Fang¡¯s blunder? Won¡¯t this dampen the spirits of Konoha ninjas?¡±


    Hiruzen hastily explained, ¡°I don¡¯t mean that¡­¡±


    Danzo snorted coldly, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t, from what you said just now, you¡¯ve already agreed this was White Fang¡¯s fault.¡±


    Hiruzen took a deep breath, looked at the senior officials and patriarchs, and said, ¡°Everyone should be able to see who was at fault here.¡±


    But who among these patriarchs and senior Konoha officials was not an old fox? They all thought this issue didn¡¯t concern them. Moreover, irrespective of what they said, it would offend one side.


    Calling it White Fang¡¯s fault would offend Hiruzen and Sakumo. Calling it Ryoma¡¯s fault would offend Danzo and Aburame clan.


    Seeing that no one was speaking up for Sakumo, Danzo inwardly scorned and thought, ¡°Hiruzen, you still don¡¯t understand people¡¯s hearts.¡±


    ¡°In any case, I can see it¡¯s White Fang¡¯s fault. As a shinobi, not giving priority to the mission was a mistake. White Fang, what do you have to say for yourself?¡±


    Danzo used Hiruzen¡¯s tactic and turned the table on Sakumo. However, Sakumo was a proud person, who was not good at words play. He stammered, ¡°I¡­¡±


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    Danzo sneered but pretended to be concerned, and said, ¡°Can you explain why you, as a ninja, gave up the mission midway? Is it because your comrades are more important than the mission itself?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Sakumo nodded.


    Hearing Sakumo¡¯s admission, a smile of success appeared on Danzo¡¯s face as he said to Hiruzen, ¡°A ninja is just a tool. His mission must take precedence over all else. This is the agreement between every village and the employers. When the employer issues the mission, should we tell them that if the mission is dangerous, we¡¯ll first save our companions?¡±


    After Danzo finished speaking, Sakumo immediately knelt to Hiruzen and said, ¡°Sorry, this mission was my dereliction of duty. I¡¯m willing to accept any punishment.¡±


    Hiruzen glared at Danzo and solemnly said, ¡°In any case, I¡¯m against punishing White Fang. After all, he has made military exploits for Konoha and carried out countless S-ranked missions. His contributions make up for this mistake.¡±


    Since Danzo had achieved his goal, it didn¡¯t matter whether Hiruzen punished White Fang or not. It was enough as long as someone else took the responsibility.


    Danzo stood up leisurely and said in a victorious tone, ¡°I can¡¯t stay in this meeting any longer. If you want to vote on whether to punish White Fang or not, just count my vote against it. Let¡¯s go, Ryoma, we don¡¯t have anything to do here now.¡±


    Hiruzen looked at the Danzo with a gloomy look. He then turned to everyone present. However, they all chose to avoid his gaze. Hiruzen looked at Sakumo, who was kneeling in front of him, and deeply sighed, ¡°Disperse¡­ White Fang, return home and rest. Konoha needs you in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    After walking out of the Hokage Residence, Danzo confirmed no one was around and whispered to Ryoma. ¡°While Hiruzen hasn¡¯t reacted yet, spread what happened at this meeting as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    A few days later, a rumor spread throughout Konoha. The target of the villagers¡¯ verbal criticism shifted from Ryoma to Sakumo.


    ¡°How can White Fang-sama make such a stupid mistake? Aburame Ryoma was willing to exchange his life for the Land of Rivers¡¯ exclusive missions. But he still gave up the mission.¡±


    ¡°A big figure like him isn¡¯t short of money. So, he doesn¡¯t care about the life or death of the lower-leveled ninjas.¡±


    ¡°That Ryoma is from Anbu, and White Fang is Anbu captain. A person of White Fang¡¯s stature already doesn¡¯t care about money, he cares about power. I guess, he gave up this mission to gain Ryoma¡¯s allegiance.¡±


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    ¡°Is it so deep? I didn¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    ¡°Sandaime-sama is already quite old. He might already be secretly looking for a successor in recent years. White Fang wants to compete for the position of Hokage.¡±


    ¡°This explanation makes sense.¡±


    ¡°The Hatake clan has only a few members. As long as White Fang becomes the Hokage, the Hatake clan will become wealthy in just a few years.¡±


    ¡°Why is he so selfish, thinking about just himself and his family?¡±


    ¡°Why would other people consider us?¡±


    ¡°In any case, regardless of what others think, when White Fang wants to run for the Hokage, I will be the first person to object.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking, White Fang is here, if he hears it, you¡¯re done for.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡±

 CH 68

    In the past two days, Hatake Sakumo too had heard the rumors in the village. But those were facts. He couldn¡¯t explain anything. Just when he passed by the two gossiping people, one of them spat at him.


    Sakumo didn¡¯t dodge it, and the saliva stuck to his trouser. The passerby sarcastically said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, White Fang-sama, I didn¡¯t see you.¡±


    Sakumo paused for a moment, then lowered his head and left quietly.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t even greet us back. If Konoha has a few more selfish trash like him, then we will be done for, sooner or later.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    In the Hatake household, Sakumo sat alone in the bedroom in a daze. Kakashi pushed open the door and stood with his fists clenched. He said, ¡°Father, you shouldn¡¯t have saved that bastard Ryoma.¡±


    Sakumo was startled hearing his son¡¯s words. He turned to look at the furious Kakashi and asked with a withering look, ¡°You also think I shouldn¡¯t have saved my companion?¡±


    Kakashi lowered his head, remained silent for a long time, and replied in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you always tell me a shinobi¡¯s mission was the most important?¡±


    A hint of loss flashed through Sakumo¡¯s eyes. He nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kakashi.¡± Kakashi took a deep breath, slammed the door shut, and ran to the backyard to vent his emotions on the wooden stake.


    His right fist¡¯s skin was already torn and bleeding, but he didn¡¯t stop.


    Knock, knock, knock¡­


    At this time, Kakashi heard a knock on the door, and his hands stopped. He looked at the sky and knew that Uchiha Tonan had come. He lowered his head and walked to open the door.


    Tonan was standing outside with a smile and asked, ¡°Kakashi, it¡¯s time for training, why do you look so desolate?¡±


    Kakashi shook his head and said, ¡°Tonan, I want to rest for some days. I don¡¯t want to train.¡±


    While speaking, he subconsciously hid his bleeding right hand behind him. Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly. Staring at Kakashi, he nodded and said, ¡°Well, then you should spend more time with White Fang-sama. He must be going through a hard time. You shouldn¡¯t blame him. He did the right thing. It just affected the interests of other people.¡±


    After speaking, Tonan turned around and left.


    In the evening, at a barbecue shop, Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, and Tonan were chatting while eating barbecue. Kushina put a large piece of moderately lean meat into Tonan¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°How is Kakashi doing lately? I went to invite him, but he didn¡¯t come.¡±


    Tonan smiled at Kushina and immersed himself into eating. ¡°He has been locked up at home, unwilling to leave. He doesn¡¯t even want to see me.¡±


    Kushina moved the bangs in front of her forehead. She supported her chin with one hand and watched Tonan eat while using the other hand to feed him more with her chopsticks. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. The entire village is abusing White Fang-senpai. I wonder when this storm will subside.¡±


    Minato said in a deep voice while moving meat in front of Kushina¡¯s mouth with his chopsticks. ¡°People have short memories. It¡¯ll pass in a few days. I¡¯m planning to meet Kakashi early tomorrow. The ninjutsu he used last time was very interesting and gave me some inspiration. I wanted to discuss something with him anyway, I¡¯ll console him as well.¡±


    Kushina gave Minato a thumbs up. ¡°Great idea!¡± She put another barbecue meat into Tonan¡¯s already full bowl and added, ¡°Come on, Tonan, eat more, you¡¯re still growing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Kushina-senpai.¡± Tonan answered trying to look happy. Under the table, his hand was continuously rubbing his bulging stomach. But in his heart, he had dark thoughts, ¡°Tomorrow, is it¡­¡±


    Early next morning, Minato came to the Hatake household and dragged the unwilling Kakashi away.


    At that time, in the breakfast shop located at the street corner of Hatake household. ¡°It¡¯s my turn to enter the stage,¡± Tonan put down his chopsticks and took a tissue to wipe his mouth. He took out a 1000 Ryo banknote from his wallet, put it on the table, and got up to leave.


    ¡°Your change!¡± The shopkeeper called out as he rushed behind him.


    ¡°Keep the change.¡± Tonan waved his hand without turning back.


    The shopkeeper looked at the money in his hand and couldn¡¯t help sighing, ¡°Ninjas are so extravagant.¡±


    Tonan came to the Hatake household. Using the white pigeon¡¯s vision he had left in the Hatake household last time, he knew that Sakumo was in the house.


    Tonan was worried that Sakumo would commit suicide too soon but he didn¡¯t dare use Byakugan to monitor him. He hastily knocked on the door.


    Knock, knock, knock¡­


    Sakumo was at the heart of his struggle now.


    Tonan¡¯s action made passersby stop and watch. After a while, the door was opened, and Sakumo stood behind it. Tonan saw that his eyes were lifeless.


    Sakumo forced a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s you, Tonan. Kakashi just left with Minato.¡±


    Tonan placed his hands on his knees, bowed to Sakumo, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve come to meet you, senior.¡±


    Sakumo was a little surprised. He shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not convenient today, please return.¡±


    After speaking, Sakumo was about to close the door but Tonan¡¯s hands were quicker. He held the door that was about to be shut, and there was a hint of determination in his eyes as he said, ¡°No, today is the right time. Senior, you can¡¯t avoid the samurai duel.¡±


    Tonan retracted his hand after speaking and said with a serious look, ¡°The successor of Sanbo Style, Uchiha Tonan, challenges the successor of Hatake Style, Hatake Sakumo.¡±


    Sakumo was dumbfounded for a moment and thought about rejecting Tonan. However, out of the samurai spirit, he nodded and said, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Tonan nodded and followed Sakumo into the courtyard.


    ¡°Did I hear it correctly? That kid wants to challenge White Fang?¡±


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    ¡°White Fang has triggered the wrath of Heaven and anger of men. It¡¯s expected for that kid to be so disgusted he wants to sort him out.¡±


    ¡°I remember that kid. He seems to be an Uchiha clan member, called Uchiha Tonan.¡±


    ¡°That was him¡­ No wonder he looks so familiar.¡±


    ¡°Although the Uchihas are horrible, this Uchiha Tonan is notoriously affectionate and righteous.¡±


    ¡°I hope he can defeat White Fang and settle the villagers¡¯ grievances.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that even possible? Although I don¡¯t want to admit it, Tonan¡¯s strength is not comparable to White Fang.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Tonan will be fine?¡±


    ¡°He should be. White Fang isn¡¯t so tactless. He wouldn¡¯t be heavy-handed towards a junior.¡±


    ¡°What can a scum like White Fang not do? This is not good, I¡¯ve to inform the guards.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to inform Hokage-sama.¡±


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    ¡°If White Fang dares to harm Tonan, I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯ll you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come to his door every night to throw feces.¡±

 CH 69

    Notes:


    Kenjutsu are sword techniques of both shinobi and samurai. They can be used along with taijutsu, ninjutsu, and even genjutsu to achieve more devastating techniques


    In the Hatake household backyard, with a wooden sword in hand, Hatake Sakumo walked to the open space, and lightly said, ¡°Come, Tonan.¡±


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    Uchiha Tonan, however, shook his head expressionlessly. He slowly pulled out the chakra tanto from his back and solemnly countered, ¡°White Fang-sama, prepare everything you need. This is an honorary duel between two samurai factions. Today, if you don¡¯t die, then I won¡¯t live.¡±


    Sakumo was stunned. He looked at Tonan who was holding the chakra tanto and fell into a daze. Soon afterward, a small smile played on his face. He bowed to Tonan and said, ¡°Alright, thank you, Tonan.¡±


    After speaking, he gently cast the wooden sword to a corner and walked into his bedroom. In there, he didn¡¯t directly go to retrieve a weapon but instead crumpled a will lying on the table and threw it into the trashcan.


    He then wrote a new will and tied a white scarf around his forehead. Finally, he grabbed the chakra tanto, came to the backyard, and stood opposite Tonan.


    Sakumo slowly pulled out the chakra tanto and leisurely said, ¡°This blade is called White Fang. What¡¯s your blade¡¯s name?¡±


    Hearing the question, Tonan brought the chakra tanto in front of him, stroked it lightly, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve named it Gentleman.¡±


    Sakumo was confused, ¡°Gentleman?¡±


    ¡°The benevolent are not worried, the wise are not confused, and the brave are not afraid. This is my samurai spirit, and also the virtue of my life. So, I call it Gentleman.¡±


    Sakumo was a little moved, and reflected with admiration, ¡°It¡¯s a good name.¡±


    Tonan slowly shut his eyes and opened them suddenly, activating his Sharingan. ¡°White Fang-sama, can we begin the duel?¡±


    Sakumo nodded solemnly and said, ¡°Come at me.¡±


    Tonan went all out in the next moment, and his figure disappeared. When he reappeared, Sakumo discovered there were three Tonans around him, all rushing over from different directions.


    ¡®Profound Meaning ¨C Flicker Clone Technique.¡¯


    Ding, ding, ding¡­


    Metal collision resounded in the air. Sakumo stood still on his spot, brandishing the White Fang, blocking any attacks from the three Tonans.


    As the challenge proceeded, his surprise towards Tonan¡¯s strength increased. In the past, when he watched Tonan training with Kakashi, he could see Tonan always had surplus energy. However, he didn¡¯t expect his strength to improve so fast. He was already approaching the jonin level.


    ¡°This kind of talent¡­ Kakashi, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to keep up with Tonan¡¯s pace for the rest of your life.¡±


    Sakumo narrowed his eyes slightly. He accurately discerned a flaw in Tonan¡¯s movements, swung the White Fang to repel one, retracted the tanto to block the other attack, then kicked the one that was attacking from the front.


    Bang!


    Tonan was sent flying to the ground. He rolled a few times before getting up and rushed forward to attack Sakumo again.


    ¡°So, this is the main body, then the other two must be shadow clones.¡±


    Thinking this, Sakumo dodged the attack that he believed was from the real Tonan. Then, he appeared behind one of the ¡®clones¡¯ and swung his tanto. That ¡®shadow clone¡¯ was startled and immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge.


    Puchi~


    Blood splatter around. A long wound appeared on the shadow clone¡¯s arm. Sakumo¡¯s pupils shrank slightly seeing this.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a shadow clone. Are they are all real? Tonan has mastered such powerful ninjutsu!¡±


    Sakumo was unable to determine which one was the main body for a while. Therefore, he stopped attacking, afraid he would hurt Tonan. Facing the three Tonans, he just dodged and blocked.


    At most, he would find flaws and kick Tonan away without causing any injuries. Tonan, however, didn¡¯t care so much. Today, he wanted to use everything he had to gain Sakumo¡¯s acknowledgment.


    As long as he gained it, he would kill Sakumo in one swing as Sakumo wished. But if he didn¡¯t gain it until the end, he planned to beat Sakumo half to death, and give him some good advice.


    To be fully prepared for all outcomes, Tonan¡¯s ninja bag contained various life-saving pills and bandages to stop bleeding. As long as Sakumo reined in his suicidal thoughts, for the time being at the very least, he could even win the slander war for Sakumo with a little trick.


    On the surface, Tonan might be powerless but to toy with these shallow villagers in the dark, he had countless tricks. The simplest way was to advance by retreating. Sakumo needed to apologize in public and say he loved the villagers and his companions. And that he couldn¡¯t see any of his companions die in front of his eyes.


    After this, he could easily win people¡¯s hearts. The most important thing about this trick was to win the ninjas over. Konoha was a ninja village. Their influence overshadowed that of civilians.


    Time passed by quickly. The duel between the two fell into a one-sided stalemate.


    Meanwhile, the guards who received the reports began to rush towards the Hatake household. Sarutobi Hiruzen also received the news, but he didn¡¯t care too much., Hiruzen knew that Tonan would go to the Hatake household to train.


    At this moment, Tonan had already activated the Byakugan. He carefully observed Sakumo¡¯s chakra movement and muscle contractions. He used this to predict his next move. But even with this, he was unable to break through Sakumo¡¯s defense.


    Sakumo, on the other hand, was getting even more astonished.


    ¡°This strong intrusive feeling¡­ is it sensory ninjutsu? Tonan has greatly surpassed Kakashi.¡±


    ¡°Tonan, let¡¯s see how powerful you are.¡±


    After speaking, Sakumo¡¯s speed increased by more than double. Tonan not only had Byakugan¡¯s insight to predict his movements, but also the three tomoe Sharingan¡¯s dynamic vision, which could clearly see the attack paths.


    With all this and using the Body Flicker Technique without caring about chakra consumption, he was able to barely block or dodge Sakumo¡¯s attacks. The worst was that this was not Sakumo¡¯s full power.


    Tonan realized Sakumo had not used ninjutsu in this fight at all. He hadn¡¯t even used his chakra. He was competing against Tonan using just taijutsu and kenjutsu.


    ¡°Is this Konoha¡¯s White Fang¡¯s strength?¡±


    In this so-called samurai duel with White Fang, Tonan too could not use ninjutsu. He narrowed his eyes, preparing to use the ultimate Sanbo Style Sword Technique move.


    He dispersed his clones, tightly held the chakra tanto, looked straight at Sakumo, and said, ¡°White Fang-sama, please be careful.¡±


    Sakumo understood Tonan was about to make a big move but he didn¡¯t stop him. He just stood there and waited quietly. Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly, jumped up, and raised the chakra tanto high.


    The tanto in his hands was instantly filled with a lot of white attribute chakra, turning into a long blade light.


    ¡°Sanbo Gale Slash.¡±


    Tonan yelled and slashed down at Sakumo.

 CH 70

    Notes:


    Tsunade Senju is the fifth Hokage in the Naruto world, one of the three legendary Sannin, known for her Healing Transformation Jutsu among other skills


    Bang!


    The blade light slashed heavily into the ground, opening up a long and narrow crack that raised a cloud of dust and smoke everywhere.


    ¡°Tonan, I could¡¯ve never imagined your strength would¡¯ve reached this level.¡± Hatake Sakumo walked out of the haze with a look of admiration. Tonan hadn¡¯t aimed that attack at Sakumo. Just in case Sakumo didn¡¯t dodge it, he would be cut into two halves.


    If that happened, even if Tsunade herself returned to the village, she wouldn¡¯t be able to save Sakumo, let alone Tonan¡¯s little life-saving pills and bandages. Tonan retracted the blade light without batting an eyelid and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your lessons, White Fang-sama.¡±


    Sakumo¡¯s expression changed as if he noticed something. He look up at the roof that now had several figures on it. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Alright, Tonan, it¡¯s getting late. I hope you can respect my choice. Make a move¡­ the Hatake Style has lost today.¡±


    Tonan nodded hearing his words. Chakra fluctuation burst out from his body and his figure became illusory for a moment.


    ¡°Profound Meaning-Flicker Body Technique.¡±


    In the next moment, three figures appeared and they together released the Sanbo Gale Slash at Sakumo, who was standing at the center with his eyes closed.


    However, just when those sword lights were about to pierce him, Tonan withdrew the blade light.


    Puchi


    The three chakra tanto stabbed Sakumo¡¯s abdomen, thigh, and waist respectively, all of them barely missing the vital organs.


    Bang!


    The clones disappeared, leaving behind just the one Tonan in the front. Sakumo opened his eyes, coughed out a mouthful of blood, and said, ¡°Sure enough, you¡¯re too kind, you pulled back at the critical moment.¡±


    Tonan pursed his lips, shook his head, and said, ¡°No, I just lost control of my hands.¡±


    Sakumo smiled a little, and some amount of relief flashed through his eyes as he said, ¡°But you won.¡±


    Tonan looked dejected. ¡°You let me win, White Fang-sama.¡±


    ¡°Hereafter, I leave Kakashi to you. I hope you¡¯ll take good care of him for me,¡± Sakumo sighed and added, ¡°It seems I made a mistake leading to a huge loss this time.¡±


    Tonan used Byakugan to observe the degree of Sakumo¡¯s blood loss while resolutely saying, ¡°No, you weren¡¯t wrong. It¡¯s just that in something like this, there will be losses regardless of right or wrong. You¡¯ve not only made the right choice, but you took responsibility for your decision with your life. You¡¯re a true samurai.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Sakumo¡¯s eyes lit up. He felt the burden weighing on his heart for several days become lighter. Tonan¡¯s left hand slowly entered his ninja bag as he said in a determined tone, ¡°If there was ever a situation like this in which Kakashi encountered danger, I¡¯ll also give up the mission.¡±


    ¡®Ding! Gained Hatake Sakumo¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    The prompt¡¯s alert in his mind was a source of extreme joy for Tonan.


    ¡°Sure enough, the one you love the most is your son. And you want to leave all your inheritance to him. Just because I made a promise to you, you regard me as his guardian.¡±


    Immediately afterward, he pulled out the chakra tanto without hesitation.


    Puff~


    Blood poured out, and Sakumo heavily fell to the ground. After a while, the blood gushing out from the wound became lesser and Sakumo¡¯s eyelids gradually began to close. Before his death, he didn¡¯t forget to express his gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Tonan.¡±


    A small smile appeared on Tonan¡¯s face as he faintly said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    ¡°Captain, what just happened?¡±


    ¡°You all fell into White Fang¡¯s genjutsu.¡±


    ¡°Why did he¡­ how did he die?¡±


    ¡°White Fang wanted to commit suicide, and he intentionally died in Tonan¡¯s hands.¡±


    ¡°So, are we going to arrest Tonan?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for now. We¡¯ve to report this to the Hokage. This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with Tonan, it¡¯s White Fang¡¯s will.¡±


    The guards on the roof left one after another.


    Step!


    At that moment, Kakashi, who heard the news as well, came to the backyard with Namikaze Minato. Minato frowned looking at the leaving members of the Konoha Guard Unit and had some realization of what may have happened.


    As for Kakashi, he looked at Sakumo who was lying on the ground in shock, then rushed over. ¡°Father¡­¡± Kakashi held his father¡¯s corpse and hoarsely yelled again, ¡°Father!¡±


    Tonan silently stood in his place as if mourning for Sakumo. Kakashi cried for a while. He then turned to look at Tonan, who was expressionless. His gaze slowly moved and stayed on the chakra tanto that was still tainted with blood.


    ¡°Why¡­ why you!¡± Kakashi¡¯s eyes flashed with killing intent, and he quickly made hand signs. A lightning ball appeared on his palm. At this moment, his expression was terrifying. Immediately afterward, Raikiri was thrust towards Tonan.


    Bang!


    Tonan, whose strength had skyrocketed, lightly kicked Kakashi away. He slowly put away the chakra tanto, turned around indifferently, and said, ¡°White Fang-sama is a great samurai. If you want to avenge him, double your efforts. I¡¯m someone who can kill Konoha¡¯s White Fang. The present you¡­,¡± Tonan shook his head looking at Kakashi, and completed his sentence, ¡°¡­is pitifully weak.¡±


    Tonan turned around and left the Hatake household. The moment he walked out of the gate, he took a deep breath and looked towards the Hokage Rock. The power emerging from his body was so potent it was driving him crazy with joy.


    The sudden increase in strength gave him the urge to laugh loudly. But he forcibly suppressed it. If he truly laughed here, it would ruin his character.


    Not long after, all Konoha senior officials were informed of White Fang¡¯s demise.


    At the Root headquarter, Shimura Danzo was shocked when he heard the news. ¡°How¡¯s this possible? How could White Fang let that Uchiha brat kill him?¡±


    ¡°According to the villagers, at the Hatake household gate, Tonan said he was challenging Hatake Style against his Sanbo Style.¡±


    ¡°White Fang should¡¯ve committed suicide. After all, that fellow still has the stupid belief of the so-called samurai spirit.¡±


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    Meanwhile, at the Hokage Residence, Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed the smoke pipe heavily on his desk and stood up in shock. ¡°White Fang died? How can Tonan kill him? Even if Tonan wanted to, how could he be White Fang¡¯s opponent?¡±


    A Konoha Guard member replied, ¡°White Fang-sama had been emotionally unstable the past few days. At the time, he even used genjutsu to stop us. Moreover, from what we saw, White Fang-sama did not resist. Even when he was dying, he even thanked Tonan.¡±


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    Hearing this, Hiruzen slumped back on his seat and narrowed his eyes slightly, ¡°Is that so¡­ is this the so-called samurai spirit¡­¡±


    ¡°Hokage-sama, should we issue Uchiha Tonan¡¯s arrest warrant?¡±


    ¡°No need, just bring him to me. I¡¯ll ask him myself what exactly happened.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alas! this is a big loss for Konoha.¡±

 CH 71

    Notes:


    Kirin is an extremely powerful Lightning Release technique created by Uchiha Sasuke


    Just when Konoha¡¯s senior officials were digesting Hatake Sakumo¡¯s death news, Uchiha Tonan had returned home to comprehend the true strength in his body with his eyes closed.


    The amount of chakra and spiritual energy had increased but not too much. The Hatake clan members were not known for their chakra reserves; they were even considered lacking in that department. The greatest gain was Sakumo¡¯s daunting secret techniques.


    There was no dearth of low-ranked and high-ranked ninjutsu but Tonan was most pleased with a few unique secret techniques. The training difficulty of each one could be rated as terrifying.


    Wind Style ¨C Wind Communication. This was Sakumo¡¯s exclusive sensory ninjutsu that could sense tremors in the air, perceiving things within a certain range. It could even use air as a medium to condense sound waves for long-distance transmission.


    Nin-taijutsu ¨C Lightning Spirit Wind Flash. This could use lightning element chakra to stimulate the body¡¯s cells, and wind attribute chakra to manipulate air to reduce resistance. This move could greatly increase speed, and it was even faster and longer-lasting than Body Flicker Technique.


    Lightning Style Secret Technique ¨C Spirit of the Thunder God. This technique used lightning attribute chakra to stimulate acupoints in the brain, greatly enhancing spiritual energy in a short period. It could also resonate with ions in nature.


    This ninjutsu could resist all spiritual attacks but the drawback of using it was that it could overdraw spiritual energy, enough for the user to blackout.


    Lightning Style Secret Technique ¨C Heavenly Lightning Tribulation. Only after activating the Spirit of the Thunder God, this ninjutsu could be used. It was very similar to Kirin. It summoned natural thunder and lightning to attack. However, it was convenient in comparison and did not require too many preconditions.


    Lightning Style Secret Technique ¨C Myriad Heavenly Lightning Prison. This also required activating the Spirit of the Thunder God but it needed some time and a large amount of chakra to gather natural lightning. This move was large-scale destruction-type ninjutsu, equivalent to multiple Heavenly Lightning Tribulation. It was best used to slaughter villages and annihilate cities.


    The final noteworthy asset was the Hatake Style Sword Technique. With this technique, the two chakra attributes of wind and lightning could be attached to the chakra tanto. The tanto would simultaneously possess both the wind element¡¯s cutting properties and the lightning attribute¡¯s temporary paralysis.


    With this sword technique, Sanbo Style Sword Technique had become obsolete. Just as Tonan finished understanding these abilities, the Anbu had arrived.


    ¡°Uchiha Tonan, Hokage-sama wants to see you.¡±


    Tonan leisurely got up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    An Anbu member came to his side, preparing to take him using the Body Flicker Technique as in the past but Tonan raised his hand to stop him, ¡°Hereafter, you don¡¯t need to trouble yourself.¡±


    Just after speaking, Tonan¡¯s figure disappeared.


    In the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen solemnly looked at the indifferent Tonan in front of him, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dissuade White Fang? He was Kakashi¡¯s father.¡±


    Tonan coldly answered, ¡°I respect White Fang-sama¡¯s choice. He¡¯s a true samurai. For a samurai, dying in a duel is the greatest honor.¡±


    Hiruzen gave Tonan a deep look, wondering why the usually clingy child was being so distant with him today.


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    ¡°Could it be I only focused on Shinnosuke and treated him too coldly? Or, was he brainwashed by that samurai spirit when he was living with Sanbo Motoyoshi?¡±


    Konoha has lost its White Fang, and now Tonan too had become like this. Hiruzen was getting a headache. He got up and walked to Tonan¡¯s side and reached out his hand to stroke his head.


    He said with a very concerned look, ¡°This must¡¯ve greatly affected you. Although Kakashi and you had a good relationship earlier, you¡¯ve done something like this in front of him. He might not be able to accept it for the time being. I¡¯ll notify Minato and transfer you out of Team Nine for now. Rest well at home for some time. Don¡¯t think too much. Come meet me any time if you need something.¡±


    Tonan nodded quietly, and in the next moment, he used Body Flicker Technique to leave. Hiruzen was stunned for a while. He retracted his hand and returned to his seat. After thinking for a while, he picked up the smoke pipe and muttered to himself.


    ¡°From what I understand of Tonan, he shouldn¡¯t be dissatisfied with my recent treatment. Is he truly brainwashed by the samurai spirit? Although the samurai spirit is silly, it attaches importance to loyalty. The current Tonan is more like a tool. This might not be a bad thing. The only thing to worry is that Tonan wouldn¡¯t walk the same path as White Fang.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke, suddenly frowned, and muttered, ¡°Speaking of which, how strong is he now? He¡¯s already able to use the jonin-leveled Body Flicker Technique. Such a talent¡­ fortunately, he¡¯s on my side. I must speak to Shinnosuke again to ensure he pays enough attention to Tonan.¡±


    In fact, what happened today was serious enough for Hiruzen to forgot telling Tonan that he couldn¡¯t use the Body Flicker Technique in the Hokage Office.


    The reason why Tonan had such a reversal in attitude towards Hiruzen was he was playing hard-to-get. In any case, as long as Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Sarutobi Asuma were in the picture, no matter how much he tried to please Hiruzen, it was useless.


    Now, Tonan had all five chakra attributes, and Hiruzen, The Professor, was a big gift. Tonan didn¡¯t want to miss him, lest he might regret it later.


    At this time in the Hatake household, Kakashi covered Sakumo¡¯s corpse with plain white cloth and placed him in the ancestral hall.


    He realized something was wrong with what happened today. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think his best friend would come to kill his father for no reason. It was just that he was too grief-ridden at the time. He had lost his rationality and urgently needed someone to vent.


    Kakashi came to Sakumo¡¯s bedroom and saw the will on the table at a glance. He picked it up and read his father¡¯s last words to him.


    Kakashi, when you see this, I must already be dead. Konoha¡¯s loss this time was too significant, and I¡¯m willing to take the responsibility, paying with my life. I had planned to drive the blade through my stomach and commit suicide, but Tonan just happened to come by.


    Perhaps, he, who¡¯s also a samurai spirit inheritor, saw through my thoughts. I¡¯m very grateful that he was willing to help me. He let me die in a duel. For a samurai, this is a more honorable way to die than what I had planned.


    Kakashi, in this duel, the Hatake Style lost for certain. I hope you¡¯ll live well and carry forward the Hatake family. Remember, Tonan is your life-long friend. Don¡¯t blame him. He did this for me.


    By the time he was done reading the will, Kakashi was already choking with sobs. ¡°Father¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Over the next few days, the news of Konoha¡¯s White Fang¡¯s death spread throughout the village. Tonan didn¡¯t go out during this time and locked himself up in his house.


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    He carved Sakumo¡¯s wooden sculpture and put it together with the others comprising his former relatives, friends, and lover. As for the rest of the time, he was either comprehending his new powers or self-reflecting.


    As the Will of Fire¡¯s successor, he had to always think thrice. Think about what he didn¡¯t do well, and which words weren¡¯t rigorous enough. Or, the aftermath of not handling things properly, and flaws in his public persona.


    If there were any deficiencies, how to resolve them. Moreover, how to prevent and improve them in the future.


    It was hard to be a human.


    It was even harder to be a pure human.


    It was the hardest to be a pure, righteous human.

 CH 72

    Today was Hatake Sakumo¡¯s funeral. The sky was overcast, and it was accompanied by fine drizzle. Regardless of how many people secretly cursed Sakumo earlier, when they heard about his death, almost everyone was worried.


    The heroes that rose to prominence during the Second Great Shinobi War were the Legendary Sannin and Konoha¡¯s White Fang. Among them, Tsunade had left Konoha, Jiraiya¡¯s whereabouts were unknown and only Orochimaru was left.


    And now, Konoha¡¯s White Fang had died. A big tree that could shelter the village from the wind and rain had fallen, and it fell because of its own villagers¡¯ slander. This was as much tragic as it was ironic.


    Now, all those people, who cursed White Fang, felt some bit of regret. Therefore, the number of people that came to the funeral was unusually large. The senior Konoha officials, Anbu members, various clans¡¯ patriarchs, and most of the Konoha ninjas that were idle at home, all came.


    Hiruzen personally engraved Sakumo¡¯s name on the cenotaph. Afterward, everyone attending the funeral gave Sakumo a bouquet to express their grief. Kakashi was kneeling in front of the shrine with listless eyes. His head was lowered, and he remained silent.


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    Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd. People stepped aside to open up a path. Tonan, who held a black umbrella, walked through with a blank expression and arrived behind Kakashi.


    He stared at the name on the cenotaph quietly. He didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. The crowd behind him, especially the ninjas who fought alongside Sakumo in the past, glared at his back.


    ¡°He¡¯s weak-hearted, isn¡¯t he?¡± Kakashi¡¯s eyes twitched a little. He recognized Tonan¡¯s shoes and said with a dejected look.


    Tonan bowed towards the headstone and lightly said, ¡°You don¡¯t understand White Fang-sama.¡±


    Kakashi clenched his fists hearing this and roared, ¡°Just because the villagers said a few words, he chose to seek death. How¡¯s he not weak?¡±


    Tonan glanced at the trembling Kakashi and immediately cast the black umbrella aside. He grabbed Kakashi¡¯s collar and shook him, ¡°White Fang-sama didn¡¯t die because of the villagers¡¯ slander. He used his life to take responsibility. He made the right choice in his heart, and he was also willing to be responsible for it. He¡¯s an outstanding ninja and a qualified samurai. He¡¯s a brave man who puts his responsibility first and is not afraid of life or death!¡±


    A light mist rose from the earth with the summer drizzle. Just like Kakashi¡¯s misty eyes at this moment. Tonan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and released him. Kakashi seemed to have lost all his strength and slumped on the ground.


    Tonan bent down, picked up the umbrella, and sneered while patting off the dirt on it, ¡°I doubt whether you can carry forward the Hatake Style with your ability. If that¡¯s truly the case, then my blade will be too lonely.¡±


    After speaking, Tonan turned around and looked at Kakashi with a side glance, ¡°By the way, I won¡¯t come to your house to train with you anymore. If you want revenge, you can challenge me any time. But if you can¡¯t even pull yourself together, then you¡¯ll never be my opponent.¡±


    Tonan firmly stuck the umbrella on the ground, which just happened to block the rain for Kakashi, and strode away.


    After his performance, the gazes of the surrounding ninjas and villagers changed from hatred to gentle while looking at him.


    Namikaze Minato came to Kakashi and hunkered down beside him, ¡°Kakashi, cheer up, White Fang-senpai definitely hopes you can catch up to Tonan.¡±


    Kakashi nodded and then raised his head, muttering, ¡°That bastard¡­¡± His words were broken with soft sobs.


    Tonan went straight back to the clan district after leaving the funeral. Since this matter was now settled, he had nothing to do. He, therefore, came to meet the Great Elder for some tea.


    After all, in Konoha, only with the Great Elder, he didn¡¯t need to disguise himself too much.


    Jingle


    A gentle breeze was blowing the wind chime under the eaves continuously on a rainy day. In the spacious living room, Tonan and the Great Elder were sitting in seiza-style, facing each other while enjoying tea leisurely.


    The Great Elder brought the teacup in front of his nose and sniffed lightly, ¡°There are rumors everywhere in the village that you killed Hatake Sakumo.¡±


    Tonan smiled lightly. He picked up the teacup, gently blew it, and took a sip, ¡°He was going to go away anyway. Since we were acquaintances, why not help him on his way?¡±


    The Great Elder chuckled, ¡°I like your character. No matter how you look at it, you don¡¯t resemble an Uchiha.¡±


    Tonan put down his teacup. He lifted the teapot and leaned forward slightly, adding tea to the Great Elder¡¯s teacup, ¡°If people want to achieve something in life, they need to break the stereotype and constantly surpass themselves.¡±


    The Great Elder nodded and looked at Tonan with narrowed eyes, ¡°But there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t understand. There was no benefit for you to kill White Fang. Not only did it cause you trouble, but you¡¯ve also fallen out with Kakashi. Don¡¯t tell me that you deeply respected him. And I don¡¯t think his death can help in evolving your Sharingan as well.¡±


    Tonan refilled his teacup and put down the teapot. He then raised his cup and said, ¡°Is White Fang strong?¡±


    ¡°Of course, he¡¯s very strong.¡±


    Tonan leaned forward slightly, and meaningfully smiled, ¡°But his surname is Sarutobi, not Uchiha.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± The Great Elder immediately understood Tonan¡¯s inference, and he also raised his teacup with a big smile. The two lightly bumped their teacups as if celebrating.


    At this moment, a two or three years old child ran into the living room from the backyard. Sucking on his thumb, he looked at the Great Elder with his innocent eyes and called out, ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    The Great Elder affectionately took the child in his arms and said, ¡°Come, give me a hug.¡±


    Tonan took a sip of tea and casually asked, ¡°Is this your grandson?¡±


    The Great Elder smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, his parents have recently been busy with work, so they sent him over to my place to live with me. Shisui, say hello to Tonan-san.¡±


    Shisui curiously looked at Tonan and sweetly greeted, ¡°Hello, Tonan-san¡±


    Tonan smiled faintly and said, ¡°Shisui is so cute.¡± The Great Elder already had a big smile. ¡°Children are like this. When he grows up, I¡¯m sure as the other Uchihas, he¡¯ll also not be this cute.¡±


    ¡°No, Shisui will definitely be a gentle child. I¡¯ve always been able to judge people accurately.¡± Tonan pulled out his wallet, counted 800 Ryo, put it in a red envelope that was already there, and handed it over to Shisui. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll give some pocket money to you.¡±


    Shisui stared blankly at the red envelope and then turned to the Great Elder. The old man smiled and said, ¡°Take it.¡±


    Only then, Shisui reached out his chubby little hand and took the red envelope. ¡°Thank you, Tonan-san.¡±


    Tonan dotingly rubbed Shisui¡¯s head and said, ¡°I like well-behaved and sensible children the most. Moreover, it looks like Shisui is also very talented.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to overpraise him. He¡¯s still too young, how can you tell what kind of talent he has.¡±


    The Great Elder noticed Tonan¡¯s expression while speaking, and his heart suddenly thumped, thinking of something bad. He hastily put Shisui to the ground, ¡°Shisui, don¡¯t stay at home all day long. Go out and play with your friends for a while.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Shisui obediently left the living room and ran into the curtain of rain.


    Tonan pointed at the sky outside with a perfunctory smile. ¡°It¡¯s raining outside¡­¡±


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    The Great Elder coughed lightly and said, ¡°Children like to play with mud, and the rain is just perfect.¡±


    Tonan nodded as if he just realized this and chuckled lightly. He raised the teacup in his hand, and said, ¡°The tea today tastes very good.¡±

 CH 73

    Notes:


    Kohais are junior members of a group in Japanese arts; mentees, underclassmen, or younger students


    A few days later, in the Uchiha clan district, Uchiha Tonan was sitting cross-legged under the eaves with his eyes closed, listening to the voices across the entire district.


    This was Wind Style ¨C Communication obtained from Hatake Sakumo. It belonged to wide-range sensory ninjutsu. Not only could one hear subtle sounds within a certain range, but through the airflow, one could also sense whether there was something amiss.


    Suddenly, Tonan¡¯s ears moved a little. In his perception, a person appeared outside the district¡¯s center area. This person¡¯s speed was fast like he was using the Body Flicker Technique.


    ¡°Why did you come to the Uchiha district?¡±


    ¡°Hokage-sama ordered me to look for Uchiha Tonan.¡±


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    Tonan slowly opened his eyes and looked straight at the door. Three, two, one, he silently counted.


    Knock, knock, knock¡­


    The accuracy of this sensory technique seemed quite high. Tonan smiled and said lightly, ¡°Please come in.¡±


    An Anbu, wearing a cat-face mask, pushed open the door. He had no other way but to be this respectful because this was the Uchiha district¡¯s central area. He could no longer just break into Tonan¡¯s house like before. If he did that, it would cause a lot of trouble.


    The Anbu said in a deep voice, ¡°Uchiha Tonan, Hokage-sama wants to see you.¡±


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    Tonan nodded and gently said, ¡°Thank you for taking the trouble of coming here to notify me.¡±


    After speaking, Tonan¡¯s figure disappeared without a trace. In the Hokage office, he calmly entered. He formally bowed to Sarutobi Hiruzen, whose entire face was filled with compassion, and said, ¡°Hokage-sama, may I ask why you¡¯re looking for me?¡±


    Hiruzen maintained a kind smile on his face as he looked at him. He said, ¡°Tonan, I know that the White Fang issue has hit you hard. Moreover, there are talks about you everywhere in Konoha, causing you a great deal of trouble. However, it doesn¡¯t matter, young people should relax when they¡¯re unhappy. It just so happens there¡¯s a long-term A-ranked mission in the Fire Capital. This mission has a high reward and less work. I had to spend a lot of effort to get it for you.¡±


    Hearing this, Tonan frowned a little, ¡°A-ranked mission? Me alone?¡±


    Hiruzen smiled, blew out a mouthful of smoke, and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, first just listen to the details. The Fire Capital¡¯s Northern Wall Guard Unit captain is relieved from his duties, so someone needs to fill the post. This mission is completed once a month, and once a week during the war.¡±


    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s equivalent to completing an A-ranked mission every month. The remuneration is given by the Daimyo Residence. As for the specific duty, it¡¯s to lead genin and soldiers to guard the city gate. And also manage the security within a certain range outside the city.¡±


    Tonan understood the details and said with a serious look, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to complete the mission.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and smiled while waving his hand, ¡°No need to be so serious. This mission rarely comes across danger. By the way, Shinnosuke is one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, and his vacation is almost over. You two could travel together. Both of you are Konoha ninjas. In the Fire Capital, he can look out for you.¡±


    After speaking, Hiruzen lightly coughed, and Sarutobi Shinnosuke immediately pushed open the door and walked in. Tonan bowed to Shinnosuke and said, ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai, I¡¯ll be relying on you.¡±


    Shinnosuke smiled and patted Tonan¡¯s shoulder. He warmly said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so polite. I¡¯m very happy to help the village¡¯s talented kohais.¡±


    Hiruzen chimed in, ¡°Your mission sheet is with Shinnosuke. When you get there, he¡¯ll help you with the formalities.¡±


    Tonan nodded, and said to Shinnosuke, ¡°Thank you, Shinnosuke-senpai, I¡¯m truly bothering you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll set off tomorrow morning. Prepare whatever you need,¡± Shinnosuke said with a smile.


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    ¡°Hokage-sama, I¡¯ll leave then,¡± Tonan bowed and left the Hokage office. Hiruzen signaled Shinnosuke with his eyes, following which the younger man locked the office door and moved a chair to sit opposite his father.


    Hiruzen shook the smoke pipe and solemnly said, ¡°I¡¯m going to retire in a few years. Remember what I told you. You must gain His Majesty¡¯s trust, and after he becomes the Daimyo, ask him to support you in the Hokage election. The Sarutobi clan and Ino-Shika-Cho will support you unconditionally. I¡¯ll try my best to win over other clans for you as well.¡±


    ¡°After observing for these few years, I¡¯ve found two good seedlings for you in the younger generation. One is Kakashi. He can take over Anbu for you in the future. I was planning to use Minato in the past, but his personality is not suitable to use as a tool, and he¡¯s too close to Kushina. We can¡¯t let him come into contact with higher-level power. If he has any thoughts, it¡¯ll be difficult to deal with.¡±


    ¡°The other one is Tonan. He¡¯s different from the rest of the Uchihas. He¡¯s simple and suitable for brainwashing. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t been paying much attention to him lately, and he has gone through so much. Now, he has become a little reticent, and his personality might have also changed. After going to the Capital, you should get close to him often. If everything goes well, when I abdicate, even if he doesn¡¯t reach the point where he can completely control the Uchiha clan, he can at least become a powerhouse. In the future, he can become your confidant and take over¡­ Root for you.¡±


    Shinnosuke nodded solemnly and said, ¡°I understand. By the way, what about Asuma? He has been wanting to go to the Capital recently.¡±


    Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, smoked a mouthful of smoke, and said, ¡°Since he wants to go play, take him with you. Also, take out some time to teach him things. As long as he returns before the graduation to take the exam, it¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Alright, father.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    After returning to the clan, Tonan did some shopping. He bought poison, antidotes, kunai, shuriken, food pills, explosive tags, food for white pigeons, and so on. He stored all this in a storage scroll. He also informed the Great Elder about the mission in passing.


    That night, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina came to his house and took him away for a feast. This could also be considered his farewell party.


    Late at night, Tonan was lying on the bed, thinking aloud his next steps.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve strength, I¡¯m qualified to seek dignity. Hiruzen raising me like a dog for his son is trampling on my dignity. This trip to the Capital is perfect to look for a chance to kill Shinnosuke. But he seems to be pretty strong. Although he might not be able to defeat me in a head-on battle, he might have some life-saving cards.¡±


    ¡°No, no, fighting and killing are reckless. While doing anything, I¡¯ve to attach the most importance to tactics, and force should just be supplementary.¡±


    Tonan could feel he had gotten stronger recently, and his thinking had begun to slip a bit.


    ¡°In a situation where I¡¯m not completely certain, I should prioritize safety. Don¡¯t take risks unnecessarily, lest I¡¯ll capsize in a drain. As for Shinnosuke, I can figure things out after reaching the Capital. My top priority is to work hard to improve my strength. I already have powerful ninjutsu. Now, what I need the most is to increase chakra and spiritual power.¡±


    ¡°The best way for it is to establish a welfare institution and proceed from those children. Teach them how to cultivate chakra, then harvest them when needed. For this, I need to accomplish two things. First, earn enough money to establish a welfare institution. I can think of a way to make money in the Capital. After all, the capital city of the Land of Fire is a wealth hub.¡±


    ¡°Second, find a way to quickly cultivate chakra. It doesn¡¯t matter even if it sacrifices potential and lifespan. But I can do nothing about this now. I can only look around while traveling.¡±

 CH 74

    Early morning, the next day, Uchiha Tonan got up and packed for travel. Before leaving, he walked over to the altar with wooden sculptures and lit three incense sticks.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. There¡¯s a lot I must do this time, so I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be back for a while. If you all miss me, remember to appear in my dream.¡±


    He bowed thrice to the lifelike statues, and stuck the incense sticks for these relatives, friends, and loved ones.


    Three hours later, he was still standing under a big tree at the village entrance, quietly waiting. At the street¡¯s intersection, Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Sarutobi Asuma appeared. They were late.


    Shinnosuke said while rubbing Asuma¡¯s hair, ¡°Asuma, if you laze around in bed in the future again, I won¡¯t take you anywhere.¡±


    Asuma impatiently hit Shinnosuke¡¯s hand away and said, ¡°Alright, alright, I got it. Yesterday, I was so excited, I was unable to sleep for most of the night.¡±


    When the two arrived at the entrance, Shinnosuke apologetically said to Tonan, ¡°Sorry for making you wait so long.¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses, and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I just reached myself.¡±


    Shinnosuke smiled a little and tugged at Asuma¡¯s clothes, ¡°Asuma, Tonan is your classmate, why don¡¯t you greet him?¡±


    ¡°Humph!¡±


    Although Asuma was Tonan¡¯s classmate, for some reason, he didn¡¯t even look at him, as if he held some grudge. Tonan narrowed his eyes and smiled at this. He was not angry. He had already guessed the reason.


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    However, Tonan hadn¡¯t expected Asuma to also go to the Fire Capital. If things went smoothly, he might be able to sort out two people in one fell swoop.


    Shinnosuke scratched his head and interrupted, ¡°Let¡¯s go, if you¡¯ve any problem, you can ask me along the way.¡±


    They completed the village¡¯s departure procedure at the Registration Office, and then left Konoha, setting off for the Capital.


    Just after stepping out of the barrier, Tonan slowed down a little and looked back. At the end of the street, a figure disappeared in a flash. He quietly turned his head back, waved his hand, and continued to walk forward.


    ¡­¡­


    A few days later, the three finally arrived at the Fire Capital. The Capital was located in the plains region. There were large and small villages scattered outside the city.


    At one time, these villages didn¡¯t exist. The Capital¡¯s land was so expensive that the people living inside the city were either ninjas or high-ranking officials. As a result, many chose to live in the villages outside the city, and only entered the city to work or for business.


    The three people came to the Capital¡¯s southern gate, where a guard asked them to show their entry pass. Shinnosuke took out his proof of identity and handed it to the guard. The guard immediately bowed and said, ¡°Welcome back Shinnosuke-sama, please enter.¡±


    Shinnosuke turned to Tonan and said, ¡°Let¡¯s first go to the Five Guard Residence so you that can take up your duty.¡±


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    Soon afterward, he led the two into the Fire Capital. They walked down the street lined up with stalls and vendors were shouting, soliciting business from customers with smiling faces.


    Asuma had stayed in Konoha since he was a child. Such a bustling scene was a novelty for him. He muttered in awe, ¡°Wow, the Fire Capital is huge.¡±


    Shinnosuke glanced at the unaffected Tonan and then at Asuma, who looked overwhelmed. He wondered why there was such a big difference in their bearings despite being of the same age.


    ¡°The Fire Capital is the largest and most prosperous city in the Ninja World. You won¡¯t be so surprised after getting accustomed to living here.¡±


    At this moment, Tonan asked, ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai, I heard you¡¯re among the legendary Twelve Guardian Ninja.¡±


    Shinnosuke nodded, ¡°Yes, the Twelve Guardian Ninja is responsible for guarding the Daimyo. Of course, so many are not needed usually. Generally speaking, we work in two shifts. Four people guard the Daimyo at all times, one guards the First Highness, and one guards the Second Highness.¡±


    Tonan asked curiously, ¡°First Highness and Second Highness?¡±


    Shinnosuke smiled, ¡°Yes, I am relatively weak among the Twelve Guardian Ninja. So, I¡¯m responsible for guarding the safety of the First Highness at night.¡±


    When Asuma heard this, he immediately muttered, ¡°Why does it sound like you are useless?¡±


    Shinnosuke hadn¡¯t expected his own younger brother would pull him down in front of outsiders. His face turned red, and he explained, ¡°What would you know? The Daimyo will be abdicating in a few years, and First Highness will inherit the position. The current First Highness represents the future of the Land of Fire. Do you think anyone can do this?¡±


    Tonan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and he asked, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t the Second Highness inherit the position?¡±


    Shinnosuke thought for a moment before he explained, ¡°Generally speaking, the eldest son would inherit the position and there are several signs indicating that the Daimyo wants to do that.¡±


    Tonan nodded and no longer pursued the subject. Asuma, however, seemed to have become a chatterbox and asked Shinnosuke, ¡°Who is higher, the Daimyo or Hokage?¡±


    ¡°The Daimyo, of course, but the difference in their status is not too much. The Ninja World implements a system of one country, one hidden village. If there¡¯s a hidden village, there must be a country. But if there¡¯s a country, a hidden village is not absolutely necessary. The hidden village can¡¯t do without the country¡¯s economic help, but the country also needs the hidden village¡¯s military support.¡±


    ¡°Then, why can¡¯t the Hokage become the Daimyo?¡±


    Shinnosuke hastily covered Asuma¡¯s mouth and seriously warned, ¡°Be quiet! Don¡¯t say such things in the future. You¡¯ll land yourself in trouble.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Half an hour later, the three arrived at the Five Guard Residence¡¯s work hall. The personnel here recognized Shinnosuke at a glance. He immediately stood up and bowed, ¡°Shinnosuke-sama.¡±


    Shinnosuke nodded and pointed to Tonan next to him, ¡°He¡¯s your newly appointed captain, Konoha¡¯s chunin, Uchiha Tonan. This is his mission sheet.¡±


    He handed the mission sheet to that person for checking. Once the person confirmed there was no error, he registered Tonan¡¯s information. He then bowed towards him and said, ¡°Welcome, Tonan-sama.¡±


    Tonan smiled warmly and replied, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to working with you all.¡±


    ¡°Tonan, I¡¯ll take Asuma out for a stroll. I live in the east of Daimyo Residence. If you have any problem, you can¡­¡±


    Before Shinnosuke could finish speaking, he was pulled away by Asuma, who was impatient to go out and play. Tonan watched the two leave. The smile on his face gradually faded, and an inexplicable meaning flashed through his eyes.


    The staff member saw Tonan standing there without speaking and cautiously asked, ¡°Tonan-sama, should I take you to your residence now?¡±


    Tonan turned his head. He had already recovered his usual gentle expression. ¡°That would be great, thank you.¡±

 CH 75

    Soon, the staff member from the Five Guard Residence¡¯s work hall guided Uchiha Tonan to a courtyard residence located in Fire Capital¡¯s northern district. A plaque with Northern City Guard inscribed on it was hanging at the residence¡¯s door.


    Tonan walked into the courtyard when the staff member who was in the lead, asked, ¡°Tonan-sama, do you think you have everything you need here?¡±


    Tonan pointed at the rows of people standing in the middle of the front courtyard and asked, ¡°These people are¡­¡±


    The staff member explained, ¡°They are your attendants, responsible for carrying out your orders and guarding the mansion.¡±


    Tonan nodded with satisfaction, and took out a red envelope from his bag, handing it to the staff member, ¡°Not bad, thank you for your hard work.¡±


    The staff member took the red envelope, and happily bowed, ¡°Many thanks, Tonan-sama. I will let you rest now.¡±


    After the staff member left, Tonan walked to the attendants and sized them up, ¡°The Northern City Guard staff work in two shifts, right?¡±


    The attendants¡¯ leader hastily replied, ¡°My lord, we work in a three-shift system.¡±


    Tonan nodded and said while walking towards the house, ¡°Summon everyone from the Northern City Guard including those who are resting. I want to meet everyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± A group of attendants left the courtyard residence in succession, leaving just the head attendant. After putting his things away, Tonan asked him to move the table to the backyard corridor, and also make him a pot of tea.


    He then sat behind the table and drank tea while waiting. After about an hour, all resting personnel arrived and stood in formation in the backyard. However, even before Tonan could speak, one of them walked to his side and bowed, ¡°I¡¯m Shimokawara Shota, Northern City Guard¡¯s Vice-Captain. Although I was not born in Konoha, I became a ninja relying on myself. My strength is equivalent to that of a Konoha chunin.¡±


    After speaking, he sat down beside Tonan. Tonan didn¡¯t get angry. He just smiled faintly and addressed everyone, ¡°My name is Uchiha Tonan. I¡¯m Konoha¡¯s chunin, and also your newly appointed captain. Let¡¯s begin with the introductions with those in the management positions.¡±


    ¡°Kawato Kozo, Northern City Guard¡¯s squad leader.¡±


    ¡°Toyoda Uetani, Northern City Guard¡¯s squad leader.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Once the introductions were completed, Tonan nodded. He lifted the teapot from the table, leaned over slightly, and poured some tea into Shota¡¯s cup. Afterward, as if humbly seeking advice, he asked, ¡°I¡¯m new here, I don¡¯t know what I exactly ought to do. Can you explain it to me, Shota-kun?¡±


    Shota grinned and replied in high spirits, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything, just leave patrolling duties to the team. You are free to do whatever you please, Tonan-sama, and the Daimyo Residence will regularly deposit the mission remuneration in your bankbook.¡±


    Tonan said with a happy look, ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t expect this mission to be so simple. I can make money just by relaxing.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-sama, you should focus on training and not let these trivial matters bother you. If something urgent comes up, I¡¯ll be there to handle it. I can guarantee there¡¯ll be no problems.¡±


    Shota patted his chest and assured Tonan with an appearance of ¡®I¡¯m doing this for your own good¡¯. Tonan looked at him, took a sip of his tea, and meaningfully said, ¡°I should be grateful to you in that case, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Shota said while reaching for the teacup in front of him. Suddenly, a strong wind blew against his face.


    Clang, clang!


    Tonan attacked all of a sudden and two kunai pierced Shota¡¯s palms, nailing them to the table.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Shota screamed in pain. Seeing this, the Northern City Guard members, who were standing in formation in the courtyard, instinctively wanted to rush forward to help him.


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Dark Swamp.¡±


    Instantly, the entire ground in the backyard turned into a swamp, and everyone sank into it.


    ¡°Forgive us, Tonan-sama.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-sama, we didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯re you doing this to us?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan ignored Shota¡¯s wail and Northern City guard members¡¯ questions and pleads. He carefully lifted the teacup that was in front of Shota and took a sip, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. Since I¡¯m young, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t take me seriously. Therefore, this was the only way I could think of to establish my prestige. Don¡¯t worry, as long as you don¡¯t act recklessly, you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Tonan put down the teacup. The head attendant at the side had just come back to his senses after the initial shock. He leaned over and lifted the teapot to pour tea for Tonan. Tonan glanced at him and casually said, ¡°You¡¯re very intelligent, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    The attendant leader knelt and deeply bowed, ¡°Tonan-sama, I¡¯m Yoshiwara Ao.¡±


    Tonan nodded and waved so Ao could get up. He then reached out his hand and slowly turned the teacup. His gaze was focused on the patterns and using a puzzled tone, he asked, ¡°Why do you think you are on equal footing with me? Do you truly think I¡¯m an ignorant child? Did you want to make me a mere figurehead?¡±


    He put down the teacup and took out a kunai from his bag, carelessly playing with it. Shota wanted to break free from the kunai that had nailed his palm to the table, but just moving his palm led to heartrending pain. He looked at Tonan, who was playing with a kunai, and swallowed, ¡°What do you want? Let me tell you that if you dare to kill me, you¡¯ll be done for. This is not Konoha, it is the Fire Capital.¡±


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    Tonan chuckled hearing his words, ¡°You might¡¯ve misunderstood me, Vice-Capitan Shota. I¡¯ve always been a law-abiding, rules-following citizen.¡±


    But before Shota could sigh in relief, Tonan slammed the kunai in his hand on the table and looked at the people stuck in the swamp, ¡°You all should be aware of his misdeeds and shady businesses. Does anyone want to speak up? Whoever tells me anything about it, will be the next Vice-Captain.¡±


    Everyone in the swamp became silent hearing Tonan¡¯s words. Shota resentfully glared at him, thinking of ways to retaliate in his heart. Time passed by slowly, but no one opened their mouth.


    Clap, clap, clap¡­


    Tonan smiled and shook his head, applauding. He looked at Shota and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so popular.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always acted fairly. Even if you force them to speak, they¡¯ll not say anything. Uchiha Tonan, was it? You¡¯re done for. I¡¯ll go to the Supervision Minister and report you.¡±


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    Shota¡¯s eyes were red. He couldn¡¯t wait to bury Tonan on the spot.


    Tonan tapped on the table and called out, ¡°Ao.¡±


    Ao knelt on one knee and said, ¡°Yes, Tonan-sama,¡±


    ¡°Go search Vice-Captain Shota¡¯s house, and see if there are any suspicious records. If you find anything, bring them here.¡±

 CH 76

    Half an hour later, Yoshiwara Ao came back with a thick stack of documents and put it on the table, ¡°My Lord, these were found in Shimokawara Shota¡¯s house.¡±


    Shota¡¯s back was drenched with sweat but he maintained his fierce look, ¡°Tonan, I advise you not to look at these documents. Some things are too serious, not everyone can handle it.¡±


    ¡°I understand this rationale. Why do people have two eyes? It¡¯s to sometimes turn a blind eye,¡± Tonan flipped through the records, and then look at everyone in the swamp, ¡°These are the reasons why you all don¡¯t dare report him, right?¡±


    Everyone lowered their heads in silence. Tonan chuckled and instructed Ao, ¡°Burn these.¡±


    Ao respectfully replied, ¡°Yes, Tonan-sama.¡± He brought over a fire pan and burned each of the documents one by one in front of everyone. Shota watched Ao burn it all and gloated, ¡°You¡¯re completely done for now. Among the things you burned just now, there was also the city entry tax book, which had to be delivered to the Finance Minister. I¡¯ll see how you¡¯ll explain this.¡±


    Tonan frowned hearing this and asked with a surprised look, ¡°Who said I burned anything? I just wanted to check the accounts, but you were so worried about your corruption being exposed that you burned even the tax books. Everyone here can testify to that.¡±


    Shota was startled and enraged, ¡°You¡¯re framing me!¡±


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    ¡°Everyone, I believe you¡¯re all law-abiding citizens and will not go along with this miscreant. Anyone who wants to report him can speak freely. These are all merits. You¡¯ll be rewarded even if you¡¯re not promoted. Ao, please record each of their reports along with their names and fingerprints. By the way, if there¡¯s someone who didn¡¯t report anything, record his name as well. I suspect that person is Vice-Captain Shota¡¯s accomplice.¡±


    After Tonan was done, he picked up the cup and lowered his eyes to sip on his tea. There was silence for a bit, but soon, someone broke it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve something to say, Shimokawara Shota privately took protection money from gangsters outside the city.¡±


    ¡°He also privately released prohibited items into the city.¡±


    ¡°He also sheltered several human-trafficking organizations.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The clock ticked second by second. Tonan released everyone who exposed Shota¡¯s crimes and Ao diligently noted it. Once everyone was done, he handed the notebook over to Tonan.


    Tonan waved it in front of Shota and asked, ¡°Is this enough for you to die?¡±


    Shota took a few deep breaths and pretended to be tough, ¡°There¡¯s no real evidence. According to the Land of Fire laws, you can¡¯t do anything to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll burn the evidence for you later. If you¡¯ve any grievances, appear in the Daimyo¡¯s dream and report it,¡± Tonan chuckled and shook his head. He then pointed at a Northern City Guard, ¡°As his colleague, why don¡¯t you put an end to his pathetic life? I remember you reported the most crimes.¡±


    That Northern City Guard looked to his right and left, and then wobbled forward in trepidation. He reached out to pick up a kunai and hesitantly looked at Shota. After all, he knew so much about Shota¡¯s misdeeds because they shared a good rapport and he too was involved in all of it.


    By now, Shota was truly frightened and couldn¡¯t mask his fear, ¡°No! I submit to you, I¡¯ll do whatever you want me to do¡­¡±


    Tonan was not in a rush. He rubbed his chin, pretending to think, ¡°If you submit to me, you¡¯ll still be the Vice-Captain, and all that happened today would just be a misunderstanding. Later, wouldn¡¯t you want to get back at everyone who reported you?¡±


    Puchi


    Immediately after he spoke, that Northern City Guard stabbed Shota¡¯s heart with the kunai. Seeing his dying body, Tonan patted his forehead, looking vexed, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I was thinking about it for too long, but it¡¯s useless to regret now. Hereafter, you will be the Vice-Captain.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, Tonan-sama.¡±


    The Northern City Guard knelt on the ground and heavily kowtowed towards Tonan. Nodding with satisfaction, Tonan pointed at the few people who were still in the swamp and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave these few to you all. No need to be polite, everyone will have a share.¡±


    Seeing Shota dead, the people who hadn¡¯t spoken against him panicked and began shouting¡­


    ¡°My Lord, we¡¯ll speak, Shimokawara Shota had forcefully kidnapped many women.¡±


    ¡°Shimokawara Shota has bribed Uekawa Ozora, the Head of Guardian Residence.¡±


    Puchi


    Puchi


    ¡°So, there was collusion with the Guardian Residence Head¡­¡± A thought flashed through Tonan¡¯s eyes and he leisurely stood up.


    ¡°You all, go and wash up lest people say the Northern City Guard¡¯s people are sloppy. Also, go back and inform about what happened today to the others who were on duty as well. Hereafter, remain within bounds and don¡¯t knowingly violate the law. Usually, I¡¯ll be training hard. If there¡¯s any problem in the future, I¡¯ll follow my attendants¡¯ arrangements.¡±


    He headed to his bedroom after issuing the instructions. Taking the sealed storage scroll, he left the mansion. When he reached the main street, he randomly asked a passerby, ¡°Excuse me, who should I look to report an official¡¯s corruption?¡±


    ¡°You should look for Supervision Minister Fukuda Masaki, just northwest of the Daimyo Residence. There¡¯ll be guards at the door. You can just ask them, and you¡¯ll know it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Tonan turned around and walked in the direction the person had pointed. After a while, he arrived at the Supervision Minister¡¯s mansion and met Masaki.


    In the living room, Tonan sat in front of a table in seiza style, respectfully bowed to Masaki on the other side, and said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Masaki-sama.¡±


    Masaki solemnly said, ¡°You¡¯re the newly appointed Northern City Guard captain, Uchiha Tonan. I wonder who you¡¯re reporting.¡±


    ¡°I want to report Shimokawara Shota, the Vice-Captain of the Northern City Guard, for taking bribes, engaging in corrupt practices, and acting as a protective umbrella for underworld forces. These are his crimes, collectively reported by his subordinates.¡±


    Tonan handed over the crime book to Masaki. Once he opened it, Masaki was shocked by the densely recorded charges and countless fingerprints.


    At this moment, there was only one thought in his head ¨C when a wall is about to collapse, everybody gives it a shove.


    ¡°This is a grave matter. If there¡¯s no substantial evidence, I can only report it to His Majesty, and he will make the final decision,¡± Masaki calmly informed.


    Tonan nodded but he seemed to suddenly recall something. He took out a sealed storage scroll from his bag and spread it out on the table. He then made a hand sign to release the things stored in it.


    Bang!


    Piles of colorful banknotes appeared in front of Masaki, who merely glanced at them. Being a veteran, he roughly estimated this was almost five million Ryo in total.


    ¡°When I saw these charges, I was too furious. I killed him and a few of his accomplices on impulse. Also, this is five million Ryo that Shimokawara Shota wanted to bribe me with. The illicit money should be turned over. I wonder if my course of action has broken the rules,¡± Tonan finished speaking with a smile on his face and pushed the banknotes towards Masaki.


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    Masaki narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath. He righteously said, ¡°What this guy did was enough to anger the heavens. As long as one has an upright mind, who can one hold back? I understand Tonan-sama¡¯s course of action very well. You can rest assured, His Majesty will not understand it as well.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, Masaki-sama. I¡¯ll take my leave now. I¡¯ll order someone to deliver the criminal¡¯s corpse later,¡± Tonan smiled politely but then he paused and reached his hand out, lightly tapping on the banknotes, ¡°In context to everything that happens in the Northern City Guard, I¡¯ll report it to you once a month. At that time, I¡¯ll hand over the prisoners and the illicit money as well.¡±


    Tonan got up to leave after saying this. Masaki was experienced enough to immediately read between the lines. It meant that Tonan would give him achievements and money every month.


    This move would not only bring him many benefits but also represent that Tonan was standing on his side. He was immediately overjoyed. He enthusiastically got up and said, ¡°Tonan-sama is truly of noble character and sterling integrity¡­ let me walk you out.¡±

 CH 77

    A point in Narutoverse history, Warring States Period, was a timespan of two centuries where the Ashikaga Shogunate (a centralized system of government) collapsed and Japan was torn into various factions amid a bloody civil war


    Uchiha Tonan returned to the North City Guard¡¯s residence hall, where he drank tea. The attendant had already dispersed the Guard members. Not long after, Yoshiwara Ao respectfully drew his attention to hand over a scroll, ¡°Tonan-sama.¡±


    Tonan put down the teacup to spread out the scroll and made hand signs to undo the seal.


    Bang!


    After a smoke cloud dissipated, more than a dozen boxes appeared in the open space in front of them. Tonan asked Ao to open each of them. The boxes were filled with either gold, silver, and jewelry, or antiques and land deeds. Expectedly, there was also cash and banknotes. This was Shimokawara Shota¡¯s savings over the years.


    Tonan nodded with satisfaction, ¡°Are these all his assets?¡±


    Ao quickly took out an account book and handed it over with a bow, ¡°Yes, this is the account book. You can please check it.¡±


    Tonan took the account book and examined it for a while.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s total assets are worth about 200 million Ryo! It¡¯s enough to buy the land for the welfare institution. This trip was worthwhile. That Shota character really¡­ died well.¡±


    ¡°A mere vice-captain can accumulate almost 200 million in savings. Fire Capital deserves to be called Ninja World¡¯s most prosperous city. Just the entry and exit tariff paid by the caravans should be astronomical. Deducting a bit of profit is enough to cover an A-ranked mission.¡±


    Suddenly, Tonan inquired, ¡°What about his family?¡±


    Ao replied while pouring tea, ¡°He has seven directly-related family members including both young and old. I¡¯ve arrested and detained them under the North City Guard¡¯s temporary custody.¡±


    Tonan nodded. He was satisfied with this newly acquired subordinate, who matched a bit of his own style. ¡°Keep them for now, and send one corpse plus five million Ryo to the Supervision Minister Residence every month.¡±


    Ao nodded and asked lightly, ¡°Do we need to write a report?¡±


    Tonan shook his head with a smile, ¡°Masaki-sama will write it for us. This is his political achievement. Oh yes, from now on, you¡¯ll manage the North City Guard for me. Smuggling, tax fraud, bribing, and what was collected earlier should all be continued. We must not break rules, lest the other three City Guard guardian lords feel uneasy.¡±


    Ao was overjoyed, and respectfully replied, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Tonan picked up his teacup, and lightly asked as he took a sip, ¡°By the way, if asked, who instructed you to do these things?¡±


    Ao¡¯s eyes flashed with a smile, ¡°Tonan-sama was busy with training. The others and I deceived you to embezzle money, it was our arbitrary action.¡±


    Tonan chuckled and waved his hand, ¡°Withdraw.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Three months later, Tonan had completely consolidated his position in the Fire Capital. Every month, North City Guard would give him a grey income of almost 20 million Ryo. Five million Ryo from this was used to pay a tribute to the Supervision Minister.


    The past North City Guard captains paid a tribute to the Guardian Residence chief too, hoping to gain a chance at promotion. But Tonan was here just for a mission. Regardless of how well he did, he wouldn¡¯t get promoted.


    Even if he made a mistake, only his nominal employer, the Daimyo, was qualified to dismiss him.


    The Guardian Residence chief couldn¡¯t control him. Only if someone reported him to the Supervision Minister, and then he reported it to the Daimyo, was it possible to shake Tonan from his position.


    In that case, too, the result was just a failed mission, and he would be sent back to the village. Tonan, hence, didn¡¯t bother to appease the Guardian Residence and instead directly pulled the Supervision Minister into his camp.


    Of the remaining 15 million Ryo, Tonan distributed about two million to his subordinates. Being a boss, one must know how to win people¡¯s hearts. And to be an upright person, one must share.


    During these three months, Sarutobi Shinnosuke visited Tonan several times, trying to win him over. Shinnosuke¡¯s control methods were too crude, he couldn¡¯t compare with Sarutobi Hiruzen.


    However, in order to reduce his guard, Tonan tried his best to cater to him. In one of the conversations with him, Tonan learned that Sarutobi Asuma would leave the Fire Capital in two months to take the graduation exam in the village.


    This gave Tonan a sense of urgency. After Asuma returned to the village, it would be very difficult to make a move against him¡­


    At night, the full moon flickered under the cover of the dark clouds.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit me¡­ lord, please spare my life¡­ lord¡­ please spare my life¡­ ah¡±


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    Tonan was reading under lamplight in the night. While flipping through the books he purchased at the Fire Capital¡¯s largest bookstore, he listened to heart-breaking wails in the newly built dungeon in the backyard, using Wind Communication.


    Although these books were not related to ninjas, they contained knowledge of all trades and professions. People keen to self-improve must use leisure time to supplement and enrich their knowledge.


    Especially Tonan, since he was very interested in the Ninja World history. In fact, he had the same confusion as Asuma ¡ª why couldn¡¯t the Hokage rule the country despite the military power?


    Now, Tonan knew the answer to this question. The reason was very simple. Hokage came from the military field and was not adept in matters concerning people¡¯s livelihood. Training ninjas needed money. Assuming ninjas couldn¡¯t earn money from missions, what were their options? Business or farming?


    Then, what would be the difference between a ninja and ordinary people? Moreover, ninjas might not necessarily be able to do it as well as ordinary people. Besides, with great strength, who would be willing to do such things?


    Some people might think that ninjas could just make a living by robbing civilians. Many ninjas in the past did exactly that. They didn¡¯t engage in production activities and relied on looting to obtain resources.


    However, civilians weren¡¯t stupid. They attached themselves to powerful ninja clans and handed over a certain amount of resources for protection. This situation finally led to almost every ninja clan being affiliated with civilians.


    The consequent resources imbalance led to war. And in the war, the ones fighting were still ninjas. This was how the Warring States Period started after the end of the ninja sect era.


    As for why the Hokage cannot become the Daimyo, and directly control common people ¡ª this involved the basic human nature of class-climbing.


    Hokage is a ninja, and in a country ruled by a ninja, all higher-ups must be ninjas. Since no one wanted to be in the low rung, people would spare no effort to groom their next generations as ninjas.


    This would lead to a large number of people refining chakra and learning ninjutsu from childhood. Most people would become ninjas, which meant a lot of money spent on training them.


    The social productive force would decrease rapidly, and ninjas would eventually have to engage in business and farming like ordinary people. What would then be the difference between this state and the ninja sect era?


    People progress, not regress. The ninja village system was to separate ninjas from ordinary people and avoid conflict.


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    From another perspective, the country was the ninja village¡¯s estate, where ordinary people worked hard to produce. The Daimyo was the estate¡¯s manager, responsible for producing and accumulating wealth, then handing it over to the ninja village in the form of funds and missions.


    While supporting the village, he also seeks its protection. The true bigwigs had already seen through this point.


    Therefore, in recent few years, the Land of Fire¡¯s wealthy and powerful continuously immigrated their younger family members to Konoha, to let them win at the starting line. This was also one of the reasons why Konoha¡¯s land prices skyrocketed.


    Hokage, therefore, didn¡¯t rule the country that had to be run with a separate government. Ninjas and civilians must be in two worlds. If they were placed together, various problems would arise due to power imbalance. As for whose status was higher between the Hokage and Daimyo, that depended on person to person.


    Since Hokage had absolute military force, his right to speak outclassed the Daimyo. However, the Daimyo had absolute authority in the common people¡¯s hearts and had economic power. Now, in the time of peace, when the economy was growing rapidly, the people¡¯s right to speak surpassed the military force. But the capital could only contain military force, it was incapable of flipping the table.


    While Tonan was thinking, Ao knocked on the door and reported, ¡°My Lord, he has fainted five times already. If we continue beating him, he¡¯ll die.¡±


    Tonan put down the book, took a sip of tea, and said, ¡°That¡¯s miserable, what did he do?¡±


    ¡°When he was handing over money today, he hid three hundred Ryo.¡±


    ¡°Three hundred Ryo¡­¡±


    Tonan sighed, ¡°Ao, you know me. I¡¯ve always hated evil like an enemy, and I hate people who take bribes and bend the law the most. In the North City Guard, the rules I set are the law. Since he violated my rules, that¡¯s breaking the law, and it¡¯s a crime.¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s only three hundred Ryo, we shouldn¡¯t judge evil by the number. It¡¯s his heart that¡¯s already filthy. Once there¡¯s a first time, there¡¯ll be more, and we can¡¯t catch him every time. To prevent him from making grave mistakes again, it¡¯d be better to kill him and send him to Masaki-sama.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°By the way, what about the human trafficking organizations I asked you to pay attention to.¡±


    ¡°As per your instructions, I¡¯ve figured out their hiding places. It¡¯s just that they seemed to have hired wandering ninjas.¡±


    Tonan nodded and narrowed his eyes hearing this information, ¡°Gather people tomorrow night. I¡¯ll personally lead the team to raid them, and save those poor children.¡±


    ¡°My Lord is truly benevolent,¡± Ao flattered Tonan.


    Tonan instantly looked gentle and solemnly said with righteousness, ¡°As the North City Guard captain, I should punish traitors and eliminate evil for the benefit of common people. You don¡¯t need to praise me, it¡¯s my duty.¡±

 CH 78

    Kekkei Genkai, literally meaning Bloodline Limit, is a DNA anomaly that allows the wielder to use unique techniques; dojutsu such as Byakugan and Sharingan are among these


    On an otherwise scorching summer night, a cool breeze blew over the treetops, and the birds on trees chirped. In the villages outside the Fire Capital, just a few houses were still lit.


    Stray cats were sprawled in the corners of the dimly lit street. Sudden heavy footsteps startled them and they dashed into the darkness.


    A large-framed man carrying a bag poked his head out stealthily. He looked left and right and then quickly crossed the street to enter an alley. He walked until he reached a house with a courtyard located at the edge of the village and entered it.


    Creak


    The man opened the door of a dimly lit basement and untied the bag. Inside it was a young, barely three-year-old boy, who was tied up. Seeing the light again, the boy struggled instinctively with all his might.


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    The man untied the rope that bound him and picked up a leather-thonged whip. When the young boy saw this, his face was filled with horror, and he desperately wailed. The man showed a hideous grin and swung the whip, ruthlessly hitting the little boy.


    The boy rolled on the ground in pain, screaming. After beating him for a while, the man pointed the whip at him and ferociously warned, ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, I¡¯ll continue to beat you until you die.¡±


    The boy responded to the threat and firmly bit his lip, not letting any sound come out. The man nodded with satisfaction, then looked at other lifeless children hiding in the corner, his eyes flashing with admonition.


    He then opened the basement door and walked out.


    Bang!


    The basement plunged into darkness again. The young boy squirmed over to a wall and tightly hugged his knees. Only like this, he could feel the slightest sense of security.


    The basement was eerily silent¡­ only the boy sobbed in a low voice, ¡°Mama¡­¡±


    Bang!


    The basement door was kicked open again. The boy was shocked and trembled, and didn¡¯t dare make another sound. The man raised the whip with a hideous smile and glared at him.


    ¡°Humph!¡±


    The basement door was shut again. The boy finally understood why the other children inside were silent. He too soundlessly curled up into a ball.


    Above the basement, a group of burly men was seated at a round table that was full of banknotes. Among them was a person in ninja clothes, with a ninja bag around his waist. It was obvious he was this set-up¡¯s leader. He turned to the man that just came out of the basement and asked, ¡°Where did you get the goods this time?¡±


    The man¡¯s earlier ferociousness disappeared, and a flattering smile appeared on his face, ¡°It¡¯s the best quality goods from the Land of Water, related to the Yuki clan in some way.¡±


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    The leader¡¯s eyes lit up as he whistled, ¡°Not bad¡­ if he awakens the Yuki clan¡¯s Kekkei Genkai, he¡¯ll be more valuable.¡±


    The man hadn¡¯t expected the boss to have some expectation despite his b******* being so unrealistic. He coughed awkwardly and explained, ¡°How can he awaken it? His family has been civilian for quite a few generations.¡±


    The leader just laughed and waved his hand, ¡°Even if he cannot, it doesn¡¯t matter. He can still bring more money. Those bigwigs like this kind of goods with a bit of ninja clans¡¯ bloodline.¡±


    The man nodded in agreement and sat on the seat with a face full of joy. He rubbed his hands and said, ¡°Let¡¯s play¡­. I haven¡¯t played for a long time, my hands are already itching, I¡¯ll sit here.¡±


    Seeing the man¡¯s wretched appearance, the leader¡¯s mouth twitched. He pushed the dice cup in front of him and said, ¡°Be careful not to lose your pants.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal even if I did, I can just make another trip and bring back a few more top-quality goods.¡±


    The man picked up the dice cup, and shook it vigorously, ¡°Quick, quick, quick¡­ place the bet, place the bet.¡±


    His colleagues began to put in money one after another.


    ¡°I bet on big.¡±


    ¡°Me as well.¡±


    ¡°Since you all bet on big, I bet on small!¡±


    ¡ª-


    ¡°I bet on leopard.¡±


    The man placed the dice cup on the table and lifted it. Everyone immediately put their heads forward.


    ¡°Open!¡±


    Everyone stared with focus and saw that all three dice had rolled six.


    The man cursed, ¡°F***, it¡¯s truly leopard, this hand¡¯s too bad.¡±


    Although other colleagues also didn¡¯t win money, seeing that the man suffered a setback, they strangely felt happy.


    ¡°Give me the money, leopard pays tenfold.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯re you so impatient? Would I not give you this small amount? Come again!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, I still bet on big.¡±


    ¡°No, this time, I will bet on big¡­. I have a hunch.¡±


    ¡°Scram, you are a bad luck bearer¡­ I bet on small.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°I bet on leopard.¡±


    ¡°Open!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s demonical, it¡¯s leopard again.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Open!¡±


    Every time, all three dice rolled six in succession.


    The big man looked at the person sitting opposite him and doubtfully said while picking up the dice cup and shaking it, ¡°Strange, why¡¯s only the leopard rolling today? You¡¯re not cheating, are you?¡±


    Another person also felt that something was amiss. He turned to look at that person and said, ¡°I also think that it¡¯s impossible, are you¡­ brother, I might be a little muddle-headed, but what¡¯s your name again?¡±


    That person took the money on the table, then said with a gentle look, ¡°I¡¯m Uchiha Tonan, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m¡­¡±


    Everyone was stunned for a moment and looked at each other. Then they suddenly retreated, opening up a distance, and surrounded Tonan.


    Clang!


    The swords were unsheathed, and the atmosphere became tense.


    The leader yelled at Tonan, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°The current Captain of the North City Guard, Uchiha Tonan.¡±


    Tonan sat on a chair, leaned back, then picked up a banknote and tossed it forward. The banknote knocked down the dice cup, revealing the dice inside, which still rolled six.


    ¡°Does this count?¡±


    Hearing Tonan¡¯s self-introduction, the leader narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°It counts, of course, it counts, Tonan-sama. But I wonder why you came looking for us this late in the night¡­¡±


    Tonan smiled a little and said with a negotiating tone, ¡°I¡¯ve come with a presumptuous request. I want to take those children away.¡±


    Killing intent flashed through the leader¡¯s eyes, but he immediately covered it. A stiff smile appeared on his face and he said, ¡°Lord, those children are all adopted and nurtured by us brothers¡­ we are emotionally connected to them.¡±


    After speaking, he discreetly signaled one of his companions with his eyes. As for Tonan, he frowned hearing the leader¡¯s words, and rubbed his chin as if he was deeply pondering on something, ¡°In that case, it would truly be unreasonable if I forcibly took them away.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s words eased the leader¡¯s stiff face considerably. At this time, the companion handed a small box to him, which the leader opened and placed on the table, pushing it towards Tonan.


    Then, with a fawning smile, he said, ¡°My Lord, this is our tribute of respect to you. I hope you¡¯ll take more care of us hereafter.¡± Tonan¡¯s eyes lit up looking at the banknotes-filled box and he sat up straight. He reached out his hand and said while caressing the banknotes, ¡°So much money, but it¡¯s a pity.¡±


    The smile on the leader¡¯s face gradually disappeared, and he squinted his eyes as he asked, ¡°My Lord, what¡¯s a pity? Is our respect not enough?¡±


    Tonan shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m a rather greedy person. I want money, I want people, and I want achievements as well¡­. You all tell me, what should I do?

 CH 79

    Hearing Uchiha Tonan¡¯s self-claimed greed, the leader¡¯s face instantly darkened, and he roared, ¡°Attack!¡±


    The traffickers raised their weapons, one by one, and attacked Tonan. However, he continued to sit on the chair facing the incoming swords and swayed his body to dodge them.


    Two burly men then thrust their tachi at his chest from either direction so that he could not escape but at the critical moment, Tonan leaned forward, and the swords streaked across behind him.


    Then, the corners of his mouth rose slightly, as he reached out his hand to grab their wrists and pulled them gently.


    Puchi!


    The two people stabbed each other and collapsed on the ground. Tonan¡¯s actions frightened the others, and no one dared to step forward for a while. He was still on the chair as he tapped on the table in front and said, ¡°Do you want to continue resisting?¡±


    At this time, the leader, who was hiding at one side, finished making hand signs and shouted, ¡°Fire Style ¨C Great Fireball Technique.¡±


    A huge fireball wrapped in heatwaves flew towards Tonan.


    ¡°Challenging an expert with your juvenile skill,¡± Tonan indifferently said and made a one-hand sign blowing out a wind column.


    The moment the fireball came into contact with the column, it was split into two and flew in two sides. The wind column advanced with irresistible force and slammed onto the leader, sending him flying.


    Tonan stood up slowly and glanced at the trembling crowd, ¡°I suggest you all be sensible. Admit your guilt, and after entering prison, transform properly and start your life afresh.¡±


    Puchi


    Suddenly, Tonan¡¯s eyes widened, and he lowered his head, his eyes filled with disbelief. He saw a bloody sword tip coming out from his chest. In the next moment, he fell on the table and stopped breathing.


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    ¡°Humph! A Konoha chick wants to fight with me!¡± Behind Tonan, the leader snorted with disdain. As it turned out, just a moment before he was hit by the wind column, the leader had used the substitution technique.


    The traffickers were relieved seeing this and asked, ¡°Boss, what should we do now?¡±


    The leader glanced at Tonan¡¯s corpse and ordered, ¡°You all sort out everything, pack up the goods and wait for me here.¡±


    After speaking, he turned and left. He walked around the dimly lit village a few times and came to an abandoned house. Inside, he lifted a floorboard and took out a scroll.


    ¡°So, this was where you hid your money?¡±


    The leader was scared out of his wits hearing a calm voice from nowhere. He immediately pulled out his sword and turned around, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    To his great shock, in the next moment, he noticed his surroundings shattering like glass. When the leader came back to his senses, he found he was still in the earlier room.


    At some point, it was already packed with North City Guard¡¯s personnel. All of his companions were tied up.


    As for the dead Tonan, he was sitting on a chair beside the window, feeding a white pigeon. At this moment, the leader understood he had fallen into genjutsu.


    His forehead was filled with cold sweat, and he gulped, hastily begging for mercy, ¡°My Lord, please spare me. I know you want money. You can ask for any price, how much ever you want.¡±


    The other traffickers also began to chime in succession.


    ¡°My Lord, we won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡±


    ¡°I have only been in this business for a few days.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan squinted his eyes as he looked at the leader. He flicked his finger and an air bullet hit the leader¡¯s forehead, exploding it. Everyone felt nauseated and their pleading also came to a halt.


    At this moment, Yoshiwara Ao came to Tonan¡¯s side and leaned over, ¡°Tonan-sama, the children are in the basement.¡±


    Tonan stretched out his hand and pushed the white pigeon. The ninja beast understood his master¡¯s instruction and flew out of the window.


    ¡°Send people to escort them to my residence. Remember, everything will be arranged only after I return.¡±


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    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, leave a few people here to guard, and we¡¯ll go to the next place.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The next day, at the capital city gate, Tonan led the North City Guard and a group of traffickers into the city.


    ¡°Step aside, step aside!¡±


    People along the way stopped to watch and inquire about what was happening.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? So many people.¡±


    Among the crowd, there were also some people pretending to be North City Guard that Tonan arranged in advance. At this point, they began to work separately, holding similar conversations.


    ¡°Damn it! Yesterday was my day off and I missed participating in such an important operation.¡±


    The eyes of an elderly woman beside him lit up hearing this, and burning for gossip, she hastily pulled the ¡®guard¡¯ aside and asked, ¡°Are you also a member of North City Guard? Tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    The people around also perked up their ears, ready to eavesdrop on the latest grapevine.


    ¡°The one walking upfront is our North City Guard captain, Uchiha Tonan. Recently, we found several hideouts of human traffickers in secret. After confirming the news was correct, Tonan-sama led the North City Guard to destroy all the hideouts in one fell swoop last night. Do you see those people being escorted now? All of them are human traffickers.¡±


    When the woman heard this, she clapped with great joy and said, ¡°This young man, Tonan-sama, has really done a great deed.¡±


    The ¡®guard¡¯ moved his head closer, pretending to be secretive, and loudly said, ¡°You don¡¯t know how dangerous it was. There were quite a few ninjas among those human traffickers, two of them were even chunin.¡±


    The joy faded from the woman¡¯s eyes and she became worried, ¡°Two chunin? I heard Tonan-sama is also a chunin. He isn¡¯t injured, is he?¡±


    The ¡®guard¡¯ pretended to not know. ¡°Tonan-sama is a Konoha genius. He should be more than enough to deal with those wandering ninjas.¡±


    Seeing more and more people gathering around, he immersed himself into the act and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? On the very first day Tonan-sama arrived at the North City Guard, he began cleaning up the internal affairs. As soon as he came, he discovered the previous vice-captain was sheltering gangsters and human traffickers. In a fit of rage, he killed the vice-captain.¡±


    ¡°He did the right thing! I support his decision.¡±


    ¡°Long live, Tonan-sama!¡±


    ¡°Long live, Tonan-sama!¡±


    ¡°Long live, Tonan-sama!¡±


    Several people began cheering.


    ¡°Hey, tell me why are you shouting like that?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of anything else, look at so many prisoners. Tonan-sama must¡¯ve completed a good task. Besides, isn¡¯t it awkward to not shout when everyone else is?¡±


    ¡°Long live, Tonan-sama!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Soon, Tonan and his group arrived outside the North City Guard Residence. The human traffickers were escorted to the street outside the residence and were made to kneel.


    Tonan glanced at Ao behind him and asked, ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Ao nodded and slightly bowed, ¡°Rest assured, Tonan-sama, I have memorized everything last night, I won¡¯t omit a word.¡±


    Tonan nodded with satisfaction and said, ¡°Relax, don¡¯t be nervous.¡±

 CH 80

    Yoshiwara Ao took a deep breath, slightly bent his knees, and jumped onto the North City Guard Residence gate. Then, he coughed softly, ¡°Hello, everyone, I¡¯m Yoshiwara Ao, the attendant leader of the North City Guard¡¯s Captain, Uchiha Tonan.¡±


    ¡°In recent years, the North City Guard received several anonymous reports on people trafficking young children. But it¡¯s a pity that under the leadership of previous captains, no progress was made in the investigation. Since Tonan-sama assumed the post and heard about it, he attached great importance to this grave issue. He led the entire team and launched ¡®Rescue Hope¡¯ to resolve this crime.¡±


    ¡°Under his heroic leadership, the North City Guard secretly investigated this for three months. After sacrificing several brave undercover agents, not long ago, we were able to thoroughly locate all human traffickers¡¯ hideouts outside the northern city.¡±


    ¡°Last night, the North City Guard was finally ready to make a move. Under Tonan-sama¡¯s command, we fought a fierce battle with the underworld forces. In the end, North City Guard achieved a complete victory, wiping out three large-scale and six small-scale human trafficking organizations.¡±


    ¡°Killed 26 stubbornly fighting people, that included 13 ninjas, 74 criminals were captured alive. We saved 63 young children. Now, let us welcome Tonan-sama to speak.¡±


    After Ao finished speaking, he jumped down from the gate.


    Clap, clap, clap¡­


    The North City Guard members took the initiative to applaud, and the onlooking civilians joined in, going with the flow. Tonan¡¯s figure flashed, and he instantly appeared on the gate.


    This trick caught the onlookers¡¯ attention. Tonan raised his hand slowly. The North City Guard members stopped clapping, and the onlookers followed suit. Everything was completely under Tonan¡¯s rhythm.


    Tonan coughed lightly and said with a stern look, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we won a perfect victory in the operation to crackdown human trafficking organizations. But this is not my credit alone. It is the effort of all North City Guard members.¡±


    ¡°In particular, I would like to commend the undercover agents of this operation. Their efforts, dedication, determination, and fearlessness allowed us to achieve such a positive outcome. I would also like to commend the spirit of the North City Guard itself for perseverance to exert, and not being afraid of hardships¡­¡±


    (26,000 words omitted)


    ¡°Through this special ¡®Rescue Hope¡¯ operation, we have greatly frightened the capital¡¯s criminals, and effectively curbed the rising trend of the underground forces. We vigorously defended the public security and stability outside the northern city and even the entire Fire Capital.¡±


    ¡°But we cannot be conceited or satisfied because of this victory. As the solid line of defense for the people, we must understand the present situation. Crime is not limited to these vile acts. Various factors inducing and breeding crimes still exist in large numbers. The public safety situation is still a concern.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the work is still not over. Today, on behalf of the entire North City Guard, I take an oath. We will never shield or condone any criminal activities. We¡¯ll have a firm conviction, stick to our purpose, and refuse to live under the same sky as the underworld forces.¡±


    Tonan looked determined as he held his right fist high. In the next moment, a tsunami-like response resounded across the area.


    ¡°Long live, Tonan-sama!¡±


    ¡°Long live, North City Guard!¡±


    ¡°Long live, Tonan-sama!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡®Ding! Gained Nizato Tomoya¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Koshikawa Sota¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Kasai Kazumi¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard the system¡¯s prompt sounds in his ears. This was an unexpected gain! It was just that these ordinary people were not very useful. After they die, he would inherit some craftsmanship or similar abilities.


    Tonan coughed and raised his hand. Immediately, the tsunami-like hubbub ceased. He then called out with a strict face, ¡°North City Guard, heed my order.¡±


    ¡°We are here, Tonan-sama.¡±


    ¡°Squad leaders, step forward and execute these criminals.¡±


    More than a dozen North City Guard squad leaders stepped forward in succession, pulled out their swords, and walked behind the human traffickers.


    Knowing they were about to die, the prisoners began to frantically beg for mercy.


    ¡°Spare my life¡­ our crime isn¡¯t enough to execute us.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t kill anyone. According to the Land of Fire law, we shouldn¡¯t be executed.¡±


    Tonan snorted coldly and righteously said, ¡°I knew you would use laws to pressure me. Do it, I want to see who¡¯ll trouble me after killing monsters like these. Going against the public is the same as going against me. Is there anyone who dares to go against the people?¡±


    After Tonan finished speaking, he glanced at the Guardian Residence¡¯s Chief, Uekawa Ozora, who was rushing over. Ozora¡¯s step suddenly halted and his complexion turned ugly and strange.


    ¡°My Lord, what¡¯s wrong?¡± a trusted subordinate asked in confusion. Ozora glanced at Tonan with a deep look and gritted his teeth, ¡°Return.¡± He ordered all his subordinates to turn back.


    Puchi


    Puchi


    North City Guard executed all human traffickers and the onlooking civilians clapped in high glee.


    ¡®Ding! Gained Ishide Keigo¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Matsunoo Asami¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Hanaya Megumi¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡­¡­


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    After the execution was over, the North City Guard began to clean the bloodstains on the ground. Tonan waved to the enthusiastic crowd and returned to the mansion using the Body Flicker Technique.


    In a large room in the mansion, the rescued children were curled up in a corner. Many of them weren¡¯t aware they were already saved. They thought they were imprisoned in a different place.


    No one dared to make a sound since last night. Even though they were enough, they could only endure it. There was even a little girl, who had fainted due to hunger.


    Creak


    Tonan pushed open the door with a bright smile but immediately saw the fainted girl. He rushed to her and hugged her in his arms, asking with a frown, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    At this time, Ao quickly walked to Tonan¡¯s side, leaned over, and replied, ¡°My Lord, she must¡¯ve fainted due to hunger.¡±


    Slap!


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    Tonan slapped Ao and yelled, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give them food yet?¡±


    Ao immediately knelt on the floor and lowered his head, ¡°Sorry, this was my negligence.¡±


    Tonan snorted and waved his hand, ¡°No salary for a year. Leave immediately and arrange food for all of them. Also, bathing water and new clothes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lord,¡± Ao quickly got up and ran outside. Not long after, a group of attendants came into the room with food and placed them in front of each child, one by one.


    These children swallowed a mouthful of saliva and stared at Tonan with vigilant eyes. Tonan scooped rice porridge with a spoon to feed the little girl in his arms.


    He then said in a gentle tone, ¡°Eat, no need to worry, there are no bad people here. With me, no one will bully you in the future.¡±


    Hearing his words, the children immediately reached out to grab the food in front of them and continuously stuffed it into their mouths. Tonan looked at them with a sad face and softly said, ¡°Eat slowly or else you¡¯ll choke. Later, tell me what you want to eat.¡±


    After being fed for a while, the little girl in his arms also woke up. Getting Tonan¡¯s permission, she too grabbed the food and stuffed it into her mouth.

 CH 81

    Half an hour later, the rescued children had eaten their fill, regaining some of their strength. Uchiha Tonan smiled, wiping the residual food off the little girl¡¯s mouth. He then said to the children, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to clean up.¡±


    The children had already lowered their guard against him. They followed him to a bathroom. Although it was said to be a bathroom, it was no smaller than a bathhouse. Tonan, after all, was the North City Guard¡¯s captain, which was considered neither too big nor too small an official in the Fire Capital. Even with a group of children dipping in, the bathing pool didn¡¯t seem crowded.


    Since the children were all young, Tonan didn¡¯t separate the boys and the girls. It was unknown how much filth they were contaminated with because the pool turned black as soon as they entered the water.


    However, Tonan didn¡¯t mind. In any case, the source of this pool was flowing water. After a while, when he felt they had dipped in enough, he began calling them over individually to personally help wash their bodies.


    Looking at the little girl in front of him, he said in distress, ¡°Poor child, you¡¯re so dirty.¡±


    The girl¡¯s mouth shriveled, and her eyes were filled with tears as she weakly said, ¡°Lord¡­¡±


    Tonan smiled and dotingly flicked her forehead with his finger, ¡°No need to be so formal, call me Oni-san.¡±


    The sudden and unexpected gentleness made the girl, who had been frightened for the past few days, unable to restrain her emotions. She threw herself into Tonan¡¯s arms and sobbed, ¡°Oni-san¡­¡±


    Tonan smiled and lightly patted her back. He said to the children in the pool, ¡°You all can address me as Oni-san hereafter, and just treat this place like your own.¡±


    ¡°Boo hoo¡­¡±


    ¡°Oni-san¡­¡±


    ¡°Oni-san¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    After washing the little girl up, he used clean water to rinse her. ¡°Alright, soak in for some more time. This hot spring water is good for the body.¡±


    Tonan put the little girl back into the pool and pulled another little boy out. While washing him, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The little boy raked his brain but couldn¡¯t answer. He shook his head blankly. Tonan smiled faintly and asked, ¡°You can¡¯t remember? It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll find a sensei in a few days for you all and ask him to name you as well.¡±


    The little boy hesitated for a moment, and then moved his head closer and kissed Tonan¡¯s face, ¡°Thank you, Oni-san¡­¡±


    Although the little boy was not particularly sensible, he liked the man in front of him, who gave him a deep sense of security. Tonan gently rubbed the little boy¡¯s head, ¡°You¡¯re really a good child.¡± The water in his hand soaked the little boy¡¯s hair, and his big palm seemed to be able to wrap his entire head.


    By now, Sarutobi Shinnosuke was informed about what happened in the morning and he hastily arrived at the North City Guard Residence.


    Yoshiwara Ao greeted him and brought him to the living room. He poured a cup of tea and bowed, ¡°Shinnosuke-sama, please drink tea and wait for a while.¡±


    Shinnosuke nodded and looked around, but couldn¡¯t see Tonan, ¡°Has Tonan gone out?¡±


    Ao smiled and put down the teapot. He pointed towards the backyard and answered, ¡°Tonan-sama is bathing the orphans. Do you want me to notify him of your arrival?¡±


    Shinnosuke touched his chin and shook his head, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll find him myself.¡± He got up and walked towards the backyard. In some aspects, Shinnosuke inherited Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s true qualities. Even though he was green in some aspects, the apple doesn¡¯t fall too far from the tree.


    While passing by the bathroom window, he stopped and looked in through the gap. He saw Tonan instructing the children while washing their bodies.


    Tonan¡¯s movements were very gentle as if he was afraid of hurting the children. Shinnosuke had an understanding smile. After staying at the window for a while, he returned to the living room and sat down, waiting for Tonan while drinking tea, and thinking to himself.


    ¡°Even if father hadn¡¯t said anything, from what I just saw, it¡¯s not hard to see that Tonan is different from the other Uchihas. Not only is he kind, but also caring. Perhaps, for ordinary people, this is a good character and a rare virtue. But for ninjas, it¡¯s a fatal flaw, if taken advantage of¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ those who have flaws are easier to control.¡±


    Bathing the children was a big task. Tonan was busy all the way to the afternoon by the time he finally finished up. After bathing them, he led the children to the dormitory prepared for them.


    The dormitory was warm. Tonan had instructed the attendants to clean it meticulously so that the homeless children could feel the comfort. After going through so much, they were physically and mentally exhausted.


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    Finally seeing a warm, livable place, perhaps, because the previous experience was still fresh in their memories, the children didn¡¯t dare cry even though their eyes brimmed with tears.


    ¡°Alright, you all wouldn¡¯t have got good rest yesterday. This is your dorm and you all have your beds. If you¡¯re hungry, eat some snacks by the bedside, and rest.¡±


    Under his supervision, the children settled on the beds and looked at him with attachment. Seeing they had finally relaxed, a gentle smile appeared on Tonan¡¯s face.


    Tonan had long known that Shinnosuke had come to visit, so after the children were settled, he came to the living room. But the moment he saw Shinnosuke, he pretended to be surprised, ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai, when did you come here?¡±


    As if he was deeply apologetic, he stepped in front of Shinnosuke and bowed before sitting down. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for making you wait. I was busy all day long. Why didn¡¯t you ask the attendant to notify me?¡±


    Shinnosuke smiled. He didn¡¯t seem to mind the wait. He looked at Tonan and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I heard that you did an amazing job earlier today.¡±


    Tonan smiled and shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s my duty. I¡¯ve accepted this mission, I¡¯ve to do it diligently.¡±


    Shinnosuke had seen Tonan dedicating himself to missions and practicing what he preached in many matters. He valued Tonan even more.


    ¡°If such a person became loyal to me in the future¡­¡±


    With the thought of getting closer to Tonan, Shinnosuke began to chat, ¡°How¡¯re you doing recently¡­¡±


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    ¡­¡­


    The two chatted a lot but because Shinnosuke appreciated Tonan, he kept speaking, and Tonan just smiled or nodded along.


    However, Shinnosuke was not too familiar with him and couldn¡¯t find common topics. Other than repeatedly expressing concerns, he had nothing to say. Tonan was a little impatient after a while but masked it well.


    He shook his head inwardly. He had still not pledged loyalty to Shinnosuke, but Shinnosuke was already behaving so enthusiastic. Shinnosuke hardly realized that trying to get close like this would only make people think he was too anxious and desperate to recruit talent.


    Letting anyone think he had no lower limit would just make others lose the sense of reverence. His means of control were unrefined.


    Tonan coughed lightly and wanted to change the topic, ¡°The work in the Daimyo Residence must be very boring.¡±


    Shinnosuke paused, not quite understanding Tonan¡¯s intention behind the question. He replied, ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯m guarding First Highness at night, so there¡¯s nothing to do at daytime.¡±


    Tonan helped Shinnosuke refill his cup while asking casually, ¡°Is First Highness easy to get along with?¡±


    Shinnosuke took the teacup and nodded to express his thanks. Without much thought, he said, ¡°First Highness has a very good temperament, it¡¯s just that he¡¯s too honest. Compared to Second Highness, who plays around all day long, he¡¯s much better though.¡±


    Tonan nodded. During this time, he had also learned about the important people in the Fire City through special channels.


    ¡°Second Highness must be young¡­ it¡¯s expected he¡¯d like to play around.¡±


    Shinnosuke drank the tea and said, ¡°First Highness is in his twenties, and Second Highness is also sixteen already. I heard that Daimyo is thinking about finding a tutor for the two. Firstly, to teach First Highness about the miscellaneous government affairs and secondly, to properly control Second Highness¡¯s naughty temper. I guess there¡¯ll be news soon.¡±


    ¡°Looking for a tutor? This might be a chance¡­¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes, mentally noting this information, beginning to make calculations in his heart.


    ¡°How is Asuma lately? He should be returning soon to take part in the graduation examination.¡±


    When Shinnosuke heard Tonan mention Asuma, he had a worried look and sighed, ¡°He¡¯s hanging around prodigal sons all day long these days. Last time, I caught him smoking secretly. I don¡¯t even know how to explain it to father when we return.¡±


    Tonan smiled faintly and consoled, ¡°He might just be curious, the novelty will pass.¡±

 CH 82.1

    By the time it was dusk, Uchiha Tonan pretended to urge Sarutobi Shinnosuke to stay several times. Shinnosuke, however, was worried that Sarutobi Asuma would go fooling around, so he insisted on leaving.


    After sending him off, Tonan returned to his study and sat down. He thought for a moment before calling Yoshiwara Ao and instructing, ¡°Bring me the name list of all residents outside the North City.¡±


    Ao was a little startled and carefully asked, ¡°Would that be all, My Lord?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±


    Although Ao was very confused, he didn¡¯t dare guess Tonan¡¯s intention. He only did what he was ordered to do. After a while, several attendants entered the study, one after another, with stacks of booklets and placed them on the table.


    Because of the sheer volume, it took a lot of time just to move them. After about fifteen minutes, all the booklets were in Tonan¡¯s study. Signaling the attendants to withdraw, Tonan used Shadow Clone Technique, creating six clones, and began to read them all.


    He completed the task by midnight. After dispersing the shadow clones, his face turned pale and he staggered a little. He returned to the seat and took a sip of tea to relieve his exhaustion.


    He also filtered the qualified people in his mind, and after a while, an inexplicable light flashed through his eyes. He muttered, ¡°Abe Seimei¡­¡±


    The next day, late at night, at the edge of the village outside the Fire Capital, range upon range of hills appeared hazy under the dim moonlight, making people wonder if it was a mirage. On the hills, there were peasant houses scattered here and there, but at this moment, they had already extinguished their lights, leaving tranquil darkness.


    These peasant families didn¡¯t live in the villages partly because their ancestors hailed from here and partly because they couldn¡¯t afford the expensive village houses.


    The more one climbed up the hill and walked further from the periphery, the fewer traces of human presence, and denser the forest. The tread forward would gradually lead to remote, densely forested mountains.


    Coo coo


    The deeper one went, the more cries of birds, snakes, rats, and insects could be heard among the grasses and trees, enough to scare the weak-willed away.


    Halfway up a cliff, there was a natural platform. A closer look showed a dilapidated hut on it. The bright moon gently glided in the night sky. The chain of mountains was shrouded under the moonlight, appearing bright but obscure.


    The moonlight dyed this side of the cliff silverish white, making it look like a clear mirror. At this moment, an old man, who already had one foot in the grave, was lying in the room, sleeping soundly.


    Although the hour was late, the bleak moonlight spilled into the room through the window, illuminating it. Suddenly, a shadow rose gradually, blocking the moonlight, shrouding the entire room.


    In the blink of an eye, the room was bright again. Tonan retracted his finger from the fatal acupoint on the old man¡¯s stomach. Although there was no expression on Tonan¡¯s face, he gave people a sense of indescribable pressure.


    He used Sharingan to carefully scan the old man¡¯s facial features and body structure. Then, his hands turned into afterimages as he used the Secret Art ¨C Reconstruction Technique.


    Tonan¡¯s stature slowly became taller, his skin gradually became wrinkled, and many age spots appeared. His pitch-black hair began to change from the roots until his head was fully white.


    After ten minutes, Tonan¡¯s transformation stopped, and he already looked 80 percent similar to the dead old man. This was also a flaw of the Reconstruction Technique. It could transform people only up to a point because the foundation was that of the technique¡¯s user, and hence complete transformation was unachievable.


    However, this was enough for Tonan. He took off his clothes and put them in the storage scroll. He retrieved another set from the closet and wore them. He then walked to the chair beside the window and sat down, taking out items from his ninja bag.


    He had inherited this Reconstruction Technique from Sanbo Motoyoshi. As the former Anbu Captain, Motoyoshi knew the flaws of the technique as well. To offset these, he had spent a lot of time studying makeup techniques that could fine-tune the face. Tonan named it ¨C Light Makeup.


    Outside the window, white pigeons were hovering in the air. Under the moonlight, they looked even whiter and perfect. Tonan stretched his hand out of the window, and a white pigeon landed on it, jumping twice as if it was expressing its excitement.


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    Tonan smiled gently, caressed its feathers, and instructed, ¡°Remember to lick the blood clean.¡±


    The white pigeon nodded as if it was human. Soon after that, Tonan made hand signs and used the Secret Technique ¨C Beast Infestation. The pure white pigeons, turning into pitch-black ferocious birds, pounced on the old man¡¯s corpse.


    Cloth ripping and flesh-tearing sounds that could send cold shivers down the spine filled up the small house. But Tonan set up a small mirror, carefully fine-tuning his face, not minding what his ninja beasts were doing behind him.


    After a short time, as much as to drink a cup of tea, Tonan looked at the mirror. There was a reflection of an old man. The cheekbones on both sides were protruded sharply, and the withered triangular face looked pale grey under the bleak moonlight.


    The eyes, however, were deep and serene like an ancient pond, very unlike this body¡¯s age. But there was no contact lens in this world. Tonan had no means to change it. Except for the eyes, his current appearance was practically the same as that of the dead old man.


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    ¡°These eyes are the defect, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Tonan muttered to himself, stroking his beard. The old man¡¯s appearance initially looked like that of a starving victim. But with this set of eyes, it strikingly resembled a hawk.


    The old man¡¯s corpse, along with his clothes, had been devoured by the white pigeons. The beasts had also already returned to their original appearance. They had thoroughly followed Tonan¡¯s instruction and licked even the bloodstains. Once done, they flew out of the hut in succession.


    One of the white pigeons flew over to Tonan and gently pecked his head as if to express dissatisfaction. Perhaps, today¡¯s meal was not delicious enough for it.


    Tonan reached out his hand, grabbed the white pigeon above his head, put it on the window sill, and helplessly said, ¡°You¡¯re the pickiest eater. Isn¡¯t it good enough to have something to eat?¡±

 CH 82.2

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    After being called out by its owner as a picky eater, as if it was angry, the white pigeon turned around and pointed its butt towards Uchiha Tonan. It cooed some more before spreading its wings and flying away.


    Tonan also packed up his things, left the house, and walked up the path along the cliff. After a while, he arrived at the top, and he looked down at the platform below with an indifferent face.


    Slowly, he took a few steps back, and he made hand seals.


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Great Mud River.¡±


    The ground in front of Tonan turned into a mudflow and gushed down the cliff in torrents. The mudslide submerged the hut on the platform, after which, there was silence again.


    Tonan disinterestedly looked at everything with the face of the old man. He then turned around slowly and walked towards the Fire Capital.


    The next day at dawn, Tonan, who had transformed into Abe Seimei, leisurely walked towards the northern gate. According to the information he had seen in the booklets, Seimei lived in the forest mountain throughout his years. He had not been in the Fire Capital for at least two decades.


    Therefore, he was not worried about someone seeing through his disguise. Since Seimei¡¯s proof of identification had long expired, he needed to register again to enter the capital. Tonan lined up and lowered his eyes, trying his best to show the appearance of an old man who had seen the vicissitudes of life.


    The North City Guards held weapons, and their physiques were large and imposing. Standing in front of ordinary people, they exuded a strong sense of pressure. At present, they were checking identity proofs of those who were queuing up to enter the city.


    When it was Tonan¡¯s turn, a North City Guard glanced at the empty-handed old man in front of him. He picked up a sheet and asked as he noted down, ¡°Name, address, occupation, and why do you want to enter the city?¡±


    Tonan hunched over and lightly said, ¡°My name is Abe Seimei, and I¡¯ve been living in the Zifu Mountain, Dan Tengai. During my younger days, I used to teach in the village. Later, I returned to the mountains to make a living by planting and hunting. But because of the heavy rain a while ago, my house was destroyed by a mudslide. As a result, I¡¯ve nowhere to go. I¡¯m entering the city to make a living and to plan for the future.¡±


    The city guard recorded the general information and handed the sheet to Tonan, pointing him to the pavilion next to the city gate. ¡°Take this sheet, and hand it over to the city guard there. Once he has checked it, you¡¯ll get the proof of identification.¡±


    Tonan nodded, staggered to the pavilion, and handed over the sheet to the staff inside.


    ¡°I know Zifu Mountain, but where is Dan Tengai?¡± The staff pondered for a long time. In his job, and he has been doing this for a long time now, he knew the names of large and small places outside the northern part of the city. However, he had no impression whatsoever of a place called Dan Tengai.


    Unexpectedly though, after the staff searched the cabinet for a long time, he found Zhifu Mountain¡¯s register. Browsing through it, he finally found Seimei¡¯s information. He picked up a pen and added the words ¡®Dan Tengai¡¯ after Seimei¡¯s old address.


    After that, he picked up an old black-and-white photo from the register and compared it with Tonan in front of him. Tonan had complete confidence in his transformation. Although deep-layered things couldn¡¯t be imitated, the outward appearance was at least ninety percent on point.


    This was more than enough to deal with the city guards.


    ¡°Old gentleman, you¡¯re still full of vigor.¡±


    Pop.


    The city guard confirmed there was no error and stamped on the proof of identification document, handing it over to Tonan. ¡°This is your proof of identification. It¡¯s valid for only three days. After it expires, it needs to be reissued. You can enter the city now.¡±


    Tonan took the identity proof and nodded, ¡°Sorry to bother you, little brother.¡±


    Meanwhile, Tonan¡¯s shadow clone that was left behind in the North City Guard Residence noticed that it was almost time. He ordered Yoshiwara Ao to post a recruitment notice on the external wall of the residence gate.


    As soon as the notice was posted, it attracted several onlookers. After the last incident, the North City Guard¡¯s reputation had become extremely positive among civilians. The recruitment notice quickly spread.


    Anyone who had voluntarily read some books or had some educational background came to the North City Guard to recommend themselves to Ao, who was standing at the gate. The chief attendant followed Tonan¡¯s instructions and didn¡¯t refuse anyone.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please wait and rest for a while. There is plenty of time, you can please restore your energy first. Tonan-sama prepared this test and it will begin in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°No problem, no problem, Tonan-sama is so kind-hearted. It doesn¡¯t matter if we have to wait a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Tonan-sama not only adopted these orphans, but he¡¯s also looking for someone to teach them. I¡¯m very happy to be a part of such a good thing.¡±


    Because of the notice, and coupled with Tonan¡¯s usual strategy of planting con artists among the crowd to manipulate mob mentality, the news spread faster and faster. More came to apply for the job.


    On the other side, after wandering a few laps around the city, Tonan slowly came to the North City Guard Residence, and like others, he recommended himself and entered the residence to wait.


    By the afternoon, hundreds of candidates had gathered in the hall of North City Guard Residence. Not long after, Tonan¡¯s shadow clone came to the hall from the study, bowed slightly to everyone, and apologized, ¡°Sorry, I was tied up with some of the North City Guard¡¯s affairs, and made everyone wait.¡±


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    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s alright, we¡¯ve also just arrived.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-sama, you¡¯ve been working very hard.¡±

 CH 83.1

    Uchiha Tonan¡¯s shadow clone walked over to the main seat in the hall and sat down. He sipped a mouthful of tea and said, ¡°The time limit for this test is two hours. When it is completed, I will select only one person among you all. I¡¯m not a professional in this, so the final judgment might not be completely accurate. I can only hope those who are not selected will not be discouraged.¡±


    After explaining the terms, shadow clone Tonan signaled Yoshiwara Ao with his eyes. Ao understood his cue and distributed the test papers among the examination participants. When most people saw the content of the test paper, they were dumbfounded.


    How was this looking for a teacher for orphans? Those who could answer all these questions correctly would be more than enough to be a teacher of His Highnesses.


    The questions on the test papers were all-encompassing. They touched upon different walks of life from the strategy of national governance to craftsmanship to survival in the wild, the questions included everything.


    Without a great knowledge reserve, except for the first few, they basically couldn¡¯t write the answer to other questions.


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    However, shock was just shock, they must answer the questions or at least attempt to do so. What if they made a lucky guess? Or, perhaps, their answer would be better than the other people¡¯s. With these kinds of thoughts, everyone raised their pens and began to diligently write answers to each of the questions.


    The first question was the easiest. It asked them to write a section about themselves, and explain their areas of strength and what they were good at. Most of them honestly wrote they were literate, they could manage people¡¯s livelihood, they had studied the ways of business management, and so on.


    As for Abe Semei Tonan, the corners of his mouth rose as he wrote¡­


    I started to learn how to read and write from the age of three and began learning the works of the sages at the age of seven. At the age of ten, I lived in the town and refined my heart in the mortal world for twenty years. When I was thirty-seven, I returned to my hometown and lived in seclusion in Dan Tengai.


    With rivers and creeks as companions and birds and beasts as neighbors, I concentrated on understanding the world. After staying in Dan Tengai for forty years, I comprehended one technique, two strategies, and six arts.


    One technique. Its name is Emperor Heart Technique. It can control civil and military affairs, detect people¡¯s hearts, recognize loyal and traitors, and be good at recruiting talents.


    Two Strategies. One is called Sweep Over Strategy, which can make the spear of another country attack the shield of the other country, creating great chaos, then sitting back and taking the benefit of the fisherman. The second is called Peaceful Strategy, which can make common people submit willingly, then even the whole country will submit themselves.


    After learning one technique and two strategies, the poor can dominate a region, and the rich can acquire the world.


    Six Arts ¨C Rites, Hunting, Business, Farming, Reading and Writing, and Arithmetic.


    Those who have learned all six arts can become ministers in the palace, and they can be wealthy and noble in front of others.


    Abe Seimei Tonan began to officially answer other questions after finishing the self-introduction. Compared to others, who were frowning and barely writing anything, Tonan¡¯s pen was moving smoothly without any pauses.


    Seeing this, the eyes of people who were sitting beside him almost popped out. It was not that Tonan¡¯s knowledge truly broke through the heavens and was unmatched, but these problems, which were difficult for others to answer and almost extraordinary, were, in fact, very easy for him because he was already familiar with the answers.


    Half an hour later, Tonan gently put down the pen. He didn¡¯t even review his replies and just sat in the same position, closing his eyes. Shadow clone Tonan sitting on the main seat pretended to look around, and his gaze stopped in this direction. He immediately said in confusion, ¡°Old gentleman, why aren¡¯t you writing? Are the problems too difficult?¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t open his eyes. He just stroked his beard and said, ¡°They are just questions for children. How can they take so much time to be answered?¡±


    Shadow clone Tonan frowned and looked a bit unhappy. He said, ¡°Old gentleman, you shouldn¡¯t be arrogant. These problems span across subjects and are very comprehensive. Even the person who set the questions might not necessarily know the exact answers. Look at everyone here, some of them have not even reached the second set of the questions yet.¡±


    Abe Seimei Tonan opened his eyes a little and glanced at other extremely anxious participants. Then, he closed them again and shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t say that I can score hundred points, but it¡¯ll not be difficult to score ninety at least.¡±


    Seeing his confident demeanor, plus hearing such an arrogantly rude remark, the surrounding participants laughed at Tonan for being conceited.


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    Since ancient times, scholars tend to scorn each other. Even though he was unable to answer all the questions, he actually opened his mouth to say these questions were for children. It was simply absolute nonsense!


    Some people were dissatisfied with Abe Semei Tonan in their hearts and snorted inwardly. He, however, sat still with his eyes closed, retaining his calm look, and completely ignoring people¡¯s gazes.


    Meanwhile, shadow clone Tonan seemed to be unable to bear his rudeness and slight. Therefore, he got up with a displeased look, walked over to Abe Seimei Tonan, and picked up the test papers to look at them.


    Everyone secretly rejoiced and looked over to watch the North City Guard Captain put the old man in his place. Contrary to their hopes though, the captain trembled and nearly fell to the ground. Eventually, he collected himself and placed his hands on the table to support himself, barely able to stay upright.


    Ao quickly stepped forward to support shadow clone Tonan. By now, everyone¡¯s attention was attracted and they all turned their gazes towards the shadow clone.


    They all saw that the shadow clone was trembling. His forehead was filled with cold sweat, and his lips were trembling as if he had seen something unbelievable.


    ¡°Impossible¡­ impossible¡­¡±

 CH 83.2

    Just when everyone thought that something had happened to the North City Guard captain, who was Uchiha Tonan¡¯s shadow clone, the captain turned to look at Abe Seimei, who was none other than the real Tonan in disguise, with a shocked expression.


    The exam participants were expecting Tonan to rebuke the old man who thought that this tough, all-encompassing test was fit for children but the mighty captain was barely able to stand after seeing the answers. Immediately after, the shadow clone knelt on the ground, and paid respect to Tonan, ¡°Elderly gentleman, your talent can bring both heaven and earth under your control. Please accept this bow as a sign of my deepest respect.¡±


    At this moment, Abe Seimei Tonan opened his eyes under everyone¡¯s stunned gazes, and calmly said, ¡°Lord, you don¡¯t need to do this, I made this trip just to make a living.¡±


    The shadow clone got up from the ground, and instructed Ao, ¡°Immediately go and prepare a banquet for the elderly gentleman.¡± He then stepped forward to help Abe Seimei Tonan get up, and diligently said, ¡°Elderly gentleman, let¡¯s please go over to my study so you can rest for some time.¡±


    After helping Tonan get up, the shadow clone looked around the hall, ¡°Everyone, please accept my apologies but the test for this position ends here.¡±


    All the participants were extremely curious seeing how the events unfolded. Finally unable to restrain themselves, someone asked, ¡°My Lord, may we please ask you to show us this elderly gentleman¡¯s answers so that we can be convinced of our loss without regrets.¡±


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    These people did come with good intentions given the growing goodwill towards the North City Guards after Tonan¡¯s feat of cracking down the human trafficking organizations. Inevitably, however, human nature wouldn¡¯t be satisfied being rejected even before they had a chance to answer all the questions.


    Especially, since the person who won against them was an old man, who looked like he had a foot in the grave. The shadow clone hesitated for a moment but shook his head and resolutely replied, ¡°Sorry, the words of the sages cannot be disclosed lightly. Please return.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone felt even more restless. They looked at each other in dismay, wanting in their hearts nothing more than to figure things out. However, since they had been firmly refused, albeit unwilling, they could only get up and leave.


    Some people still took the unfinished test papers with them, planning to carefully think about the questions after they went back. Not surprisingly, a few days later, the test questions were widely circulated among the capital. As days passed by, more people came to know about what transpired in the North City Guard on the examination day for teacher recruitment.


    Someone even managed to access Seimei¡¯s information using unusual channels. Gradually, all the Fire City scholars were discussing the deeds of Abe Seimei. Everyone was curious as to why Seimei, who had appeared out of nowhere, was deemed a sage.


    Most of the Fire Capital officials were civil officials, who belonged to the literary circle. These conversations gradually made their way to their ears as well. At first, many didn¡¯t believe there would be such a distinguished man, but when they saw the very comprehensive test questions, they too bought into the rumors.


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    As the saying goes, there was no vain scholar of great reputation. The more people discussed Seimei, the more the officials became curious about him. Some even came to the North City Guard Residence in person, hoping to meet this so-called heaven-defying sage.


    However, no matter how high the officials¡¯ positions were, they were all turned away by the attendants as per Tonan¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Seimei-sama doesn¡¯t want to meet guests at the moment. Your Excellency, we can only request you to kindly return.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you inform him that I¡¯m the Internal Affairs Minister?¡±


    ¡°I did, but Seimei-sama said he just wanted to study at ease and teach the younger generations.¡±


    ¡°In that case, could you ask Tonan-sama to show me Abe Seimei¡¯s answers to the test questions?¡±


    ¡°Sorry Your Excellency, Tonan-sama said that the words of the sages cannot be passed lightly. If they fall into the hands of people with ulterior motives, it can shake the very foundations of the Land of Fire.¡±


    The more the attendants explained, the more mysterious Seimei¡¯s image became in front of these officials. The Internal Affairs Minister was no exception and became even more eager. After being rejected several times, there was nothing he could do to dispel his edginess.


    ¡°Alas¡­¡± The Internal Affairs Minister sighed deeply but he could only turn around and leave dejectedly once again. There were many passers-by outside the North City Guard Residence. When they saw this, they gathered together to converse with greater interest.


    ¡°Seimei-sama must really be truly amazing. This is already the twelfth high-ranking official that had come to visit him.¡±


    ¡°I heard that he is very knowledgeable. He had completed the entire test before the others had yet to finish the first few questions.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, he said that¡­ the questions were for children.¡±


    ¡°I have seen the questions. Honestly speaking, except for the first part that was about self-introduction, I couldn¡¯t answer any of the other questions.¡±


    At night, the Fire Capital was brightly lit. In the North City Guard Residence attic, Tonan, who had turned into Seimei, stood at the window with his hands behind his back.


    His face filled with wrinkles had a pair of black eyes that resembled the abyss. He turned his head slightly and looked towards the Daimyo Residence located at the center of the Fire Capital.


    ¡°The line is long enough¡­. how much more will it take for you to get hooked?¡±

 CH 84.1

    The next day brought in a clear, cloudless sky. The sunlight appeared indistinct, and looking around, only a few birds could be spotted here and there, painting a rather desolate picture.


    At the Daimyo Residence, the spacious courtyard was spotless, lined up with many neatly trimmed flower beds. The red pillars along the corridor were vibrant as if they were just painted. A few rare birds moved around in the flower garden on both sides of the path, from the residence¡¯s gate to the main hall.


    Their chirps and tweets added some vitality to this otherwise serene residence. Many servants were busy bustling about their chores with their heads lowered. Everything seemed to be in perfect order.


    In the main hall, the Land of Fire Daimyo was seated behind a curtain. A step below, a group of ministers and aides sat in a seiza-style on both sides. In the middle, two young men sat in a seiza-style as well. One looked thin and gentle, but a little dull on a closer look. The other one was fat and younger, a hint of cunningness occasionally fleeting through his eyes.


    These were the First Highness and the Second Highness of the Land of Fire. When the Daimyo looked at the First Highness, his eyes were filled with appreciation. The smile on his face couldn¡¯t be concealed as he softly said, ¡°Naraku, I heard that you¡¯ve been shutting yourself in your room to read all day long. You should also go out for some leisure activities when you have got the time. Don¡¯t exhaust yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, father,¡± the First Highness bowed at the figure behind the curtain, but the expression on his face didn¡¯t change. The Daimyo shifted his gaze to the Second Highness, and his expression changed completely.


    He frowned, looking at this troublesome son, and sighed, ¡°As for you, Nahara, do you even reflect on the kind of things you do?¡±


    The Second Highness objected to the Daimyo¡¯s question, ¡°I¡¯ve been honestly staying in the mansion this entire time, father.¡±


    ¡°And what have you been doing in the mansion? You¡¯re old enough to know the good from the bad or do you still need me to tell you about your actions?¡±


    The Daimyo was trying his best to control his temper. There was much he wanted to say but he couldn¡¯t ruin his son¡¯s reputation else he would become a topic of gossip, which would be unbecoming of the family¡¯s stature.


    Unable to differentiate the good from the bad, Second Highness muttered in response, ¡°I was just having fun with a few girls. I bought them with my money, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    The Daimyo hadn¡¯t expected his son to make such indecent remarks in front of so many high-ranking officials. His restrain finally broke and he rebuked, ¡°You dare to speak like this!¡±


    Initially, the ministers sitting in the front had a neutral attitude, as if this did not interest them. After all, there was nothing new about this kind of conversation between this father and son but when the Daimyo was visibly enraged, it was a bad idea for them to continue this. They hastily consoled¡­


    ¡°Your Majesty, calm your anger. Second Highness is young and ignorant. Don¡¯t get furious over something like this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, your health is most important.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, please calm your anger.¡±


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    The Daimyo also realized by now that he had lost his sense of propriety at that moment. After calming down, using a tone of being completely disappointed, he said, ¡°Two days later, I¡¯ll find you a teacher, and let him handle your temperament. Naraku, this teacher will also explain government affairs to you. Be attentive and do your best to learn from him.¡±


    The First Highness earnestly replied, ¡°Thank you, father.¡±


    Seeing his eldest son being so obedient, well-behaved, and hardworking, the Daimyo¡¯s heart was comforted a little. The Second Highness on the side looked reluctant and perfunctorily replied, ¡°Thank you, father.¡± Seeing his expression, the little comfort faded and the Daimyo was upset again. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Alright, this is enough for today. Both of you withdraw now.¡±


    After his two sons bowed and left the main hall, the Daimyo calmed down and looked at his many ministers, ¡°I wonder if any of you have any recommendations of suitable candidates who could take this teaching position.¡±


    Just when the ministers were discussing among each other, the Internal Affairs Minister stepped forward and said, ¡°Your Majesty, a genius has appeared in the Fire Capital recently, and his fame has spread throughout the city. I think he is qualified to teach the two Highnesses.¡±


    But the Daimyo only lowered his eyes in response. He didn¡¯t think a civilian genius could teach the sons of the ruling family. Therefore, he waited for the other ministers to give their suggestions =.


    Hearing the Internal Affairs Minister¡¯s recommendation though, another minister immediately stepped forward and added, ¡°Your Majesty, I too have heard that the rumored person is very talented, and he was able to answer several questions which ordinary people cannot handle with ease.¡±


    The Daimyo raised his eyebrow with interest and asked, ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°The rumor has spread throughout the city. I too think we should give this person a chance.¡±


    Many ministers supported the suggestion of the two ministers. They had been subjected to the discussion among people for a long time now but they had never seen the person in question¡¯s real appearance. Because everyone who went to visit him was turned away, they couldn¡¯t help but be more curious about this genius.


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    If the Daimyo was to send someone to invite him to teach the two highnesses, the North City Guard¡¯s people would have no way to refuse them. Then, they would also be able to sate their curiosity.


    The Daimyo thought for a moment, and asked the Internal Affairs Minister, ¡°In that case, do you know where he lives and his identification details?¡±


    The Internal Affairs Minister immediately lowered his head hearing these questions and said with an embarrassed look, ¡°I only know that this great talent is named Abe Seimei, and he is from the Zifu Mountain area outside the northern city. As for other particulars, I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    The Daimyo¡¯s interest faded and there was dissatisfaction in his tone, ¡°When you don¡¯t know him well, how can you recommend him? What if he¡¯s a spy sent by an enemy country?¡±


    Although the Daimyo didn¡¯t know Seimei¡¯s background and had apprehensions, eventually he too wondered about this amazing genius. After thinking for a while, he asked, ¡°What are the rumors about him? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°It all started when the North City Guard¡­¡±

 CH 84.2

    The Internal Affairs Minister recounted the entire story from the beginning of the North City Guard¡¯s hunt for a teacher for the orphans rescued from human traffickers to the extremely difficult and comprehensive test paper and finally, the extraordinary performance of one examination participant, whose answers were described as words of the sages that would shake the pillars of a country is carelessly shared.


    Based on the rumors that were not only doing the rounds in the literary circles but also on the streets among common people, the other ministers also pitched in from time to time showing just how much this matter had been fanned in recent days. After listening to his ministers, the Daimyo stroked his beard, and narrowed his eyes slightly, ¡°But these, after all, are just rumors. There is no basis for them or even something promising about it How can we be sure of anything or decide anything based on just this.¡±


    The Internal Affairs Minister replied, ¡°Your Majesty, as far as I have been told, Abe Seimei is already teaching the orphans in the North City Guard Residence. I was also told that the captain of the North City Guard is an elite ninja from Konoha who has a good relationship with Shinnosuke-sama.¡±


    ¡°How about we ask Shinnosuke-sama to go to the North City Guard and bring back the test papers answered by Abe Seimei? That way, we will be able to tell with some confidence whether this is all just made up or whether he is a truly amazing talent.¡±


    Daimyo agreed with this suggestion. In his heart, he too had decided to take a look at these highly rumored test questions. Immediately afterward, he said, ¡°Alright, ask Shinnosuke to go and get the answered test papers. I want to see how good this Abe Seimei is.¡±


    If he truly was so incredible, then the Daimyo would bring a person of such intelligence into the Daimyo Residence and make good use of him. The attendants immediately went to Shinnosuke¡¯s residence and asked him to go to the North City Guard Residence to ask for Abe Seimei¡¯s test papers.


    Sarutobi Shinnosuke did not ask too many questions. Just half an hour later, he hastily returned to the Daimyo Residence and came to the hall to hand the test papers to the attendant. He then turned to the Daimyo and respectfully said, ¡°Your Majesty, Uchiha Tonan, the North City Guard Captain, advised that only you can see this content. After reading it, it is up to you to decide whether you would like to show its content to the ministers or not.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The Daimyo became even more interested in these answers now. After the attendant ensured there were no problems with the papers from a security standpoint, he took them over to the Daimyo, who immediately began reading them.


    These test papers had become quite the mystery among the capital¡¯s people for some time now. When the ministers saw the actual papers, their eyes lit up and some even stretched their necks in an attempt to see the content. However, because of the curtain, this action proved even more futile than it would have been otherwise.


    The Daimyo noticed the restlessness among the ministers below and coughed twice to indicate them to calm down. He then began to start reading from the self-introduction. ¡°Dan Tengai¡­ this name sounds too artistic. Does anyone know where Dan Tengai is?¡±


    The ministers looked at each other in blank dismay and shook their heads, ¡°Never heard of it.¡±


    Daimyo nodded and continued to read. When he saw the Emperor Mind Technique, his pupils instantly shrank, and his entire body trembled in shock. He took a deep breath to stabilize his mentality. He subconsciously looked at others on the other side of the curtain, as if to ensure no one could peek into this content, and then slightly raised the test papers as an extra measure.


    Immediately afterward, his entire mind was immersed in the answers. Although Tonan didn¡¯t write the specific content of one technique, two strategies, and six arts on the test papers, after reading the all-encompassing content on the paper, the Daimyo had already determined that this so-called Abe Seimei was a great talent, who knew everything from the past to the present.


    He even believed in the one technique and the two strategies that were introduced in the paper upfront. After reading the test papers, the Daimyo slammed on the table and exclaimed, ¡°Excellent, excellent¡­ this is wonderful!¡±


    Soon, he excitedly instructed an attendant, ¡°Go over right now. Hurry up and bring the information about Abe¡­ Seimei-dono, I want to check it all myself.¡±


    Seeing the Daimyo¡¯s excitement and his respectful address towards Seimei, the ministers were even more curious. It was like tiny ants were pricking right at their heart and bones. They very much wanted to see those test papers now.


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    After his command, the Daimyo Residence attendants brought the life history of Seimei invoking various channels. The Daimyo took the information handed over by the attendant and looked at it very carefully.


    For a ruler of a country, when a capable person was found, all his information must be investigated thoroughly. Especially if that person would become the teacher of his sons, and therefore gain first-hand entry not only to the Daimyo Residence but also have some access to the internal affairs of the family.


    He had to investigate whether the person in question¡¯s background was completely clean. If even one small flaw stood out, he wouldn¡¯t dare to engage the person at all. Such was the sensitivity a position like this entailed.


    The Daimyo read the information several times over, picked up the black and white photo, and scrutinized it while muttering, ¡°His appearance¡­ just at a glance, he¡¯s very different from ordinary people. It seems that Seimei-dono¡¯s standard is truly very high and he is of a different caliber altogether.¡±


    The Daimyo was relieved, and he handed over the information back to the attendant and said loudly, ¡°The morning meeting is over. Summon the guards. I¡¯m going to visit Seimei-domo in person.¡±

 CH 85.1

    Just when the Daimyo decided to take a trip to the North City Guard to personally meet Abe Seimei, a gate sentry of the Daimyo Residence hastily came to the main hall and leaned his head very close to the hall guard¡¯s ear. He whispered something, hearing which, the hall guard was visibly surprised.


    ¡°Are you certain he said his name is Abe Seimei?¡±


    The sentry nodded. From their position, the hall guards were privy to the discussions happening inside. They knew the Daimyo was preparing to visit this very same person, who was standing at their doorsteps at this moment.


    This coincidence was too much and the guard hastily ran into the hall. He went down on one knee and said, ¡°Reporting to Your Majesty, a person who calls himself Abe Seimei has come outside and is requesting an audience with you.¡±


    Hearing this, the Daimyo was dumbfounded. He inwardly thought, ¡°This truly is extraordinary!¡± He promptly ordered, ¡°Be quick and immediately invite him in.¡±


    Soon, Uchiha Tonan who had transformed into Abe Seimei walked into the Daimyo Residence with an attendant leading the way. His steps were steady and unhurried. With one hand in front of his chest and the other hand behind his back, he walked with a noble bearing.


    He ignored the curious eyes of the ministers and aides on both sides and went straight to the curtain. He said with a bow, ¡°Abe Seimei of Dan Tengai pays respect to Your Majesty, the Daimyo.¡±


    The ministers finally saw the rumored genius, and couldn¡¯t restrain themselves from breaking into hushed discussions¡­


    ¡°Is he the rumored Seimei-dono? Just at a glance, anyone can see that he¡¯s a gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree¡­. his aura, his walking posture, ordinary people could never be able to exude such an aura.¡±


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    ¡°On a solemn occasion like this, it is questionable whether ordinary people could even stably stand. But I can see there is no fear in Seimei-dono¡¯s eyes. Moreover, his gestures are outstanding.¡±


    Hearing the hall break into a buzz, the Daimyo sat up straight and coughed twice. The ministers realized their behavior was rather unsophisticated and silence was restored.


    The Daimyo began to size up the venerable gentleman in front of him through the curtain and waved his hand, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so polite, Seimei-dono.¡±


    Tonan slowly raised his head and looked straight at the Daimyo behind the curtain. It was a gaze that made the seasoned ruler subconsciously hold his breath. Although the aged man looked well along in years, his eyes were deep and serene, giving off a suffocating sense of pressure.


    The Daimyo subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and with a stiff smile on his face, he asked, ¡°Is it possible that you guessed I was about to pay a visit to you, Seimei-dono?¡±


    Tonan slowly stroked his beard and looked around, smiling without saying a word. This demeanor made the Daimyo feel the person in front of him was mysterious and unpredictable.


    He hesitated for a while and glanced at the ministers behind. It took him a moment but he then understood what Seimei¡¯s gesture meant. He instructed his ministers, ¡°You are all dismissed now. I would like to speak to Seimei-dono alone for some time.¡±


    The ministers looked at each other and responded in unison, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± They then proceeded to leave the hall in succession following the order. However, after stepping out of the Daimyo Residence, they stopped at the door and waited as if they had a tacit understanding. Looking at each other, some of them admitted¡­


    ¡°It appears you have the same thoughts as me.¡±


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    ¡°Such a talent¡­ we must definitely befriend him and seek advice.¡±


    ¡°It would be foolish if we didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­


    After everyone left the hall, Tonan and the Daimyo were left alone. However, neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere was turning to be a bit awkward. After a few minutes of stalemate, it was the Daimyo who was the first to open his mouth.


    He solemnly asked, ¡°Seimei-dono, I wonder if you can tell me about your one technique and two strategies.¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes. He had expected the Daimyo would be interested in these concepts and he was prepared with the response that most suited his purpose. He replied, ¡°Your Majesty, one technique and two strategies are not ordinary. Even if one is aware of them, it is not easy for just anyone to use them.¡±


    ¡°The Emperor Heart Technique, in particular, requires supervision of a great teacher and hard training of the mind for a long time. Only this can help achieve a state where the mind is free of worries, joy, and rage. The process is painful and long. It¡¯s beyond conventional human tolerance. More importantly, the younger the one who is learning it, the better.¡±


    One reason why Tonan didn¡¯t explain it now was that he hadn¡¯t thoroughly compiled the content of this so-called one technique and two strategies. Saying too much might just arouse suspicion.


    The Daimyo remained silent for a long time after hearing Tonan¡¯s reply. He understood the implication of these words after mulling over them for a while. One technique and two strategies should emphasize tempering people¡¯s dispositions.


    The younger the age, the simpler the temperament. No matter what one learns at this age, they have to the ability to accept it faster.


    The Daimyo nodded his head and asked, ¡°Seimei-dono, I do have a question. If my successor learns this, will he be able to reach the stage you mentioned in the test papers?¡±


    Tonan stroked his beard and answered, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to make any absurd claims but I am confident that after learning them, he can absolutely unify the world and end the turbulent days. I¡¯m seventy percent certain that he can become worthy of the name, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s words were like a spell that left only silence in its wake. The prevailing quietness was such that one could even hear the slightly rapid breathing of the Daimyo as if he was suppressing his restless frame of mind.

 CH 85.2

    After a long time, the Land of Fire Daimyo seemed to have made up his mind and said in a sincere tone, ¡°In that case, I earnestly request Seimei-dono to teach my children. Naraku is my successor. I want you to teach him one technique and two strategies. I want him to also gain broader knowledge so that he¡¯ll be able to govern the Land of Fire better in the future.¡±


    ¡°As for Nahara, he is mischievous and unruly. I want you to discipline him and tone down his temper.¡±


    As soon as the Daimyo said this, Uchiha Tonan¡¯s objective was achieved. He didn¡¯t bother to continue being pretentious and directly bowed to him, ¡°It¡¯s an honor for an old man like me to be able to teach the two highnesses. I had wanted to find a suitable person to pass down my knowledge. If the First Highness inherits them, I¡¯ll rest assured. I¡¯ll exhaust all that I¡¯ve learned over the years and devote everything to teach the two highnesses.¡±


    The Daimyo was slightly excited hearing Tonan¡¯s solemn vow. If what Seimie said was true, then Naraku would be able to get rid of the ninja village and the Hokage¡¯s restraint, and the Daimyo could completely control the Land of Fire. Once the pattern was broken, the opportunity was limitless.


    He suppressed the growing exhilaration in his heart and slightly nodded, ¡°I can assure you Seimei-dono that after Naraku succeeds to the throne and truly becomes the Daimyo worthy of the name, you¡¯ll be a great official of the Land of Fire, enjoying the power to supervise the country.¡±


    ¡°For the next few years, I¡¯ll not give you an official position but your treatment will not be lacking in any way. In fact, I advise you might as well move to the Daimyo Residence, it¡¯ll be convenient for you to teach them.¡±


    Tonan, however, shook his head and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already promised Tonan-sama to teach the orphans. On human grounds, I cannot break my promise. I¡¯d like to continue living in the North City Guard Residence with your permission, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan and Daimyo discussed several things. Only the two of them and the four secret guards knew what they talked about in the hall. It was noon by the time Tonan politely declined the Daimyo¡¯s request to stay and insisted on returning to the North City Guard Residence to teach the orphans.


    As soon as he stepped out, the group of officials that had been waiting outside the mansion for a long time, rushed over and surrounded him. They respectfully greeted, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Seimei-dono.¡±


    Tonan returned the greeting calmly, ¡°The pleasure is mine to meet the Lords.¡±


    ¡°Seimei-dono, you don¡¯t need to be polite with us. I guess you¡¯ve already agreed to His Majesty¡¯s wish to teach the two highnesses.¡±


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    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°In that case, after the First Highness inherits the Daimyo¡¯s position, you¡¯ll be given the official post of at least the Grand Minister. At that time, we¡¯ll have to rely on you.¡±


    ¡°For me, authority is ephemeral,¡± Tonan replied, shaking his head, bearing a remarkable resemblance to a great sage who was beyond the desires of the world.


    ¡°I wonder if I can invite Seimei-dono to my residence. Everyone wants to speak with you and hear some of your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°I must apologize. I¡¯ve to go back to the North City Residence to teach the children.¡± Tonan bade farewell to the ministers after a short conversation, declining their repeated invitations, and quickly headed towards the North City Guard Residence.


    ¡°That was too disrespectful of him.¡±


    ¡°Such a conceited and arrogant person is doomed to fall sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make random guesses of such a talent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Seimei-dono has just accepted to become the teacher of the rescued orphans. He has to fulfill his duty.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just wait until he is free.¡±


    Looking at Abe Seimei Tonan¡¯s fast retreating back view, the officials behind him continued chatting and discussing.


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    ¡­¡­¡­


    In the evening that day, at the garden of the North City Guard Residence, the setting sun was emitting a soft and gentle light. The children were running around and playing in the garden.


    Tonan sat under the eaves, taking in this scene quietly as he drank his tea.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to eat. Don¡¯t play any longer.¡±


    ¡°Oni-san, why don¡¯t you come together with us?¡±


    ¡°I have some work to do. You all must eat in time and go to bed early. If you don¡¯t get enough sleep, you won¡¯t grow taller. Come on, go ahead¡­¡±


    ¡°Oni-san, hug, hug¡­¡±


    ¡°I also want it, I also want it¡­¡±


    Tonan hugged the children one by one and coaxed them to go into the house. After getting along for the past few days, exactly as he planned, he had gained the acknowledgment of all the children.


    ¡°Tonan-sama is truly affectionate,¡± Yoshiwara Ao, who was standing at a side, said in a pandering tone.


    ¡°They are gifts bestowed to me by the heavens, delicate like these flower buds,¡± Tonan said as he picked up a watering can and carefully sprinkled the flowers in the garden.


    ¡°I hope you all will grow up quickly.¡±


    Ao, who had been accompanying Tonan, smiled, ¡°Are you talking about these flowers or those children, Tonan-sama?¡±


    Tonan chuckled and shook his head without answering. After a while, he handed the watering can to Ao and took the gardening shears from him. He carefully trimmed the flowers and plants.


    Other than the sounds of insects, there were only the sounds of him trimming flowers and plants. A long time later, Tonan suddenly said, ¡°Ao.¡±


    Ao hastily bowed, ¡°Did you need something, Tonan-sama?¡±


    Tonan¡¯s hands kept moving, and without a change in his expression, he casually said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days. Find out all black casinos, black brothels, smuggling dens, and gangs¡¯ strongholds in our jurisdiction.¡±


    Ao frowned hearing this and said, ¡°My Lord, you want to¡­¡±


    Tonan interrupted, ¡°Obviously, it is to serve common people, and remove these cancers of society.¡±


    Ao hesitated for a bit, not comprehending why Tonan wanted to do this. These underground organizations handed over a significant sum of money to the North City Guard Residence every month.


    If they were pulled out in one fell swoop, they could earn a huge fortune quickly but it would be like draining the pond to get all the fish. For a long time in the future, there would be no underground organizations outside the northern part of the city.


    In his opinion, this was not a good strategy. Therefore, looking confused, he said, ¡°But My lord, if you did this¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, the scissors in Tonan¡¯s hand suddenly stopped. He turned around and gave Ao a deep look. Ao was so frightened that his back was drenched with cold sweat.


    He immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed Tonan, ¡°My Lord, forgive me, I spoke too much.¡±


    Tonan quietly looked at Ao, who continuously banged his head on the ground. Only after a considerable period of time, by when Ao¡¯s forehead was already bloody, did Tonan turn around and continued to trim the flowers and plants again.


    ¡°Knowing one¡¯s mistake is good. You¡¯ve been with me for some time now. Considering our time spent together so far, I¡¯ll spare your life this time.¡±


    Ao was frightened out of his wits and instantly felt joy. He hastily thanked, ¡°Many thanks, My Lord.¡±


    Tonan brought the scissors in front of him, and gently wiped off the bits and pieces of plants from it.  He then threw it in front of Ao, and looking down at him, he said, ¡°Come here, teach yourself a lesson.¡±


    Ao gulped and glanced at Tonan. He knew how terrifying the temperament of the person in front of him was. Therefore, without begging for any mercy, he picked up the shears with a trembling hand and stretched out just his little finger.


    He immediately closed his eyes and hardened his heart, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Ao let out a muffled groan and a little finger fell to the ground. Bright red blood flowed out of his hands, looking very gory.


    Ao felt great pain, but he forcibly tolerated it and didn¡¯t dare make a sound. He only covered his wound. His face was already filled with cold sweat, blue veins popping out.


    Tonan glanced at him, and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough.¡±


    Ao gritted his teeth and nodded. Continuing to endure the pain, he stretched out his ring finger again.


    ¡°As I was saying Ao, people must always know their position. Don¡¯t get carried away with just small contributions. Your job is to only comply with my instructions and not do anything lesser or more than that.¡±


    Tonan shook his head while plucking out a daisy flower from the flower garden. He then brought it near his nose and sniffed it. His face was filled with an intoxicated hue.


    ¡°Go and bandage your hand. Remember to disinfect it to prevent the wounds from festering.¡±


    Ao kowtowed heavily and said while trembling, ¡°Many thanks¡­ for your concern¡­, My Lord.¡±


    Tonan carelessly threw the daisy flower and strode past Ao, who was still kneeling, and walked towards his study with both hands on his back.


    ¡°When you go back, ask someone to clean up this place. It¡¯s reeking of blood.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

 CH 86

    Early the next morning, Uchiha Tonan changed into Abe Seimei¡¯s appearance and came to the Daimyo Residence. Looking at the magnificent surroundings, Tonan put his hands on his back and walked in slowly.


    ¡°Seimei-sama, please come with me.¡± The guards outside the Daimyo Residence were notified about his arrival earlier and led him to the study hall. Naraku and Nahara hadn¡¯t arrived yet.


    ¡°Seimei-sama, please drink tea here, and wait for a while.¡±


    Tonan sat down and took a sip of tea. He also instructed the attendant, ¡°I need a whip, rope, stake, cold water, candle, and also a sword.¡±


    The attendant was slightly taken aback, not knowing why this old gentleman wanted these things. However, he didn¡¯t ask much and just nodded, ¡°Alright, Seimei-sama.¡±


    Soon, the attendant brought everything. He put the stakes in the courtyard as instructed, and the other things were placed in the corridor outside the study hall.


    Half an hour later, both the highnesses walked into the study hall together. Along the way, the Nahara was playing around. He looked here and there, touching this and that. He hardly had any intention to go to the study hall.


    In stark contrast to his younger brother, Naraku seemed to be a lot more sensible. When Nahara entered the door, he smiled perfunctorily at Tonan, who was sitting with his eyes closed. He then walked to the seat and casually sat down.


    As for Naraku, he stood at the door and bowed to Tonan, greeting politely, ¡°Seimei-sensei.¡±


    Only after Tonan slightly nodded did he walk to the seat and sat upright. At this moment, Tonan opened his eyes and leisurely said, ¡°I¡¯ll lecture you both for three hours every day and then spend another hour testing you. Now, we¡¯ll start the class, listen to me carefully.¡±


    Immediately afterward, Tonan began his lecture. Naraku listened carefully. Sometimes, he frowned, and sometimes, he nodded a little. As for Nahara, his drool was already dripping on the table.


    ¡­¡­


    The time passed quickly and the lecture was complete. Tonan gave them the test papers and signaled they could begin answering. Naraku picked up the pen and recalled the lecture¡¯s content. Adding his understanding, he began answering sincerely.


    Whereas, Nahara¡¯s drool was now soaking the test papers¡­


    After an hour, Tonan looked at the dazzling sun outside. It was already noon. He got up and walked over to collect the test papers.


    Perhaps, his movement was a bit too strong waking Nahara up. He straightened a bit and wiped the drool off his mouth. ¡°Is the class over?¡±


    Tonan, who had already returned to his seat, put his blank test paper aside and picked up Naraku¡¯s test paper.


    While looking at it, he said, ¡°Second Highness, you can go back and rest.¡±


    As if waiting to hear this, Nahara got up and left the study hall.


    ¡°As for the First Highness, you¡­¡± Tonan¡¯s complexion became very gloomy, and raising the test paper, his frown became deeper.


    Soon after, he crumpled the test paper into a ball and threw it at Naraku¡¯s face. ¡°Look at your answers, it¡¯s a load of crap! Even a three-year-old child can answer better than you.¡±


    Naraku was dumbfounded, looking at the enraged Tonan. He couldn¡¯t understand why this teacher was so angry. He had taken the test very seriously, and all the questions were answered after careful consideration.


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    However, he was always well-behaved and had paid attention to etiquette. Facing Tonan¡¯s rebuke, he could only stammer, ¡°Seimei-sensei¡­, I¡­¡±


    Tonan took a deep breath as if to calm his anger. He then pointed at the stake in the courtyard outside the study hall, and said with a serious look, ¡°Take off your shirt and stand there with your back against the stake.¡±


    Naraku hesitated for a moment but he took off his shirt and walked to the courtyard and stood. Tonan then picked up the rope and tied him to the stake. With a rough rope tied tightly around his body, Naraku was very uncomfortable. Tonan had tied him so tight that he could barely breathe.


    ¡°Seimei-sensei, why are you tying me up?¡±


    Naraku was completely unable to move and he suddenly felt anxious. Tonan picked up the whip and replied with a cold smile, ¡°If you don¡¯t study properly, you have to suffer a bit.¡±


    Crack!


    Crack!


    Crack!


    ¡°Save me!¡±


    Tonan was very heavy-handed. The thick whip lashed at Naraku¡¯s body, making him feel so much pain he wanted to die. Anyone who was whipped like this would find it unbearable, not to mention a person like him, who was pampered since childhood.


    ¡°The Daimyo has instructed me that if you two don¡¯t study properly, I can punish you as I please.¡±


    ¡°Why? At least, I wrote the answers but Nahara handed in a blank paper! So why am I being punished?¡±


    Naraku was in great pain and felt injustice. He felt that Tonan was targeting him.


    ¡°You dare to talk back to me. Today, I¡¯ll teach you what it means to respect a sensei.¡±


    Crack!


    ¡­¡­


    After whipping Naraku for half an hour, Tonan threw the whip away. ¡°Report to the study hall at four o¡¯clock tomorrow morning. Remember to be on time.¡±


    The afternoon sun was vicious. After the torture, Naraku¡¯s face was pale and his body was sweating. When the sweat touched his wound, it enhanced the sharp pain.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Naraku replied and passed out. Tonan glanced at him and walked out of the courtyard. He called an attendant, and instructed, ¡°Take the First Highness back to rest.¡±


    The attendants had already heard the Naraku¡¯s wailing. However, the Daimyo had ordered that they couldn¡¯t step into the study hall¡¯s courtyard without Tonan¡¯s command.


    As for their First Highness¡¯ safety, they didn¡¯t need to worry about it. After all, there were secret guards in the Residence. The attendant hastily untied Naraku and helped him leave.


    The next day, at four o¡¯clock in the morning, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was hidden in the dark, was looking at the stars in the sky, feeling bored. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He immediately raised his guard and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw Tonan, who was disguised as Abe Seimei.


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    ¡°He¡¯s the First Highness¡¯s sensei, Seimei-dono¡­¡±


    Recalling the Daimyo¡¯s special instructions issued to everyone in the residence, Shinnosuke didn¡¯t show up. Tonan went straight to Naraku¡¯s residence and kicked the door open.


    The First Highness, who was in deep slumber, was startled awake and fell off the bed. His head hit on the floor, making him dizzy.


    ¡°Do you know what time it is? Disobeying sensei¡¯s instruction should be punished.¡±


    Tonan picked up Naraku who was only wearing his nightclothes and dragged him to the study hall¡¯s courtyard. He tightly bound him to the stake with the rope again.


    ¡°Since you like to sleep until late, you can sleep here.¡± Tonan picked up a bucket of cold water and splashed it on him.


    Yesterday, Naraku was tortured by Tonan, and now, he was drenched with cold water. Who could endure such treatment?


    He was in shock and instantly sobered up. Seeing the white-haired man in front of him, he couldn¡¯t help trembling. Meanwhile, Tonan took a sword and a candle from the corner of the corridor and stuck the sheathed sword into the soil.


    ¡°If you want to resist me, then pick up the sword and kill me. But now, you¡¯re not even qualified to hold a sword.¡±


    After speaking, he lit the candle and slowly walked toward Naraku, whose pupils shrank, his face filling with fear. He struggled frantically while screaming, ¡°Let me go¡­ I don¡¯t want to study¡­ I don¡¯t want to study.¡±

 CH 87.1

    ¡°Seimei-dono¡­¡± Suddenly, the Daimyo¡¯s figure appeared not far away. Uchiha Tonan could instantly sense several pairs of eyes watching him from the shadows. When Naraku saw his father, there was hope in his eyes, and he cried out, ¡°Father, save me.¡±


    Tonan put the candle on the ground and walked towards the Daimyo. ¡°Your Majesty, may we speak somewhere else?¡±


    The Daimyo nodded and left the study hall together with Tonan. They walked into the Daimyo Residence¡¯s back garden. The Daimyo then asked with a worried look, ¡°Seimei-dono, isn¡¯t that too cruel to Naraku?¡± After all, he was the person who would inherit his position in the future.


    Although he believed in Seimei¡¯s capability, it was still distressing to see his son in such pain. Seimei¡¯s teaching method was truly difficult to accept.


    Tonan paused his step and lightly said, ¡°Your Majesty, I wonder if I can say something.¡±


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    The Daimyo looked at Tonan and nodded, ¡°Seimei-dono, please go ahead.¡±


    Tonan placed his hands behind his back and said, ¡°Compassion doesn¡¯t control the army, righteousness doesn¡¯t control wealth, affection doesn¡¯t establish things, virtue doesn¡¯t handle officials, and benevolence doesn¡¯t hold power. Otherwise, even if you sat in the highest position, you¡¯ll easily become a puppet in someone else¡¯s hand. There¡¯s no construction without destruction¡­¡±


    The Daimyo was dumbfounded hearing this and stood in the same position in a daze as if he was considering what he just heard.


    Tonan bowed to the Daimyo, ¡°This being said, if Your Majesty thinks that it¡¯s truly ruthless, then I¡¯ll go and untie the First Highness now.¡±


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    Tonan turned and walked towards the study hall.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Behind him, the Daimyo called Tonan to stop, ¡°Seimei-dono, you can educate Naraku in accordance with your method. If there¡¯s anything I need to do, you can just tell me.¡±


    Tonan smiled, ¡°Your Majesty, you just need to ignore the First Highness. Even if he wants to complain to you tearfully, you need to endure and not see him.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± the Daimyo knew now was not the time to be soft-hearted. His great ambition was to have complete authority over the Land of Fire, unlike now when everything relied on Konoha¡¯s protection.


    Tonan pondered for a while, and added in a low voice, ¡°In addition, Your Majesty, you need to do one more thing, so that it would be smoother for the First Highness to inherit great power in the future.¡±


    The Daimyo asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You should pay more attention to the Second Highness. Have him beside you at all times. It¡¯s best to go out for a walk with him from time to time. Moreover, in front of other people, don¡¯t berate him. Instead brag about him. You must give him enough importance.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯ve already decided to pass the most honorable thing to the First Highness. You can only compensate the Second Highness in other ways. The First Highness is your son and successor, but the Second Highness is only your son. You should give him fatherly love.¡±


    ¡°Or else if the Second Highness holds a grudge in his heart, I¡¯m afraid that after the First Highness succeeds to the throne, they might draw swords at each other. But as long as you act according to my suggestion, even if the Second Highness harbors resentment in the future, his determination would¡¯ve eroded and he could only be an idle vassal for the rest of his life, unable to do anything worthwhile.¡±


    The Daimyo was enlightened and nodded, ¡°You make sense. You are free to do whatever you please and teach him as you want.¡±


    After that, they continued to chat for a long time. The Daimyo approved of Tonan¡¯s teaching philosophy all the more and he tried his best to cooperate with his plan.


    The sky was already bright by the time Tonan alone returned to the study hall¡¯s small courtyard. Naraku, who was still tied to the stake, stretched his neck, wanting to see if his father had sought justice for him.


    However, he didn¡¯t see the person he hoped to and his heart was instantly heavy. Looking at Tonan, who was approaching him step by step with a cold look, he was very frightened. However, he couldn¡¯t move. He could only timidly ask, ¡°Where¡¯s my father?¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± Tonan coldly snorted. The candle had already burnt half and was full of liquid wax. The corners of his mouth rose. He picked up the candle and dripped the wax on Naraku¡¯s body.


    ¡°Ah!¡± The scalding liquid stuck on his body, making him wail in pain. But the smile on Tonan¡¯s face became wider.


    ¡°It seems a father¡¯s mindset in the ninja world for wishing his son to become a dragon is too strong¡­ he can even endure something like this. The gap between Konoha and the Daimyo is bigger than I thought.¡±


    On the other side of the study hall¡¯s courtyard wall, the Daimyo hid at one side and eavesdropped. Because he couldn¡¯t bear it, he closed his eyes hearing his son¡¯s miserable scream, and sighed. He then gritted his teeth, turned around, and left.


    At the same time, Tonan felt that the secretly monitoring eyes in the dark had completely disappeared. Presumably, the Daimyo was wary of the guards and didn¡¯t want them to hear the content of Tonan¡¯s class.


    After a while, the half-asleep Nahara staggered into the small courtyard of the study hall. Just as he entered, he was terrified out of his mind seeing the scene in front of him.


    When Tonan looked in his direction, he stammered, ¡°Seimei-sensei¡­, am I¡­ late¡­¡±


    However, Tonan unexpectedly smiled and nodded, ¡°Second Highness, you came just in time. Go ahead and sit down. I¡¯ll come and give a lecture later.¡±


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d also be tortured, but I wasn¡¯t.¡± Nahara couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva with a guilty conscience and quickly walked into the classroom.


    At that moment, Tonan untied Naraku, who fell to his knee and gasped for breath. He wanted to take this chance to relax a little, but he was doused with a bucket of water again, which made him feel especially cold.

 CH 87.2

    Uchiha Tonan was cold-blooded and ruthless. Seeing the tortured and drenched Naraku, he said, ¡°Why are you not going into the classroom?¡±


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    A hint of resentment and fear flashed in Naraku¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t dare to utter a word and ran into the classroom. Tonan came to the podium, and gently said to the restless Nahara, ¡°Second Highness, if you haven¡¯t slept well, then you can lie down and rest for a while. You need a proper balance between study and rest.¡±


    Nahara glanced at the badly beaten Naraku beside him and shook his head, ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m not sleepy.¡±


    He was afraid this old man would torture him as well. Therefore, he thought it would be better for him to be obedient. Tonan nodded with a smile at him, and then looked at Naraku with a cold gaze, ¡°First Highness, pay attention to the lecture. The content will be in the test later. If your answer is unsatisfactory, then physical suffering is unavoidable.¡±


    The tormented Naraku was still feeling unbearable pain, but he used all his willpower to answer, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°This fellow¡¯s physique is much better than I imagined.¡± Tonan narrowed his eyes a little and began the class¡­


    ¡°Sweep Over Strategy is also known as Attack the Heart Strategy. There are three hearts ¡ª the king¡¯s heart, the minister¡¯s heart, and the people¡¯s heart. In layman¡¯s terms, a country has three forces ¡ª the ruler, influential officials, and common people.¡±


    ¡°To do anything, the country needs the support of at least two forces. And if you want to secretly control a country, you¡¯ve to be able to control the will of these three forces. In conclusion, the force is made up of many people. And all people have a common inherent weakness, which is selfishness. So, use benefits to manipulate their will¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­


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    Time passed by, and it was near noon. ¡°Time¡¯s up, hand in the test papers,¡± Tonan said coldly. Naraku trembled as he handed the test papers to Tonan.


    Tonan glanced at it and yelled, ¡°What kind of crap did you write? Did you just mechanically memorize my lecture? Don¡¯t you have any insight of your own? You are not allowed to eat at noon, stand still in the courtyard until six o¡¯clock. Don¡¯t think you can sneak away. I¡¯ve eyes and ears everywhere.¡±


    Naraku was already in a state of utter exhaustion. Hearing this, he felt dizzy for a while and swayed. But he used all his willpower to stand still. He then nodded lifelessly and said, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    After speaking, he felt like a thousand-pound iron ball was tied to his legs. He took a heavy step at a time towards the courtyard. Tonan ignored the sleeping Nahara and took a deep look at Naruko. With his hands behind his back, he left the Daimyo Residence.


    Honestly speaking, he hadn¡¯t expected Naraku to be so tolerant. If it were someone else, then Tonan wouldn¡¯t have been so surprised. But Naraku was pampered from childhood. It was a surprise that facing such a ruthless education method, he was able to endure until now without collapsing.


    However, the higher the endurance, the more ruthless one would become after the emotions accumulated to a certain level, explodes. After a while, an attendant hastily came to the small courtyard of the study hall and immediately saw Naraku standing still as a punishment.


    He lowered his head right away, as if he saw and heard nothing, and directly entered the study hall.


    ¡°Second Highness, Second Highness, wake up,¡± The attendant shook Nahara, who was lying on the table.


    ¡°Is the class over? So fast,¡± Nahara wiped the saliva from the corners of his mouth and stretched his body. As far as he saw, the class was simply a first-class lullaby after he discovered that Tonan truly didn¡¯t care about him.


    The attendant said respectfully, ¡°Second Highness, His Majesty wants to see you.¡±


    Hearing the attendant¡¯s words, Nahara woke up instantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ that old man must have complained to my father. He¡¯ll criticize me again for not studying hard.¡± Thinking this, Nahara nervously followed the attendant to the Daimyo Residence.


    After entering the residence, his eyes were fleeting. He didn¡¯t dare to look straight at the Daimyo. He was ready to take the punishment. However, to his extreme surprise, his father didn¡¯t explode as he had imagined. Instead, he waved toward him with a gentle look and said, ¡°Nahara, how are your classes?¡±


    Nahara sat down beside him and replied cautiously, ¡°It¡¯s not bad¡­ not bad¡­¡±


    The Daimyo smiled gently, ¡°Let¡¯s dine together. Hereafter, you¡¯ll come here after the class is over every day. Just tell me what you want to eat.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Alright¡­¡± Nahara was completely confused.


    ¡°Eat more,¡± the Daimyo put some vegetables into Nahara¡¯s bowl. Nahara was not used to this abnormal behavior of his father. And unlike the earlier days, he seemed to be a lot more reserved, and honestly replied, ¡°Thank you, father.¡±

 CH 89

    That night, Uchiha Tonan led the North City Guard members to wipe out all the big and small underground organizations in the entire North City area. To get his hands on a sizeable sum of money in the shortest possible time, he could only use these means.


    In his rough estimate, he had harvested total assets of nearly 300 million Ryo in this trip.


    The next morning, the street outside the North City Guard Residence was filled with members of several underground organizations. Tonan¡¯s shadow clone once again gave a passionate speech on the duties of the North City Guard and the need to end the scum of society in the interest of the people.


    He harshly criticized these prisoners¡¯ crimes and even added fuel to fire in some aspects. Not to mention the serious crimes, even the smaller ones were exaggerated in great detail. As a result, the onlooking people were indignant and their sense of justice soared.


    Regardless of whether these people would have been executed according to the Land of Fire¡¯s rules or not, each of them was slaughtered by Tonan¡¯s people. Not that he had an option in this matter. After all, he had taken their wealth secretly, and if they were judged according to the rules, then these properties would be confiscated. His only choice was to kill every last one of them.


    Many civilians witnessed this act of righteousness. In recent years, they were more or less oppressed and bullied by these underground organizations. Now that they were finally brought to justice, the masses applauded it wholeheartedly. For a moment, Tonan¡¯s reputation spread far and wide in the Fire Capital. There was no one who had not heard of his feats. He gained the acknowledgment of many people as well.


    With the last haul, Tonan¡¯s total assets now reached roughly 600 million Ryo. His short-term objective of coming to the Fire Capital was achieved.


    Just like this, some time had elapsed. These days, every morning, Abe Seimei-Tonan went to the study hall on time to teach the two highnesses. And he would find various opportunities and reasons to whip Naraku out of his teacherly love.


    The Daimyo obeyed Tonan¡¯s advice. He kept Nahara with him at all times and treated him warmly, letting him play around as he pleased.


    After some time, this differential treatment fell into the eyes of the people who harbored their own agendas. Soon, the entire Daimyo Residence and even some influential officials were secretly discussing the situation.


    ¡°His Majesty has been very kind to the Second Highness recently¡­ why do I feel like he wants to pass the throne to the Second Highness?¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s not talk about the long tradition of passing the throne to the eldest son, just taking character and temper into consideration, the First Highness is far ahead of the Second Highness.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you notice a point? Although the First Highness has a steady character, he looks a bit dull. Although the Second Highness¡¯s character is different, he is more assertive. He dares to break convention and he is a lot smarter in some aspects.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of this, we haven¡¯t seen the First Highness for a long time.¡±


    ¡°He seems to be having big problems in his studies.¡±


    ¡°What leads you to think that?¡±


    Naraku had always devoted himself to studying. In everyone¡¯s opinion, he was a rare outstanding genius. There was no possible scenario in which he would face problems in education or any form of learning.


    ¡°I heard from the Daimyo Residence¡¯s attendants that the First Highness is whipped by Seimei-dono almost every day because of his studying problems.¡±


    ¡°How can Seimei-dono treat the First Highness like that? And why is the Second Highness fine?¡±


    ¡°I think that Second Highness, in fact, is more intelligent than the First Highness. Haven¡¯t you noticed it? The Second Highness¡¯ temper has been a lot more restrained recently.¡±


    ¡°People grow. Otherwise, there is no reason for Seimei-dono to just teach the First Highness a lesson.¡±


    ¡°I think there is another possibility. The Second Highness has been concealing his true self.¡±


    ¡°Really!? Such endurance is truly¡­¡±


    In all these years, everyone had seen Naraku¡¯s hard work and eagerness to learn, and they all had believed he would definitely inherit the Daimyo¡¯s position.


    Therefore, many direct descendants also stood on his side, supporting and paving the path for him so that they would be placed in important positions after he inherited the throne. But now that the Second Highness suddenly gained power, many people began to gradually shift towards him.


    This evening, Naraku, who had just finished applying medicine to his wounds, met his trusted confidant. During this period, not to mention having time to go out, he didn¡¯t even have time to rest. Therefore, he could only inquire about the situation outside, from his trusted confidant.


    This confidant informed the recent change in alliances and everyone¡¯s guesses about the First Highness. After hearing him, Naraku replied with a blank expression, ¡°I see, you can leave now.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll leave you to it then.¡± After the trusted confidant left, Naraku sat alone on a chair. The hall seemed very empty now. Suddenly, a ferocious expression appeared on his face, and he kicked the table to the ground. Then, gasping for breath, his eyes were filled with madness as he muttered, ¡°So what Seimei-sensei said was true after all¡­¡±


    Naraku was suspicious of Tonan¡¯s words because he was unwilling to believe that his father, who valued him greatly, would abandon him like this one day.


    ¡°I did nothing wrong, then why, father¡­¡±


    Naraku sat alone in the hall until late at night. At three o¡¯clock in the morning, he slowly got up and went to the study hall alone to wait for Tonan. After fifty minutes, Tonan stepped into the study hall and saw a dazed Naraku. His lips were pale. He blankly raised his head and stared at Tonan, ¡°Seimei-sensei, am I too late to realize the truth?¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes and solemnly asked, ¡°Why do you say so?¡±


    A hint of madness flashed through Naraku¡¯s eyes but he replied in a calm voice, ¡°My father¡¯s transformation was too quick. I always thought I was much better than Nahara. Even so, he chose Nahara. I guess, no matter what I do in the remaining time, I won¡¯t be able to make him change his mind.¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°You finally see it.¡±


    A hint of a manic smile appeared on Naraku¡¯s face, ¡°My status is special. I always need my father¡¯s approval if I want to leave the residence. So, it¡¯s almost impossible to win people¡¯s hearts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Tonan nodded in agreement.


    Naraku continued, ¡°And those ministers seem loyal, but in fact, they are all people who sail with the wind. I guess, other than the few direct descendants that still walk beside me, all others would¡¯ve already joined Nahara¡¯s faction. If I had known it earlier, I would¡¯ve thought of a way to completely control them. Unfortunately, I missed the chance.¡±


    Recalling how they were flattering and praising him before, Naraku¡¯s face became hideous, and his eyes were wide open. He gritted his teeth and added, ¡°I never felt the Daimyo¡¯s position was so important because I thought it was prepared for me since I was born. Everyone around me also said I¡¯ll be the future Daimyo, and as long as I studied hard, my father will favor me. But now, when everything has left me, I realize how important this position is to me.¡±


    Suddenly, he knelt in front of Tonan and crawled forward, hugging his thigh, ¡°Sensei, please teach me. As long as you can get my position back to me, I¡¯ll give you anything you want. Power, wealth, women, even if you want an independent land, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    Tonan looked calm on the surface, but he was laughing in his heart. Everything was under his control. He stared at Naraku and said in an inexplicable tone, ¡°I don¡¯t have any solution for you right now. There¡¯s a silver lining to everything. You would need to pay a certain price, but I wonder if you can afford it.¡±


    When Naraku heard Tonan¡¯s words, hope appeared on his face. He immediately nodded, ¡°As long as I can regain my position, I can afford any price.¡±


    Tonan pretended to think, and also pretended to have some inner struggle. He then patted Naraku¡¯s shoulder and firmly said, ¡°When the slumbering dragon awakens, it dares to replace the sun and the moon.¡±


    Tonan pulled his leg out of the Naraku¡¯s hold. He took out a sealed scroll from his pocket and put some chakra papers in front of him. ¡°In this time, I have already taught you everything I can. So, I¡¯ll give you a vacation. Carefully consider your future path. This is my gift to you. Perhaps, it can help you.¡±


    After speaking, Tonan ignored Naraku¡¯s expression and left.


    In the study hall¡¯s classroom, only Naraku was left muttering.


    ¡°Dares to¡­ replace¡­ the sun and the moon.¡±

 CH 90.1

    Uchiha Tonan walked out of the small courtyard of the study hall, and when he passed the back garden, he happened to encounter the Daimyo, who had come to ¡®eavesdrop¡¯.


    Tonan immediately greeted, ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Realizing he was found, the Daimyo said with an embarrassed look, ¡°Seimei-dono, how is Naraku doing lately?¡±


    Tonan smiled lightly, ¡°The First Highness is very talented. He has already begun to possess the bearing of a great ruler. It¡¯s just that he has received too much knowledge in this period, which he needs to digest. Therefore, I plan to give him a break for a few days.¡±


    Hearing Tonan¡¯s words, the Daimyo was overjoyed. His eldest son had endured bitter hardships for so many days. Now, he could finally take a break. He hastily asked, ¡°I wonder if there is anything I need to do? Or do I need to encourage Naraku?¡±


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    In his heart, he always wanted to find a chance to take good care of his elder son. He felt like he hadn¡¯t cared about him for so long, and this son of his had drifted away from him.


    Tonan pondered for a while, ¡°Your Majesty, you still shouldn¡¯t meet the First Highness for the time being. He needs to overcome some difficulties by himself. Your Majesty just needs to continue to care for the Second Highness.¡±


    ¡°Also, you need to order some people to guard the First Highness¡¯s residence in secret, lest other people might disturb his study. Now is the best time for him to transform.¡±


    After hearing Tonan¡¯s words, the Daimyo paused for a while, ¡°Alright, then I bid farewell to Seimei-dono.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    That afternoon, Naraku, who had just finished using the chakra test paper, opened the curtain and looked at the figures walking back and forth at his courtyard¡¯s gate. The guard was tight and strict as if they were guarding a prison, which made it difficult for Naraku to breathe. He felt suffocated in his heart.


    His eyes turned cold and he closed the curtain. Returned to his seat, he muttered, ¡°Father, have you already begun to guard against me? Your action today has truly frozen my heart.¡±


    He looked down at the crumbs on his palm. ¡°Earth-attributed chakra¡­¡±


    Although a little hesitant, he finally took a deep breath and spread out a scroll. There were five C-ranked ninjutsu written on the scroll, belonging to five attributes respectively.


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    A few days later, late at night, Naraku opened the door, and called out in a light voice, ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai, are you there?¡±


    As soon as his words fell, Shinnosuke appeared in front of him instantly. ¡°Your Highness, do you have any instructions for me?¡±


    Naraku waved toward Shinnosuke over and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside, Shinnosuke-senpai.¡±


    After the two of them walked inside, Naraku took a deep breath and looked at Shinnosuke. He then somberly asked, ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai, have you also heard the recent rumors?¡± Shinnosuke nodded. He knew that Naraku was referring to the rumors about the succession to the Daimyo¡¯s position.


    Naraku put on his calmest appearance and said in a serious tone, ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai, you can rest assured that if I became the Daimyo, I¡¯ll definitely support you to become the next Hokage of Konoha.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­ Your Highness,¡± Shinnosuke nodded absent-mindedly. From his demeanor, it was obvious he believed he had made the wrong bet after hearing the recent rumors. Naraku was carefully observing the man in front of him. Even though the change in Shinnosuke¡¯s expression was small, it didn¡¯t escape his eyes.


    He felt even more unpleasant inside, thinking about how Shinnosuke would use every possible way to get close to him in the past. However, still maintaining a genial expression, he took out four envelopes and handed them over to Shinnosuke. He then explained, ¡°I have four letters here. I request you to help me deliver these to the four lords of Konoha.¡±


    Shinnosuke frowned and said, ¡°Your Highness, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to turn me down?¡±


    Naraku was enraged but he had no other way. He needed Shinnosuke¡¯s help, so he could only force himself to smile and convince the man. ¡°Although the current situation is not good for me, I will still fight for my right. When that time comes, my father will seek the opinions of Konoha¡¯s lords before making his final decision. I hope that the four lords will express their support for me. This will help sway father¡¯s decision in my favor.¡±


    Naraku tried his best to persuade Shinnosuke. If he was unable to, he truly would be left with no other choices as he knew he couldn¡¯t find anyone other than him in his current plight.


    Shinnosuke hastily shook his head, ¡°Your Highness, the Ninja Village can¡¯t interfere in this matter. Besides, if I leave, who will safeguard you at night?¡±


    Naraku pointed towards the gate, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not safe enough?¡±


    Shinnosuke felt that the First Highness in front of him was a bit aggressive. After hesitating for a while, he thought of a way out and said, ¡°Alright, but I do need to inform the Daimyo about this.¡±


    Hearing this, Naraku couldn¡¯t maintain his smile anymore. He took a step towards Shinnosuke and coldly said, ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai, people should help each other. Seimei-sensei once said that adding flowers to brocade is not as good as sending charcoal in snowy weather.¡±


    ¡°Those who will help me at this time, I¡¯ll remember them with gratitude forever. But I¡¯ll also remember those who hit a person when he was down. There are some matters whose results remain uncertain till the very end. Have you ever thought about what I would do if I became the Daimyo after you rejected me today?¡±


    ¡°Although the Daimyo doesn¡¯t have much say in the Hokage election if I support a person, I can give that person enough funds to splurge. I wonder how many ninjas can resist that. Besides, you are already tied to my boat. If you want to jump off now, you can. But do you think Nahara will let you climb in his boat?¡±

 CH 90.2

    Sarutobi Shinnosuke¡¯s mind was alerted by First Highness, Naraku¡¯s thinly veiled threat. In fact, he did not know the best way to get into Nahara¡¯s good books now after having spent so much time with Naraku¡¯s personal shadow guard. Weighing the overall situation, he immediately replied, ¡°Your Highness, you have my word. Not only will I complete this mission for you but I¡¯ll also not tell anyone about it.¡±


    Naraku narrowed his eyes and the coldness in them instantly dissipated. His smile was restored, and he said, ¡°I believe in you, Shinnosuke-senpai. And after your return, I¡¯ll humble myself to persuade Nahara to make a pledge for you. I¡¯ll make him promise that if he becomes the Daimyo, he¡¯ll unconditionally support you to become the next Hokage.¡±


    Naraku¡¯s words guaranteed a minimum benefit to Shinnosuke that could be availed immediately. This consoled Shinnosuke¡¯s heart considerably and tilted his final decision towards carrying out this favor for Naraku. Shinnosuke put away the four letters and said with gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. I¡¯ll leave for Konoha immediately.¡±


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    After Shinnosuke left, the smile on Naraku¡¯s face disappeared. His eyes became cold and serene. A cold shadow loomed in the room giving a dreary and desolate vibe. Abe Seimei-Tonan was right when he told the Daimyo that this was the time for Naraku¡¯s transformation. The current him had become someone strange.


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    ¡°Father, it¡¯s you who forced me to do this¡­¡±


    Tonan was secretly observing the movements outside the Daimyo Residence. He noticed the moment Shinnosuke had left the Residence at the time of his duty.


    ¡°What is Naraku planning exactly?¡± Tonan¡¯s original plan was to use the various coincidences he helped create to make Naraku misunderstand the Daimyo. He wanted him to resent his father and think of a way to kill him.


    When that would happen, Shinnosuke would definitely be implicated as the First Highness¡¯ shadow guard. At that time, he would use public opinion to publicize the matter and make up a few more rumors, pushing both of them where the wind was the fiercest.


    Among the rumors he had already thought of, one was that Shinnosuke colluded with Naraku, wanting his support for him to become the next Hokage. But now that he discovered that Naraku might not become the Daimyo, and Nahara didn¡¯t trust him, he could only instigate Naraku to secretly kill the Daimyo and forcibly push him to the throne.


    When this would spread, Shinnosuke would be done for. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain his position. At that time, when the Fire Capital will be in immersed in chaos, he could get rid of Sarutobi Asuma and blame whoever he wanted to blame.


    The original plan was flawless, but now, the situation had deviated from this plan and too many variables came into play. The reason why Tonan chose Naraku instead of Nahara was mainly that the latter was truly and completely a useless person in his view.


    Although Naraku was inarticulate and simple-minded, Tonan knew that it is precisely this kind of person who was stubborn to the end. Once such people are pushed to a corner and erupt, they would become much more ruthless than ordinary people.


    Three days later at the Hokage Office, while listening to Shinnosuke repeating Naraku¡¯s words, Hiruzen read the content of the secret letter. After hearing everything, he finally said, ¡°If the First Highness can truly make the Second Highness make that promise, then that would be a good thing.¡±


    For Hiruzen, it didn¡¯t matter who eventually became the Daimyo as long as the person in question completely supported Shinnosuke. Shinnosuke nodded, then asked curiously, ¡°Father, what did the letter say?¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and said, ¡°What else can it say? It¡¯s just that he hopes that I will express support for him and put on good words for him whenever the Daimyo asked for advice on his successor. Alright, now quickly go and deliver the other three letters to the other advisers and also to Danzo. You should also return now.¡±


    At the Root Headquarters, Danzo sat on his seat and read the letter he had just received from Shinnosuke. Gradually, a hint of pleasant surprise flashed through his eyes. He put the letter down and called out, ¡°Ryoma.¡±


    Aburame Ryoma, the Root Captain, appeared in front of him in an instant and knelt on one knee, ¡°Danzo-sama, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Go and call Akimichi Matsuken and Yamamoto Ichimura.¡±


    Soon, Matsuken and Ichimura, two Root members, came to Danzo.


    Danzo instructed, ¡°You two will set out to the Fire Capital and wait outside the Daimyo Residence in secret. Wait for the First Highness¡¯s signal. When you see colorful fireworks rising from the Daimyo Residence, you¡¯ll go and meet him. At that time, you two must obey whatever commands the First Highness gives.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The First Highness¡¯ letter to Danzo didn¡¯t mention that his position was not guaranteed. Instead, he said that he planned to support Danzo to become the next Hokage after he inherited the Daimyo¡¯s position.


    He also mentioned that at the moment he was lacking powerful subordinates. And apart from his shadow guards, the other ninjas couldn¡¯t enter the Daimyo Residence at random. Therefore, he asked Danzo to place people outside the Residence, and that he would send a signal when he needed them.


    In order to have a good relationship with this future Daimyo, Danzo naturally wouldn¡¯t be stingy in using two trifling tools. He expressed his full support to the First Highness.

 CH 91

    A few days later, Sarutobi Shinnosuke finally returned to the Fire Capital from Konoha after completing his mission. As soon as he reached, his first stop was Naruko¡¯s residence.


    ¡°Your Highness, I have delivered the letters.¡±


    Naruko nodded and said with a gentle look, ¡°You truly have worked hard. Go and instruct the attendant to go to Nahara¡¯s place and invite him over here. I¡¯ll honor what I promised you.¡±


    Shinnosuke was overjoyed hearing this, ¡°Many thanks, Your Highness.¡±


    Not long after, Nahara came over to Naruko¡¯s residence in high spirits. In recent days, his life had turned on its head, and he was living in a fantasy world. Every day, many people came over to his residence to flatter him. His father¡¯s attitude towards him changed for the better, and everything was done according to his wishes.


    Over time, even Nahara believed his father was going to hand over the Daimyo¡¯s position to him.


    In the past, Naruko had always displayed his intelligence and wisdom. He pretended to be diligent and studious all day long, and many people sided with him, which caused Nahara to live under his shadows. Nahara did not harbor any good sentiment for his elder brother, who had always been stepping on his head.


    Now that the situation had reversed, he naturally wanted to take his revenge. Nahara entered the room and sat down arrogantly, ¡°Naraku, why did you ask me to meet you?¡±


    Nahara¡¯s disrespectful address infuriated Naruko but there was little he could do.


    ¡°With just a little change, this incompetent brother of mine is actually being so impudent, addressing me by name? If he really became the Daimyo, wouldn¡¯t he get rid of me first?¡±


    Naruko himself didn¡¯t realize that the way he thought was already very different from his past self. Although he was angry in his heart, he didn¡¯t show it. He took a deep breath and after stabilizing his emotions, he said with a humble smile, ¡°Nahara, I wanted to talk to you about something. Shinnosuke has protected me for so long, and I know him very well. He is an upright and remarkable ninja, who is very suitable to be the next Hokage.¡±


    Nahara raised his eyebrows and asked doubtfully, ¡°Why are you telling me this? It¡¯s not like I know him.¡±


    ¡°Truly a worthless person who knows nothing.¡±


    Naruko stood up and said while making tea for Nahara, ¡°From childhood, I was stupid, not as intelligent as you. In the future, I guess Daimyo¡¯s position will be yours. Since I have had a good relationship with Shinnosuke, I would like to ask you to write a pledge. The pledge is to express your support for him during the Hokage election after you become the Daimyo. Treat it as your elder brother begging you for the first time.¡±


    After speaking, he pushed a teacup in front of Nahara. This humble gesture made Nahara feel particularly content. Even his hostility towards Naruko decreased. He picked up the teacup and blew over it, ¡°It¡¯s just the position of the village chief. I¡¯ll agree to it.¡±


    After speaking, he sipped on the tea but it was still too hot and burned his mouth. At that moment, Naruko got up to take a pen, paper, and an ink pad from his study, placing them in front of Nahara.


    ¡°Nahara, as the future Daimyo, I believe you¡¯ll not go back on your words. But you have to write a pledge so that Shinnosuke will be loyal to you in the future. I presume you¡¯ll not mind this tedious point.¡±


    Naruko had already grasped Nahara¡¯s temperament. As long as someone flattered him enough, and gave him a dunce¡¯s cap to wear, he would wear it. Hearing these words, Nahara was overjoyed and nodded in agreement.


    He then coughed lightly, straightened his collar, and picked up the pen to write the pledge. Once he was done, Naruko pushed the ink pad in front of him. Nahara didn¡¯t think too much about it and just placed a fingerprint on the paper.


    Naruko put the written pledge away as if it was a treasure. This careful gesture, for some reason, made Nahara feel dull in his heart. The person, who he always considered an opponent, suddenly surrendered before he made a move.


    He immediately got up and said, ¡°If that is all, then I¡¯m leaving. Father is still waiting for me to have dinner together.¡±


    Naruko hastily followed behind him and flattered, looking very humble, ¡°Nahara, I¡¯ll send you off.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± After Nahara left, Naruko stared at his brother¡¯s back and the smile on his face disappeared. Even he didn¡¯t know how disgusted he was in his heart. He hated everything! Why was this trash regarded so highly, whereas he was discarded?


    Nahara had barely walked out of the courtyard when Shinnosuke appeared in front of Naruko, staring at the written pledge. His eyes were full of desire. Naruko noticed his expression and smiled a little, handing over the written pledge to Shinnosuke.


    Shinnosuke took the pledge and held it carefully. He was moved by Naruko¡¯s action. ¡°Your Highness¡­ thank you.¡±


    Naruko shook his head, ¡°Never mind, I was just fulfilling my promise. This written pledge is very important. You shouldn¡¯t keep it with you. Put it somewhere safe in the residence. Don¡¯t lose it.¡±


    Shinnosuke nodded. After he left, Naruko locked himself in the study room alone. And while practicing to make hand seals of the scroll, he muttered, ¡°Emperor¡­ solitary¡­¡±


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    ¡°Sure enough, sensei was right. When it comes to benefits, no one can be trusted.¡±


    Time passed by, a day at a time. Uchiha Tonan had already taught the orphans how to refine chakra. He had also taught them some basic taijutsu and a few simple C-ranked ninjutsu. The orphans¡¯ aptitude, as expected, was no match for the children of the Konoha Academy. But they were better in terms of diligence, and they cherished this rare opportunity. Even though they couldn¡¯t use all ninjutsu, they firmly remembered the hand signs and the theoretical principles.


    Late one night, Tonan was reading a book in his study. Yoshiwara Ao stood quietly beside him, pouring tea and water. He didn¡¯t even dare breathe heavily during the entire time.


    Suddenly, Tonan¡¯s eyes lit and he stood up. In the next moment, he came to the courtyard in a flash, looking in the direction of the Daimyo Residence.


    He saw a colorful firework blooming in the sky above the Residence.


    Has it begun¡­


    Tonan closed his eyes and increased the perception range of Wind Communication, blatantly covering the entire Daimyo Residence. After a while, he opened his eyes, and the corners of his mouth slightly rose.


    He instructed Ao, who had just come over from the study, ¡°Ao, call all the servants in the house.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    Soon, all the servants were gathered together, waiting for Tonan to issue an order. Tonan was sitting on a chair, and the sheathed chakra tanto was placed on the table beside him. After seeing everyone gathered, Tonan coldly said, ¡°You all have helped me a lot during this time. But I have discovered that someone has leaked information about me.¡±


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    Immediately after he spoke, Tonan activated his Sharingan to capture the facial expressions of these servants. All the servants knelt in succession and looked terrified.


    ¡°My Lord, be fair, I¡¯ve always been loyal to you. I¡¯ve never leaked anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lord, if I¡¯ve leaked anything, then may I be struck by lightning, and not have a good death.¡±


    After working in the residence for so long, they knew Tonan¡¯s character very well. All traitors would die miserably. For a moment, these servants were trying their best to prove their innocence, in fear of losing their lives.


    Tonan looked at their expressions, and there were no suspicious changes other than sheer fear for their lives. Therefore, his expression softened, and he apologetically said, ¡°It seems it¡¯s not someone among you. I must¡¯ve made a mistake.¡±


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief hearing this.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you all didn¡¯t leak anything. This way, I can now silence you all at ease,¡± Tonan grabbed the hilt of the chakra tanto, and his figure suddenly disappeared.


    Puff~ Puff~


    After a few flashes, Tonan returned to his seat and sat down. And all the servants fell to the ground one after the other. He picked up a white cloth on the table and gently wiped the blood on the chakra tanto.


    There was a smile on his face, but his eyes were expressionless. ¡°It¡¯s time to retrieve the net.¡±


    He created a shadow clone to deal with the corpses in the next moment and his main body wiggled and turned into Abe Seimei.

 CH 92

    At this moment, in the First Highness¡¯ study, Naruko was holding the Daimyo¡¯s corpse and crying, while two root ninjas were guarding beside him.


    On the other hand, Sarutobi Shinnosuke was forced into a corner by the other eleven guardian ninjas. A while later, a group of ministers rushed over after hearing the news and seeing the Daimyo who had already stopped breathing, their expressions turned ugly. They immediately questioned people in the room, ¡°Who killed His Majesty?¡±


    The gaze of all eleven guardian ninjas turned to Shinnosuke, and they looked vigilant. When the ministers saw this, they looked at each other in shock, which was then replaced by resentment.


    ¡°Shinnosuke, do you realize what you did? Is this yours or Konoha¡¯s intention?¡± The finance minister immediately asked.


    Shinnosuke replied solemnly, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill the Daimyo. Just now, I was in the hall, and the First Highness and His Majesty were in the study by themselves. I rushed inside after I felt chakra fluctuations, and discovered that the First Highness had already killed His Majesty using Earth Style ¨C Ground Thorns. When I was just about to capture the First Highness, these two¡­ Anbu Ninjas came in.¡±


    After listening to Shinnosuke¡¯s explanation, everyone was startled, and their gazes moved to Naruko, who was still crying. Looking pale, he slowly raised his head and looked at Shinnosuke with a lifeless look.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Is Nahara so impatient? What benefit did he give you to make you take such a big risk to frame me?¡±


    Shinnosuke frowned and solemnly said, ¡°Your Highness, your method is too clumsy. I have no reason to kill His Majesty. On the contrary, you have the motive. Because His Majesty wanted to pass his position to the Second Highness, you deeply resented him.¡±


    Naruko¡¯s eyes were filled with misery. He hugged the Daimyo¡¯s corpse and trying to suppress his emotions, he said while sobbing, ¡°How can I ruthlessly kill my biological father?¡±


    The finance minister narrowed his eyes and asked Shinnosuke, ¡°Why were you in the room?¡±


    Shinnosuke answered calmly, ¡°The First Highness asked me to wait in the room to safeguard him.¡±


    When the finance minister heard Shinnosuke¡¯s answer, he angrily replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel there are too many loopholes in the excuses you made? When there are four guardians outside, is there any need for you to stay in the room?¡±


    Then, he asked the guardians who protected the Daimyo at night, ¡°What did the four of you see when you came in?¡±


    The oldest guardian answered solemnly, ¡°When we came in, we only saw the First Highness holding His Majesty¡¯s corpse. And Shinnosuke was about to attack the First Highness, but he was stopped by two Konoha Anbus, who jumped in from the window.¡±


    ¡°They were sent by Danzo-sama to protect me. As for the reason, even I don¡¯t know,¡± the First Highness casually explained.


    When the finance minister heard this, he frowned. This matter was getting more and more complicated. Perhaps, the Daimyo was just a victim of the power struggle in Konoha.


    At this moment, Nahara came to the study with a group of his attendants. ¡°What happened to father? Is he alright?¡±


    When Naruko heard this voice, a hint of killing intent flashed through his eyes. However, just after stepping into the study, Nahara saw his father¡¯s bloody corpse and blood all over the room.


    His eyelids twitched, and he was so scared that he fainted. Fortunately, the attendants caught him in time.


    The ministers frowned seeing his reaction and hastily instructed, ¡°Take the Second Highness back to rest.¡±


    The identity of the two people present on the scene was very special. One was Hokage¡¯s son and the other was the Daimyo¡¯s son. Without irrefutable evidence, it was impossible to arrest them. The situation fell into a stalemate for a moment, and the ministers were helpless.


    After some thinking, the finance minister asked, ¡°How can you two prove you are innocent?¡±


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    The First Highness shook his head and said, ¡°Everything happened suddenly. I have no way to prove my innocence. At first, I thought that Shinnosuke colluded with Nahara, but looking at his reaction now, there might be other reasons. However, I think we can search Shinnosuke¡¯s residence to see if there are any clues.¡±


    One of the guardian ninjas said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll go and check. Before the truth is revealed, no one is allowed to leave. The Fire Capital is hereby place under martial law.¡±


    Other than Shinnosuke, the other guardian ninjas were nurtured by the Daimyo, using many resources. They were loyal to him from birth, and many ministers also trusted them.


    Unlike later in the Naruto Universe, when Asuma became a guardian ninja, the guardian ninjas were divided into moderates and radicals. One was loyal to the Daimyo, and the other was loyal to the Hokage.


    After a while, the guardian ninja returned to the study with a gloomy look, holding a piece of paper in his hand. It was the pledge that Nahara had written for Shinnosuke earlier.


    ¡°I found this in the hidden compartment of his bedroom.¡±


    When Shinnosuke saw it, his heart thumped and he cursed inwardly, ¡°Damn it, I was manipulated.¡±


    The guardian ninja handed the pledge to the others to look at. Sure enough, everyone¡¯s gaze changed while looking at Shinnosuke after that.


    The finance minister¡¯s eyes were filled with frost, and he asked, ¡°How do you explain this? You are the First Highness¡¯ guardian. Why would the Second Highness give you this written pledge? When did your relationship with him become this good? What deal did you two make?¡±


    Shinnosuke was sweating profusely, his chest filling with anger. He gritted his teeth and roared at Naruko, ¡°This was your intention from the beginning¡­¡±


    Naruko lowered his head and didn¡¯t even look at Shinnosuke. He just kept breathing heavily and muttered with resentment, ¡°Nahara¡­ why¡­ why did you do this¡­¡±


    Shinnosuke knew he couldn¡¯t win the argument here. But his identity was special. Even if he was implicated now, he could wait for Sarutobi Hiruzen to send someone to help him find the truth.


    Presumably, Naruko¡¯s inferior means would come to light under Konoha Anbu¡¯s investigation. So, he said, ¡°I know you all don¡¯t believe in me, but no matter. I¡¯ll not leave the Fire Capital and you all can investigate the specific details.¡±


    However, just after he spoke, Naruko smiled coldly and raised his head, ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Even at this stage, you are stubbornly refusing to admit your mistake. Then, I suggest inviting a ninja who can check memories to look into your memories. But this ninja can¡¯t be from Konoha.¡±


    The ministers looked at each other in dismay. Looking into memories could cause heavy damage to the spirit. Shinnosuke¡¯s identity was important, so among the ministers, who had always been accustomed to weighing the pros and cons, no one dared to agree.


    On the other hand, for the eleven guardian ninjas who were loyal only to the Daimyo, this was a very good suggestion. A guardian ninja immediately replied, ¡°I can do it. Some time ago, I learned ninjutsu of looking into memories. Let me do it.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, Shinnosuke quickly made hand seals. Then, he sunk into the ground and disappeared in front of everyone. Since the situation had escalated to this stage, he couldn¡¯t stay and let others look into his memories.


    Not to mention the serious side effects, he knew all kinds of information about Hiruzen, which were all top-secret. How could he let others know about it?


    But for everyone else, his action of fleeing like this was the same as being scared of something being found out.


    ¡°Capture him.¡± The eleven guardian ninjas had a tacit understanding. Five stayed behind to guard the study, and the remaining six disappeared in unison, chasing after Shinnosuke.

 CH 93

    Sarutobi Shinnosuke¡¯s residence was located about ten miles to the east of Naruko¡¯s study. At this moment, Sarutobi Asuma was sleeping. Suddenly, a deep hole burst open in the room¡¯s floor and Shinnosuke jumped out of it.


    Asuma was startled awake and jumped off the bed, thinking it was an enemy attack, and he was prepared to fight. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing that the person was his elder brother.


    Shinnosuke was about to explain things to him, but he suddenly frowned.


    ¡°Wind Style ¨C Great Breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Flame Link Bullet.¡±


    The wind style and the fire style fused, and as if a shooting star, the fireball with a long tail swept downward. The attack range was big, enough to engulf more than half of the mansion. In an instant, the roof beams and pillars were smashed into pieces, then were burned into flying ashes by the raging flames. The entire mansion turned into a sea of flames.


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Multi Mud Wall.¡±


    Layer upon layer of mudflow surged, protecting Shinnosuke and Asuma. The wind and fire were wreaking havoc, which quickly evaporated the outer mudflow wall¡¯s moisture, turning it into scorched earth, and cracking it inch by inch. But until the end of the ninjutsu, Shinnosuke withstood it.


    It seemed difficult to endure these attacks by himself, but in fact, it just consumed a little more chakra. Shinnosuke knew that it wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for him to continue to fight. Moreover, if he wanted to prove his innocence, he couldn¡¯t kill these guardian ninjas.


    Thinking this, he prepared to run away with the perplexed Asuma.


    ¡°Do you really want to escape? Afraid you need our permission first!¡±


    ¡°Barrier ¨C Four Violet Flames Formation.¡±


    The four guardian ninjas, standing on the four corners of the mansion, jointly raised a purple barrier to trap the two people inside. Seeing this, Shinnosuke frowned and thought this was going to be troublesome.


    Immediately afterward, he shouted, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill His Majesty.¡±


    In the Four Violet Flames Formation, the two guardian ninjas stared coldly at Shinnosuke. It was obvious that they didn¡¯t believe him and said, ¡°Then, why did you run away?¡±


    Hearing the question, Shinnosuke became silent. ¡°Could it be that I should have let you all search my memories without running away?¡±


    Looking at the barrier around, Shinnosuke took a deep breath and thought, ¡°Damn it, I¡¯ve to get serious.¡±


    ¡°Asuma, after the barrier is broken, immediately run back to Konoha and look for father.¡±


    After speaking in a low voice, his hands seemed to become blurry, instantly making countless hand signs.


    ¡°Be careful, this guy wants to forcibly break the barrier.¡±


    ¡°You are underestimating us!¡±


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Hellfire.¡±


    A blue fire sprang out of the ground and instantly engulfed the entire barrier. At that time, another guardian ninja also finished making the hand signs, then shouted,


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    ¡°Wind Style ¨C Spiraling Pressure.¡±


    The air inside the barrier began to rotate, causing the flame to form a fire tornado, and Shinnosuke was in the eye of the fire tornado. The temperature in the eye of the fire tornado increased rapidly.


    At this moment, Shinnosuke slammed his hands on the ground and shouted, ¡°Earth Style ¨C Multi Overturning Dragon Technique.¡±


    In an instant, the Fire Capital seemed to have an earthquake, and the earth seemed to be roaring. The spiderweb-like cracks suddenly appeared on the ground, and ferocious earth dragons sprang out from the cracks, then slammed on the ground.


    With every hit, more cracks appeared, and more earth dragons sprang out from the cracks. The giant earth dragons¡¯ movement dissipated the surrounding airflow as they flew towards the two guardian ninjas. The two people could only dodge, which broke their combination ninjutsu.


    ¡°Not good, the barrier can¡¯t hold on.¡±


    No matter how strong the ninjutsu was, its power ultimately depended on the user. Obviously, there was a big gap between the strength of these four guardian ninjas and Shinnosuke.


    In the end, after the earth dragons slammed into the purple barrier, the entire barrier flashed and disappeared. Shinnosuke had his hands pressed on the ground, maintaining his ninjutsu, and shouted, ¡°Leave quickly, I¡¯ll block them.¡±


    Asuma, who was frightened out of his wits, ran outside the city.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about running away.¡±


    ¡°Water Style ¨C Water Dragon Bullet Technique.¡±


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Rock Dash.¡±


    Several ninjutsu attacks were launched at the fleeing Asuma. An ominous glint flashed through Shinnosuke¡¯s eyes. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll let you experience the strength of Konoha¡¯s Green Sprout and the Future Hokage.¡±


    In the next moment, countless earth dragons sprang out from the ground, and like a giant whip, they lashed out and broke those ninjutsu. Without the barrier¡¯s protection, with Shinnosuke as the center, a lot of houses collapsed. Countless people were buried in the rubble or fell into the cracks while fleeing for their lives.


    At this moment, everyone in the distant Daimyo Residence felt a chill down their spine as they watched this scene.


    ¡°Is this the strength of a Konoha ninja¡­¡±


    ¡°I can see the shadow of a powerful ninja on him¡­¡±


    Everyone was focused on watching the scene of the guardian ninjas besieging Shinnosuke. They didn¡¯t notice the black clouds gradually covering the Fire Capital¡¯s night sky. The black clouds shrouded the sky and instantly the entire Fire Capital fell into darkness, appearing unusually gloomy.


    Countless white pigeons chirped, and circled in the Fire Capital¡¯s sky as if they were welcoming a god.


    Rumble~


    A muffled sound of thunder roared. A guardian ninja frowned and looked up subconsciously. Suddenly, his pupils shrank, and he exclaimed in horror, ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡±


    The crowd followed his gaze. On top of the Fire Capital¡¯s tallest building, there was a figure with lightning around him. This was Uchiha Tonan, who had disguised as Abe Seimei.


    At this moment, Tonan had activated Lightning Style Secret Technique ¨C Spirit of the Thunder God, beginning to communicate with lightning ions in nature. The lightning around him became denser, making a sound that resembled thousands of birds chirping in unison.


    Gradually, cracks began to appear on the building under him, and it seemed as if it would collapse in the next moment. But Tonan still stood tall on the top of this building. Taking advantage of this moment, he used Wind Communication to spread his voice throughout the Fire Capital.


    ¡°Konoha ninja, I cannot tolerate your flagrant slaughtering of civilians in the Fire Capital. For your actions today, take this heavenly punishment!¡±


    In the next moment, the lightning around Tonan shot towards the sky, as if connecting heaven and earth. A sparrow was flying over Tonan a second before, but in the next second, it was engulfed by the lightning and disappeared. Not even a single feather remained.


    The lightning pillar that connected heaven and earth not only contained powerful energy but also gave him the power to manipulate natural lightning instantly. Tonan¡¯s entire body was immersed in lightning, and he looked like a deity that carried out punishment on behalf of heaven.


    He stood at the highest point and watched everyone in the Fire Capital. In his eyes, these people seemed especially insignificant. The gaze of the entire Fire Capital was attracted by this breathtaking scene.


    After seeing the person standing on the top of the building was Abe Seimei-Tonan, everyone gasped.


    ¡°Seimei-dono¡­ he was actually a ninja¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of extraordinary person is he¡­¡±


    ¡°I fear that even Sarutobi Hiruzen, the strongest Hokage, cannot compete with Seimei-dono.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s not so clear¡­¡±


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    Tonan stood at the top of the building and looked indifferently at Shinnosuke below. Because of the Spirit of the Thunder God, there was no emotion in his eyes. The lightning around him also seemed to know how to observe things. It wasn¡¯t vicious like before, instead, condensed around him. In the next moment, everyone saw Abe Seimei-Tonan slowly raising his right hand.

 CH 94

    As Uchiha Tonan raised his hand, the lightning between heaven and earth seemed to receive a direction. It condensed into a big lightning ball, peeking out from the dark clouds. The lightning ball shone with bright white radiance, like a small sun, illuminating the entire Fire Capital.


    Everyone was blinded by this dazzling light. They couldn¡¯t even see the people next to them. The guardian ninjas, who were besieging Shinnosuke, understood the situation and retreated, desperately running away.


    Such terrifying power! If they were too close to Shinnosuke, they might be hit as well.


    Shinnosuke was alarmed and his eyes were fixed on the figure in the high place.


    ¡°This ninjutsu¡­ I have seen it somewhere before.¡±


    He gulped but he didn¡¯t have the time to think about it at this moment. He circulated the chakra within his body with all his power and summoned countless earth dragons.


    These earth dragons rushed towards the sky in unison, intertwining with each other in mid-air, forming a mountain peak. Shinnosuke wanted to use this to withstand the upcoming terrifying attack. A smile played on Abe Seimei-Tonan¡¯s mouth, who was standing on the roof. Immediately afterward, he slowly swung down his raised hand. The lightning ball flashed, and thick lightning struck down.


    ¡°Withstand this for me!¡±


    Shinnosuke¡¯s expression looked ugly, and blue veins popped out on his forehead as he poured his entire chakra into the ground. The surrounding ground was completely destroyed. One earth dragon after another sprang out in succession and fused into the mountain peak, strengthening the defense.


    Even though his earth-style ninjutsu¡¯s defense was powerful, it was a pity that lightning restrained earth. Especially, since Tonan was using Lightning Style Secret Technique ¨C Heavenly Lightning Tribulation that he inherited from White Fang.


    Although the prerequisite was hard and the side effect was also significant, once it was released successfully, ordinary ninjutsu wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it. Tonan was confident that this attack could pierce through even the first stage Susanoo.


    Under the lightning attack, the mountain peak made up of countless earth dragons began to break down from the very peak. In the next moment, everyone closed their eyes subconsciously. The entire world became silent and a vast expanse of white.


    When the light dissipated, everyone looked toward the spot that was struck by the lightning. The mountain peak made up of countless earth dragons was split into pieces of huge rocks, scattered everywhere. There was a large burnt black area and smoke was still rising from it.


    At the center where the lightning had struck, there was a deep crater, and Shinnosuke had disappeared. There was even dark red magma in the crater. The entire Fire Capital fell into silence. Everyone looked at it in shock and then looked at each other in panic.


    Some people even became deaf for a short period. After some time, their sense of hearing was recovered, and soon countless people cheered in succession.


    ¡°Long live Seimei-sama!¡±


    ¡°Long live Seimei-sama!¡±


    Tonan used Lightning Spirit Wind Flash, and amid the system¡¯s continuous prompt sounds, his figure slowly disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight. Immediately afterward, the building where he was standing couldn¡¯t hold up and it collapsed. He soon appeared in the Daimyo Residence and calmly walked out of a corner.


    It was just that because of the side effects of the Spirit of the Thunder God, his face was ghastly pale at this moment. ¡°Everyone, the traitor is already beheaded. I wonder if His Majesty was shocked?¡±


    Everyone hastily gathered around, and they praised him endlessly with a look of reverence. Several ministers pretended to be very sad when they heard Tonan asking about the Daimyo.


    Then, the Minister of Internal Affairs stepped forward and said solemnly, ¡°Seimei-dono, His Majesty was assassinated.¡±


    Tonan pretended to be shocked and said, ¡°What?¡±


    The Minister of Internal Affairs continued to explain, ¡°That person Seimei-dono killed just now was the guardian ninja of the First Highness, named Sarutobi Shinnosuke. It is suspected that he killed the Daimyo, but there are many suspicious points, so we are not completely certain.¡±


    At this moment, Naruko walked over carrying Daimyo¡¯s corpse. His face was filled with grief. He stopped in front of Tonan and knelt. ¡°Seimei-sensei, please decide for this disciple.¡±


    Tonan stared solemnly at the First Highness in front of him, but he was carefully considering things in his heart. His original plan was to make Naruko assassinate the Daimyo or Nahara. Then, spread rumors to push Shinnosuke to the center of the rumor, making other guardians detain or even kill him.


    However, before he could know what had happened here via the Wind Communication, beyond his expectation, Naruko played a trick to shift the blame, washing away all suspicion from himself.


    What was even more unexpected was that Shinnosuke was actually this powerful. With just that ninjutsu that could easily change the terrain, he directly overturned the situation. As a result, Tonan had no choice but to take action as Abe Seimei and kill Shinnosuke.


    Although this was not the best solution, even if Hiruzen investigated it, he could only find trouble with the new Daimyo.


    ¡°What happened was¡­¡± the Minister of Internal Affairs thought that Abe Seimei-Tonan didn¡¯t know what happened here, and explained the situation. When he finished speaking, Seimei had already decided in his heart.


    With a solemn look on his face, he said, ¡°The First Highness cannot be a murderer.¡±


    All ministers looked doubtful. ¡°Why?¡±


    Abe Seimei-Tonan replied, ¡°The First Highness is the future Daimyo, he has no reason to do such a thing.¡±


    Immediately after he spoke, all ministers had a strange look, thinking that  Seimei wasn¡¯t well-informed and didn¡¯t know the recent changes in the Daimyo Residence.


    Tonan continued, ¡°His Majesty¡¯s guardian ninjas will know that the Daimyo had plans to let the First Highness inherit his position. Therefore, I tried my best to refine the First Highness¡¯s temperament. To let him sit stably on the throne, His Majesty even kept the Second Highness beside him to comfort him to avoid causing internal strife because of a disloyal heart later. I¡¯ve already told this matter to the First Highness at the very beginning. Just that outsiders didn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    When the ministers heard this, they all looked at the guardian ninjas. The guardian ninjas nodded, affirming Tonan¡¯s statements.


    ¡°Is that what was going on.¡±


    ¡°From the beginning, I thought that the First Highness couldn¡¯t be the murderer.¡±


    ¡°I also thought so, but you all couldn¡¯t help doubting the First Highness.¡±


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    ¡°Masaki-sama, don¡¯t slander us. I¡¯ve always been on the First Highness¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°Sensei¡­, thank you.¡± Naruko¡¯s eyes were wide open. He gritted his teeth, glaring at Abe Seimei-Tonan, and blood spilled out from the corners of his mouth. He forcibly swallowed it and lowered his head, saying word by word, ¡°Thank you¡­ for avenging my father¡­¡±


    Seimei-Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at Naruko who was full of resentment towards him, and leisurely said, ¡°It¡¯s something I should do as an official. It¡¯s a pity I¡¯m not young anymore. I¡¯ve overdrawn my energy, and I don¡¯t have much time left. The Land of Fire will rely on you hereafter¡­¡±


    After speaking, he used Lightning Spirit Wind Flash to leave this place and headed out of the Fire Capital.


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    ¡°Seimei-dono.¡±


    ¡°Why are you leaving, Seimei-dono?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you all notice Seimei-dono¡¯s face? I estimate¡­ alas¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, that kind of powerful ninjutsu, that must have required a big price.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity, it¡¯s a pity¡­¡±


    ¡°A great talent actually ended up in such a state.¡±


    ¡°Now, the most important thing is to bury His Majesty and arrange for the First Highness to succeed the throne.¡±


    ¡°The Hokage of Konoha is also a problem.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, please restrain your grief.¡±


    Naruko¡¯s eyes were full of deathly stillness, and he said expressionlessly, ¡°Everyone, go back to rest first. Let me accompany my father alone¡­¡±


    After he finished speaking, he struggled to pick up his father¡¯s lifeless body and returned to the house. After a long time, a grief-ridden cry came from his room.

 CH 95

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    Deep in the Land of Fire¡¯s forest, Sarutobi Asuma was running desperately. This place was far from the Fire Capital. The full moon in the night sky was like a goddess¡¯ eye, coldly looking down at Earth.


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    Coo coo


    The forest was filled with terrifying chirping sounds of insects and birds, as well as the roars of wild beasts. Some time back, Asuma had seen the terrifying lightning above the Fire Capital from a distance. He had a bad premonition in his heart.


    ¡°No, that guy is so strong, how can anything happen to him?¡± Asuma could only console himself like this as he thought of his elder brother Sarutobi Shinnosuke. After running for so long, his stamina had exhausted. He looked around vigilantly, and after making sure no one was following him, he stopped and rested.


    He placed his hands on his knees to support himself and panted. Cold sweat from his forehead flowed down his cheeks. Even though a ninja¡¯s physique was supposed to be extraordinary, he had been running as fast as he could for too long. It was too much for the current Asuma who was not even a genin.


    Coo coo


    Just as he relaxed, a cold wind, carrying the forest¡¯s humidity blew against his body from behind. It was particularly chilling. Feeling anxious and fearful, Asuma turned his head to look. He just saw the moon still hanging above his head, emitting cold light, adding a forlorn filter to the late hour.


    The woods were so thick that even the moonlight was unable to rid the darkness, which felt like a deep abyss, full of dangers. Asuma¡¯s mouth felt dry and his body was a little cold. He rubbed his hands together, and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone is chasing after me.¡±


    Although he said that, his heart was beating wildly. It was as if his subconscious was sending him warning signals. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and dragged his tired body to find a tree hole. The damp hole was filled with a rotten smell, with many insects sticking inside.


    As Asuma got into the hole, the insects wandered around his body, making him extremely itchy. Despite this, to not be discovered, Asuma didn¡¯t dare react and forcibly restrained himself.


    If the pursuers found him, his end would be a lot more miserable than his current situation. Today¡¯s dream-like experience had already worn him out, both mentally and physically.


    Along with the chirpings of birds and insects in the forest, Asuma¡¯s eyes gradually closed, and he fell asleep in the tree hole.


    So itchy~


    After an unknown period of time, he was awakened by the insects in the tree hole. Unable to bear it any longer, he reached out his hand and grabbed a few of them from his body.


    Suddenly, he was startled. From the tree hole, he could see that it was still late at night outside. However, although he could remember there were insects and birds sounds outside before he fell asleep, it was all completely silent now.


    This place was deep inside the forest, where many insects, birds, and beasts gathered. It was abnormal to be this quiet. The surrounding was so terrifyingly still that Asuma could hear his heartbeats.


    Badam, badam, badam¡­


    It was like a heavy hammer, distinctly loud in this deadly silent environment. Asuma could feel his back was drenched with cold sweat, and his forehead was also covered with fine sweat drops. He tried his best to adjust his rapid breathing to calm himself. He even comforted himself, saying the silence might just be a special natural phenomenon.


    ¡°Perhaps, I¡¯m thinking too much. When I wake up from my sleep again, everything will be fine.¡±


    A short time later, Asuma¡¯s mood gradually stabilized. But just when he wanted to continue to sleep¡­


    Suddenly!


    A shadow appeared at the tree hole¡¯s entrance. Asuma¡¯s heart stopped for a moment. His eyes widened, and even the insects on his body seemed to have stilled. His breathing was ragged, and his face was pale with fright.


    After a while, he saw what the shadow was. It turned out it was just a white pigeon. The pigeon tilted and lowered its head and pecked a few insects, then spread its wings and flew away.


    Huff, huff~


    Asuma hung his head, gasping for breath. The frightened look on his face was still there and he laughed at himself. ¡°That scared me to death. Why am I so timid? It¡¯s just a pigeon.¡±


    By now Asuma¡¯s entire body was soaked in sweat and he felt very uncomfortable.


    ¡°Wait, do pigeons eat insects?¡± A question appeared in Asuma¡¯s mind, and he looked up subconsciously.


    !!!


    Asuma¡¯s pupils suddenly dilated, and his heartbeat instantly stopped. With the help of the faint moonlight spilling through the gaps among the leaves, he vaguely saw a deathly pale face that was almost touching his face.


    Because of the dim environment and the distance being too close, Asuma was unable to see the other person¡¯s appearance. He only felt as if a pair of invisible hands were choking his neck, and he was about to suffocate.


    He opened his mouth in horror, but couldn¡¯t make any sound. In the next moment, the eyes of that human face became scarlet, and three tomoe slowly spun.


    ¡°Asuma, why are you here?¡± A slightly familiar voice pulled Asuma back from his state of extreme fear. Slowly, he returned to his senses.


    ¡°You bastard, why are you here? Do you know how scary it is when someone suddenly brings their face this close?¡± Asuma lowered his voice and angrily asked.


    Uchiha Tonan pulled his head back from the tree hole. Although his face was pale, his expression was unusually gentle. He adjusted his glasses and replied, ¡°I came here to look for you. I¡¯m sorry for scaring you.¡±


    Meeting an acquaintance in such a dangerous situation eased off much of Asuma¡¯s tension. Seeing Tonan¡¯s fearless appearance, he immediately raised his head and solemnly asked, ¡°You also fled?¡±


    Tonan smiled and said nothing. Asuma looked around for a while and warned, ¡°We should be careful, lest we attract the people of the Fire Capital. Do you know what happened to Shinnosuke?¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t answer his question but asked with a smile, ¡°Asuma, I wanted to ask you something, can I?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Asuma kept patting off the insects stuck on his body. Tonan tilted his head and said, ¡°Apart from Shinnosuke-senpai, who does Hokage-sama appreciate the most?¡±


    Asuma frowned, a little dissatisfied with Tonan speaking so loudly. What if that attracted the enemies?


    He replied in a hushed voice, ¡°That goes without saying, it¡¯s definitely Orochimaru-sama. I heard the old man say that Orochimaru-sama is the disciple he is the proudest of.¡±


    Tonan nodded in realization and muttered, ¡°It seems Hokage-sama cares very much about legacy and inheritance.¡±


    Immediately afterward, he narrowed his eyes slightly, and the corners of his mouth rose, ¡°Thank you for clearing up my doubts. To express my gratitude, I¡¯ll send you on your way with my own hands.¡±


    Swish~


    Before Asuma could even understand what Tonan said, a white light flashed and his head rolled to the ground. And without a moment¡¯s delay, a group of pitch-black ferocious birds flew over from all directions. Some surrounded his head, and some rushed into the tree hole.


    Tonan unhurriedly took out a handkerchief and gently wiped off the blood from his chakra tanto. He sighed, ¡°Sure enough, if three walk together, one can be my teacher.¡±


    Tonan put the chakra tanto back into the sheath. Then, walking towards the Fire Capital, his figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.


    Behind him, only the sounds of tearing filled the desolate forest.

 CH 96

    Sometime later¡­


    Crackle, crackle, crackle~


    Lightning illuminated the dark forest and the three tomoe in Uchiha Tonan¡¯s eyes spun rapidly. He suddenly stopped, maintaining a rushing forward posture while holding the chakra tanto tightly in his right hand.


    Behind, a tropical pitcher plant was cut in the middle, and the upper half slowly slid down¡­


    At that instant, the lower section of the tropical pitcher plant bore into the soil.


    Tonan stood straight and waited for a while, then put away the chakra tanto, and his figure disappeared.


    ¡°That scared me to death!¡±


    Somewhere far away, a plant split open, revealing a black and white upper body. ¡°He almost chopped off our head. How did he notice us? When did Sharingan become so abnormal?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t notice us. He just returned to take a look out of caution.¡±


    ¡°Despicable, despicable¡­ how did the Uchiha clan give birth to such an insidious and despicable guy?


    ¡°Madara-sama made an error in judgment.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As the White and Black portions of the same being finished the conversation, Zetsu immediately sunk to the ground. But in the next instant, a chakra tanto covered in wind and lighting attributes descended from heaven, striking exactly that position.


    Wind blades flew around and electric arcs flashed, lighting up the dim forest. The powerful wind and lightning attribute chakra erupted, basting a deep crater on the ground. After a few breaths, Tonan appeared, pulled out the chakra tanto, and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, I let him escape.¡±


    Tonan shook his head and sighed, as he rushed towards the Fire Capital.


    The forest became silent again.


    Ten minutes later¡­


    Crackle, crackle, crackle~


    Boom, boom, boom~


    Lightning once again flashed everywhere, and many trees were cut into pieces.


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t that guy left yet? Why does it smell so bad? Is this a fart?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s poison. I told you not to stick out the head, but you still wanted to come back to look.¡±


    Bang!


    Tonan indifferently withdrew the chakra tanto. Looking at the mushroom cloud rising in front of him, he felt a bit regretful. Poison, traps, explosive tags, nothing worked. Zetsu¡¯s perception range was too large.


    The time needed for Tonan to rush over from outside the range was enough for Zetsu to escape. Moreover, as long as Zetsu didn¡¯t emerge, even though Tonan possessed Wind Communication and Byakugan, he couldn¡¯t find him.


    Even if he stuck out his head, Tonan couldn¡¯t see him with his Byakugan. He could just roughly judge his position via the perception of the airflow using Wind Communication.


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    For Tonan, Zetsu¡¯s potential threat was a little bigger. Naturally, that was limited to the early stage.


    ¡°Yingyang Escape Technique? Looks like I¡¯ll be able to take care of you after learning sealing techniques.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    Early in the morning, the sky had just started to brighten, and it was clear without any clouds. The darkness was slowly expelled and there was light all around.


    The children in the North City Residence opened their drowsy eyes and stretched out comfortably when the sunlight had already spilled into the room through the gap in the curtains in their room.


    Tonan pushed open the door and glanced at them still lying on the bed. He said with a gentle look, ¡°Don¡¯t laze around in bed, it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Onisan~¡±


    ¡°Onisan~¡±


    When the children heard his voice, they were overjoyed. They jumped out of the bed and rushed to his side. Tonan hugged them and urged, ¡°Go and wash your faces quickly and then come eat. I¡¯ve made breakfast today.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the children were very well-behaved. They lined up to go to wash. These days, they were very happy. The psychological shadow of the past had gradually disappeared and was replaced by the innocence of childhood.


    After a while, in another room, Tonan sat quietly watching them eat breakfast. It was as if he was looking at his own children, his eyes full of doting.


    When the children had almost finished eating, he coughed lightly. Then, caressing the head of a child next to him, he gently said, ¡°I¡¯m going on a business trip. During this time, I¡¯ll ask Masaki-sama to help me take care of all of you. You have to be obedient, and you can¡¯t stop refining chakra. Do you understand?¡±


    Hearing this, the cheerful atmosphere suddenly became silent, and the children looked sad. In their hearts, Tonan was the one who saved them from danger and he was the one who took care of them after that.


    They had developed a sense of dependence on him and were used to having him around every day. Tonan was a parent-like existence for them.


    Although they were reluctant to part with him, they were obedient and sensible. They knew that Tonan was going to do something, and they shouldn¡¯t hinder him.


    Therefore, they didn¡¯t say anything to stop him. Seeing them so well-behaved, Tonan smiled gently. He slowly got up and walked outside.


    ¡°Onisan!¡±


    Just when he had reached the door, he heard the children calling him from behind. His footsteps stopped suddenly and he turned around. He smiled and squatted down, opening up his arms.


    The children rushed towards him, and hugged him one by one, then bade farewell reluctantly. Now that both Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Sarutobi Asuma were dead, as the only survivor from the Fire Capital, he would have to face troubles after he returned.


    Only after everything was stabilized, and the welfare home was built, he would bring these children to Konoha. After leaving the North City Guard Residence, Tonan went to look for Supervision Minister Fukuda Masaki.


    At this moment, Masaki was very busy and hard-pressed. The Daimyo was murdered and the Fire Capital was under martial law. Many things fell on his head.


    Masaki was working at the desk and said without looking up, ¡°The situation of the Fire Capital is quite serious now. Since you are a Konoha ninja, I advise you to stay in your mansion and not venture out.¡±


    Shinnosuke and Asuma¡¯s betrayal had estranged the hearts of the Fire Capital¡¯s officials from Konoha ninjas. No one came to trouble Tonan though. After all, his reputation among the common people was very strong.


    Besides, Abe Seimei had come from the North City Guard Residence, so there might be a hidden relationship between the two. Also, Masaki had worked with Tonan in the past to make great contributions to the prosperity and stability of the Fire Capital.


    Their relationship was very close. Therefore, Masaki would take care of Tonan. Now that they were under martial law, he warned him. Tonan hastily took out six sealed scrolls from his ninja bag and placed them on the table, ¡°Masaki-sama, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Masaki glanced over and quickly covered those scrolls with papers. He looked around and after confirming no one was around, he asked in a low voice, ¡°Why?¡±


    Tonan lowered his head and replied, ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai is dead.¡±


    Masaki nodded and said with pity, ¡°I can understand. You need to return and report to the Hokage now. I¡¯ll write you a leaving city certificate.¡±


    Tonan smiled a bit, took out a book, and put another scroll on the table, ¡°Thank you for everything, Masaki-sama. This is my final repayment to you. If you need my help in the future, you can come to Konoha to meet me any time.¡±

 CH 97

    Fukuda Masaki cautiously took the book and flipped through it. He understood at a glance that everything recorded in it was a political achievement. It was a good thing.


    Not long after the new Daimyo succeeded to the throne, the officials would definitely be shuffled. With these political achievements in his hands, he might be able to get the highest status.


    Masaki¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. He put the scrolls into his pocket and said with a smile, ¡°You are impeccable in handling affairs. I look forward to continuing to cooperate with you in the future. Two years later, I¡¯m planning to purchase property in Konoha for my son. At that time, if something happens, I¡¯ll need your help.¡±


    Following etiquette, Uchiha Tonan bowed his head but his eyes flashed with a hint of coldness. ¡°Masaki-sama, you can rest assured. I care about human sentiments the most. By the way, I request you to please help me take care of the orphans taken in by the North City Guard Residence after I leave. I¡¯ll come back to pick them up after the matter there is settled.¡±


    Masaki was unlikely to refuse such a small request after receiving such a big favor from Tonan. He immediately replied, ¡°No problem at all. I like children very much.¡±


    Tonan smiled, stepped forward, and lifted the teapot. While refilling Masaki¡¯s teacup, he said,  ¡°Thank you very much. Then I bid you farewell. Masaki-sama, I wish you a successful official career. We¡¯ll meet again someday.¡±


    Masaki stood up and put his hand on Tonan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Let me see you off.¡± After Masaki sent Tonan away, he returned to the study and carefully stored the scrolls. He was very pleased.


    He then drank the tea and muttered, looking refreshed, ¡°If only the people below were like Tonan.¡±


    The six scrolls that were given to Masaki, in the beginning, contained banknotes of five million Ryo each, adding up to thirty million. Masaki understood this was hush money. The second scroll contained the corpses of the North City Guard Residence¡¯s attendants. And the book recorded the crimes of each of these servants.


    From the moment Masaki accepted these gifts, it represented that Tonan¡¯s record was completely clean. As for the Sarutobi Shinnosuke¡¯s death, that blame fell on Abe Seimei and the First Highness. Sarutobi Hiruzen should not link anything to him.


    ¡°These two shields are not enough insurance though. But there were two Root ninjas with the First Highness that day. I¡¯ve to think of a way to pull Danzo into this after returning to hinder him.¡±


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    Among the three implicated people, one disappeared from the world, one had a special status, and the last one was Hiruzen¡¯s old partner who got along with him for several years. Tonan wanted to see what Hiruzen would do.


    The trip to the Fire Capital was very successful for him. It would have taken a long time for Tonan to earn 600 million Ryo solely by doing missions. The minimum reward for S-ranked missions was one million Ryo. Generally speaking, very few missions were valued at ten million Ryo.


    Even for an S-ranked mission with the reward of five million Ryo, one would need to complete one hundred and twenty such missions. Not to mention the time required to complete a single S-ranked mission, during peace times, the number of such missions in the entire Ninja World wouldn¡¯t reach such a number in a year.


    It was much faster to earn wealth by plundering common people. No wonder there were so many rogue ninjas. Also on this trip, he killed Shinnosuke and Sarutobi Asuma. Hiruzen no longer had a successor. Tonan could easily take advantage of this void.


    From Asuma, he had learned that Hiruzen valued Orochimaru highly. It seemed it was useless to use the Will of Fire to make Hiruzen see he could inherit his legacy. The only thing on this trip that dissatisfied him was Masaki. Tonan didn¡¯t expect Masaki to plan to migrate to Konoha. Since that was the case, he could only apologize.


    It would have been fine if they didn¡¯t get involved with each other in the future. But once Masaki arrived in Konoha and if by chance anything happened, the old fox might use the occurrences at the Fire Capital to pressurize him.


    The best solution was to eliminate the disaster in advance.


    A day later at the Hokage¡¯s office in Konoha.


    Bang!


    After reading the information, Hiruzen slammed his fist on the desk, smashing it into pieces. The Anbu member who delivered the intelligence report immediately knelt on one knee, ¡°Hokage-sama, please calm your anger.¡±


    Hiruzen tried his best to suppress his rage and glared at the several Anbu members.


    ¡°Summon Mitocado Homura, Utatane Koharu and Danzo.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After the Anbu members left, Hiruzen¡¯s face turned hideous. He crumpled the information document into a ball and threw it to the ground, and as if he wanted to kill everyone, he growled, ¡°Shinnosuke¡­ Asuma¡­¡±


    Soon, the two Hokage Advisers and Shimura Danzo came to the office together. Immediately on entering, they noticed Hiruzen could not maintain his calm look. Instead, he looked manic.


    ¡°Hiruzen, what happened?¡± Danzo asked.


    Hiruzen stood in his place with his head lowered. His chest was moving up and down, and he said nothing. He just pointed at the crumpled document on the ground with a trembling hand. It was obvious he was enraged. Seeing this, Danzo said nothing. He picked up the document from the ground, frowned, and looked solemn after reading it.


    He then passed it to Homura and Koharu. After everyone read it, Homura said, ¡°Shinnosuke must have been framed. The murderer very likely is the First Highness.¡±


    Danzo squinted his eyes and retorted, ¡°What nonsense Homura! Why would the First Highness kill his biological father?¡±


    Homura too couldn¡¯t think of a reason. Looking unsure, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m just guessing, but it might be that the First Highness was too impatient to take the throne. After all, he is the biggest beneficiary of this matter.¡±


    Dazno coldly said, ¡°It is also possible that the enemy state secretly made a move to sow discord in the relationship between the Daimyo Residence and Konoha.¡±


    In any case, he couldn¡¯t let Naraku who supported him become a murderer. Even if that was true, he had to whitewash it. The Daimyo was not important, but the funds provided by the Daimyo were very important for the Hokage election. Besides, the one who died was Hiruzen¡¯s son, not his.


    Homura thought for a bit and said doubtfully, ¡°But according to the description in the intelligence, there is no enemy spy.¡±


    Danzo said indifferently, ¡°What if it¡¯s genjutsu. For example, the Uchiha clan. That evil clan is good at this kind of plot.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Hiruzen shouted, staring at the three with bloodshot eyes. He then said in a ferocious tone, ¡°I¡¯ve not called you all here to discuss who is the mastermind or who is the murderer. I want you all to put pressure on the Daimyo Residence together with me. Make them hand over the First Highness and the man called Abe Seimei.¡±


    Shinnosuke died tragically and Asuma¡¯s whereabouts were unknown. How could Hiruzen not be heartbroken? Danzo could see the determination in Hiruzen¡¯s eyes. But the First Highness was beneficial to him. He must keep him.


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    ¡°I have no objection to dealing with Abe Seimei, but the First Highness is the next Daimyo. We cannot touch him.¡±


    Hiruzen gave Danzo a deep look, and seeing through his thoughts, he coldly countered, ¡°Even if there was no First Highness, there is still the Second Highness. Let¡¯s decide by a vote. Raise your hands if you agree with me.¡±


    Hiruzen took the lead by raising his hand and then stared at the other three with cold eyes. He looked threatening.

 CH 98

    Mitocado Homura and Utatane Koharu looked at each other and raised their hands silently. Sarutobi Hiruzen counted, ¡°Three to one ¡ª the vote is passed. Dispatch ten Anbu squads immediately to the Fire Capital.¡±


    Since the matter was already decided, Danzo snorted, ¡°Hiruzen, you are muddled by your rage. The Land of Fire will definitely fall into internal disorder by doing this and you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Danzo turned around to leave but Hiruzen¡¯s eyes turned colder. He said in a gloomy tone, ¡°Danzo, if you dare walk out that door, I¡¯ll begin a high-leveled vote to abolish your right to control the Root.¡±


    Danzo¡¯s footsteps immediately halted. He turned his head and stared straight at Hiruzen with a look of disbelief, ¡°Are you actually threatening me?¡±


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    Seeing the situation turning worse, Homura and Koharu hastily mediated.


    ¡°Alright Hiruzen, calm down.¡±


    ¡°Danzo, you take a step back as well. The First Highness is not the Daimyo yet. Don¡¯t damage your friendship because of an outsider.¡±


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    Being caught between these two people was not a good feeling.


    Danzo snorted but he stood still. He didn¡¯t leave. In the end, he admitted his defeat. Just then, there was a knock on the office door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    An Anbu walked in and knelt on one knee, ¡°Hokage-sama, according to the latest intel from the Fire Capital, the First Highness executed the Second Highness last night. In addition, after two days of search, we found traces of a large-scale battle in the forest outside the Fire Capital. Calculating the time, it coincides with when Asuma escaped.¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s eyes were wide open hearing this. He gasped for breath and lost consciousness. ¡°Hiruzen!¡± The three people including Danzo quickly supported the Hokage. Fortunately, Hiruzen just fainted for a while and woke up shortly after.


    His first sentence on gaining consciousness was, ¡°What about Abe Seimei?¡±


    The Anbu kneeling on the ground calmly replied, ¡°Abe Seimei has disappeared without a trace after the battle. It¡¯s like he vanished from the world. According to the news spread by the Daimyo Residence, it is suspected that the use of a forbidden jutsu led to him to exhaust his lifespan.¡±


    Koharu thought for a bit and consoled, ¡°According to the intelligence, this Abe Seimei is far stronger than Shinnosuke. If such a person wants to hide, ordinary ninjas cannot find him. Moreover, the intelligence also says that Seimei is at least seventy years old. Since such an old person used a terrifying forbidden jutsu, I think he might not be able to bear the side effects. Chances are that he¡¯s already dead.¡±


    Hiruzen couldn¡¯t vent the fury in his heart. He unwillingly said, ¡°If he is dead, I want to see his corpse.¡±


    The back-to-back bad news about his sons had given him a huge blow. He couldn¡¯t accept it. Koharu sighed, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s send people to look for Abe Seimei¡¯s traces.¡±


    Hiruzen took a deep breath and closed his eyes, ¡°Forget it, send more people to look for Asuma. I¡¯m tired. You all, go out¡­ leave me alone.¡±


    The three of them looked at each other and tacitly left the office, giving Hiruzen space. Hiruzen had wanted to capture and bring Abe Seimei and First Highness to Konoha to deal with them. But he hadn¡¯t expected Naraku to be so decisive that he would kill Nahara at the first chance he got.


    If the First Highness was arrested now, the Land of Fire wouldn¡¯t have a Daimyo.


    Konoha had taken the initiative to implement the one village, one country system. If Hiruzen wanted to challenge it, he would encounter mass opposition. There was a high probability that he wouldn¡¯t be able to destroy the Daimyo Residence but instead he, the Hokage, would be impeached and be forced to step down.


    It was no good if he supported a puppet Daimyo either. There would still be turmoil in the Land of Fire. The number of civilians was much larger than that of ninjas. Besides, the Daimyo Residence has many loyal subordinates. Although their overall strength was inferior to Konoha, their industries spread all over the Ninja World.


    If they took the lead to move to another big country, then Konoha would be in trouble. Hiruzen was destined to be unable to make a move against the First Highness. He could only turn to Seimei to vent his anger. But not to mention Seimei¡¯s location, whether he was alive or dead too was unknown. Hiruzen felt suffocated. It was extremely uncomfortable.


    He only hoped that Asuma didn¡¯t die but instead hid in a corner and was finally found by the Konoha ninja. Hiruzen sat alone on a chair. He looked a little dazed. ¡°Shinnosuke¡­ Asuma¡­¡±


    The next day, at Konoha¡¯s entrance gate, just as Uchiha Tonan crossed the barrier, three Anbu appeared in front of him, ¡°Uchiha Tonan, please head to the Hokage Residence immediately.¡±


    Tonan nodded his head and used the Body Flicker Technique to comply. The three Anbu followed closely behind him. Walking into the Hokage office, he saw that Hiruzen was staring at him with an impassive face.


    When his gaze collided with Hiruzen¡¯s gaze, he immediately lowered his head, looking sad. Hiruzen glanced behind Tonan. The three Anbu immediately understood Hiruzen and left after closing the door.


    Tonan walked to the desk with his head lowered, handed the mission sheet to Hiruzen, and took a few steps back, opening a distance. It was as if he was afraid of something. Hiruzen looked down, looked at the mission sheet, and read, ¡°Mission failed.¡±


    Tonan bit his lower lip and said, ¡°I was kicked out.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke. He no longer had his usual kind look. Looking rather cold, he said, ¡°Tell me what you did in the Fire Capital. Speak in detail. Don¡¯t miss even the smallest part, I want to know everything.¡±


    Tonan nodded and began to tell the story calmly. ¡°On the first day, I noticed something was wrong with the Vice Captain, then¡­¡±


    ¡°After the human trafficking organizations were wiped out, I felt bad for the orphans, so I took them in to raise them. Then, I dispatched people to investigate other underground organizations¡­¡±


    ¡°That day, I posted a recruitment notice because I wanted to find a good teacher for the orphans. Many people came. One of them was a person who claimed to be Abe Seimei¡­¡±


    Hiruzen suddenly raised his eyebrows, noticing something was amiss in Tonan¡¯s words. He interrupted, ¡°Wait a minute¡­ claimed to be?¡±


    Tonan nodded and took out two photos from his ninja bag, handing them to Hiruzen. ¡°This is Abe Seimei¡¯s photo from a long time ago and this is a photo taken when he was applying for the residence permit.¡±


    Hiruzen picked up the two photos and examined them. One was a black and white photo and the other was color. The people in the two photos were very different in age but at just a glance, it was not difficult to see they were indeed the same person.


    However, Hiruzen continuously compared those two photos and frowned. He felt something was wrong. ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡±

 CH 99

    Uchiha Tonan adjusted his glasses and frowned. He continued with a serious look, ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything was wrong in the beginning. But after what happened that night, I carefully read his information again. However, there was very little to go on. The only useful things are the two photos.¡±


    Sarutobi Hiruzen observed Tonan¡¯s look, and seeing that he too was very concerned about Sarutobi Shinnosuke¡¯s matter, his mood eased a little.


    His attitude towards Tonan also became a little better. He nodded lightly and said, ¡°The person in these photos looks like the same person. You should be able to see through whether he was using the Transformation Technique or not.¡±


    Tonan said with certainty, ¡°The Transformation Technique was not used, but after looking carefully, I noticed that his eyes were strange. I believe the eyes are the windows to a person¡¯s soul and different people have different spirits in their eyes. The more I looked at this person¡¯s eyes, the more I felt his thinking was deep. Could it be that¡­ this Abe Seimei was a fake?¡±


    While explaining, Tonan¡¯s speaking pace became slower, revealing a hint of doubt in his words. When Hiruzen heard him, he picked up the two photos again and looked carefully.


    After Tonan pointed it out, Hiruzen too felt the eyes of the person in the black and white photo revealed the simplicity of middle-aged people. But ¡®Abe Seimei¡¯ in the color photo had a strange smile on his face. Moreover, his eyes were sinister and ruthless, giving people the feeling of being devoured.


    Hiruzen put down the photos and looked at Tonan¡¯s sincere eyes, ¡°There is indeed such a possibility, but the time interval between these two photos is at least thirty years. People change with time. Do you think there are any other possibilities?¡±


    Tonan pretended to think and said, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know much about the situation in the Daimyo Residence, the morning after the incident, I rushed to inquire about it through all kinds of channels. When the Daimyo died, just Shinnosuke-senpai and the First Highness were in the room. And both of them testified the other party was the murderer.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded, ¡°This matter has already spread around.¡±


    Tonan said with a certain tone, ¡°I think the one who killed the Daimyo is the First Highness. According to my understanding of Shinnosuke-senpai, he absolutely cannot do such a thing. An upright person like him would disdain to lie about such a matter.¡±


    Hearing Tonan¡¯s unflinching trust in his dead eldest son, Hiruzen felt some comfort in his heart. He sighed and looked at Tonan with a much gentler gaze. ¡°This matter is very complicated. Don¡¯t talk about it outside hereafter. Now, continue to tell me about Abe Seimei.¡±


    While speaking about it, Hiruzen felt pain again. His son had died, but he couldn¡¯t even avenge him. Neither the Daimyo Residence nor the Konoha higher-ups would agree with him to investigate the truth.


    Once it was discovered that the First Highness was truly the murderer, then it would be difficult for them to advance or retreat.


    Tonan noticed the change in Hiruzen¡¯s expression and hesitated for a bit. He started with another ¡®guesswork¡¯. ¡°Could it be that Abe Seimei is an enemy state¡¯s spy, and he used some methods to confuse the First Highness? He might have done this to sow discord between the Daimyo Residence and Konoha.¡±


    ¡°This is the only possibility. Because I can only think that this incident benefited the enemy states. Both the Daimyo Residence and Konoha are victims.¡±


    After he spoke, Hiruzen felt like he sensed something. He blew out a mouthful of smoke and said, ¡°I see. You can go and rest now. You don¡¯t need to worry about this anymore.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t say anything further and just agreed. He then turned around and walked towards the door very slowly. Suddenly, his footsteps stopped and he stood still.


    Hiruzen was about to browse through the documents when he noticed that Tonan was still standing at the door. He blew out a mouthful of smoke, ¡°Tonan, is there something else?¡±


    Tonan lowered his head with his back facing Hiruzen and clenched his fists. From behind, it looked like his body was trembling slightly as if he was restraining something. He then said in a sad voice, ¡°Hokage-sama ¡­ it must be very difficult for you right now.¡±


    Hiruzen expressionlessly blew out a mouthful of smoke and said nothing. Tonan continued with a reminiscent look, ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai was very good to me. I was unfamiliar with the Fire Capital, so he always took care of me. He was worried I was young and my boss would make things difficult for me, so he introduced me to the Supervision Minister himself. Even though he was already working hard, he would come to teach me ninjutsu from time to time.¡±


    The more Tonan spoke, the more emotional he became. Even his voice began to tremble. ¡°I know that Asuma didn¡¯t like me so Shinnosuke-senpai would often reprimand him for me.¡±


    Speaking this much, Tonan raised his head, took off his glasses, and wiped tears from the corners of his eyes. As for Hiruzen, he smoked faster, continuously sucking the tobacco pipe. The smoke had already obscured his face, making it hard to see his current expression.


    ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai also said that after the Fire Capital mission is over, he planned to start a family and let me become the sensei of his children in the future.¡±


    Hiruzen had used this trick on Tonan before. The essence of acting was being able to act out the heartache. Today, Tonan was going to make Hiruzen learn what was called empathy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like your son? What a coincidence, your son and I also liked each other.¡±


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    Hearing Tonan¡¯s words, the scenes of Shinnosuke from birth to adulthood flashed through Hiruzen¡¯s mind. His eyes gradually became cloudy and also reddened¡­


    ¡°But now, he is dead¡­ was framed and killed!¡±


    Tonan gritted his teeth, and his tears dropped on the floor. He seemed angry and also sad¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak anymore!¡± Hiruzen felt his heart was being squeezed. The pain was unbearable. Fearing that he would go out of control, he took deep breaths to regulate his emotions but because of the thick smoke, he choked and coughed.


    Tonan looked up, wiped his tears, and put on his glasses. He took a deep breath and turned around. He said with a smile, ¡°Sorry, Hokage-sama. Shinnosuke-senpai had told me once that ninjas should control their emotions, and they shouldn¡¯t cry under any circumstances.¡±


    Hiruzen felt sadness gushing out of his heart, and his eyes felt sour. He immediately raised his hand to support his forehead, but a teardrop flowed down from the corner of his eyes to the tip of his nose.


    Tonan was startled seeing this. He rushed over and reached out a trembling hand as if he wanted to wipe Hiruzen¡¯s tears.


    ¡°Hokage-sama, what¡¯s wrong with you¡­¡±


    Hiruzen blinked and rubbed his nose, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Because I smoked quickly, the fumes irritated my eyes.¡±


    Tonan said in a panic, ¡°Hokage-sama, don¡¯t cry¡­ don¡¯t cry¡­ I¡­¡±. He retracted his hand, pushed the eyeglasses to his forehead, and used another hand to repeatedly wipe his eyes. Then, with a suppressed sobbing tone, he said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I¡¯m an ominous person. It¡¯s destined that everyone around me would leave me one by one.¡±


    Hiruzen looked up and heaved a deep sigh. He stabilized himself and comforted Tonan, ¡°Child, it¡¯s alright. What happened with Shinnosuke has already happened. Asuma is also missing. I know all this has hit you hard. But now is not the time to be sad. I¡¯ll find a way to investigate this thoroughly. Just go back and rest for a while. Don¡¯t think about this anymore.¡±


    Hiruzen stood up and patted Tonan¡¯s shoulder lightly. Tonan covered his eyes with his hand, and used a pretending to be strong tone, ¡°Hokage-sama, please don¡¯t be sad. Konoha needs you, the truth of this matter will definitely come to light. I¡¯ll leave now¡­¡±


    After speaking, he quickly turned around and left the office, as if he didn¡¯t want Hiruzen to see his weak appearance.

 CH 100

    Uchiha Tonan had barely returned home, putting a few incense sticks in front of his several wood carvings, when the Great Elder, much like an old dog that smelled a familiar scent, came knocking at his door.


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    He entered the house and sized Tonan up, finally sitting down at the tea-table. Brewing some tea for him, Tonan said, ¡°Great Elder, if you are curious about something, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡±


    The Great Elder didn¡¯t open his mouth to ask about the key issues but instead made small talk. ¡°What happened at the Fire Capital has already spread everywhere. Fortunately, you are fine.¡±


    Tonan shook his head with a smile, ¡°I am but a small person. As long as I don¡¯t intentionally step forward, what trouble could I be in?¡±


    The Great Elder nodded and stared at the boy in front of him. He noticed Tonan was almost as tall as him now and his stature was no longer as juvenile as before. He couldn¡¯t help sighing, ¡°Tonan, you¡¯ve grown up.¡±


    A small smile came on Tonan¡¯s face, as he took a sip of tea, ¡°My body developed early. And the life in the Fire Capital was also not bad.¡±


    The Great Elder nodded, staring at the tea leaves floating in the teacup. ¡°You have to be careful of that old man. Since he lost both his sons, he might be looking for someone to vent his anger. And you just happen to be the sole survivor of this trip to the Fire Capital.¡±


    Tonan shook his head and replied, ¡°I think this is an opportunity.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s words got the Great Elder thinking, ¡°Do you want to become the next Hokage?¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows, ¡°Am I not worthy?¡±


    The Great Elder was startled. He shook his head and replied, ¡°Your surname is Uchiha¡­. it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Tonan picked up the teacup and took a sip. He narrowed his eyes slightly and countered, ¡°There are just a few competitors, and I might be the dark horse. After all, there are so many accidents in this world.¡±


    ¡°Tonan,¡± the Great Elder suddenly asked in a somber voice, ¡°Will you betray the Uchiha clan someday?¡±


    Tonan was dumbfounded for a moment but replied with a smile, ¡°Great Elder, are you unable to trust me anymore?¡±


    The Great Elder lowered his eyes and thought for a bit. He then leisurely replied, ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t trust you, but when all is said and done, it has already been several years and I think some clan members would know about you by now. You can rest assured that my judgment is accurate. They will never leak it.¡±


    The Great Elder had been staring at Tonan the whole time, trying to capture every detail and every minute expression on his face. If Tonan truly showed any signs of betraying the clan, he would immediately leak Tonan¡¯s secrets.


    These might not be able to directly harm Tonan but they would definitely make Sarutobi Hiruzen stay away from him. When that happened, Tonan could only tie himself to the clan in the future.


    Tonan, however, didn¡¯t immediately reply. He took some melons and fruits from the table and quietly ate them.


    ¡°Grandpa~¡±


    Just at this moment, Uchiha Shisui came to Tonan¡¯s door and continuously knocked as he called out for his grandfather. The Great Elder was surprised. He retracted his thoughts and got up, rushing to open the door.


    His first reaction after seeing his grandson was to yell at him. ¡°Why are you running around all day? Did you complete the homework I gave you?¡±


    Seeing his usually affectionate grandfather this fierce, Shisui pouted, feeling a little sad. He glanced at the Great Elder and quickly lowered his head. He weakly said, ¡°It¡¯s all done.¡±


    The Great Elder felt a little defeated. He coughed lightly and pretended to be serious, ¡°Go back and do it all over again.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Shisui reluctantly left.


    After the Great Elder returned to the room, Tonan filled his cup with tea and said with a smile, ¡°You can let Shisui come here to play more. I like children very much.¡±


    The Great Elder picked up the teacup and forced a smile, ¡°No need. It will just trouble you.¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose slightly, and he suddenly spoke, ¡°Great Elder, I wanted to ask you a question.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are your eyes awakened?¡± The Great Elder understood Tonan was asking whether he had unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan. He immediately laughed, ¡°Had I awakened it, would I be placing my hopes on you?¡±


    Tonan nodded and picked up his teacup, ¡°Great Elder, after today¡¯s tea, don¡¯t meet me as much as possible in the future. I¡¯m afraid Hokage-sama will misunderstand.¡±


    The Great Elder picked up the teacup and lowered his head to blow on it. A hint of coldness flashed through his eyes but he calmly asked, ¡°What about the matter I just said?¡±


    Tonan drank the tea and placed the teacup on the table gently. He said with a warm smile, ¡°It¡¯s all up to you, Great Elder.¡±


    After the Great Elder left, Tonan drank tea taking in the scenery in his yard. He also began summing up the inadequate areas of this trip in his mind. Killing Shinnosuke and Asuma was not difficult but dealing with the aftermath was. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t let Hiruzen vent his anger on him.


    Tonan believed that all crimes couldn¡¯t be hidden forever. With Konoha¡¯s powerful investigation system, as long as Hiruzen was determined to find things out, it was very likely that he would be found out.


    This was why Tonan spent so much effort shifting the conflict to the Daimyo Residence. Everyone knew there were many doubts behind this incident, but no one was willing to investigate it. Because the direct and main factor of this incident was Naraku, the First Highness and the only remaining heir of the Land of Fire¡¯s Daimyo.


    If anyone wanted to investigate the mastermind behind-the-scenes, then the starting point would be the First Highness¡¯ patricide. Some things were known to everyone, but for the sake of the overall situation, people could only tacitly regard it as if it didn¡¯t happen.


    For the next few days, Tonan stayed at home. He used Wind Communication to listen to all kinds of gossip among the clan members to gather information.


    Among them, there was information about Naraku¡¯s succession to the throne. It was just that the person invited to attend the ceremony was not Hiruzen, but Shimura Danzo.


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    Tonan sat in front of the table and squinted his eyes. If this situation continued, the First Highness would definitely support Danzo, and Danzo would willingly be his shield.


    As long as Danzo didn¡¯t fall, Hiruzen would never be able to find out the truth of the Fire Capital¡¯s incident. There was also some news about the new graduates of the Ninja Academy.


    Tonan heard a few familiar names, such as Maito Guy, Uchiha Obito, and others.


    ¡°Times flies so fast. If you two hadn¡¯t died, you would¡¯ve graduated by now as well.¡±


    Tonan muttered looking at the wood carvings of Hyuga Chyrio and Uchiha Mina while carving out a new figure with his kunai. So far, this carving only had a body but not a face.


    Halfway through the carving, Tonan patted off the sawdust and got up to walk outside. Walking to the courtyard, he looked sideways at the Great Elder¡¯s residence.


    After a long time, Tonan seemed to have thought of something funny, and he laughed out loud. He then shook his head and walked into the room.


    ¡°Treating me as a soft persimmon, squeezing whenever you want¡­¡±

 CH 101

    Half a month quickly passed. Uchiha Tonan did nothing during this time. After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen was still full of anger, and he didn¡¯t want to enter his line of sight to avoid attracting any misfortune.


    A qualified hunter must know how to wait for an opportunity before getting into action. Must be able to bear loneliness, restrain impulse, and resist temptation.


    Now, half a month had passed. For a politician with rigorous schemes and deep foresight like Hiruzen, this much time was enough to heal the pain of losing his sons. Tonan was ready to make a move.


    Early in the morning, the red sunlight had just lit up the Hokage Rock. At this moment, Tonan was sitting on a big tree above the Rock. He had found some bamboo and used a kunai to carve it into a flute.


    After carefully calculating the time according to Hiruzen¡¯s schedule, Tonan moved the flute near his mouth and played it softly. The bleak sound spread in the forest above the Hokage Rock.


    Tonan¡¯s flute playing skill was acquired from an anonymous courtesan. The courtesan was imprisoned in a brothel, and Tonan gained her acknowledgment on the day he exterminated the underground brothels. But just that afternoon Tonan acquired her skills. How she died ¡ª Tonan neither knew nor cared.


    Today, this flute playing skill came in handy. In less than a minute after Tonan started playing, Hiruzen came to the platform above the Hokage Rock. And he looked down at Konoha that was gradually becoming livelier.


    Ever since the Fire Captial incident, Hiruzen was filled with rage, grief, and doubts. But due to several reasons, he had nowhere to release these ill feelings.


    His wife, Sarutobi Biwako, was stationed in the sealing squad, instructing the younger generation to monitor the barrier, throughout the year. After learning about Shinnosuke¡¯s death without a corpse and Asuma missing, she returned home and fought with Hiruzen, parting on bad terms.


    She threatened she would never return home if Asuma was not found. During this time, Hiruzen felt a hint of loneliness. He could only come to the Hokage Rock to relax every morning and then use the busy Hokage work schedule to numb himself.


    Perhaps, because he had many experiences of parting never-to-meet again, he had already come to accept this. His mood gradually became calmer, and his grief also diminished.


    Just when Hiruzen sighed looking at Konoha below, he heard a mournful and heart-rendering flute sound, coming from the forest. Almost instantly, it broke Hiruzen¡¯s guard.


    He stood there in a daze, listening to the melancholic sound, and memories of his time together with Shinnosuke and Asuma flashed in his mind. Indescribable grief surged in his heart, and it resonated with that flute sound.


    After listening for a while, Hiruzen subconsciously moved and walked towards the origin of the sound. He walked up the stairs and entered the forest. He took a few dozen steps and then realized he had taken the wrong path and changed the direction.


    Finally, he pushed aside the tall bush in front of him and saw the person who was playing the flute. He saw Tonan sitting on a tree branch leaning his back against the trunk. His eyes were drooping, and he was playing the flute with a downcast look.


    It was as if he was expressing his grief by playing the flute. The morning breeze blew Tonan¡¯s robe, and green leaves flew past Hiruzen¡¯s line of sight.


    Hiruzen reached out his hand and grabbed a leaf, murmuring in an inaudible voice, ¡°When the tree leaves dance, the fire will also grow endlessly.¡±


    This sentence was a bit lousy and almost messed up Tonan¡¯s rhythm. Fortunately, he was focused enough. He didn¡¯t reveal any unusualness and continued to concentrate on playing the flute.


    Tonan could understand Hiruzen. After all, as a ninja, how high could his education be? It was already hard to come up with a sentence or two that sounded a bit philosophical. Naturally, he would keep repeating it over and over again.


    Hiruzen looked at Tonan and thought he was still immersed in the grief of Shinnosuke¡¯s death.


    He coughed, which seemed to wake Tonan up with a start. The flute stopped abruptly. He turned his head to look and after seeing the person who came was Hiruzen, he jumped down from the tree.


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    Keeping a distance of about five meters from Hiruzen, Tonan put his hands on his knees and bowed, ¡°Hokage-sama, I¡¯m truly sorry, I didn¡¯t expect to disturb you.¡±


    Hiruzen sighed, and waved his hand at Tonan, signaling him to follow. The two came to the platform above the Hokage Rock. Hiruzen stood in front of the railing, looking down at the entire Konoha. ¡°Tonan, I know that Shinnosuke¡¯s death has hit you hard. But if Shinnosuke was still alive, he wouldn¡¯t want to see you depressed because of him.¡±


    Tonan knew that Hiruzen seemed to be consoling him by saying this. But in fact, it was just another way to remind him of Shinnosuke. He lowered his head woefully, and answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hiruzen sighed. He turned to look at Tonan who was still keeping a distance from him, and frowned slightly, ¡°I noticed you seemed to be keeping a distance from me ever since you returned to the village. Are you hiding something from me?¡±


    Tonan was shocked to hear this. He said nothing but looked sadder. Hiruzen looked at his expression and ruled out the possibility of Tonan betraying him. He sighed again, ¡°Tonan, you have grown up. You are already hiding things from me now.¡±


    While speaking, he walked toward Tonan and wanted to rub his hair like before. However, when Tonan saw Hiruzen approaching him, he took a few steps back with a panicked look. He then used a pleading tone and said, ¡°Hokage-sama, please don¡¯t come close to me.¡±


    ¡°Tonan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Hiruzen asked in confusion.


    Tonan lowered his head and said, looking miserable, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m an ominous person. Father, mother, Teno-san, Chiryo, Mina, Grandpa Motoyoshi, White Fang-sama, Shinnosuke-senpai, and Asuma¡­ everyone I hold dear and respect, died one after another.¡±


    Hiruzen raised his eyebrows a little and shook his head, ¡°Tonan, these are all accidents and have nothing to do with you.¡±


    Tonan opened his eyes and activated his Sharingan. His majestic chakra overflowed everywhere. Then, he shouted, ¡°But what if it¡¯s true! In fact, I¡¯ve long suspected this. So, I specifically distanced myself from Kakashi, Minato-sensei, and Kushina-senpai. After the incident in the Fire Capital, I¡¯m more certain that I¡¯m an ominous person. Hokage-sama, please don¡¯t come near me, I¡¯m afraid you will one day¡­¡±


    Hiruzen sensed that Tonan¡¯s chakra amount was already comparable to a jonin and narrowed his eyes a little.


    ¡°What power¡­ he¡¯s already far surpassed Kakashi.¡±

 CH 102

    In Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s heart, Uchiha Tonan¡¯s worth spiked, and he immediately consoled the boy, ¡°Tonan, your experience is too little. If you had been born in my time, you would have realized death is very common. Almost every once in a while, there would be fewer familiar faces around. Too many people I knew have died. If what you said is right, wouldn¡¯t I be an ominous person as well?¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s words seemed to have an effect. Tonan feebly asked, ¡°Really¡­ it¡¯s not because of me?¡±


    Hiruzen smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright. When you have enough power, you¡¯ll be able to protect the people you want to protect.¡±


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    He approached Tonan again and reached out to stroke his head. This time, Tonan didn¡¯t dodge but stared at him with grateful eyes. ¡°Hokage-sama¡­¡±


    After a while, Hiruzen and Tonan came to the railing and looked down at Konoha. Under the morning sunlight, both of them seemed to have relaxed. Some time had passed when Hiruzen casually asked, ¡°How have you been lately?¡±


    Tonan thought for a bit and replied, ¡°Everything is fine. In the clan, only the Great Elder is kind to me. I don¡¯t know why but the others always look at me with strange eyes.¡±


    ¡°Silly child! Because they think you are one of my people, they don¡¯t want to associate with you.¡±


    Hiruzen chuckled lightly and said out loud, ¡°The Uchiha clan is like this. They are arrogant by nature and don¡¯t like to be close to others¡­. What¡¯s wrong? Is there something on me?¡±


    Hiruzen suddenly noticed Tonan staring at his clothes, and even brought his head closer to sniff.


    ¡°Hokage-sama, your clothes are dirty.¡±


    Hiruzen remembered that because he had been feeling vexed all this time, he did not even change the haori he had been wearing. Looking a bit embarrassed, he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, there¡¯s another one in the office. I¡¯ll wash this when I go back in the evening.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Tonan said, ¡°Hokage-sama, you work hard all day long for the village. Do you still have to do chores like washing clothes?¡±


    Hiruzen waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s just a trivial matter.¡±


    However, Tonan stretched his hands and pulled the haori off Hiruzen, ¡°Hokage-sama, take it off, I¡¯ll wash it and deliver it to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Alright.¡±


    Hiruzen was unable to reject Tonan¡¯s kind intention, so he took off his outer garment. They chatted casually for some more time. Seeing that it was almost time, Hiruzen left the Hokage Rock and went to the Hokage Residence to work.


    In the evening, when he had just returned to the Sarutobi clan district after completing his official duties for the day, he saw Tonan holding a neatly folded haori and squatting outside the gate.


    At this moment, a Sarutobi clan ninja who was patrolling outside happened to pass by Hiruzen. He pointed at Tonan and said, ¡°Hokage-sama, that young fellow came to look for you. He has been sitting there since morning.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded and walked over to Tonan, ¡°Tonan, why are you here?¡±


    Tonan stood up immediately. His eyes lit up seeing Hiruzen. He hastily handed the haori to him and said, ¡°Hokage-sama, I have washed it.¡±


    Taking the package, Hiruzen nodded, and said, ¡°Thank you, why didn¡¯t you bring it to the office?¡±


    Tonan smiled and scratched his head as if he was a little embarrassed, ¡°It was not a big deal, and I didn¡¯t want to disturb your work.¡±


    Gurururu~ Just at this moment, Tonan¡¯s belly roared. His face flushed and he smiled feeling embarrassed, not daring to look up at Hiruzen. The corners of Hiruzen¡¯s mouth rose as he thought, this child must have focused solely on waiting for me, and didn¡¯t even eat his lunch.


    He patted Tonan¡¯s shoulder and said with concern, ¡°Come in and have a meal.¡±


    Tonan looked up, and unable to hide his joy, he asked, ¡°Is that alright? I don¡¯t want to disturb you.¡±


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    Hiruzen shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s alright, just an extra pair of chopsticks.¡±


    Tonan followed Hiruzen and swaggered into the Sarutobi clan district. If his guess was not wrong, then he might be the first Uchiha to ever enter this district.


    Hiruzen¡¯s courtyard was larger than the Great Elder¡¯s courtyard. There was a flower bed in the middle and there was a strong white pine standing in it. It was just that the courtyard owner seemed to not have trimmed it for a long time.


    Also, the lawns on both sides of the path were covered with weeds and various kinds of plants, giving people an unkempt feeling. The two walked into the room. Tonan looked around curiously and asked, ¡°Hokage-sama, are you alone at home?¡±


    Hiruzen was taken aback. He looked at the photo placed on the wall of the drawing-room and nodded, looking desolate, ¡°Yes, alone. You sit for a while. I¡¯ll go to cook.¡±


    Tonan hastily grabbed the older man¡¯s sleeve and frowned, ¡°Hokage-sama, how can you tire yourself like this? Let me do it.¡±


    Hiruzen hesitated but he had experienced many things in the past few days, which truly left him exhausted both physically and mentally. He agreed to Tonan¡¯s request and said, ¡°Alright. Looks like I¡¯ll be troubling you.¡±


    A happy smile appeared on Tonan¡¯s face as he walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He took out the frozen meat from inside and smelled it. Frowning, he said, ¡°This meat is stale. Eating this is not good for the stomach. We should throw it away.¡±


    He then fiddled with the vegetables inside a few times. He took out one vegetable, and shook his head, ¡°Eating this now will make it difficult to sleep¡­¡±


    Finally, he selected the ingredients from the refrigerator that he needed for tonight. He also smelled every seasoning to check whether it was edible or not.


    ¡°Hokage-sama, this soy sauce has expired. I¡¯ll go out to buy a new bottle.¡±


    Tonan held a bottle of soy sauce and shook it toward Hiruzen who was staring blankly at the photo in the drawing-room. He then walked out quickly.


    Hiruzen reached out and caressed the photo. He looked up and sighed, muttering, ¡°Expired? I really didn¡¯t notice.¡±


    Since the loss of his sons and the fight with his wife, Hiruzen had been absent-minded all day long. Only when working did he stabilize his mind as much as possible. When he was not working, he just sat on a chair in a daze, recalling the moments together with his family.


    It was as if both Shinnosuke and Asuma were still playing in front of him. However, when he came back to his senses, everything vanished like a bubble bursting. Hiruzen felt indescribable pain in his heart. Looking at the photo in his hand, he finally let out a mournful sigh.

 CH 103

    Not long after, Uchiha Tonan returned to the Sarutobi household with a new bottle of soy sauce. Without wasting any time, he wore an apron and started cooking.


    Ta, ta, ta¡­ Clear, rhythmic chopping sounds filled up the kitchen. Heat the oil in the pan, fry the onion, ginger, and garlic, increase the heat, put the ingredients, and stir-fry ¡ª Tonan neatly executed one step after another like an expert.


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    After the trip to the Fire Capital, Tonan¡¯s cooking skills had risen considerably. With just this alone, if he opened a restaurant in Konoha, it was guaranteed to be popular.


    In the drawing-room, Hiruzen¡¯s nose which was lost in his sadness moved slightly, and he muttered, ¡°This aroma¡­¡±


    He got up and walked to the kitchen to look inside. He saw that Tonan was very focused. He was using one hand to continuously stir the pan and the other to beat eggs in a bowl.


    The fire was still burning below the pan. After half a minute, Tonan poured the beaten egg into the pan. The delectable fragrance of the egg mixture with hot pepper filled the entire room, making people immersed in anticipation.


    Hiruzen was outstanding at ninjutsu, but when it came to cooking, it was hard to explain in a few words. When Asuma and Shinnosuke were still around, Sarutobi Biwako would often return to cook. As for now, Hiruzen would just make rice balls every day.


    After a while, Tonan set the food on the table, and said to Hiruzen with an embarrassed look, ¡°I only know a little bit of cooking. Hokage-sama, I hope you will like the meal.¡±


    Hiruzen had thought he had no appetite, but now, his mouth was watering, and his stomach felt hunger pangs. He picked up the chopsticks and tasted a mouthful. Then, his eyes widened. A rich taste exploded in his mouth, and it stimulated his tastebuds wave after wave.


    This was too delicious! After seeing Hiruzen take a bite, Tonan sat down and inquired with a timid look, ¡°Hokage-sama, does it taste bad?¡±


    Hiruzen came back to his senses and moved his chopsticks again. He replied while gobbling down, ¡°It tastes very good. I haven¡¯t had such a delicious meal in a long time. Tonan, quickly sit down and eat.¡±


    Tonan smiled brightly hearing this and took his place on the table, eating his food in small bites. Hiruzen glanced at the refined Tonan, thinking that he was not only a person on his side but also his son¡¯s partner. Although his son had died, Tonan was a person he had meticulously nurtured. He should still care about Tonan.


    ¡°Tonan, now that you are back, you should find something to do. Have you considered becoming a reserve member of Anbu? In Anbu, you can learn many things, and the pay is also not bad.¡±


    Tonan nodded calmly and asked, ¡°Can I also learn a lot of ninjutsu there?¡±


    Hiruzen raised his eyebrows and asked in confusion, ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t the Uchiha clan teach you ninjutsu?¡±


    Tonan shook his head and said, ¡°They did but the clan just has fire and lightning type ninjutsu.¡±


    Hiruzen asked while chewing food, ¡°Is that so? What is your chakra attribute? I can arrange a suitable captain for you.¡±


    Tonan picked a piece of meat and put it into Hiruzen¡¯s bowl. He then casually said as if it were commonplace, ¡°I have all chakra attributes, Hokage-sama¡­ Please try this dish as well.¡±


    Hiruzen was dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard. ¡°What did you say your chakra attribute was?¡±


    Seeing Hiruzen¡¯s reaction, Tonan¡¯s movement paused. He stared at him and replied word for word, ¡°I have all chakra attributes.¡±


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Hiruzen left the food on the table and grabbed Tonan¡¯s hand, dragging him to a pond in the courtyard. It was said to be a pond, but in fact, it could be considered a small lake.


    Hiruzen looked at Tonan with a solemn expression and said, ¡°The three tomoe Sharingan has the ability to copy ninjutsu. Try and see whether you can copy my ninjutsu or not.¡±


    After speaking, he intentionally slowed down his hand movements and made hand signs methodically.


    Meanwhile, Tonan activated the Sharingan, and his movement was almost in sync with HIruzen¡¯s action.


    ¡°Wind Style ¨C Great Breakthrough.¡±


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    ¡°Wind Style ¨C Great Breakthrough.¡±


    The trees beside the pond suddenly bent due to the wind pressure. This was because both of them had suppressed their powers. Hiruzen was becoming excited and continued to make a series of hand seals.


    ¡°Water Style ¨C Water Dragon Bullet Technique.¡±


    ¡°Water Style ¨C Water Dragon Bullet Technique.¡±


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Nine Rock Pillars Technique.¡±


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Nine Rock Pillars Technique.¡±


    After releasing the ninjutsu of all five chakra attributes in succession, the gaze Hiruzen used to look at Tonan changed completely.


    All chakra attributes along with the copy ability of the three tomoe Sharingan¡­ this was simply born for ninjutsu. At this moment, Hiruzen no longer regarded Tonan as a tool but instead the thought to accept him as a student appeared in his heart.


    His eyes shone. He placed his hands on Tonan¡¯s shoulders and asked with a stern look, ¡°Tonan, what do you excel in?¡±


    Tonan thought for a bit and answered seriously, ¡°Sword techniques and genjutsu.¡±


    Hiruzen was dumbfounded. He didn¡¯t know what should he say. Yes, after awakening the Sharingan, one would become a genjutsu master. And it was known that Tonan had learned sword techniques from White Fang and also inherited Sanbo Motoyoshi¡¯s Sanbo-style sword technique.


    ¡°Since he is good at sword techniques, his taijutsu cannot be weak. But as it now seems, his ninjutsu is the best. As long as he¡¯s given enough time, he can learn many ninjutsu techniques in actual combat even if no one teaches him. By that time, he wouldn¡¯t have any shortcomings in ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu¡­¡±


    When Hiruzen was lost in thought, Tonan couldn¡¯t help reminding, ¡°Hokage-sama, the food is getting cold.¡±


    Hiruzen came back to his sense and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    Returning to the room, Hiruzen ate the food one bite at a time, but he was still thinking about whether to accept Tonan as a student or not. After all, he was old and he had a lot of work to do. Even if he accepted Tonan as his student, he might not have much time to teach him. Wouldn¡¯t that just delay the growth of such a good seedling?


    Moreover, the most important thing was that even though Tonan was on his side, he was still a member of the Uchiha clan. What if his clan love became the dominant force after he grew up? At that time, all his trust and efforts to nurture Tonan would be in vain. In addition, it might even cause him a lot of trouble.


    Tonan noticed that Hiruzen was a little absent-minded while eating, so he asked softly, ¡°Hokage-sama, is the food tasting bad because it¡¯s cold? Let me warm it up.¡±


    Tonan got up with the dishes but Hiruzen came back to his senses just in time and grabbed Tonan¡¯s hand, saying with a smile, ¡°No, the temperature is just right, and it¡¯s very savory.¡±


    Hiruzen took a deep look at Tonan, thinking that he should observe the boy for a little longer before coming to a final decision.

 CH 104

    After dinner, Uchiha Tonan took the initiative to wash the dishes. Once the necessary clean-up was done, he didn¡¯t leave the kitchen. Instead, he carefully wiped the oil stains from the floors and around the cooking area, and cleaned up the dirt and grime from every tiny corner.


    It took him three hours to do all this, but it wasn¡¯t over yet. The sky had already darkened and the Sarutobi clan district had turned off the lights to call it a night.


    Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was sitting in the drawing-room, felt sleepy too. He came to the kitchen door and coughed lightly, ¡°Tonan, it¡¯s very clean now. You don¡¯t need to mop anymore.¡±


    Tonan turned his head. His forehead was filled with sweat but his eyes were bright. He looked at Hiruzen with a serious look, ¡°The kitchen is a place to cook, so you must ensure its hygiene. Wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if you get a stomachache or get sick?¡±


    As if to make his point, he used his finger to scrap out a mass of dark oil from a corner and said to Hiruzen, ¡°These things easily attract insects, so they must be cleaned thoroughly.¡±


    Hiruzen looked at the stubborn Tonan and nodded helplessly. He then glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and pointed out, ¡°It¡¯s already very late.¡±


    Tonan wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Hokage-sama. You can go and rest now. I know my way home, I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    Seeing Tonan so well-behaved and sensible, Hiruzen¡¯s heart softened. In a daze, he was reminded of Shinnosuke and Asuma and their images seemed to appear in front of him, gradually overlapping. Shinnosuke¡¯s earnestness and steadfastness, and Asuma¡¯s stubbornness and persistence, seemed to all come together and reflect in Tonan.


    Hiruzen gently looked at the boy who had the traits of both his sons, ¡°Tonan, it¡¯s too late. It¡¯s time to sleep now.¡±


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    Tonan appeared to be momentarily stunned realizing just how late it was. He pursed his lips and put his hands on his knees, bowing to Hiruzen, his eyes full of guilt and self-reproach, ¡°Hoakge-sama, I¡¯m sorry, I delayed your rest time. I¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    Looking at Tonan¡¯s current state, for some reason, Hiruzen felt as if he had done something wrong. Feeling a little unsettled in his heart, he walked to Tonan and rubbed his hair, ¡°I don¡¯t usually sleep at this time, you don¡¯t have to worry. The sky is already dark, and the Uchiha district is far away. Why don¡¯t you stay here for the night?¡±


    Hearing this suggestion, Tonan raised his head, and his eyes seemed to have many tiny stars in them. He asked with joy, ¡°Can I, really?¡±


    Hiruzen smiled and  nodded, ¡°Go to sleep, you can do these things tomorrow if you want to.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Late at night, the rain constantly pattered against the windows. The wind howled through the trees beside the pond in the backyard, bending the trees so much they looked as if they would break at any time.


    Tonan slept on the bed, but his face was covered with sweat. His expression looked very painful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±


    His muffled voice, filled with fear and grief, grew louder. Gradually, it broke through the sound of the rain and reached Hiruzen¡¯s room downstairs. As a Hokage-leveled powerhouse, even though he was old, Hiruzen had instinctive vigilance toward his surroundings at all times.


    His eyes suddenly opened and Tonan¡¯s voice from upstairs entered his ears. He frowned and muttered, ¡°Is this child having a nightmare?¡± Thinking of all the work he had to do the next day, he turned over, ready to go back to sleep, when he suddenly heard¡­


    ¡°Asuma¡­ where are you¡­¡±


    Hiruzen immediately opened his eyes again and sighed deeply.


    ¡°Shinnosuke-senpai¡­ I understood¡­ thank¡­ you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ don¡¯t go¡­ don¡¯t go to the Fire Capital.¡±


    Once again Hiruzen was reminded of his time together with his two sons. The scenes from the past appeared in his mind rapidly. He also recalled that when Shinnosuke was a child, he would easily get nightmares on rainy days.


    Since his wife wouldn¡¯t be home most of the time, usually, it was Hiruzen who accompanied Shinnosuke at the time. Hiruzen felt a little sympathetic in his heart. He got up and habitually tiptoed to the second floor.


    His footstep was subconsciously very light, so as to not make any noise and disturb Tonan. He gently pushed open the door. In the dimly lit room, Hiruzen saw that Tonan had already kicked the quilt away, and kept talking in his sleep.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me¡­¡±


    ¡°Father¡­ don¡¯t go¡­ father¡­¡±


    This child¡­ Hiruzen¡¯s eyes were melancholic and he felt he and Tonan were fellow sufferers. One lost his parents, and the other lost his sons.


    He immediately walked over to Tonan and knelt down lightly, gently pulling up the quilt to cover him. Looking at his face, Hiruzen spaced out recalling Shinnosuke when he was by his side.


    Hiruzen reached out his hand and gently stroked Tonan¡¯s face. The pain in his heart began to spread again and he frowned. Just then, Tonan grabbed Hiruzen¡¯s hand, and said in an almost pleading tone, ¡°Father¡­ don¡¯t go¡­¡±


    Hiruzen was startled. He covered Tonan¡¯s hand with his hand and gently coaxed him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave.¡±


    As if he could hear Hiruzen¡¯s voice, Tonan relaxed. He turned over and pulled Hiruzen¡¯s hand under his head. His fear just now seemed to have become nonexistent and a smile gradually spread across his face like he was seeing a very sweet dream.


    Tonan rubbed his head against Hiruzen¡¯s hand and muttered, ¡°Father¡­ Hokage-sama¡­¡±


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    Hiruzen looked at the unguarded Tonan, sleeping peacefully, and his heart that had been solid as a rock melted. He had a strange feeling. The fatherly love that had been clogged up because of the death of his two sons rushed out as if a floodgate was opened.


    The more he looked at Tonan, the more distress, and love he felt for Tonan. Early the next morning, the sun shone through the window, covering Hiruzen and Tonan with a layer of soft golden light.


    Two people, one kneeling with his heart filled with love, and the other immersed in dreamland, made a very peaceful picture. Hiruzen, who had not slept for the entire night, reached out his free hand and gently rubbed his temples to relieve some of the stress.


    When he looked at the sleeping Tonan who was hugging his hand tightly, a thought suddenly flashed in his mind.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if Tonan were my child!? He¡¯s well-behaved, sensible, modest, hard-working, honest, meticulous, tolerant¡­ He¡¯s so perfect.¡±


    Tonan opened his drowsy eyes, not fully awake yet, and rubbed them, muttering, ¡°Father¡­¡±


    As if it was the last straw, this address broke through Hiruzen¡¯s defense. He almost couldn¡¯t control himself and hugged Tonan to take good care of him.

 CH 105

    Uchiha Tonan stared at the arm under his head with a confused look and blinked. Then, he instantly woke up and sat up with a start under Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s smiling gaze.


    Looking embarrassed, he scratched his head and asked, ¡°Hokage-sama, why are you here?¡±


    Hiruzen smiled warmly and withdrew his already numb hand. He rubbed Tonan¡¯s hair with his other hand and said in a doting tone, ¡°You had a nightmare last night.¡±


    Looking at the hand Hiruzen retracted, Tonan awkwardly lowered his head. He pursed his lips and carefully inquired, ¡°Did I disturb you by any chance?¡±


    Hiruzen shook his head, ¡°No, I just got up and was worried about you, so I came in here to check.¡± Hiruzen hid the truth thinking Tonan was afraid of disturbing him. Sure enough, Tonan recovered his smile hearing this. He got up and put on his clothes. Then he folded the quilt and ran downstairs in slippers.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to cook for you.¡±


    Hiruzen chuckled and shook his head, looking at the neatly folded quilt.


    Such a meticulous child!


    Hiruzen thought over the situation at hand several times throughout the previous night. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Tonan was an Uchiha, Hiruzen would have wanted to take him as his adopted son.


    It was just that if he tried to do that, not only would the Uchiha clan disagree but even the Konoha high-rankers that were close to him would object.


    Especially Shimura Danzo.


    After careful consideration, he finally decided to accept Tonan as his student. Perhaps, even he was not sure why he suddenly made this decision.


    After a while, Tonan finished making breakfast and gently said, ¡°Hokage-sama, please try the food and see if it suits your palate.¡±


    Hiruzen scooped a spoonful of porridge and ate it. Then, he generously praised, ¡°It¡¯s very good.¡± Tonan smiled brightly hearing Hiruzen¡¯s praise. While cleaning the kitchen earlier, he had paid attention to the manufacture date of the salt.


    Hiruzen definitely wouldn¡¯t make a special trip to buy these things. Usually, he would instruct an Anbu or the juniors of his clan to purchase them. And when these people would buy things for Hiruzen, they would definitely buy the best, with the latest manufacturing date.


    According to his observation, Hiruzen wouldn¡¯t come back to eat a meal at noon. He would just make it for breakfast and dinner. With all these little details, Tonan roughly calculated the amount of salt used in each meal.


    He knew that Hiruzen preferred food with a heavier taste. Therefore, in today¡¯s porridge, he put more salt than he usually would have. There was a saying that minute details differentiate success from failure.


    Suddenly, Hiruzen stopped the spoon and asked, ¡°Tonan, are you willing to be my student?¡±


    Tonan¡¯s eyes lit up and he looked very excited. Soon after though, his expression sank and he said, ¡°Really? But I¡¯m just a chunin, my capability is not strong enough. Your disciples are the legendary Sannin. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll embarrass you.¡±


    Hiruzen sighed. He finally discovered Tonan¡¯s shortcoming ¡ª inferiority complex. But it was true that people who lacked familial love would inevitably develop low self-esteem. Hiruzen put down the spoon and consoled Tonan, ¡°Be more confident in yourself. You are much stronger than your peers. You are a true genius.¡±


    Tonan raised his head and frowned. He thought for a bit and said, ¡°But I heard people say there¡¯s no genius in this world. The so-called genius is just a bit more talented than ordinary people. Only unrelenting perseverance and hard work can make people climb the peak. I would also agree with this statement.¡±


    Hiruzen smiled knowingly and said, ¡°Tonan, you¡¯re truly different from other Uchihas.¡±


    Tonan nodded lightly and stared at Hiruzen with the three tomoe Sharingan, ¡°Perhaps, it¡¯s because I¡¯ve seen many losses and have been through much darkness. It was enough for me to in fact be drowned in it. But you guided me to understand the Will of Fire and dispel it. Hokage-sama¡­¡±


    Hiruzen pretended to be serious, coughed lightly, and said, ¡°You should change how you address me.¡±


    ¡°Sensei¡­¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice was slightly louder. Anyone could hear the obvious excitement in his tone. Hiruzen got up, took out a scroll from his bedroom, and handed it over to Tonan, ¡°This is my ninjutsu note, and there are also several compound ninjutsu I created in it.¡±


    Tonan took the scroll and solemnly said, ¡°Sensei, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll work hard to train, and do my best to live up to your expectation.¡±


    Hiruzen looked at Tonan who had a serious expression and felt like laughing. He waved his hand, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m passing this to you. From now on, come here every night, and I¡¯ll guide you in your training.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sensei.¡±


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    ¡®Ding!¡¯


    The smile on Tonan¡¯s face was becoming even brighter. However, in the next moment¡­


    ¡­ Gained Uchiha Miyo¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Uchiha Shinji¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Uchiha Jiro¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Tonan slightly narrowed his eyes, but his face remained calm. Hiruzen finished the porridge in one gulp and leisurely stood up, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve to go to work now.¡±


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    Tonan got up as well and accompanied Hiruzen to the courtyard gate. ¡°Take care Sensei, be careful on the way. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    After Hiruzen left, Tonan returned to the house and started washing the dishes. There was the sound of water splashing and occasional metal and glass banging in the kitchen. At this moment, Tonan¡¯s expression was completely different from just a moment ago. He emitted a gloomy aura, leisurely washing the bowls and chopsticks. The impression of a bright young boy had completely vanished.


    ¡°Old Man, at such a critical time, you played this trick on me¡­ Since you haven¡¯t even awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, I never thought to make a move on you. But since you are playing dirty with me, I can just test if I can use ocular powers to turn my Sharingan into Mangekyo.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s expression gradually became playful, and the corners of his mouth rose, making a smile.


    Things are getting more and more interesting. According to the original work, Shisui can awaken Mangekyo. If ocular powers alone can¡¯t evolve Sharingan to Mangekyo, then Shisui is indeed a good choice.


    Moreover, Shisui happens to be the Great Elder¡¯s grandson. I wonder how many tomoe will Shisui awaken if the Great Elder died. Even if Shisui can¡¯t awaken Mangekyo now, Tonan still had the other Uchiha clan members who knew about his little games. They should all have the three-tomoe Sharingan.


    ¡°If they¡¯re all killed, will it directly evolve my Sharingan to Mangekyo Sharingan because of overflowing ocular power?¡±


    Both paths are broad and open.


    From this aspect, the Great Elder revealing his truth didn¡¯t seem to be a bad thing. Tonan, who had figured things out, regained his usual composure. He chuckled while washing the dishes and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s indeed true that anger only harms oneself. If I think from another angle, this is an unexpected pleasant surprise. Only by forgiving others, you can achieve bigger things.¡±

 CH 106

    After washing the dishes, Uchiha Tonan created six shadow clones and started the great undertaking of a thorough cleanup. To be a successful person, one shouldn¡¯t be too honest. When someone was present, one should pay attention to attitude.


    When no one was around, one should pay attention to efficiency. With the leader around, one should not reveal the hard-working side. If the person left and returned, they should come back to see that you have done your work perfectly.


    At that time, the leader would automatically think you have completed the mission with an earnest and steadfast attitude. And your impression would also naturally rise.


    Each of the six shadow clones was responsible for cleaning an area. Sweeping floors, wiping windows, sorting out things, trimming plants in the garden, and spraying perfume. Everything was orderly. There was also one shadow clone that washed all of Hiruzen¡¯s clothes, regardless of whether they were clean or not.


    He then pulled a few clotheslines in the front yard and hung the washed clothes on them. By the time everything was done, it was already noon. The midday sun hung directly above the sky, and the temperature increased. Tonan looked up, and the dazzling sunlight made him squint.


    Seeing it was almost time, he dispelled the shadow clones and left the Sarutobi clan district. After a busy morning, Tonan¡¯s stomach was rumbling with hunger. So, he ate something in the shopping street and walked towards the Uchiha clan district.


    Tonan had just arrived at the door when he saw the Great Elder standing at the doorway as if he had been waiting there for a long time. He turned around and began to carefully size up Tonan.


    It was like he was the father who caught his daughter who had stayed out all night red-handed.


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    ¡°Great Elder, you are here.¡±


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    Tonan generously accepted the Great Elder¡¯s probing gaze and warmly greeted him.


    The Great Elder nodded and said, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Great Elder, please come in and sit.¡±


    Tonan opened the courtyard door and invited the Great Elder into his house. Immediately on sitting down, the Great Elder impatiently asked, ¡°Morning today, Sarutobi Hiruzen announced he will accept you as his student. How did you do it?¡±


    When the Great Elder heard this news, he was greatly shocked. Tonan replied with a doubtful tone while boiling the tea, ¡°Is that really so strange?¡±


    The Great Elder took a deep breath, ¡°There¡¯s no doubt you are talented. If that old man accepted you as his student earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised. But now, his sons have just died, so this matter is dubious. You¡¯ve to be careful that he might be plotting something.¡±


    In the Great Elder¡¯s eyes, there was nothing good about the Sarutobi clan. The Sarutobis never treated the Uchihas well. Therefore, the Great Elder found Hiruzen taking Tonan as his student extremely suspicious.


    Tonan pushed a cup of tea toward the Great Elder, and replied with a smile, ¡°Sensei accepted me as his student because I have all chakra attributes.¡± He lightly patted the Great Elder¡¯s hand and consoled, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±


    After thinking about it carefully, the Great Elder was still suspicious. He tapped the table with his finger a few times, and emphasized again, ¡°But his sons have just died.¡±


    Tonan chuckled and leisurely said, ¡°Perhaps, I¡¯m a substitute.¡±


    The Great Elder touched his chin and thought about this explanation for a moment, ¡°That¡¯s possible¡­ If this is the case, as long as you have enough merits, that old man Sarutobi might really support you to become the Hokage in the future. Sarutobi clan combined with Ino-Shika-Cho, plus our Uchiha clan¡­ This is very good¡­¡±


    The more the Great Elder thought, the more excited he became. He then picked up the teacup and drank tea. The scalding hot tea burnt his tongue. He quickly placed down the teacup and tears streamed down his eyes.


    Tonan ignored him and blew the teacup in front of him, asking casually, ¡°By the way, did Great Elder tell other clan members about me?¡±


    The Great Elder was startled hearing his question and replied with a smile, ¡°I was only testing you last time. How can I reveal something like this?¡±


    ¡°It seems this old man is preparing to use this secret as a trump card to control me.¡±


    The hot steam from the tea made Tonan narrow his eyes. Immediately afterward, he sincerely said, ¡°In fact, Great Elder can inform some of the young and promising clan members. In the future, when I¡¯m full-fledged, they can become my important teammates. As for the old clan members, it¡¯s alright to not let them worry about it. I fear they lack hot blood and harbor selfish motives, which will be detrimental to the clan¡¯s greater cause.¡±


    The Great Elder raised his eyebrows and exclaimed, ¡°You really think so?¡±


    Tonan smiled slightly, picked up the teapot, and refilled the Great Elder¡¯s teacup. ¡°I¡¯ve never lied to you.¡±


    The Great Elder thought about it and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true. Well, then I won¡¯t impose on you any longer. From now on, the Uchiha clan will depend on you.¡±


    Tonan pointed to the teacup in front of the Great Elder and said, ¡°Great Elder, you should finish drinking the tea before leaving.¡±


    The Great Elder, however, stood up and waved his hand, ¡°No, this is a crucial time, it will be bad for you if I stay here for too long.¡±


    The Great Elder realized the situation was different now. With Tonan here, as long as he waited until Tonan became the Hokage, the Uchiha clan would rise without shedding blood. For the sake of the future of the clan, the Great Elder had a sense of propriety.


    He couldn¡¯t get too close to Tonan. Thinking of this, the Great Elder turned around and prepared to leave.


    Suddenly, Tonan said, ¡°Great Elder, you should pay more attention to Shisui.¡±


    The Great Elder¡¯s steps paused. He then turned around and asked with a confused look, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Shisui?¡±


    Tonan said looking serious, ¡°Shisui¡¯s talent is far superior to mine.¡±


    The Great Elder was taken aback. After a while, he suspiciously asked, ¡°Is what you said true?¡± Tonan nodded solemnly and pointed to his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m almost touching that realm. So, I can sense Shisui¡¯s great potential. He can awaken more easily than me.¡±


    A hint of surprise flashed through the Great Elder¡¯s eyes. He then took a deep breath and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Alright, got it.¡± He walked out with his hands behind his back. The Great Elder believed at least seventy percent of Tonan¡¯s words. Because Tonan had absolutely no reason to lie to him.


    ¡°It seems that I should focus on supervising Shisui¡¯s training.¡±


    Tonan knew it was difficult for him to evolve his Sharingan by relying on the so-called emotional fluctuations. But he had a system. As long as he gained Shisui¡¯s acknowledgment after Shisui awakened the Mangekyo¡­


    Tonan, of course, had one more option, which was to purely rely on the stacking of ocular powers. To be on the safer side, he intended to pursue both options simultaneously. After all, these two paths weren¡¯t in conflict, and could even complement each other.


    This way, it would be twice the result with half the effort.

 CH 107

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    Notes:


    Qin Shihuang, or the First Emperor, is a dead scam. Using text messages, the scammer claimed himself to be the descendent of Qin Shihuang and that he had billions of assets but needed money to unfreeze them. And that after the assets are accessible, he would return the money tenfold or more.


    An adamantine body refers to formidable protective armor and some damage


    After thinking about how he could power up further, Uchiha Tonan took out two pieces of wood and got up. He walked to his front yard under the eaves. The paths of his courtyard were paved with a special kind of sandstone. The texture was soft, and the permeability was high. The price was not cheap either.


    Even if it was soaked in rain, it wouldn¡¯t stick to the feet. Tonan sat under the eaves, looking at the footprints on the path. The three tomoe in his eyes were spinning slowly.


    Using the Byakugan, he carefully observed the footprints. He then took out a kunai and began to carefully carve the wood.


    The Great Elder was someone who valued the clan above all else. Tonan was sure that as long as he had a firm foothold among the Konoha top authorities, the Great Elder would discreetly begin demanding benefits for the clan using his secrets.


    Tonan was also certain he would gain the Great Elder¡¯s acknowledgment. Tonan¡¯s life philosophy was to hold his future in his grasp but from his viewpoint, it was not difficult to gain the Uchiha clan¡¯s acknowledgment.


    The more paranoid people were, the greater was their spiritual weakness. As long as he found the right way, it would be very easy to gain their recognition. To put it bluntly, the Uchiha clan members were gullible.


    If they were in his previous world, they wouldn¡¯t even report even if they were scammed of everything including their underpants. After all, they believed in the Eye of the Moon Plan, which was as outrageous as saying Qin Shihuang is not a dead scam. They were different from politicians such as Sarutobi Hiruzen who would instinctively be on guard against others. Tonan suspected that Hiruzen was vigilant even against his wife.


    Half an hour later, Tonan carved two wooden shoes. The size and outline of the wooden shoes and the bottom lines were exactly the same as the Great Elder¡¯s shoeprints.


    Tonan picked up the wooden shoes, sized them up carefully, and muttered, ¡°Small feet and narrow structure.¡± He put the wooden shoes into his ninja bag and turned around to enter the house.


    In the evening, Hiruzen returned home with a tired look on his face. He pushed open the courtyard door and was shocked to see his house¡¯s condition. The white pine tree in the center of the yard still stood straight, but the soil under it had been tilled and watered. The pillars that were painted red on the corridor were carefully wiped clean, showing their original elegant appearance.


    Hiruzen, who was always busy, had no time to clean up the house. As a result, a lot of dead twigs and withered leaves littered the courtyard. But now, he could see that the ground was clean and tidy. Even the lawn grass, on both sides of the path, had crystal clear water droplets reflecting on their surface.


    At a distance, all sorts of clothes and garments filled his vision as they fluttered lightly along with the breeze. The evening sun was not too bright, leaving only a faint afterglow in the sky.


    But under this gentle light, the entire courtyard seemed warmer. A faint fragrance wafted in the air. As it soothed his senses, Hiruzen¡¯s mind and body which had faced a busy workday, felt incomparably warm.


    It was the smell of home¡­


    ¡°Sensei, you are back.¡± In the courtyard¡¯s corner, Tonan was on his tiptoe, picking up a piece of cloth. He looked towards Hiruzen and smiled gently.


    There was a pile of clothes on his left arm that was just washed and dried in the sun. Hiruzen saw this and couldn¡¯t help smiling, ¡°Tonan, thank you for your hard work, but many of these clothes were already washed.¡±


    Tonan shook his head, ¡°Washed clothes smell moldy after some time and it¡¯s uncomfortable to wear them.¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s heart became warmer, and he was a little moved. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Seeing that many clothes were still left, he offered to give a hand but Tonan hastily stopped him. ¡°Sensei, let me do all this. You work hard all day long, and you have to teach me ninjutsu as well. Go ahead and rest for some time. I do these things often so I¡¯m used to them. I¡¯m not tired at all.¡±


    Hiruzen hesitated for a while, but seeing the stubborn expression on the boy¡¯s face, he relented, ¡°Tonan, you are kind.¡±


    Tonan worked faster and finished picking up all the clothes in about an hour. He folded and placed them in Hiruzen¡¯s closet.


    Tonan was doing so much for Hiruzen, but it was not for the Hokage¡¯s strength. Hiruzen had no special bloodline limit, and his chakra reserve was also just a little higher than that of ordinary elite ninjas. Although Hiruzen knew a lot of ninjutsu, these things could be learned.


    Tonan¡¯s goal was Hiruzen¡¯s protection and¡­ his summoning beast ¡ª Monkey King Enma.


    Enma was an adamantine body. It was not an active skill but a passive one and when it turned into Ruyi Bang, its defense power was several times greater. For Tonan, its allure was even superior to that of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.


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    During dinner, Tonan intentionally or unintentionally brought up the Uchiha clan. Hiruzen said while chewing his food, ¡°This is the Uchiha¡¯s innate nature, they are not particularly likable.¡±


    Tonan shook his head gently and began to express his views. ¡°No, in fact, most of the children in the clan are very innocent and lovable. Children are a piece of blank paper. How they grow in the future depends on their parents¡¯ and elders¡¯ upbringing and the environment they are exposed to.¡±


    ¡°I know this from experience. Most Uchiha clan members pursue strict education and children tend to subconsciously imitate their parents¡¯ behavior and bearing. There is little love and warmth in the family. Relatives are more like strangers.¡±


    ¡°When children encounter setbacks, their parents don¡¯t comfort them. On the contrary, they taunt and hurl abuse in an attempt to stimulate the child¡¯s self-esteem, making them strive for perfection.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded and spit out the bones in his mouth, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have such insights on upbringing.¡±


    Tonan scratched his head, looking embarrassed, when Hiruzen praised him, then lowered his voice, ¡°This is just my personal opinion. Just like today, when the Great Elder came looking for me after I returned home, I saw him treating Shisui so sternly. It¡¯s truly¡­¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s hands paused hearing Tonan¡¯s words. He narrowed his eyes and seemed to ask casually, ¡°Did Tenzou come to meet you?¡±


    Tonan nodded while chewing, ¡°Yes, the Great Elder hastily came to my house this afternoon and told me a lot of things. He continuously said, don¡¯t forget the clan, must put the clan above all else, and so on.¡±


    Although Hiruzen was not happy about Uchiha Tenzou trying to rope in Tonan but seeing that Tonan did not hide the Great Elder¡¯s visit, he couldn¡¯t help showing a triumphant smile.


    ¡°Tenzou is still the same.¡±

 CH 108

    Uchiha Tonan tilted his head slightly and said, ¡°Why do I always feel the Great Elder is very strange towards me. Although he¡¯s always smiling, it gives me a dangerous and insane vibe. I even suspect something¡­¡±


    Sarutobi Hiruzen lit up the smoke pipe and inhaled it. Smoking after the meal, this taste¡­


    ¡°Suspect what?¡±


    Tonan hesitated for a moment before replying in a low voice, ¡°I suspect the Great Elder murdered Teno-san.¡± Hiruzen frowned hearing this and asked, ¡°What made you think that?¡±


    With an unsure expression, Tonan looked at Hiruzen and said, ¡°Because Tetsugo-san had a very good relationship with Teno-san. When the incident happened, they were exchanging pointers. But Teno-san died under the Great Fireball Technique. I suspect that the Great Elder wanted to make Tetsugo-san¡¯s Sharingan evolve.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I, who was useless at the time, witnessed the scene, and awakened the Sharingan by accident. And the Great Elder thinks I have more potential than Tetsugo-san. So, he simply executed Tetsugo-san to avoid exposing this.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and nodded, thinking that the conjecture was plausible. After all, the Anbu did want to investigate the incident but the Great Elder obstructed it citing it as the clan¡¯s internal matter, which was indeed somewhat suspicious.


    It appears there were secrets to this after all. But a long time had passed, and these were two young geniuses of the Uchiha clan. Even if the clan killed each other until only the last one remained, Hiruzen wouldn¡¯t bother to intervene.


    However, in front of Tonan, his new student, Hiruzen had to maintain the right image. ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡±


    Tonan shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have evidence. I was too weak at that time and didn¡¯t notice anything. I was also naive enough to believe what I saw. But over the years, I keep recalling what happened and the more I think about it, the stranger I feel. Perhaps, I¡¯m thinking too much.¡±


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    Hiruzen smiled and said, ¡°A long time has passed since the incident. Even if you wanted to investigate, you won¡¯t find anything. Honestly speaking, Tonan, you are truly a good person. I fear not even a handful still remember those two dead young Uchihas. You¡¯re probably the only one still thinking about them.¡±


    Tonan sighed and said, ¡°I hope this is just my wild guess. Oh, that¡¯s right, I recently discovered a genius.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke, immediately becoming interested.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Tonan drank the soup without raising his head and said, ¡°The grandson of the Great Elder. His name is Uchiha Shisui. I feel his talent is stronger than Kakashi¡¯s. I¡¯m thinking of finding a chance to teach him about the Will of Fire. He is a gentle and intelligent child. He¡¯ll definitely be able to absorb such advanced ideals.¡±


    ¡°Genius is great but is his character good? If I remember correctly, that little guy is also Kagami¡¯s descendent.¡±


    Hiruzen narrowed his eyes making it difficult to guess what he was thinking. Not long after, the two finished their meal. Hiruzen pretended to reach out to help wash the dishes. Tonan hastily got up and covered the leftovers on the table. He said with a frown, ¡°I¡¯ll do it, father.¡±


    Just as these words fell, both of them were stunned for a while. The atmosphere was a little warm¡­ Tonan¡¯s ears tips became red, and he kept scratching his head. Finally, Hiruzen coughed lightly to break the awkward atmosphere.


    Tonan picked up the dishes and chopsticks and brought them to the kitchen to wash. At this moment, Hiruzen came to the kitchen door while smoking, and a smile couldn¡¯t help appearing on his face.


    ¡°Tonan, it¡¯s hard for you.¡±


    ¡°These are trivial things, sensei¡­¡±


    When saying the word ¡®sensei¡¯, Tonan¡¯s tone was a bit low-spirited. A little dissatisfaction could be vaguely heard¡­ Hiruzen felt an impulse but he instantly suppressed it due to various misgivings.


    Tonan changed the subject and said, ¡°Sensei, I want to build a welfare institution in Konoha.¡±


    Hiruzen raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Why did you think of doing something like this?¡±


    Tonan looked sympathetic and raised his head. He sighed softly. ¡°The war has brought many sufferings to people. Especially to the elderly and children. Although Konoha has a compensation mechanism and special welfare to guarantee their survival, loneliness and pain need love to be healed.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s movement paused after saying this and his eyes were full of yearning, ¡°I want Konoha¡¯s orphans to grow up under the sunlight. I want the elderly to always have younger generations take care of them and show care for them.¡±


    Hiruzen looked at Tonan and felt that even he, as a Hokage, could be considered unworthy compared to the young boy. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll draft a report tomorrow, and make the higher-ups cast a vote. I believe something like this will be approved smoothly. It¡¯s just that Konoha¡¯s funds are a bit tight right now, and it may take a long time to build the institution.¡±


    ¡°When it¡¯s done, you can become the dean. And I can issue a long-term mission to you in Konoha¡¯s name. But this mission can only be set as an A-rank at the highest.¡±


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    Tonan was speechless. Going by Hiruzen¡¯s words, there was basically no need for him to spend money, and his wish would be achieved in the name of the village.


    Moreover, Hiruzen would give him the dean¡¯s position and issue him a long-term A-ranked mission. In other words, the village would spend money and effort, and he just needed to sit back and reap the benefits.


    The issue was whether this mission was safe.


    ¡°Is this how Konoha¡¯s crown prince is treated!?¡±


    ¡°Sensei, I¡¯m actually rich,¡± Tonan turned around and said to Hiruzen with a serious look. A hint of a smile flashed through Hiruzen¡¯s eyes as he blew out smoke and asked, ¡°Do you know how much it would cost to build a welfare institution?¡±


    Tonan shook his head and hesitated for a moment. Then he lowered his voice, ¡°I only have 600 million Ryo. Will that be enough?¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s eyes widened and the smoke pipe in his hand almost fell to the ground. Realizing that he lost his self-control, he straightened his expression and curiously asked, ¡°Where did you get so much money?¡±


    Tonan lowered his head and stared at his toes. He cautiously replied, ¡°When I was in the Fire Capital, I wiped out all the underground organizations in my jurisdiction. But I didn¡¯t hand over the black money, instead I¡­ I embezzled it.¡±


    Tonan lowered his head in front of Hiruzen, waiting for a scolding, much like a child who made a mistake.

 CH 109

    ¡°How can anyone say this about themselves? Tonan, why are you so honest?¡± Sarutobi Hiruzen was relieved to hear where the money came from.


    He asked Tonan, ¡°Did you plan to build a welfare institution from the very beginning? I remember the day when you had come to report your Fire Capital mission, you said you had adopted many orphans.¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°The first dark organization I wiped out was the human trafficking organization. Life has been very tough for those children. No one in the Fire Capital cared about them. I had no money then either, and I feared I wouldn¡¯t be able to support them, so I embezzled the money from that organization.¡±


    ¡°Later, I thought about it and simply embezzled all the money from other underground organizations. I thought the best plan was to build a welfare institution in Konoha and let all the orphans and elder people live there.¡±


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    Tonan¡¯s face seemed to emit a light of justice as he narrated his thoughts. Hiruzen leaned on the door frame and blew out more smoke, ¡°I can procure the land needed for the institution in the village¡¯s name. To build the different facilities, about 200 million Ryo is enough. Keep the remaining money for yourself.¡±


    However, Tonan looked up and said with a stubborn look, ¡°Sensei, please use the money to buy the land. After all, this money doesn¡¯t originate in the right way. It¡¯s black money. Using it to do a good deed is better. Moreover, if you acquire the land in the village¡¯s name, then I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll have to take care of many people. Using this money could avoid any future troubles. And it would also be a kind of guarantee for those orphans and elderly people.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke. He never thought Tonan was so generous. He liked him even more now. ¡°If you truly want to spend it to buy the land, then you might not have anything left. Are you sure?¡±


    Tonan said looking righteous, ¡°Money is worldly possession, talent is priceless. Even if all 600 million Ryo is spent, I can earn more later.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded with a smile, ¡°Alright, what did you have in mind for the location and the size of the welfare institution?¡±


    Tonan thought for a while and replied,  ¡°Any place with people bustling around is fine. If the place is too remote, I worry they¡¯ll be isolated. As for the size, the bigger the better. If the money is not enough, I will think of a way to earn more.¡±


    The land in the golden district would have room for appreciation. Not knowing the result was gambling, but foreseeing it was an investment. Now, he would use the black money to build a welfare institution.


    Later, in the future, after he had power, he would sell the welfare institution and start another one in the village¡¯s name. The money would then be laundered and the people would be whitewashed. The move was very comprehensive.


    Hiruzen thought for a while, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll start doing it tomorrow. I believe it will be done in a month at the most.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s eyes were full of gratitude. He bowed deeply to Hiruzen, ¡°Thank you, sensei¡­¡±


    Hiruzen waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing, don¡¯t worry. When the opportunity is right, I¡¯ll increase the funding. At that time, you can allocate the budget to raise the orphans and elderly people as you please.¡±


    Sure enough, holding on to Hiruzen made things convenient. As the quasi-prince of Konoha, as long as he was righteous, he could do whatever he pleased.


    ¡­¡­


    After training for two hours in Hiruzen¡¯s house, Tonan was returning to the Uchiha district. While passing through the commercial street, he happened to meet Namikaze Minato and the new Team Nine. Minato was walking in the front, and Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were following behind.


    Tonan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Hiruzen wanted to bring Kakashi out of the darkness, so he specially arranged for Obito and Rin to be under Minato¡¯s tutelage. Minato was the first to greet, ¡°Tonan, long time no see.¡±


    Tonan bowed, ¡°Minato-sensei, long time no see.¡±


    At this time, Obito shouted, ¡°Tonan, why did you kill Kakashi¡¯s father?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Kakashi gave a stern look to Obito. He then walked towards Tonan, step by step, and said, ¡°Hatake-style will not lose.¡±


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    Tonan took a deep breath and coldly said, ¡°Will your empty words fight for you?¡±


    Kakashi¡¯s pupils shrank. Clang.


    Before anyone could react, Tonan had already pulled out the White Fang Blade from Kakashi¡¯s back and placed it on his neck. Tonan¡¯s bloodthirsty look made Obito and Rin panic.


    ¡°Kakashi!¡±


    ¡°Let go of Kakashi¡­ Minato Sensei, release me.¡±


    ¡°What amazing speed!¡± Minato sighed in his heart, grabbing Obito¡¯s collar from the back.


    Tonan moved his head in front of Kakashi, and like an evil villain, he said, ¡°Those who have lost their rationality will train desperately and blindly. They would comfort themselves that physical exhaustion meant they were working hard. But that is nothing more than the weak¡¯s reason to slack. The real hard effort needs the use of the brain. Reflect on your deficiencies and rectify them. This is the real effort.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s eyes were ruthless and cold, and they gradually became scarlet¡­ Hell Viewing Technique!


    Kakashi suddenly noticed it was already daytime and he was in the Hatake household¡¯s backyard. He knew this was an illusion but he was slightly hesitant to break the genjutsu. After all, forcibly breaking the genjutsu would cause damage to the genjutsu caster.


    Puff~ The sound of a sharp blade piercing through a body could be heard. Kakashi turned around and saw that Tonan, holding a tanto, had ruthlessly pierced through Hatake Sakumo¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Father¡­¡± Kakashi roared angrily and rushed over. He hugged Sakumo¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°Hatake style is just so-so,¡± Tonan, who held a bloody chakra tanto, indifferently looked at the wailing Kakashi and said, ¡°Kakashi, it¡¯s your turn to go on your way now.¡±


    He then kicked the White Fang Blade in front of Kakashi. ¡°The best way to overcome fear is to face it. Look at you now, you don¡¯t even dare to pick up the sword.¡±


    Tonan looked down at the kneeling Kakashi and taunted him. Kakashi looked over, his eyes filled with hatred. He slowly put down Sakumo¡¯s corpse and grabbed the White Fang Blade, swinging it towards Tonan.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    Ding, ding.


    Puff~


    A chakra tanto stabbed Kakashi¡¯s heart with ease. Tonan shook his head and said with a wicked smile, ¡°You are boring me, Kakashi.¡±


    Everything in front of Kakashi went dark. When the light returned, he found himself standing in the courtyard again.


    Another familiar scene!


    Kakashi immediately turned his head.


    Puchi~


    A sharp blade pierced through Sakumo¡¯s heart again.

 CH 110

    Hatake Kakashi clenched his hands, trying his best to restrain the resentment in his heart. At the same time, he was also surprised that Tonan was able to maintain genjutsu for so long.


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    ¡°Your ocular power is so powerful,¡± Kakashi forced himself to maintain his calm. Tonan kicked the White Fang Blade in front of him again and slowly raised the chakra tanto. He pointed it at Kakashi and said, ¡°My strength is far beyond your imagination. How else would I able to kill Konoha¡¯s White Fang?¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Kakashi grabbed the White Fang Blade and rushed towards Tonan again.


    Ding, ding, ding.


    Puchi~


    Tonan shook his head, looking down at the dying Kakashi with disdain, ¡°A beast can never defeat a sane hunter.¡±


    Everything in front of Kakashi became dark, and everything repeated, again.


    ¡°Useless¡­¡±


    ¡°So detestable¡­¡±


    Ding, ding, ding, ding.


    Puchi~


    Kakashi didn¡¯t know how many times he went through the same sequence over and over again. By now, when he saw Tonan killing Sakumo, there was no chaos in his heart. The two fought again and then again.


    ¡°Use all your power in every move. I guess that¡¯s how you trained. There are many flaws in the Hatake style sword technique, and it doesn¡¯t use full power in every move when fighting an opponent. But you have even forgotten such a simple truth, and you still think you are working hard¡­. You idiot!¡±


    Even while hearing Tonan¡¯s insults, he couldn¡¯t come to hate him in his heart. He was even a little grateful¡­


    ¡°The sword technique is dead, but people are alive¡­ Your sword technique doesn¡¯t have your will, it¡¯s all just moves¡­ After the horizontal slash, it¡¯s a backhand straight stab¡­ Yes, White Fang-sama taught it like that¡­ But did you ever think I would also know about it? You are using something I am familiar with to deal with me¡­ what¡¯s the point of that?¡±


    Bang.


    After Tonan¡¯s guidance, Kakashi was not killed. He blocked the attack at a critical moment. It was just that because of his unskilled move, Tonan pinpointed his flaw and kicked him flying. The scene scattered again.


    Then, the two returned to reality. Kakashi¡¯s forehead was covered with sweat, and he seemed to be tired.


    On the other hand, Tonan¡¯s face was deathly pale. His legs were also trembling slightly and bloody tears were flowing down from the corners of his eyes.


    Kakashi was startled and took a step forward subconsciously. Tonan, however, snorted coldly and straightened his back. He threw the White Fang Blade on the ground, and indifferently said, ¡°You¡¯ve disappointed me too much.¡±


    After saying this, he directly walked past Kakashi. The group watched Tonan¡¯s back until he disappeared around the street corner. Minato patted Kakashi on the shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°It seems you had a good harvest.¡±


    Kakashi lowered his head and said lightly, ¡°It turned out I¡¯ve been going about it the wrong way.¡±


    Honestly speaking, Kakashi didn¡¯t hate Tonan from the very beginning. He just didn¡¯t know how to deal with it. He wanted to forgive and reconcile, but he also felt that he should be more reserved. Tonan, after all, was his father¡¯s killer¡­


    Minato could see that Kakashi had realized his mistake, and the smile on his face became brighter. He turned to look at Obito who was lost in thought and said, ¡°Obito, you also did pretty well. I thought you¡¯d recklessly attack Tonan.¡±


    Obito¡¯s face sank and he suddenly shouted, ¡°Hey, do you think I couldn¡¯t see it? That, however, was a genjutsu of three-tomoe Sharingan. How can there be such a serious effect?¡±


    Kakashi felt his eyes were a bit sour. He sighed and said, ¡°Minato-sensei, I¡¯ll go back home.¡± Kakashi left by himself after that.


    ¡°Minato-sensei, what happened just now? Tell us as well.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell us, tell us¡­¡±


    ¡°After I tell you two, you cannot go around talking about it in front of Kakashi.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    After Tonan returned home, his face became healthy and fine again. That gimmick was not meant for Kakashi but for Minato and Obito. He wanted to plant a seed of friendship and wait for it to sprout. After all, the space ninjutsu was a good thing.


    Time passed quickly. Five days flew past in the blink of an eye. Since the drizzle of that night, Konoha had sunny weather every day. Although it was already autumn, the continuous sunny days made the temperature rise slowly, making it a little hot.


    Hiruzen had not progressed on the welfare institution matter yet. The land located at the center of Konoha didn¡¯t meet the needed size. And it seemed that Hiruzen would be arranging his subordinates to persuade those residents to relocate.


    During this time, Tonan had been observing the Great Elder and Shisui through Wind Communication and white pigeons. The Great Elder didn¡¯t need to work. He always wandered around the clan district every day.


    As for Shisui, he trained hard every day. Only at noon, the hottest time of the day, the Great Elder would let him go out to play with others. All the children would go to a small river on the edge of the clan district to play.


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    Although this place was small and a bit boring, it was already a happy thing for Shisui, who had to train all day long.


    ¡­¡­


    In the middle of the night, just a few scattered stars shone faintly in the night sky. A dark shadow appeared by the river upstream. The shadow seemed to be holding something in his hands, and pressed it hard on the riverbank¡­


    The next day, Tonan left the Sarutobi clan district in the morning and returned home to cook. At noon, the clan district¡¯s people returned home for lunch.


    Tonan placed the prepared meals in the basket, walked out of the courtyard, and went to the Great Elder¡¯s house. He called out, ¡°Great Elder, are you home?¡±


    The Great Elder opened the courtyard door, and the curious Shisui poked out his head from behind him as well. ¡°Tonan, why are you here?¡±


    Tonan brought the basket in front of him and replied with a gentle smile, ¡°I made something but I think I can¡¯t finish it all by myself, so I came to eat together with you two.¡±


    The Great Elder smiled and nodded his head, ¡°Come in.¡±


    In the living room, Tonan took out the food and placed it on the table. Shisui stared at Tonan with an innocent smile and said, ¡°Tonan-san¡­¡±


    Tonan rubbed Shisui¡¯s hair with a doting look. He picked a piece of dessert on the table and handed it over to him. ¡°Shisui, try this dessert.¡±


    Shisui looked at the orange dessert that Tonan passed and kept swallowing saliva. But he still resisted the temptation and looked at the Great Elder with anticipation.


    Seeing Shisui¡¯s current appearance, the Great Elder shook his head with a smile and said, ¡°Go ahead, eat it.¡±


    Having received the permission, Shisui took the dessert and thanked Tonan with a smile. Then, he took a bite. Immediately afterward, his eyes lit up, and he narrowed them while sweetly chewing, ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±

 CH 111

    Uchiha Tonan smiled and moved all the desserts on the table in front of Uchiha Shisui. ¡°Eat as much as you like. These desserts contain very little sugar. I¡¯ve also added many nutritious vegetables, which are good for physical development.¡±


    The Great Elder took a sip of alcohol and said, ¡°Tonan, you don¡¯t need to spoil him like this.¡±


    Tonan quietly watched Shisui, who kept stuffing dessert in his mouth. He then smiled and rubbed Shisui¡¯s head, ¡°How is this spoiling him, Great Elder? You¡¯re treating me as an outsider. From the first time I saw Shisui, I like him very much.¡±


    The Great Elder shook his head, ¡°This kid is very naughty at home.¡±


    Tonan looked at Shisui, and a look of reminiscing flashed through his eyes. ¡°I can see Teno-san¡¯s shadow in Shisui. The same integrity, honesty.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± The moment Tonan said this, the Great Elder choked on alcohol. Tonan seemed to realize the folly and hastily explained, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I was simply referring to the feeling of closeness and love in my heart.¡±


    The Great Elder smiled stiffly, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Not long after, Shisui¡¯s stomach was round. He then took the juice from Tonan and drank it in big gulps. The Great Elder kept watching Tonan during the entire meal. He noticed that Tonan looked at Shisui with an inexplicable gaze from time to time.


    He immediately urged Shisui, ¡°Shisui, go and play with your friends.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    After eating his fill, Shisui was sated and became even happier when he heard the Great Elder letting him go out to play. Therefore, he put down the juice and wiped his mouth, waving at Tonan, ¡°Tonan-san, goodbye.¡±


    Tonan smiled brightly, ¡°Goodbye, little Shisui.¡±


    Only after Shisui ran out, Tonan did retract his eyes. Then, he chatted with the Great Elder. In the conversation, the Great Elder casually asked, ¡°Tonan, you seem to have something on your mind.¡±


    As if something was indeed stuck in his mind but he did not want to let it show, Tonan took a sip of the juice and replied, ¡°No, no¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    The Great Elder smiled stiffly and stopped asking. When it felt like it was almost time, Tonan suddenly asked, ¡°On such a hot day, you let Shisui go out to play, aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll get a heatstroke?¡±


    The Great Elder waved his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He has been going to the river to take a bath with other children these days.¡±


    Just after he finished speaking, Tonan suddenly got up and bowed to the Great Elder, ¡°I¡¯ve some work to attend to now. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, he immediately packed the plates and rushed out. Before the Great Elder had the chance to even stand up and escort the guest out, Tonan had already left the courtyard. The Great Elder narrowed his eyes, feeling something was wrong.


    Suddenly, Tonan¡¯s words appeared in his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to touch that realm¡­¡±


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    ¡°I can see Teno-san¡¯s shadow in Shisui¡­ The same integrity, honesty.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°This is bad,¡± the Great Elder yelled out, his eyes filled with horror. He ran outside. He headed straight to Tonan¡¯s courtyard and knocked on the door. However, even after knocking for a while, no one answered.


    The Great Elder felt uneasy in his heart. ¡°Damn! He must have gone looking for Shisui. Damn it!¡±


    The Great Elder used the Body Flicker Technique and ran towards the small river outside the clan district. Because of the hot weather, Shisui had been playing in the river with other children every day.


    ¡°Be alright, Shisui¡­ you¡¯ve to be fine¡­¡± The Great Elder used the Body Flicker Technique with all his power as he kept mumbling to himself. He was very anxious. Judging from what Tonan said just now, he seemed to already have the thought to make a move on Shisui. If Tonan found him first, everything would be over!


    After the Great Elder left, Tonan walked out of the room with wet hair, opened the courtyard door, and looked left and right, a little puzzled. Seeing a neighbor who was standing at the door chatting, he asked, ¡°I was taking a shower just now, and I seem to hear someone knock on my door. Do you know who it was?¡±


    Tonan¡¯s neighbor was a jonin. Seeing the person who called him out was the notorious Tonan, he angrily said, ¡°It was the Great Elder but he has already left.¡±


    Tonan wasn¡¯t angry at all, and asked with a smile, ¡°Would you know where the Great Elder went?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll wait for him at home.¡±


    Bang. The neighbor invited his friends into the house and slammed the door shut.


    Tonan still had no trace of anger on his face but the corners of his mouth rose slightly. He then looked up at the sun and narrowed his eyes. Chuckling, he shook his head and returned to the house.


    Meanwhile, in the small river outside the clan district¡­


    ¡°Shisui, you came to play so early today.¡±


    ¡°Look, Shisui¡¯s stomach is so big.¡±


    ¡°I ate too many desserts for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way, I¡¯m coming!¡±


    Bang, splash!


    ¡°The water is so cool.¡±


    ¡°Come here, come here, there¡¯s a fish here.¡±


    ¡°Oops, it ran away.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Soon, the Great Elder appeared not far away. Seeing the children playing in the river, the stone pressing on his heart fell. He looked around but didn¡¯t see Tonan anywhere. He touched his chin and muttered, ¡°Was I thinking too much?¡±


    To be on the safe side anyway, the Great Elder shouted, ¡°Shisui, come back quickly.¡±


    Shisui, who was playing in the water, looked over and waved happily, ¡°Grandpa, do you want to play together?¡±


    Seeing his grandson¡¯s innocuous look, the Great Elder wanted to laugh, but he pretended to be serious and said, ¡°Come back quickly.¡±


    Hearing the Great Elder, Shisui reluctantly replied, ¡°But¡­ I just came.¡± Shisui kicked the water beside him and looked at his grandfather. He lowered his head with reluctance.


    ¡°Did you finish your training?¡±


    ¡°Finished.¡±


    ¡°Did you finish your homework?¡±


    ¡°Finished.¡±


    ¡°Then do it again.¡±


    ¡°Alright~¡±


    The honest Shisui pouted and swam ashore. He then put on his clothes and left with the Great Elder.


    ¡°Great Elder is so scary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s too much.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, I don¡¯t have such a grandpa.¡±


    After the Great Elder left, in the jungle that was upstream of the river, Tonan¡¯s shadow clone stuck his head out from behind a tree trunk. He then made hand seals.


    Water Style ¨C Water Undercurrent Technique.


    Instantly, the flow of water at the bottom of the river accelerated. However, the water flow on the surface was still gentle. There was no difference in the slightest.


    The children downstream only felt the disappearance of buoyancy, and they quickly sank. Moreover, when their toes touched the torrential undercurrent below, they were immediately dragged into the water.


    They did not even get the time to shout, and only some bubbles remained. Everything ended quietly. After doing this, the shadow clone disappeared as well.

 CH 112

    The instant the shadow clone disappeared, in the Uchiha clan district, Uchiha Tonan, who was sitting cross-legged under the eaves, slightly raised his eyebrows. He picked up the teacup leisurely and took a sip, and then closed his eyes to rest again, enjoying the sunlight.


    Killing people was always troublesome. And framing someone else was practical. When dealing with lower-leveled people, higher-leveled people would not have the patience to endure great lengths to investigate.


    But when dealing with people with great status and strength, no matter how clumsy the framing was, that person¡¯s opponents would help to exaggerate the ¡®evidence¡¯ and make up a reasonable explanation.


    Rather than saying it was framing somebody else, it was better to say that it was using people¡¯s will and vested interests. After thinking for a bit, Tonan muttered to himself, ¡°Aren¡¯t you very confident of the Uchiha clan? I¡¯ll see who¡¯ll shelter you when you are completely isolated.¡±


    Suddenly, via Wind Communication, Tonan heard familiar footsteps in the clan district. He squinted his eyes and got up leisurely, heading to the Great Elder¡¯s courtyard gate to wait.


    Soon, the Great Elder returned with Uchiha Shisui. They immediately spotted Tonan waiting at the door. The Great Elder coughed lightly and said, ¡°Tonan, you are here¡­¡±


    Tonan stepped forward and nodded with a smile, ¡°The neighbor told me you were looking for me, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The Great Elder felt awkward and smiled with embarrassment.


    ¡°I thought you were going to do something bad to Shisui.¡± He thought this but said out loud, ¡°Where did you go just now?¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t care about Great Elder¡¯s roundabout answer. He just smiled a little and said, ¡°I was taking a bath. The water sound was so loud I only heard faint knocking on the door. By the time I came out to check, you were already gone.¡±


    The Great Elder thought that he made a mistake at that time. He immediately found an excuse and said perfunctorily, ¡°I wanted to ask you to help bring Shisui back home for me. But it¡¯s not needed anymore.¡±


    Tonan pretended to understand and nodded, ¡°In that case, since there¡¯s nothing more, I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    Tonan left after speaking and headed toward the Sarutobi clan district. Along the way, the Uchiha clan members gave him bad looks as usual. Only a few Konoha Police Force jonin had a fanatical gaze looking at him.


    After all, in their eyes, Tonan had sacrificed too much for the clan. Not to mention talent, just enduring humiliation and fawning over Sarutobi Hiruzen was more difficult than awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan for the orthodox Uchihas.


    In the evening, when Tonan was eating dinner with Hiruzen, an Anbu suddenly came outside the courtyard and knocked on the door, ¡°Hokage-sama, I have a report.¡±


    Creak~ Tonan came to the courtyard and opened the door. He then warmly said, ¡°Senpai, come in, sensei is in the living room.¡±


    The Anbu nodded and walked quickly to the living room and knelt on one knee, ¡°Hokage-sama, there is a murder case in the Uchiha clan, seven children have died.¡±


    Hiruzen raised his eyebrows and solemnly said, ¡°Tell me more about it.¡±


    The Anbu replied, ¡°According to the information received, these seven children went to the river to bathe after lunch. In the evening, their parents went searching for them and found that there was no one in the river. Eventually, the bodies of the children were found downstream.¡±


    ¡°The initial examination showed all of them drowned and died. There were no injuries. The estimated time of death is around 2 PM. And the location of death has also been determined according to the water current speed.¡±


    Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and saw some flaws. The river in that area was not too deep. Moreover, since those children played in the river, they should be able to swim. They shouldn¡¯t have drowned all at once.


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke, ¡°Are there any suspects?¡±


    The Anbu shook his head and replied, ¡°At that time, Uchiha Fukaku came to the scene and made inquiries. He didn¡¯t allow the Anbu to intervene in this, so I don¡¯t have more details.¡±


    ¡°Seven children drowned at once, it seems that someone must have done it in secret¡­ Tonan, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Hiruzen who was guessing the incident¡¯s cause and effect glanced at Tonan but noticed his expression was not quite right. Tonan took a few steps forward and asked the Anbu with an unsightly look, ¡°Senpai, may I ask if Uchiha Shisui was among those children?¡±


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    The Anbu shook his head and replied, ¡°There¡¯s no one named Shisui among the dead.¡±


    Tonan sighed in relief but just when he was about to sit down, his eyes widened as if he thought of something. ¡°At the crime scene, did you see any child awakening the Sharingan?¡±


    The Anbu thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°Yes, a child with Uchiha Tenzou triggered the two tomoe Sharingan seeing the corpses.¡±


    As soon as the Anbu answered, Hiruzen paused smoking. And Tonan anxiously said to him, ¡°Sensei, I want to take a day off today.¡±


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    Hiruzen could guess what Tonan was thinking. He nodded and said, ¡°Go back. As long as the Uchiha clan matters don¡¯t concern outsiders, we cannot interfere.¡±


    Tonan pursed his lips and said, ¡°I understand.¡± He then turned around and left using the Body Flicker Technique. After he left, Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and said, ¡°Are you sure that the child that awakened the two tomoe Sharingan was with Uchiha Tenzou? Did he look like a three-year-old child?¡±


    The Anbu thought for a bit and confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded and then waved his hand, ¡°I got it. You can leave now.¡±


    After a while, Hiruzen leaned on the sofa and muttered, ¡°Tenzou, did you think that Tonan has betrayed the Uchiha clan, so you wanted to cultivate a more powerful genius?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    At the Uchiha clan district, as soon as Tonan arrived, he bumped into several patrolling guards. He stopped and solemnly asked, ¡°Where are those children?¡±


    At this time, the patrolling guards glanced at each other, but they didn¡¯t make things inconvenient for him. Instead, they honestly answered, ¡°They are all in the ancestral hall. The Great Elder and others are also there.¡±


    Tonan nodded and prepared to leave. Suddenly, he stopped and asked again, ¡°Did Shisui awaken the Sharingan?¡±


    The patrolling guard thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Tonan took a deep breath and said, ¡°I see.¡±


    He used the Body Flicker Technique to enter the clan district and rushed towards the ancestral hall.

 CH 113

    The patrolling team captain looked in the direction Tonan left and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, a teammate patted his shoulder and asked, ¡°Captain, what are you thinking about?¡±


    The captain was startled awake. He sighed, ¡°Nothing, I just wonder if some things are right or wrong.¡±


    That teammate looked a little sad and said, ¡°In fact, you probably have also guessed it, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The other members remained silent for a long time. They wanted to say something, but they swallowed back their words. Finally, the team captain opened his mouth, ¡°All of you, don¡¯t speak nonsense, this is just speculation.¡±


    Meanwhile outside the ancestral hall, more than a dozen guards were stationed tightly guarding the entire hall. Tonan came to the door and stopped. Then, panting heavily, he shouted, ¡°How¡¯s Shisui?¡±


    The guards at the door said coldly, ¡°Shisui is fine and he awakened the Sharingan.¡±


    Tonan immediately exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°What! He awakened the Sharingan?¡±


    Immediately after he spoke, the crying sounds from the ancestral hall suddenly stopped. After speaking, Tonan wanted to enter the ancestral hall. But the guards raised their hands, trying to stop him.


    Tonan looked anxious as he said, ¡°Let me enter.¡±


    ¡°Let Tonan enter,¡± the Great Elder¡¯s voice came from the ancestral hall. As soon as Tonan entered the hall, he saw seven corpses covered with white cloths. The parents of these dead children were kneeling next to their child¡¯s corpse. They were either bawling or weeping with grief.


    Uchiha Fugaku and the Great Elder were sitting on their knees in the innermost area. Uchiha Shisui was lying in the Great Elder¡¯s arms and sobbing non-stop at this moment. These children were his best playmates, but now, they were all lying on the ground, never to wake up again.


    The young Shisui had suddenly lost his friends. The pain in his heart was no less than that of others. The atmosphere of the entire hall was gloomy, and it was filled with women¡¯s sobbing.


    The Great Elder lowered his head to look at Shisui and then raised his head to look at Tonan, who had just entered. A hint of suspicion flashed through his eyes, but in order to avoid conflict, he concealed his doubts.


    The Great Elder was very suspicious of Tonan right now. He was wondering if Tonan had caused Shisui¡¯s friends¡¯ death to stimulate him and awaken the Sharingan to test his talent. And to make Shisui grow faster.


    But this, after all, was just a suspicion. Even if Tonan had truly done it, the Great Elder wouldn¡¯t expose it easily. After all, there was nothing wrong with Tonan doing this. A small sacrifice like this could be tolerated to strengthen the Uchiha clan.


    The Great Elder said solemnly, ¡°Tonan, you are here.¡±


    Tonan frowned and glanced at the corpses on the ground. Those small bodies were lying on the cold ground. A look of torment flashed through his eyes. He bowed to Fugaku and the Great Elder and greeted, ¡°Patriarch¡­ Great Elder.¡±


    Then, he asked, ¡°Patriarch, did you find out who did it?¡±


    Fugaku somberly answered, ¡°The clan is still investigating. There are no clues for the time being. It might just be an accident.¡±


    As soon as these words were said, the parents of the dead children looked up, their eyes wide open in disbelief. A parent among them sadly said, ¡°Patriarch! Seven children drowned at once, and you are saying it could be an accident. It has been sunny for the past few days, and there was no flood.¡±


    Fugaku was taken aback. He only mentioned the possibility of this being an accident. However, these parents were too emotional due to their child¡¯s death and he couldn¡¯t blame them.


    ¡°This matter should be investigated carefully. All of you don¡¯t be too sad and make time to bury the children.¡±


    Perhaps, these parents in the ancestral hall had heard Tonan¡¯s previous words. One of the parents raised his head and stared straight at the Great Elder, ¡°Great Elder, I have a question. Did Shisui go to the river today?¡±


    The Great Elder raised his eyebrows hearing this. He could roughly guess this parent¡¯s intention for asking such a question. But he still nodded and replied, ¡°He did but I took him away later.¡±


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    After he spoke, several other parents also raised their heads and looked at him with doubt. The Great Elder took Shisui away, and the friends, who happened to be playing with him met such a tragic fate soon after. Even if this was not his handiwork, he might have known something about it.


    ¡°Great Elder, why did you suddenly take him away?¡±


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    Several parents questioned, but the Great Elder didn¡¯t know what to say. Could he say he suspected Tonan would make a move against Shisui? Could this even be said?


    Even if he did say it, not only would no one believe him but it would also make Tonan resent him. It would cause bad results on both sides. The Great Elder coughed lightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s because Shisui hadn¡¯t completed his homework.¡±


    Suddenly, a parent asked Shisui coldly, ¡°Shisui, is what your grandfather said true?¡±


    When Shisui heard someone asking him a question, he turned around and wiped his tears. He nodded, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°So, what did you do after returning home?¡± As this question was raised, the Great Elder was stunned. He quickly looked at Shisui, hoping he wouldn¡¯t say something detrimental. Shisui too had doubts in his mind now. A moment ago, he hadn¡¯t noticed it, but now, he realized his grandfather had lied.


    Why did grandpa lie? Shisui immediately looked at the Great Elder. However, the Great Elder couldn¡¯t give any hints to him in front of everyone. He just looked gloomy. Anyone whose lie was about to be exposed would have such expression, not to mention an Uchiha.


    Seeing his grandfather was not giving him any indicators and because he didn¡¯t want to lie, Shisui decided to tell the truth. Therefore, he softly answered, ¡°I¡­ I was sleeping.¡±


    When he said, all the parents approached the Great Elder at the same time and glared at him. ¡°Great Elder, Shisui is so talented. He awakened the two tomoe Sharingan at such young age.¡±


    The Great Elder could feel everyone¡¯s hostility. He looked up and shouted, ¡°Shut up, are you all doubting me?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°We just want the truth.¡±


    Their children had died tragically. Regardless of the consequences, they had to get an explanation. Seeing the situation was anything but reassuring, Fugaku pulled the parents away and persuaded them to make peace, ¡°We still have to know the truth. I understand your feelings but we can¡¯t jump to conclusions just because of guesswork. All of you rest assured that I¡¯ll definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and give you an explanation. Bury the children first.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Since Fugaku had said so, although everyone was unwilling, they could not do anything else. There was also not enough evidence now. Therefore, they didn¡¯t dare to do anything to the Great Elder. After all, the most influential members of the Uchiha clan were the Great Elder and Uchiha Fugaku.


    Moreover, they were not senior members of the clan. Even if they continued to ask, there would be no result. They could only pick up their children¡¯s corpses and leave the ancestral hall.

 CH 114

    After everyone left, the Great Elder took a deep breath and said to Uchiha Tonan, ¡°Tonan, Fugaku and I will continue to investigate this incident. Take Shisui back with you. I entrust you to take care of him tonight.¡±


    Tonan nodded and picked up the sobbing Shisui. He patted his back, ¡°Shisui, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    After a while, the ancestral hall was still brightly lit by candles. Fugaku lightly said, ¡°Great Elder, they are very emotional now. Don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡±


    The Great Elder felt a headache. He waved his hand, ¡°I understand, but the most important thing now is to find the murderer.¡± After speaking, he frowned as if he was thinking about something.


    Tonan walked out of the ancestral hall carrying Shisui in his arms and looked at the parents carrying their children¡¯s corpses in the front. Almost all mothers were crying while holding their children and their husbands were consoling them.


    Perhaps, because of the sad atmosphere, Shisui also began to cry. Tonan patted his back with a distressed look and said, ¡°Shisui, don¡¯t be sad. It¡¯ll be over after you sleep.¡±


    Shisui laid his head on Tonan¡¯s shoulder as he cried, ¡°They¡¯re all dead¡­¡±


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    How could a little child bear such grief? Tonan sighed deeply and hugged Shisui, ¡°It¡¯s alright, look into my eyes.¡±


    He then used the hypnotic eye. ¡°Sleep, you will be fine after a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Shisui looked at three tomoe in Tonan¡¯s eyes and gradually stopped crying and slowly fell asleep. Seeing he was asleep, Tonan carried him in his arms again.


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    After passing the intersection, Tonan¡¯s lips moved. He began to use the voice transmission effect of the Wind Communication and vocal mimicry that he inexplicably obtained in the Fire Capital.


    In the next moment, the parents who had just parted ways heard the whispers of other parents behind them.


    ¡°Wait, let¡¯s go to the river and check. It¡¯s impossible for us to not find any clues.¡±


    ¡°This incident is very strange, let¡¯s go to the river.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s check upstream and downstream too.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Late at night, the fathers of the seven children quietly set out and came to the approximate location beside the river to investigate.


    ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go upstream and downstream to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Not long after, the parents gathered on the bank upstream. They activated their Sharingan and stared at the footprint on the ground. The mud beside the footprint looked wet. It was obvious that this footprint was created not long ago.


    ¡°This should be recent.¡±


    ¡°This footprint is a bit small, which proves that he is not tall. Don¡¯t you think this size is similar to that person?¡±


    ¡°Great Elder¡­¡±


    ¡°For his genius grandson, he sacrificed our children¡­¡±


    At this moment, several parents were squatting on the ground. Looking at each other, they saw hatred in each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go fight him.¡± After speaking, a man was about to rush over.


    ¡°Wait a minute, it¡¯s just a footprint. It doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± The leading man grabbed him. ¡°Also, think about it, with the Great Elder¡¯s strength, would he leave footprints behind?¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I think someone may be trying to frame the Great Elder.¡±


    ¡°Then, how do you explain that the Great Elder suddenly took Shisui away?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t done by the Great Elder, he must know something. But he only cared about his grandson.¡±


    ¡°Yes, perhaps, the Great Elder was careless, so he left behind footprints. After all, he was just dealing with a bunch of children.¡±


    ¡°I think this matter is very suspicious. We shouldn¡¯t be impulsive.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought that if this is truly done by the Great Elder, would we ever get justice?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in the eyes of the senior members of the clan, we are just useless people with no potential. No one will speak out for us.¡±


    These people lowered their heads, ashamed of lacking abilities. But after a moment of silence, one person hastily said, ¡°You guys, stay here. I¡¯ll go to ask Hokage-sama.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not crazy. I¡¯m also a Konoha citizen. And since my child is dead, what¡¯s wrong with me asking Hokage-sama for help?¡±


    Now, these parents just wanted justice for their children.


    ¡°Hokage-sama might not necessarily care about this matter.¡±


    ¡°We have no other choice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Uchiha who has died, we must find out the truth. If it¡¯s truly someone from the clan who has done it, then he should also die. That¡¯s the clan rule.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that someone might be framing the Great Elder? Then, that¡¯s perfect. Let Hokage-sama come and investigate and clear the Great Elder¡¯s name in passing.¡±


    After someone said this, all parents seemed to have made up their minds.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go find my former classmate. I recall he seemed to have joined the Anbu. He might be able to think of a way for us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone. I¡¯ll guard this place, lest someone will destroy the evidence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll also stay here.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Soon, these parents passed the news to Konoha¡¯s higher-ups through various channels. One of the parents asked his Anbu classmate for help. But he didn¡¯t know that this classmate was not from Anbu but the Root.


    The Konoha higher-ups seemed to feel this was a chance. They immediately sent a lot of people to the Uchiha clan district. After all, the Great Elder was a conservative member of the Uchiha clan. The Konoha¡¯s higher-ups hoped that he would fall into trouble because of this incident.


    As for Hiruzen and Danzo, they didn¡¯t come. Because, given their intelligence, after they learned someone found the Great Elder¡¯s footprints at the crime scene, they understood that someone was trying to frame him.


    They were peers after all and they knew each other¡¯s strengths. While killing a bunch of children, it was simply impossible for the Great Elder to leave the so-called footprints. Sending people to the Uchiha clan district was just to irritate him.


    In addition, it was to test the Uchiha clan¡¯s attitude. Because it was very likely that the real murderer would be found within two days. If they went in person now, they wouldn¡¯t be able to step down from the stage without losing face at that time.

 CH 115

    This was not going to be a quiet night for anyone. The entire Uchiha clan district was filled with clamor. Especially after the bickering of two sides outside the gate of the Uchiha clan district, the entire Uchiha clan district seemed to be on high alert.


    People could be seen passing by from time to time on the streets inside the clan district. Almost all of them were Anbu, guards, Konoha¡¯s senior officials, or the senior officials of the Uchiha clan and the deceased¡¯s family members.


    Many clan members also visited each other and gathered together to discuss things. In the living room that was lit brightly, Uchiha Tonan, who was holding the sound asleep Shisui, sat cross-legged at the doorway looking at the stars in the sky.


    Shining stars dotting the sky, combined with insects¡¯ sounds on the ground, added a dreamy filter to the scene. After a while, Tonan lowered his head and reached out his hand to pinch Shisui¡¯s chubby cheeks. A smile appeared on his face. There was one thing Tonan didn¡¯t lie about. He indeed liked this silly boy Shisui.


    He had the innocence and liveliness of Asura, and he also inherited the Uchiha clan¡¯s stubbornness in his bloodline. He was simple-minded, and it was very easy to deceive him. His eyes were also crystal clear, filled with an innocence that belonged to a child, making it hard not to like him.


    When Tonan pinched him, he turned his head over, rubbed his face twice, and then continued to sleep. Time passed little by little.


    Tonan felt a little annoyed, hearing the sounds of crying, shouting, and scolding. So, he deactivated the Wind Communication. ¡°It¡¯s peaceful now.¡±


    Just then, Shisui woke up and rubbed his eyes as if he had forgotten what had happened before. Then, looking at Tonan, who had a gentle look, he weakly called out, ¡°Tonan-san~¡±


    Tonan smiled warmly and stroked the back of his head. ¡°You woke up? Was it uncomfortable to sleep here?¡±


    Shisui shook his head and looked around, asking in a panic, ¡°Where¡¯s grandpa?¡± Tonan helped Shisui sit up and gently answered, ¡°Great Elder is dealing with things.¡±


    Shisui seemed to remember what happened before, and tears filled his eyes. He was unable to endure the pain of losing his playmates. Tonan hastily consoled him, ¡°Shisui, men don¡¯t cry.¡±


    When Shisui heard this, he blinked, holding back tears that were threatening to overflow, and said, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Seeing that Shisui was unable to endure, Tonan shook his head and carried him to the living room. He walked to the place where the wood carvings were enshrined and said, ¡°Come, which one do you want to play with?¡±


    Shisui wiped his tears and looked at the lifelike wood carvings. ¡°Tonan-san¡­ they¡­ what are they?¡±


    Tonan sighed and with a look of reminiscence on his face, he said, ¡°These are the people I once cherished, but they are all dead now.¡±


    He also used to have such a wonderful childhood, but in the end, everything fizzled out and vanished. He could only say that he was helpless. Heaven played with people.


    Shisui was stunned hearing Tonan¡¯s words and looked at him with a sad face, ¡°Tonan-san, your friends are here.¡±


    Tonan nodded and said, ¡°Yes, look, this is Teno-san, who used to be very kind to me. My relationship with him was just like the relationship between you and me.¡±


    Shisui pursed his lips and endured the grief in his heart. He comforted Tonan, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Tonan-san.¡±


    Tonan smiled, shook his head, and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Love never disappears, it will spread forever. Just like Teno-san. Although he is dead, I inherited everything to take care of the younger generation. Shisui, who is the person you cherish the most?¡±


    Shisui thought for a bit and replied, ¡°Grandpa.¡±


    Tonan nodded with a warm smile and said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll teach you how to make wood carvings, and you can carve the person you cherish the most. Like that, you¡¯ll be able to accompany him forever.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Shisui nodded.


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    Tonan put Shisui down and took out a few pieces of wood from the room. He took out two kunai from his ninja bag and handed one to Shisui. ¡°Come, carve it like me.¡±


    Shisui took the kunai and began to earnestly learn wood carving from Tonan. Tonan intentionally slowed down so that he could keep up the pace. Shisui imitated his movements and carved the wood carefully.


    An hour later, the horizon was already becoming bright. Both of them held a lifelike wooden carving in their hands, and both wood carvings looked like the Great Elder.


    Tonan reached out to rub Shisui¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Your wood carving is very good. It¡¯s just like the real person.¡±


    Shisui didn¡¯t seem so sad after hearing the compliment. He looked at the wood carving in his hand and looked up, ¡°I want to carve Kawadera and others who are dead. I want to carve one for each of them.¡±


    At this moment, the Great Elder¡¯s tired voice came from outside. ¡°Shisui, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    After Tonan heard it, he stuffed a few wood pieces into Shisui¡¯s ninja bag and said, ¡°These are for you. Carve them when you have free time.¡±


    Shisui gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Tonan-san.¡±


    ¡°Silly child,¡± Tonan lightly flicked Shisui¡¯s forehead. Shisui held his forehead in pain, but an innocent smile appeared on his face.


    ¡®Ding! Gained Uchiha Shisui¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    A small smile came to Tonan¡¯s lips. He held Shisui¡¯s hand leading him outside the courtyard, handing him over to the Great Elder. The older man nodded at Tonan and said, ¡°Tonan, I troubled you last night.¡±


    The Great Elder was busy all night. He had no time to take care of Shisui. Therefore, he had entrusted him to Tonan in a hurry. Tonan rubbed Shisui¡¯s head and shook his head, ¡°Great Elder, there was no trouble. Shisui is very obedient and cute. I¡¯ve always regarded him as my younger brother.¡±


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    The Great Elder saw the wood carving in Shisui¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Shisui, what¡¯s this?¡±


    Shisui hastily raised the wood carving and shook it in front of the Great Elder, ¡°I carved this, grandpa, doesn¡¯t it look like you?¡±


    The corners of the Great Elder¡¯s mouth twitched. He had seen the wood carvings in Tonan¡¯s house before. All those people were dead.


    However, thinking that this was his grandson¡¯s way to express his love for him, he couldn¡¯t blame him. ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± The Great Elder then looked up, and said solemnly to Tonan, ¡°We¡¯ll leave now. Hereafter, please take care of Shisui when you have free time. I might get busy soon, and I can only send him back to his parents.¡±


    He then pulled Shisui to leave.

 CH 116

    Just as the Great Elder was about to leave with Uchiha Shisui, he heard Uchiha Tonan say, ¡°Great Elder, I, in fact, want to ask you a question.¡±


    The Great Elder paused and turned his head. He asked with a gloomy look, ¡°Are you doubting me as well?¡±


    Tonan looked startled. He pondered for a moment and shook his head. The Great Elder narrowed his eyes and nodded lightly, ¡°In my opinion, this is not entirely a bad thing.¡±


    After throwing these words, he left with Shisui without awaiting a response. Tonan looked at the Great Elder leaving but suddenly noticed some people in the dark through Wind Communication.


    He immediately said loudly, ¡°Great Elder, indulging in superficial power will only make people lose themselves. The real power is the will to love and sacrifice.¡±


    Hearing his words, the Great Elder didn¡¯t answer Tonan but looked down at Shisui, who looked lonely. He asked his grandson, ¡°Shisui, who do you love the most?¡±


    Shisui tilted his head, thought for a while, then raised the wood carving in his hand high and said, ¡°Grandpa!¡± The corners of the Great Elder¡¯s mouth twitched and he nodded, ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Tonan watched the two disappear and shook his head. He shut the courtyard door and headed to the Sarutobi clan district. Looking at the Great Elder¡¯s appearance, it could be said that the Uchiha clan higher-ups had won in the end.


    After all, such a clumsy framing method could be seen through by anyone who had the slightest intelligence. Perhaps, in the entire Uchiha clan, only the parents of the seven dead children were unwilling to let his matter drop.


    The others were already on the Great Elder¡¯s side but the Konoha higher-ups were not. Since this was the situation, it made perfect sense for him to add fuel to the fire. Tonan was going to teach Great Elder a lesson about humans¡¯ true nature.


    At this moment, the commercial streets were already full of people. Tonan came to the market and started to buy vegetables, picking out the things Sarutobi Hiruzen liked. His lips moved slightly to use Wind Communication. His targets this time were the old people who came out to buy their daily produce.


    ¡°Have you heard that the Uchiha clan has a genius named Shisui? He¡¯s also the clan¡¯s Great Elder¡¯s grandson.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ Moreover, in order to make his grandson awaken the Sharingan, the Great Elder personally killed seven children who played with his grandson.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too cruel, but his grandson awakened two tomoe Sharingan on the spot.¡±


    When an old man who was shopping for vegetables heard this, his movement suddenly paused and his back straightened up. Just like seeing a beautiful young girl during his youthful period, he was full of energy and looked back with great interest.


    He spotted two youngsters sitting in a ramen store eating lunch. He walked over and asked with a smile, ¡°What were you two talking about just now? Tell me more about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know him, why would I chat with him?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ve heard it all,¡± the old man said with some dissatisfaction and thought to himself, ¡°Youngsters these days don¡¯t know how to share. Of course, I¡¯ll not spread it.¡±


    One of the youngsters asked in confusion, ¡°What did you hear?¡±


    The old man looked around mysteriously and said, ¡°The Uchiha clan¡¯s Great Elder killed seven children just to make his grandson awaken the Sharingan.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s serious, grandpa, can you tell us more about it?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you two talking about it?¡±


    ¡°We truly weren¡¯t¡­ it might be someone else.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    After this news spread, Tonan left the market with the vegetables he brought. Wind Communication, perhaps, would be more appropriate to be utilized as Slanderous Gossip. Tonan didn¡¯t need to accuse the Great Elder.


    It was enough as long as he spread this gossip widely. At that time, he believed, that the Konoha higher-ups wouldn¡¯t let the Great Elder off easily. After all, he was a famous war hawk of the Uchiha clan.


    The higher-ups didn¡¯t need to do anything. The brainless civilians would just go with the flow. After the rumors ferment, he believed that most of the Uchiha clan members would be shaken.


    Two days later, the entire Konoha, including the civilians of the Uchiha clan were discussing this matter in private.


    ¡°Did you hear? It¡¯s too tragic, seven children are dead.¡±


    ¡°All the grandparents who came to buy vegetables know it. A few days ago, a group of Anbu went to the Uchiha clan district to investigate the situation. But that cruel Great Elder blocked them and sent them back.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know one thing. The Anbu were able to find clues before they were blocked.¡±


    ¡°What clues?¡±


    ¡°Many clues like footprints, hair, explosive tags¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, explosive tags? Did I hear it wrong? Those kids weren¡¯t drowned, but were bombed?¡±


    ¡°I also heard that they were indeed drowned to death. But that wicked Great Elder held a grudge and blew up their graves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too excessive¡­¡±


    ¡°This will end up with nothing concrete.¡±


    ¡°How come? Isn¡¯t killing villagers a serious crime?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the Great Elder of Konoha¡¯s number one wealthy and influential clan. Killing a few children within the clan is nothing for him. Those children¡¯s parents don¡¯t even dare to make a sound. And the rest of the Uchiha clan members are protecting that scum.¡±


    ¡°The Uchiha clan is cold-blooded. They killed their own to awaken the Sharingan. Common people like us are much better than them. At least, there¡¯s no grudge or resentment.¡±


    ¡°Also, towards the village people, every Uchiha is ferocious. But in front of power, they are a group of cowards.¡±


    A Konoha Police Force member heard the conversation and immediately retorted, ¡°You bastard, what did you just say?¡±


    The people turned around and saw that it was Uchiha. They immediately retreated a few steps in fright, ¡°What do you want¡­¡±


    But some among them toughened it out and angrily shouted back, ¡°If you are so capable, then go and confront your clan¡¯s Great Elder. It¡¯s the children of your clan who have died. Why are you getting angry at us?¡±


    The Police Force members were dumbfounded. When they left the market area and arrived at a sparsely populated place, a member suddenly said, ¡°Captain, I can¡¯t stand this anymore. We must investigate this thoroughly.¡±


    The captain frowned and solemnly said, ¡°Shut up, have you ever thought that this could be a conspiracy. Wouldn¡¯t we be wronging a person then? Moreover, he¡¯s the Great Elder!¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a conspiracy, it should be investigated,¡± another guard stepped forward and said righteously. ¡°If, I mean, what if it was really the Great Elder?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ It can¡¯t be Great Elder.¡±

 CH 117

    At this moment at the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu and Shimura Danzo were sitting together, discussing this very incident.


    Danzo solemnly said, ¡°Hiruzen, it has already been two days, but the Anbu still hasn¡¯t found who the murderer is. I suggest arresting the biggest suspect, Uchiha Tenzou, and investigating his memories.¡±


    Hiruzen lowered his head and pondered. That was indeed the best way to prove the Great Elder¡¯s innocence. After all, the rumors in the village could no longer be suppressed. Initially, he had thought the real murderer would be found out soon, but beyond his expectation, there was no clue whatsoever.


    If this continued, then it might affect his authority. Homura carefully flipped through the report and said, ¡°Danzo, there is obviously something wrong with those footprints. If it was truly Uchiha Tenzou, he would never leave such obvious traces. You should also be able to see that he is being framed.¡±


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    Immediately after he spoke, the gazes of the other three focused on Danzo, stunning him. He angrily asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like this? Do you suspect I did that? Hiruzen, Tenzou is against Konoha in every aspect. I just want to take this opportunity to see if something is going on with him.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and hesitated a bit, ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a few more days. If we go to arrest Tenzou now, I¡¯m afraid it will attract the Uchiha clan¡¯s backlash.¡±


    Things were getting more complicated. Danzo replied, ¡°Hiruzen, you must know that the entire Konoha is discussing this incident now. If you don¡¯t give a proper explanation to the villagers immediately, I¡¯m afraid it will endanger your authority. I think, regardless of anything, even if it¡¯s for pretense, you have to step forward.¡±


    Hiruzen pondered for a while, blew out a mouthful of smoke, and called out, ¡°Guards.¡±


    An Anbu pushed open the door and entered. He knelt on one knee and said, ¡°Hokage-sama, please instruct.¡±


    ¡°Go and bring Tonan.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


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    Danzo was surprised, ¡°Hiruzen, why are you calling that Uchiha imp?¡±


    Hiruzen shook his smoke pipe and said, ¡°Tonan is my student. I need to ask his opinion about his clan¡¯s affairs.¡±


    Danzo took a deep breath. He felt this old partner of his had become very unfamiliar. ¡°I feel you are getting stranger by the day. Why is that imp so important to you? He¡¯s a member of the Uchiha clan. When you wanted to take him as your student, I firmly opposed you, and I still oppose it.¡±


    Hiruzen looked at Danzo indifferently, ¡°He¡¯s my student and a Konoha genius.¡±


    Danzo narrowed his eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t want to make him a Hokage in the future, do you?¡±


    Hiruzen didn¡¯t reply and just smoked his pipe. Not long after, Tonan arrived in the Hokage Office. ¡°Sensei, did you have any orders for me?¡±


    Seeing Tonan, a kind smile appeared on Hiruzen¡¯s face. ¡°Tonan, after the Anbu investigation, the murders in the Uchiha clan are very likely related to your Great Elder. I want to hear your views on it.¡±


    Tonan put on a righteous look and said, ¡°Sensei, it¡¯s a human life we are talking about. All human lives are equal. Regardless of whether it¡¯s the death of an Uchiha or other civilians, we should do our best to give justice to the deceased. Else, how can we be worthy of the Will of Fire?¡±


    After he spoke, everyone in the Hokage Office felt a burning Will of Fire. It was almost suffocating. Danzo was startled and looked at Tonan with a strange look.


    In his heart, he thought, ¡°Is it because Hiruzen¡¯s brainwashing ability is strong? Or is this kid really stupid?¡±


    He then said out loud, ¡°Alright! Hiruzen, your student has already said so. What are you hesitating about now? Tonan, right, you are not bad!¡±


    Tonan placed his hands on his knees and bowed deeply to Danzo. ¡°Danzo-sama, I can do nothing about this matter. I¡¯ll be troubling you all for everything.¡±


    A stiff smile appeared on Danzo¡¯s face, and he meaningfully said, ¡°It¡¯s not a trouble, everything is for Konoha.¡±


    He truly hadn¡¯t expected Tonan to stand firmly on the side of the Konoha¡¯s higher-ups. He didn¡¯t even know what kind of attitude he should show to the ¡®Uchiha imp¡¯ now. Hiruzen interrupted the conversation between them and got up, ¡°Alright, gather the Anbu teams. I¡¯ll go to the Uchiha clan district in person to look for him.¡±


    Shortly after, Hiruzen and Danzo went to the Uchiha district together, followed by more than a dozen Anbu members. As for Tonan, he didn¡¯t follow. Because he was an Uchiha, it was not good for him to clash with the Great Elder.


    Instead, he was wandering around Konoha by himself using Wind Communication to spread the news.


    ¡°What are you still doing here? There¡¯s a good show to watch outside the Uchiha clan district.¡±


    ¡°Hokage-sama and his subordinates went to the Uchiha clan district to arrest someone.¡±


    ¡°The evidence is conclusive, the evidence is conclusive, the Great Elder is the real murderer behind the scenes.¡±


    It was human nature to join the fun at others¡¯ expense. Especially when they heard that the Hokage was leading the team, they didn¡¯t feel any danger and rushed toward the Uchiha district.


    At this moment, outside the district, the Uchiha clan members guarding the gate bowed seeing Hiruzen coming with a group of Anbu members, ¡°Hokage-sama.¡±


    Danzo snorted, ¡°Ask Uchiha Tenzou to come out.¡±


    Hiruzen coughed lightly and stood in front of Danzo. He said with a gentle smile, ¡°Go and call your Great Elder over. We want to speak with him.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the guard didn¡¯t dare ignore Hiruzen and hastily went to invite the Great Elder. Not long after, the Great Elder and Uchiha Fugaku came together, followed by many Uchiha clan members.


    ¡°Hokage-sama, what made you come to look for an old man like me?¡± The Great Elder stared at Hiruzen and Danzo with an unsightly look. He had guessed Hiruzen¡¯s intention and was a little annoyed. Once this matter spread, the people would know that the Hokage had come here to look for him and his reputation would plummet.


    At this time, not to be outdone, Danzo stepped forward and coldly said,  ¡°Uchiha Tenzou, all clues of the seven murders that happened a few days ago point to you. We have reason to suspect that you intentionally killed innocent lives to make your grandson awaken the Sharingan. We want to check your memories.¡±


    When the Great Elder heard this, his look became even gloomier. He stared straight at Hiruzen and said, ¡°Do you also mean this, Hokage-sama?¡±


    Hiruzen sighed and seriously said, ¡°I believe in your character. But now, the case is in a deadlock and the only person that benefited from this is your grandson. In order to prove your innocence, I specially invited Yamanaka Kota, the Yamanaka clan patriarch. You can rest assured that he is a professional in this area and will not hurt you much.¡±


    The Great Elder sneered, ¡°This is our clan¡¯s internal matter. We have the right to handle it ourselves.¡±

 CH 118

    At this moment, a group of people swarmed over from the distance. A large group of Konoha villagers had rushed over as well. Uchiha Tonan quietly yelled in the ears of several civilians, ¡°Hand over the murderer.¡±


    The civilians heard it. Since someone took the lead in shouting, someone else immediately followed, ¡°Hand over the murderer.¡±


    Then, all the civilians began to shout¡­


    ¡°Hand over the murderer.¡±


    ¡°Hand over the murderer.¡±


    Suddenly, discontent voices appeared even among the Uchiha clan members behind the Great Elder.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s very important to find the murderer, moreover, the Great Elder should prove his innocence.¡±


    ¡°I also think that checking memories is fine. Otherwise, the murderer will never be found, and how can we get justice for those children?¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°I disagree.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Gradually, the Uchiha clan members were also divided into two factions. The higher-ups and the Great Elder¡¯s faction spoke on behalf of him. On the other side were most were the Uchiha clan¡¯s genin and civilians but they also had a larger number.


    The primary reason was that after this incident, Uchiha Shisui awakened two tomoe Sharingan. The people with low status and power feared that such an incident would fall on their heads someday the most.


    If they didn¡¯t stand up now, then when it was their turn the next time. Who would speak for them then? They supported the clan, but that was because the clan had given them shelter and resources and not treated them as goods that could be sacrificed at any time.


    Especially in this incident, the ones who had died were children, who were the future of the clan. Regardless of the era and clan, the most important thing always is the safety of the next generation.


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    The Great Elder looked at the Konoha villagers who kept shouting from the distance and trembled in anger. He then turned around, looked at the two groups of people standing on different sides, and felt suffocated in his heart. He was almost unable to breathe.


    Afterward, he pointed at his clan members with a trembling finger and said, ¡°You all¡­¡±


    The Great Elder had never thought that his clan members, who had always been united and supported the clan in front of outsiders, would actually be so submissive and throw him out.


    A hint of joy flashed through Danzo¡¯s eyes, and he gloated, ¡°It seems that even your Uchiha clan feels that this incident should be investigated by Konoha. Uchiha Tenzou, could it be that you have a guilty conscience and don¡¯t dare to cooperate with the investigation?¡±


    Seeing the distrustful gaze of the clan members, coupled with Danzo¡¯s stimulating words, the Great Elder exploded. He shouted angrily, ¡°Nonsense! I didn¡¯t do this!¡±


    Seeing the Great Elder finally couldn¡¯t endure it, Danzo stepped forward and said aggressively, ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you dare to cooperate with the investigation? Could it be that you have done many things harmful to Konoha?¡±


    The Great Elder was dumbfounded for a moment and said sternly, ¡°You are spouting nonsense.¡±


    However, in the ears of Hiruzen, these words were obviously less confident than the previous words. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and made up a decision in his heart. He finally displayed the might of a Hokage and solemnly said, ¡°You all are Konoha residents and you all should obey the rules of Konoha. This time, it¡¯s not just you Uchiha people who have died, but also the residents of Konoha. As Hokage, I must investigate this and give an explanation to all villagers! Now, we are going to arrest and take away the suspect for investigation. Anyone who dares to stop this is a traitor.¡±


    Most of the Uchiha clan members quietly took a step back and expressed their position. As for the remaining dozen or so Uchiha clan¡¯s jonin, they were all Great Elder¡¯s confidants. In this turbulent scene, they seemed a little weak.


    The Great Elder looked around at everyone with red eyes, clenched his fists, and thought a lot of things in an instant. In the end, he sighed, ¡°I understand. Can you let me return to sort some things out? I still need to take care of some things.¡±


    Danzo snorted but Hiruzen nodded and said, ¡°You can.¡±


    The Great Elder turned around and looked at the cold clan members. He then staggered through the crowd with complex feelings. After he left, Danzo said to Hiruzen, ¡°Hiruzen, aren¡¯t you afraid of him fleeing to escape punishment?¡±


    Among the crowd, Uchiha Fugaku, who had been remaining silent, refuted, ¡°Danzo-sama, there is no coward who flees to escape punishment in the Uchiha clan.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded, expressing his trust in the Great Elder. After a while, the Great Elder returned to his residence, sat in front of the table, poured himself a cup of wine, and emptied the cup. His eyes were filled with various thoughts.


    ¡°Since the situation has already reached this point, I can¡¯t escape. If my memories are checked, the Uchiha clan will be in trouble. Fortunately, Tonan is very likely to become the Hokage in the future. And Shisui¡¯s talent is higher than Tonan¡¯s. After Tonan becomes the Hokage, Shisui might become the Uchiha clan Patriarch or the Great Elder. I guess, after I die, Shisui might even awaken three tomoe Sharingan or Mangekyo Sharingan. Just three years old¡­. such an amazing talent.¡±


    At this moment, the Great Elder had sorted out his thoughts.


    ¡°Tonan¡­ Shisui¡­ I leave the Uchiha clan¡¯s future in your hands.¡± The Great Elder muttered. Looking at the sky outside, a smile of relief appeared on his face, as if he could see the glorious future of the clan.


    The next second.


    Puff~


    The Great Elder ruthlessly stabbed his own heart with a kunai. When he saw dying, a person¡¯s face flashed through his mind.


    ¡°Did you do it¡­ It¡¯s a pity, even so, you can never escape the clan¡¯s control¡­¡±


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    A victorious smile flashed through the Great Elder¡¯s face. His eyes slowly closed and his head drooped to one side. At that moment, the Great Elder died.


    Tonan felt a warm current surge within his body and spread all around. It was obvious that his ocular power had also increased greatly. It was just that it still hadn¡¯t touched the threshold of Mangekyo Sharingan.


    ¡°Old man, your power is not bad¡­¡±


    After a long time, the people outside the gate of the Uchiha clan became impatient. Danzo snorted and said to Hiruzen with a blaming tone, ¡°Hiruzen, that old man must have escaped.¡±


    Fugaku glared at Danzo and instructed a clan member next to him, ¡°Go and urge the Great Elder to come.¡±


    After a while, the clan members ran over in a panic and shouted, ¡°The Great Elder¡­ has committed suicide¡­¡±


    When the Uchiha clan members heard this news, they were shocked and made all sorts of comments. Those few who stood on the Great Elder¡¯s side until the end almost fell to the ground. They were unable to calm down their heart for a long time.


    A hint of joy flashed through Danzo¡¯s eyes, ¡°It turned out that he committed suicide to escape punishment.¡±


    This time, Fugaku didn¡¯t refute and just remained silent. In fact, he had already guessed that the Great Elder would do this but he had just pretended not to know it. He had his thoughts and ideas of his own to strengthen the Uchiha clan. The death of a radical person like the Great Elder was not a bad thing.

 CH 119

    An inexplicable look flashed through Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s eyes. He sighed lightly, ¡°If something similar happens in the future, please notify the Anbu in time. Fugaku, what do you think?¡±


    Uchiha Fugaku bowed to Hiruzen, ¡°Yes, Hokage-sama.¡±


    Hiruzen waved his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, this matter is over now.¡±


    As for who was the actual murderer of this incident, only a few people cared. The Great Elder was already dead so it made sense for everyone to regard him as the murderer. The villagers¡¯ resentment would also stop with this.


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    As Hiruzen turned around, he saw Uchiha Tonan walk towards him from the crowd. Tonan said with a solemn look, ¡°Sensei, I want to send off the Great Elder.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded and patted his shoulder, ¡°Go on, I know you¡¯re soft-hearted. I¡¯ll give you a day off.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sensei.¡±


    The Great Elder¡¯s house was full of people at this moment. When Tonan came in, everyone looked at him. Most of them had disgust in their eyes as if Tonan was an untouchable who should be avoided. The rest looked indifferent. These were the Great Elder¡¯s trusted subordinates.


    They knew about Tonan and remembering the previous entrustment of the Great Elder, they couldn¡¯t give themselves away.


    ¡°Grandpa!¡­¡± Shisui laid on the Great Elder¡¯s body and kept crying. Gradually, the two tomoe in Shisui¡¯s eyes began to spin rapidly and turned into three tomoe. Then, he fainted.


    Immediately afterward, a middle-aged woman hugged him. Tonan walked over and stood beside a kneeling man in the front. He sighed, ¡°My condolences.¡±


    The middle-aged man nodded and glanced at Tonan. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Tonan-kun, leave¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re not welcome here.¡±


    Late at night, Tonan placed the wood carving he had earlier made of the Great Elder in its proper position on the altar. He placed three incense sticks in front of it and boiled a pot of tea. Pouring it into two teacups, he placed one in front of the Great Elder¡¯s figurine.


    Tonan sat in front of the carving while using Wind Communication and the white pigeons to observe the movement around the house. He picked up the teacup and shook his head with a look of pity, ¡°Great Elder, if you don¡¯t have a brain, don¡¯t try to scheme others. Do you know what led to today¡¯s outcome? It¡¯s because you were walking the wrong way from the very beginning. In these past few days, you were thinking about arresting the real murderer to prove your innocence.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s too hard to prove one¡¯s innocence. Moreover, your innocence doesn¡¯t matter at all. What other people want is the most important. Do you think that those people who poured dirty water on you didn¡¯t know that you were wronged? No, they knew better than you that you were being wronged.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that those who spread rumors truly couldn¡¯t tell the difference? No, they just had an inherent desire to spread rumors. Proving one¡¯s innocence is very hard. Because you can¡¯t wake up a group of people who are pretending to be asleep. From the viewpoint of human nature, people wouldn¡¯t spread what they believe but would choose to spread what they wanted to express.¡±


    ¡°In this world, people never believed in a viewpoint but would rather choose one. There were so many loopholes, but why did everyone choose to oppose you? It¡¯s because it happens to satisfy their inner desires. The common people are dissatisfied with the imbalance of resources, and they like to resent the big shots. The clan members feared that their descendants would become a sacrifice for geniuses.¡±


    ¡°And Konoha¡¯s higher-ups are worried that you are not stable. These are their inner desires. Too many people are unable to stand your well-being. All lineups, rumors, and viewpoints are appearances. The inner desire is the essence. They don¡¯t think that you are the murderer but they subconsciously hoped you were found out to be the murderer. For common people, since they can¡¯t become wealthy, they could only hope that the wealthy¡¯s foundation is intricate, thereby elevating their feeling of happiness.¡±


    ¡°For most clan members, since they knew it was very unlikely for their children to be a genius, they wanted to prove that although your grandson is a genius, you used dirty methods. On the contrary, the Konoha higher-ups are the simplest. They just wanted you to die. You lost because you didn¡¯t have enough touch with the people. You only cared about the strong and geniuses in the clan.¡±


    ¡°Take care along the way. This is a final lesson for you. In the next life, it¡¯s better to be a boorish fellow.¡±


    Tonan smiled slightly and then chuckled. He emptied the teacup and smashed it to the ground, ¡°Good tea.¡±


    A few days later, at the Great Elder¡¯s funeral, Shisui cried miserably while holding his wood carving. Tonan attended with a flower bouquet out of human sentiments. He had after all inherited the dead man¡¯s legacy, he must express some feelings at the very least. As a human, one must not forget one¡¯s roots. This point still had morality.


    In the following days, Tonan followed Hiruzen to learn ninjutsu every day, while waiting for the establishment of the welfare institution. That night, he was with Hiruzen learning ninjutsu in the backyard.


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    Crackle, crackle, crackle~


    Bang!


    A boulder beside the pond suddenly burst and stone pieces fell into the pond, causing splashes. Although Hiruzen was aware of Tonan¡¯s abilities, seeing this, he was still surprised. He looked at Tonan, whose entire body was covered with electric current, and generously praised his student.


    ¡°Very good Tonan, your ninjutsu talent is higher than what I expected. This is a compound-type nin-taijutsu that I created after studying the ninjutsu used by the Sandaime Raikage many years ago on the battlefield. It uses lightning-type chakra to stimulate cells to enhance speed and destruction. At the same time, it uses earth-type chakra to wrap the fists to enhance defense and weight. Although it¡¯s complex, the effect is not weaker than Kumo¡¯s lightning style secret technique.¡±


    Tonan removed the lightning around his body and looked at Hiruzen with admiration, ¡°Sensei, you¡¯re amazing. You were actually able to combine two types of mutually restraining chakras. This is ingenious. If it were me, I could¡¯ve never thought of it.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s eyes were sparkling as he looked at Hiruzen with reverence. This was a very effective way of dealing with Hiruzen. A smug smile appeared on the older man¡¯s face as he picked up his smoke pipe, ¡°In this Ninja World, nothing is impossible. It¡¯s a pity that after I created this technique, I never had the chance to use it in battle. And as I got older, there were even fewer instances to do so.¡±


    Tonan walked over to Hiruzen¡¯s side and used fire-style ninjutsu to light the smoke for him. He said in a fawning tone, ¡°A hero¡¯s sword doesn¡¯t age. Even if a war starts now, you¡¯ll still be a ninja hero that can terrify big countries, Sensei.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s words were flattering to the extreme. Hiruzen¡¯s smile deepened, ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me. The land for your welfare institution has already been fixed. After some time, all residential buildings there will be demolished. Then, the construction will begin.¡±


    Tonan was very happy. The construction of his granary was finally about to commence. Immediately afterward, he took out a purse from his ninja bag and offered it to Hiruzen with both hands, ¡°Sensei, this is the passbook with 600 million Ryo, please keep it.¡±

 CH 120

    Notes:


    A is a very strong Cloud ninja, considered among one of the strongest, who goes on to become Kumo¡¯s fourth Raikage. His younger brother, B, also known as Killer B, is an eight-tailed jinchuriki. For the readers¡¯ convenience, we will write A as ¡®A¡¯.


    Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and took the passbook. A thought came to his mind just then. Looking at the night sky, he sighed, ¡°Peacetime is the best. The Land of Fire economy has grown rapidly. Everyone became rich and many people spent a lot of money to move to Konoha. Many of these people are wealthy and the prices are rising fast. The number of missions has also increased. It seems this new Daimyo is very capable. I estimate if we want to purchase land again a year later, we¡¯ll not be able to get any in 600 million Ryo.¡±


    Uchiha Tonan, who sat beside Hiruzen, had a flash of comprehension hearing Hiruzen¡¯s words. ¡°Is that Naraku printing money crazily to suck the entire Land of Fire¡¯s blood?¡±


    Hiruzen wasn¡¯t aware of the complete situation but Tonan was. He had once casually mentioned this while teaching Naraku. The wealth of a nation was equivalent to the available cash supply among the people. But for a country, banknotes were no different from paper. The production efficiency was wealth. If production was not increased but a large amount of money was minted, it was equivalent to putting the wealth of the entire Land of Fire in the Daimyo¡¯s pockets.


    From the current situation, this fire had already burned Konoha. Tonan estimated that Naraku started to act as soon as he took over the throne. At this moment, if Naraku hoarded large quantities of commodities and food, waited for the prices to skyrocket, and then launched a new currency¡­


    It was also possible that Naraku wouldn¡¯t stop at just plundering the Land of Fire but might purchase goods and materials from other countries as well before they were alerted to the situation. He didn¡¯t even need to issue a new currency but just banknotes with larger denominations.


    In a short period, the Daimyo Residence could have both goods and money in hordes. It was equivalent to blatantly snatching money from everyone. Even stealing money wouldn¡¯t be as fast and efficient.


    Unless Konoha was willing to respond aggressively, the Daimyo Residence would be able to firmly hold Konoha down. After all, ninjas too had to live. Regardless of the era, the capital was indispensable. People needed money for fuel, rice, oil, and salt. Clothing also needed money.


    If Naraku issued new money, Konoha would be subjected to this restriction too. At worst, he could just give a bit more funds, then provide materials for Konoha and make it pay the corresponding price. But if Konoha was inclined to flip the table, then what would Naraku do?


    Begin a war! Change internal strife into external worries and then secretly find ways to strengthen the military force.


    These were Tonan¡¯s conjectures given he had taught Naraku these things. Just when Tonan was lost in thought, an Anbu rushed into Hiruzen¡¯s courtyard without reporting, directly coming to the backyard.


    It must be a big deal.


    The Anbu member appeared in front of Hiruzen using the Body Flicker Technique, and fell to one knee, ¡°Hokage-sama, the barrier team notified that six people privately left the village two hours ago. One of them is a former member of the barrier team, and the other five are villagers who had recently moved to Konoha. The Anbu squad captured three but they triggered an unknown curse seal to destroy their brains.¡±


    ¡°The other three have succeeded in escaping though. Their whereabouts are unknown. One of them is suspected to be a jonin. He used the puppet technique to kill the Anbu who was tracking them. We suspect he is a ninja from Suna. Biwako-sama instructed me to ask Hokage-sama to issue an order.¡±


    Hiruzen frowned and was about to speak, when Tonan, who was anxious about not getting a chance to show off in front of his sensei, volunteered, ¡°Sensei, let me go.¡±


    Hiruzen hesitated for a moment and asked with a frown, ¡°Are you sure? We¡¯ve already lost track. Moreover, there¡¯s a Sand jonin involved.¡±


    Tonan smiled, ¡°It should be no problem. Taijutsu restrains puppet technique and I believe my sword technique can restrain them.¡±


    Hiruzen considered quickly. He had seen Tonan¡¯s progress and was shocked each time. Tonan¡¯s potential was far beyond his imagination. It was also time for him to earn merits. Therefore, Hiruzen nodded immediately, ¡°Alright, you can take this mission. It¡¯s an S-ranked mission for the time being. Regardless of life or death, the main goal is to ensure that the village¡¯s secrets are not leaked.¡±


    He then turned to the Anbu and said, ¡°Give all information to Tonan and let him take charge of this, the Anbu doesn¡¯t need to intervene.¡±


    The Anbu was speechless in his heart. Only one of the three traitors was a jonin, but it was assigned as an S-ranked mission. This was simply handing over merit without work. It seemed that Tonan held a lot of weight in the Hokage-¡¯s heart.


    He took out a scroll and solemnly said, ¡°Tonan-sama, this is the information.¡±


    Tonan took the scroll and replied with a gentle look, ¡°Thank you, senpai.¡± He then used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the place instantly.


    At this moment, the Land of Hot Water coastline that bordered along with the Land of Fire was in a bit of chaos. Large waves slammed against the reefs on the shore. Under the moonlight, white splashes looked like an old man¡¯s head trembling in anger.


    On a cliff facing the sea, a group of Cloud ninjas was hiding in a cave.


    Bang!


    Pieces of stones flew everywhere in that cave as sand and dust fell from the ceiling. A tall and burly man¡¯s eyes were full of impatience as he anxiously said, ¡°So much time has passed, why haven¡¯t those people returned yet?¡±


    A ninja wearing a Kumo forehead protector patted the dust off his head with a helpless look and persuaded, ¡°¡®A¡¯-sama, don¡¯t be so impatient. It takes at least two days to get here from Konoha.¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ took a deep breath and walked back and forth. He roared again, ¡°How can I not be impatient? Konoha¡¯s sealing techniques are too important to Killer B.¡±


    The Cloud ninja rubbed his chin and said thoughtfully, ¡°In fact, before we left the village, I heard that Killer B-sama was doing quite well.¡±


    ¡°How can a tailed beast and a jinchuriki become companions? B is indulging in fantasy. After all, tailed beasts are war weapons. And they are very brutal.¡±


    Thinking about this, ¡®A¡¯ couldn¡¯t help punching the cave wall again.


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    Bang!


    Dust flew up all over again and everyone was covered with sand and dust. A Cloud ninja spat out the sand in his mouth, and said with an awkward look, ¡°¡®A¡¯-sama, there are no other caves nearby¡­¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ clenched his fist tightly and looked at the deep sea outside the cave. He took another deep breath and said, ¡°You all wait here, I¡¯ll go to the Land of Fire to provide support.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they became nervous, and quickly dissuaded him, ¡°No, ¡®A¡¯-sama, it¡¯s dangerous for you to go alone.¡±


    ¡°What if you are besieged by Leaf ninjas.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s too risky.¡±


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a part of the cave ceiling collapsed. ¡®A¡¯ then smashed a rock into powder and clenched his fist, ¡°If there¡¯s any danger, I¡¯ll use my fist to break through it. Stop talking, I¡¯m going.¡±


    He walked out of the cave and crouched slightly. In the next moment, he shot into the sky like a cannonball.


    ¡°¡®A¡¯-sama!¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°What else can we do? We can just wait here.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we can¡¯t get the sealing techniques. I hope that ¡®A¡¯-sama will not meet with any mishap.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other and sighed in unison.

 CH 121

    Late at night, above the head, the night sky was boundless, but a lonely moon hung in the vast darkness, looking a bit desolate. The stars flickered timidly in the distance with a lonely glimmer, but these gleams were insignificant to the bright moon.


    Coo, coo~


    Coo, coo~


    In the forest, insects chirped, and some birds also cried from time to time. An owl on the branch would vigilantly turn its head from side to side, every now and then.


    Uchiha Tonan sprinted across the mountain forest without making any sounds, much like a ghost. Right ahead of him, white pigeons had already spread out, clearing the way for him.


    Under the moonlight, these pigeons were conspicuous, like pure white dots in the abyss. However, these were no ordinary birds. They could transform into extremely ferocious birds of prey at a moment¡¯s notice.


    The cool autumn night breeze blew the leaves all over the sky. The entire forest was enveloped in shadows that seemed to be moving at a fast speed, making it difficult for people to see.


    In his pursuit, something caught Uchiha Tonan¡¯s attention. He immediately changed his direction and advanced stealthily towards the target location. Among the lofty ridges and towering mountains, there was a lone dilapidated cabin, surrounded by barren land bereft of even a blade of grass.


    Since it was already midnight, the bonfire had already become ashes. Hachimoto Yuki sat on the haystack and expressionlessly used a wooden stick to extinguish the remaining sparks. Without any preamble, Yuki controlled a puppet and dodged to one side.


    Bang!


    A stone pillar leaped up from the ground, breaking through the cabin. In the next moment, Yuki was outside the cabin, while controlling the humanoid puppet. He looked up and saw Tonan with a pair of scarlet eyes turning around slowly on the stone pillar.


    Tonan looked down at the pair of a human and a puppet. ¡°You dared to light a fire while fleeing. Were you afraid I couldn¡¯t find you? It seems you were already prepared to block my attack.¡±


    Yuki didn¡¯t answer but moved his hands. He controlled the humanoid puppet beside him to take out a sword and jump toward Tonan.


    Boom~


    The humanoid puppet was very powerful. With a single slash, the stone pillar was split in half from top to bottom. The cut itself was smooth as if its target was not stone but a slab of butter. But Tonan¡¯s figure had disappeared long ago. Yuki instinctively turned around and saw him standing behind, with his three tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly.


    Swish~


    At some point, the humanoid puppet had already appeared above Tonan, and the sword in its hands was coming down on him. A hint of surprise flashed through Tonan¡¯s eyes, and he immediately activated Lightning Spirit Wind Flash.


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    ¡°Interesting,¡± Tonan¡¯s appeared on a tree branch. He was now very curious about this sand ninja. He hadn¡¯t made any hand signs but was actually able to ignore three tomoe Sharingan¡¯s genjutsu. In fact, he seemed to be completely immune to it.


    ¡°How exactly did he do this? He didn¡¯t close his eyes too.¡±


    Yuki moved his hands, controlling the humanoid puppet to continue rushing towards Tonan. Tonan knew the importance of this mission, so he didn¡¯t want to continue wasting his time here. Lightning covered his right hand, and he punched the humanoid puppet¡¯s abdomen.


    At the same time, he used Lightning Spirit Wind Flash and instantly appeared behind Yuki. A chakra tanto had already appeared in his hand at some point, with which he aimed at Yuki¡¯s neck. When Tonan used Lightning Spirit Wind Flash, Yuki had also made hand seals. And the instant Tonan appeared, Yuki exploded like a balloon.


    An earth-shaking sound of an explosion was followed by a mushroom cloud rising up in the forest. With Yuki as the center, everything nearby was destroyed. Many birds fled into the sky in succession. It was just an instant but there was not even a blade of grass left in the area where the two were standing. Even the cliff had almost collapsed.


    Coo, coo~  Coo, coo~


    Other than a few birds¡¯ cries in the forest, there was no movement of other creatures nearby. There were burnt black rocks in the crater created by the explosion.


    At this moment, the humanoid puppet that was lying under the big tree made some strange noises. The humanoid puppet stood up slowly, but its limb seemed unbalanced. After staggering two steps, it fell to the ground again. Slowly, the humanoid puppet¡¯s shell opened, and there was a middle-aged man inside.


    This middle-aged man was the real Hachimoto Yuki. There were bloodstains at the corners of his mouth. He covered his stomach with one hand and used the other hand to take support on the ground and stood up with difficulty. He dragged his body and leaned against the big tree. Looking at the crater, his face was full of joy.


    ¡°Fifty explosive tags, your death is also not unjust.¡± This humanoid puppet, in fact, was nothing more than hard metal armor. And the one who perished together with Tonan just now was the real puppet. It was a puppet that was capable of self-detonation.


    It was just that that puppet was covered with a layer of human skin, which made it difficult to identify. Yuki reached out his hand with difficulty, took out a pill from his ninja bag, and ate it.


    Cough, cough~ After swallowing the pill, he still felt extremely uncomfortable. He lowered his head and looked at his stomach, cursing in a low voice, ¡°That Uchiha kid is a monster. He was able to dent such a hard armor. I wonder what would¡¯ve happened if I¡¯d fought head-on.¡±


    Yuki looked at the desolate night sky and was a little lost. After an unknown period of time, he suddenly saw a spark in front of him. He immediately raised his right hand, picked up the wooden stick beside him, and extinguished the spark.


    Suddenly, he felt tingling pain in his head, and he immediately broke out in cold sweats. It¡¯s the sign of the seal of annihilation activating! In an instant, he came back to his senses and looked around.


    ¡°No¡­ impossible¡­¡± Where is the explosion scene? At this moment, he was still in the humanoid puppet. Moreover, he was still in the cabin. And he had just extinguished the sparks on the ground.


    ¡°Something similar to Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal? You can¡¯t even think about it, it¡¯s truly overbearing.¡±


    Crackle, crackle, crackle~ Swish~


    Lightning flashed, and in an instant, Yuki was beheaded in a single sword move. His hard metal armor was unable to stop Tonan¡¯s blade coated with lightning and wind attributed chakra. With his death, the human-skinned puppet beside him fell as well.


    Tonan, who was standing behind the corpse, shook his head, ¡°This trick was pretty good but it¡¯s a pity you met me.¡±


    How could he know that Tonan had Byakugan¡¯s see-through ability? At a glance, he could see Yuki¡¯s real body that was pretending to be a puppet. Even without Byakugan¡¯s ability, he could identify the real body by its breathing sound through the Wind Communication. This was the technique¡¯s advantage.


    After finding the real body, he directed genjutsu at the armor¡¯s eyeholes. He wanted to find out more about this person¡¯s companions. Unfortunately, a curse seal was placed in his mind. As long as he recalled anything about his companions, he would be warned automatically. And if he continued to do so, he might just die.


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    Tonan immediately determined that this person should be a member of a unit similar to Root of other ninja villages. This detail was enough to rule out Suna. But also this person was middle-aged and his skin condition was not bad. It was obvious he was not someone who grew up in the Land of Wind, which had bad weather.


    Someone who dared to infiltrate Konoha to steal secrets, and also had a mysterious unit similar to the Root. It could only be the other three big ninja villages ¨C Iwa, Kumo, or Kiri.


    But there were too few clues to proceed further. If he was from Kiri, which was foggy all year round, his skin should be fairer due to the lack of ultraviolet radiation. But this person had a healthy wheatish complexion. He obviously gets a lot of sun exposure.


    Just by the theory of elimination, he must be either from Iwa or Kumo.

 CH 122

    The remaining two options were possible. Kumo was in the northeast of Konoha, while Iwa was in the northwest. Uchiha Tonan had to investigate both directions. Although the white pigeons had the visual sharing capability, there was a shortcoming. If the distance was too far, the signal wouldn¡¯t work.


    Tonan created six shadow clones, each of whom picked a direction to explore along with the white pigeons. He used the shadow clones¡¯ chakra to maintain the shared vision. The only catch was that the information obtained by the shadow clones would be sent back to the main body only after the clones were dispelled.


    The main body rushed towards the north to ensure that no matter which route the enemy traces were found, he could rush over there in the shortest time. Chasing the enemy was always a troublesome issue. But now, he had aced all aspects from Hiruzen that he could possibly learn in this regard.


    He had not yet obtained the ape summoning beast he coveted but that only meant it was a goal he had to work harder for.


    The next day, early in the morning, the sky was gradually becoming brighter and some stars remained on the horizon. The earth was hazy as if shrouded in a silverish-grey gauze. Soon after, the golden morning light dyed the eastern sky red. The horizon was full of red clouds, and the sun was dazzling like molten steel in a furnace.


    Tonan stood on the top of the mountain, looking at the town below with an indifferent gaze. The sunlight added a layer of golden light around him.


    ¡°Two more left, this one should¡¯ve stayed behind to bring up the rear. Did you specifically choose such a densely populated place to restrict the pursuing ninja¡¯s movements?¡±


    Suddenly, Tonan raised his brows, and the corners of his mouth rose a little. He hadn¡¯t expected to meet acquaintances here.


    In the town, Namikaze Minato and others were in the middle of breakfast in an eatery. The streets were full of people rushing back and forth. Sitting here, one could hear peddlers and haggling customers outside. This place was lively.


    Several carts, all filled with fresh fruits and, vegetables would often pass by the caf¨¦¡¯s door. There were also many people queuing in, waiting to order food. This prosperous scene could make people feel worldly pleasure.


    Seeing the busy flow of people, Uchiha Obito said with an unhappy look, ¡°Damn it¡­, we finally got a C-ranked protection mission, but we didn¡¯t meet any ninjas.¡±


    Nohara Rin, who was beside him, smiled gently, ¡°Obito, our protection target this time is just an ordinary wealthy merchant, how can there be any ninjas?¡±


    Obito replied with reluctance, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we might run into bandits along the way?¡±


    Rin patted her forehead and said hopelessly, ¡°Almost all bandits within the Land of Fire are already dealt with. Unless it¡¯s wartime, I guess you have to go to the small countries to meet them. Besides, do you think bandits would dare to come when we are wearing this forehead protector?¡±


    Obito became gloomier hearing this and said, ¡°It¡¯s so boring. When will we be able to take higher-ranked missions?¡±


    Hatake Kakashi glanced at him and said indifferently, ¡°Once we return, we need to do D-ranked missions for a long time.¡±


    Rin placed her hands on her hips and angrily said, ¡°Obito, don¡¯t complain. If it weren¡¯t for the two of us, Minato-sensei and Kakashi would definitely be doing higher-ranked missions.¡±


    Obito choked and turned his head to Kakashi, ¡°Kakashi, have you killed anyone before?¡±


    The chopsticks in Kakashi¡¯s hand froze for a moment. He nodded, ¡°Occasionally.¡±


    Finally, Obito found something of interest and asked with an intrigued look, ¡°Who has killed more people? You or Tonan?¡±


    Kakashi looked up and frowned slightly, ¡°He¡­ he probably wouldn¡¯t have the heart to raise his hand.¡±


    Kakashi¡¯s reply made Minato smile a little. He said, ¡°Kakashi, you¡¯ve got it wrong. In the Fire Capital, Tonan led the city guards to destroy the underground organizations consisting of thousands of people. Tonan killed all those people.¡±


    Kakashi was a little shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected that the usually gentle and amicable Tonan would accomplish such feats in the Fire Capital. Obito was taken by surprise as well. He exclaimed with his eyes wide open, ¡°Thousands of people¡­¡±


    Minato nodded, ¡°Although Tonan is kind-hearted, he¡¯s very resolute when facing crime.¡±


    Giving it some thought, Rin frowned and asked, ¡°But it¡¯s thousands of people¡­ did they all deserve death?¡±


    In Rin¡¯s view, most people in this world were kind-hearted. Even in the most dishonest-sounding organizations, all people might not necessarily be evildoers. Many might have been forced to join due to some kind of helplessness. They may have still retained their benevolence and didn¡¯t do atrocious things.


    Tonan¡¯s ruthless decision to kill everyone was reckless.


    Minato thought for a moment and replied, ¡°According to the laws of the Land of Fire, many people indeed shouldn¡¯t have died. But do you know what these people did? Abducting children, forcing women into prostitution, smuggling contrabands and opening underground casinos are just some of the things.¡±


    When Obito heard it, he slammed on the table and got up, ¡°How can Tonan do that? The first two deserve death, but the latter two don¡¯t. What¡¯s the use of laws otherwise?¡±


    Minato hadn¡¯t expected Obito to react so aggressively. He explained, ¡°On one hand, smuggling contrabands destroy the national economy, and on the other hand¡­ Have you ever thought that in times of war, your companions might be killed by explosive tags that were smuggled out from the Land of Fire? As for underground casinos, without official supervision, they¡¯ll use various means to suck up gamblers¡¯ wealth. The last stake on the chip table might not necessarily be money but the gamblers¡¯ wives and children. Finally, those gamblers¡¯ wives and children would also end up in the other two underground organizations. And it is all for personal profit.¡±


    Obito took a deep breath. It sounded like the consequences were indeed serious. But he was still stubborn. ¡°But¡­ there are other ways to make those people walk on the right path.¡±


    Minato shook his head and chuckled, ¡°Everyone¡¯s point of view is different. Perhaps Tonan¡¯s approach was too extreme, but I don¡¯t think he was wrong.¡±


    Minato suddenly narrowed his eyes and looking not far away, he said, ¡°Someone is fighting.¡±


    Saying this, Minato and Kakashi rushed out of the caf¨¦ and ran toward the place where the fighting was taking place. Obito and Rin were stunned for a moment. After they came back to their senses, they immediately followed.


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Rock House Collapse.¡±


    Boom~


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    Not far away, a house collapsed with a loud noise. A lot of bricks flew all around, almost hitting people. There was also a lot of smoke and dust, making the surrounding a bit hazy. The surrounding pedestrians knew that ninjas were fighting, and quickly ran out of the way.


    ¡°Help!¡±


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    A middle-aged ninja held a beautiful woman, and his kunai was placed across her neck. In the distance, Tonan, who was standing on the pole, narrowed his eyes, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He hadn¡¯t expected to be discovered so quickly.


    He didn¡¯t have any plan to hide anyway so he jumped off and landed on the ruins.

 CH 123

    ¡°This ninja was not a chunin mentioned in the information, and judging from the chakra fluctuation, he must be special jonin. Since he was able to react before I got close, he must be a sensory ninja.¡±


    ¡°But the most important thing is that he¡¯s actually blind. His eyeballs are dull and unfocused. They are obviously fake.¡±


    ¡°This is great. I¡¯m chasing three enemies this time, and two of them are already so weird.¡±


    The three tomoe in Uchiha Tonan¡¯s eyes spun. Through the Byakugan¡¯s perceptive vision, he saw that the ninja in front of him was continuously emitting weak chakra from his feet, connecting to the earth.


    It seemed he relied on the earth to sense movements.


    ¡°But I jumped from the pole and he was able to sense even that. It seems his perception ability is very strong.¡±


    ¡°You four have observed me from the dark for so long. Are you finally willing to come out?¡±


    The corners of the ninja¡¯s mouth rose as he shouted. Then he frowned and paused for a moment, ¡°Is there one more now?¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows, his expression a little strange. From the man¡¯s comment, Tonan realized he hadn¡¯t sensed him but rather sensed¡­


    At this moment, Namikaze Minato and Hatake Kakashi arrived one after another and formed a triangle with Tonan, surrounding the man.


    Minato took out a kunai and solemnly asked, ¡°Tonan, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Tonan replied, ¡°He¡¯s an enemy spy who has stolen the village¡¯s secrets. I¡¯m chasing him.¡±


    This was a bit troublesome. If there was no one around, Tonan would¡¯ve simply killed the enemy together with the hostage. But in this situation, if he ignored the hostage¡¯s safety, it would leave a bad impression on Minato and Obito.


    From this aspect, the opponent this time had an advantage. By now Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin arrived as well.


    Obito pointed at the enemy and said, ¡°Release that woman, you damned spy.¡±


    Minato anxiously said, ¡°Obito, Rin, don¡¯t come here. Leave now.¡±


    Rin was stunned for a moment but she soon pulled Obito¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Obito, let¡¯s go back.¡±


    The situation was critical and beyond their ability.


    Obito pulled Rin behind him and said, ¡°Rin, you are a future medical ninja. You should stay away from this.¡±


    Rin hesitated for a moment and glanced at the enemy ninja in the distance. She then nodded and retreated.


    Tonan stared at the ninja and said, ¡°We are all ninjas. It¡¯s just that our standing is different. Please don¡¯t hurt ordinary people. They are innocent.¡±


    A sinister smile appeared on the man¡¯s face, and he said in a cold voice, ¡°I¡¯ll not hurt her, but you¡¯ve to let me go.¡±


    His hands, however, held the woman tighter, as if to threaten Tonan. Tonan shook his head and said, ¡°No, you have stolen Konoha¡¯s secrets. If I let you go, it would be a dereliction of my duty.¡±


    ¡°Stop blabbering rubbish. If you don¡¯t want her to die, let me go now.¡±


    The man moved his kunai closer to the woman¡¯s smooth neck. His tone was more agitated as if he was about to kill her the next second. The woman was so frightened that she was almost unable to stand up> She stuttered while trembling, ¡°Ninja¡­ -sama¡­¡±


    Tonan took a deep breath and chuckled, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m negotiating with you? I¡¯m just going through the standard procedure before beginning the fight. When it comes to the interests of the village and country, small sacrifices are permitted.¡±


    Obito looked at Tonan in disbelief, ¡°Tonan, you bastard, what¡¯re you saying?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t understand how Tonan was able to say such cold-blooded and cruel words. That was a human life!


    Minato was a little angry and yelled, ¡°Shut up, Obito.¡±


    A sinister smile appeared on the enemy ninja¡¯s face, ¡°Don¡¯t act cruel here. If you truly don¡¯t care about her life or death, why haven¡¯t you made a move yet?¡±


    Tonan¡¯s expression became cold and indifferent. He asked in a calm tone, ¡°Who said I haven¡¯t made a move? You¡¯ve fallen into my genjutsu from the very beginning. Didn¡¯t you notice how I appeared suddenly?¡±


    The enemy ninja thought about it. He truly hadn¡¯t noticed when Tonan appeared  and he had a bad premonition in his heart.


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    At this moment, Tonan¡¯s lips moved slightly, and using the voice transmission effect of Wind Communication, he spoke in the enemy ninja¡¯s ears, ¡°Let me introduce myself, I¡¯m Konoha¡¯s five sensory genjutsu special jonin, Kurama Tonan.¡±


    What!


    The enemy ninja had heard of the Konoha¡¯s Kurama clan. He became alert. He felt the voice unexpectedly coming from the left, right, and in front of him at the same time. In particular, the voice from the front was coming from the hostage in his hands.


    ¡°I already have your information. You are a sensory ninja that relies on earth. It¡¯s a pity I can manipulate your five senses. Speaking of which, why are you holding my shadow clone?¡±


    Swish~


    Tonan immediately jumped up, breaking away from the enemy¡¯s earth perception. At the same time, he used vocal mimicry to imitate sharp blades flying through the air.


    The ninja instinctively retreated to where there was no sound. He circulated chakra to break the genjutsu.


    However¡­ this was not genjutsu!


    Minato took advantage of this time window to use Flying Thunder God and save the woman.


    ¡°Tonan, well done.¡±


    Tonan hadn¡¯t expected this pleasant surprise. He was making such moves because he wanted to stimulate the enemy ninja and make him kill the woman quickly so as to avoid wasting time. He reached out to grab the chakra tanto on his back, but he stopped.


    Crackle, crackle, crackle~


    The White Fang Blade covered in lightning slashed toward the enemy ninja¡¯s arm. He paused and made hand seals.


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Rock Gate Technique.¡±


    Instantly, a hard stone slab rose from the ground in front of Kakashi. But under the restraining chakra attribute, Kakashi¡¯s White Fang Blade smoothly cut the stone slab in half and chopped off the opponent¡¯s arm all in one go.


    Blood gushed out from the wound and the severe pain drenched the ninja¡¯s body in a cold sweat. He staggered a few steps back and soon after, turned around and ran in Obito¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Even if I die, I¡¯ll drag down some Leaf ninjas with me.¡±


    Obito was so petrified by the enemy¡¯s murderous intent aggressively rushing at him that his legs trembled, and he was unable to move a step.


    ¡°Move! Run!¡± He kept shouting in his heart but the result was that he stumbled and fell on his butt.


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    At that moment, a sharp blade pierced through the man¡¯s heart from the back. Blood splattered on Obito¡¯s face, and he was completely scared out of his wits.


    In front of him, the enemy ninja¡¯s face was still full of ferociousness, like a demon from hell. But a bloody blade tip was protruding out from his heart with blood still flowing out from it.


    At that instant, Obito¡¯s eyes turned scarlet and one tomoe slowly spun in it.

 CH 124

    Uchiha Tonan¡¯s gentle, smiling face appeared behind the enemy ninja. And like the warm winter sun, it pulled Uchiha Obito out of his numbing fear. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    Obito took a deep breath. He felt a little embarrassed and instantly refuted, ¡°I was not afraid, I just slipped.¡±


    Tonan smiled brightly. He knew Obito¡¯s self-esteem was high, so he humored him. He nodded and said, ¡°Was that what happened? You should be careful in the future or else your flaws would be revealed easily.¡±


    He then slowly pulled the charka tanto out and lightly pushed the corpse away. The dead ninja fell to the ground sideways. A look of surprise was frozen on the ghastly face of that corpse as if he couldn¡¯t believe he was killed so easily.


    His eyes were wide open, unable to rest in peace. The blood was still flowing out from the wound, dying the surrounding mud red, finally becoming a bloody puddle.


    Tonan lowered his head and looked at Obito, who wanted to get up but his body was weak and soft. He smiled and squatted down, extending his right hand, ¡°I forgot to bring a seal scroll. Obito, do you have one?¡±


    Obito nodded and took out his only seal scroll from the ninja bag, handing it over to Tonan. However, Tonan didn¡¯t take it and instead said to Obito with a gentle smile, ¡°Stand up first.¡±


    Obito¡¯s face became red, and he hesitated for a bit before grabbing Tonan¡¯s hand to stand up. Only after that, did Tonan use the scroll to seal the corpse.


    Namikaze Minato and the others came over as well, ¡°Tonan, did you complete your mission?¡±


    Tonan shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s one more but I don¡¯t know which direction he fled to.¡±


    Minato frowned and began to analyze, ¡°Just now, didn¡¯t you say this person used earth perception? Coupled with the fact that he uses earth style, he is likely a Rock ninja.¡±


    Tonan pondered for a bit and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± In fact, Tonan had another guess in his mind. After all, this ninja didn¡¯t seem very intelligent. And he fit the impression Tonan had of that ninja village.


    Minato smiled, ¡°In any case, we are free. Why don¡¯t Kakashi and I help you in the pursuit?¡±


    Obito immediately raised his hand high and shook it in front of Minato, ¡°Minato-sensei, what about me?¡±


    ¡°Rin and you should stay here.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Obito lowered his head, secretly hating himself for not having strength, and being the lowest-raking student. Suddenly, a seal scroll appeared in his sight. He raised his head and saw Tonan saying with a gentle face, ¡°This seal scroll is very important. If we lost it during the battle, it¡¯ll be troublesome. Obito, can you take this and stay here to safeguard this scroll.¡±


    Obito was stunned for a moment, and a bright smile appeared on his face as he grabbed the scroll and held it high, ¡°No problem, you can leave such an important mission to me.¡±


    Seeing Tonan coax Obito, Minato smiled and asked him, ¡°We should leave now, Tonan?¡±


    Minato, Tonan, and Hatake Kakashi split and headed in Iwa¡¯s direction. After the three of them left, at the end of a street, a dark-skinned woman with a large build stuck her head out from a corner.


    ¡°I came in a step too late. Yuki is dead. However, he was able to deceive the three ninjas.¡±


    The woman dispelled the Transformation Technique and returned to her original appearance, which was that of a man ¡ª Kumo¡¯s Quasi-Fourth Raikage ¨C ¡®A¡¯.


    Just as he dispelled the technique, the eyes of the white pigeons hovering in the air flashed. Tonan, who was running in the forest, halted.


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    ¡°That attire, is he Kumo¡¯s ¡®A¡¯? It seems that fellow deceived us with his life. No wonder I felt his hand signs movement was strange.¡±


    Just when Tonan was preparing to rush back, a strange smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s ¡®A¡¯ doing?¡±


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    In the town, Obito and Nohara Rin were sitting on the side of the street. Obito showed off his Sharingan and looked pleased with himself.


    ¡°Sharingan is a powerful dojutsu exclusive to the Uchihas, and only true geniuses can awaken it. Rin, do you think I¡¯m very dashing?¡±


    At this moment, Tonan came in front of them with a smile. The two looked over and asked with a confused look, ¡°Tonan, why did you come back?¡±


    Tonan coughed lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already found the enemy¡¯s trail, but the other side has many ninjas, I cannot take them on alone. So, I wanted to ask you two to help me.¡±


    Rin responded with a worried expression, ¡°Tonan, can we do it? Should we wait for Minato-sensei and Kakashi to come back?¡±


    Obito had not gotten a chance to show off his skill to Rin after awakening the Sharingan.


    ¡°If we face enemies, I¡¯ll be able to show my might, and Rin will definitely be impressed¡­¡± Thinking of this, Obito was very excited.


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose slightly and said, ¡°Thank you, then follow me. By the way, that scroll¡­¡±


    Obito immediately took out the seal scroll without hesitation and handed it over, ¡°Oh, you keep the scroll. I might fight too fiercely and lose it.¡±


    Rin felt that something was shady but since she didn¡¯t have too much contact with Tonan in the past, she discarded the doubts in her mind. The two foolishly followed Tonan out of town and walked towards the rendezvous place of the Cloud ninjas.


    ¡®A¡¯, who had transformed into Tonan, was feeling very proud of himself at this moment.


    ¡°Who will dare say I¡¯m brainless now? Usually, I just disdain to scheme. But I just used a small trick and not only am I bringing back Yuki¡¯s body, but I¡¯ve also abducted an Uchiha kid who has triggered the Sharingan. Once I take him back, I¡¯ll give him some medicine and put him together with a bunch of beautiful women, then¡­¡±


    ¡°This time, I¡¯ll make you all look at me with admiration. Your future Raikage is not stupid at all.¡±


    Thinking of this, ¡®A¡¯ subconsciously waved his fist. Rin, who was following behind him, curiously asked, ¡°Tonan, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ hastily restrained his urge to smash a tree and then scratched his head, ¡°I¡¯m just a little nervous thinking about the upcoming battle.¡±


    Obito patted his chest and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, leave everything to me.¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ then asked, ¡°By the way, can we run?¡±


    Obito looked at him blankly, ¡°But Rin and I don¡¯t know the way. You¡¯ll have to lead the way in the front.¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ immediately said, ¡°Alright, alright¡­. keep up the pace.¡±


    However, just after running a few steps, he heard Rin gasping for breath behind him, ¡°Tonan-kun¡­ I can¡¯t keep up¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ had no choice but to slow down.

 CH 125

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    Even though ¡®A¡¯ abducted two Leaf ninjas masquerading as their former classmate, Uchiha Tonan, who knew the route they were on, didn¡¯t choose to stop them. Instead, he headed toward their destination.


    The spy who stole the classified information couldn¡¯t be ¡®A¡¯ and now that he knew the route, he should prioritize retrieving the information.


    As for Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin, since ¡®A¡¯ didn¡¯t take action against them, they should be safe for the time being.


    The next day, Tonan stood on the coast. The morning glow appeared in the east, and in a moment, the sky became a colorful, exceptionally beautiful world. The rosy clouds shone with a golden luster, resembling a huge carp covered in shiny scales lying across the horizon.


    The waves on the sea were like a mighty force, baring their fierce teeth and roaring as if they were chasing something relentlessly.


    Tonan had realized a problem at hand.


    ¡®A¡¯¡¯s sense of direction was a bit poor. Judging from the straight line, the destination should have been here. But after using the white pigeons and Sharingan to observe for a long time, Tonan found no one within dozens of miles on this coast.


    Helplessly, he could only spread the white pigeons and simultaneously activate the Sharingan to search along the coast.


    It was already noon by the time he found a group of ninjas in a gulf. The distance was a bit outrageous. But this was exactly what he wanted. He smiled and disappeared into the forest. Making hand signs, he used the Reconstruction Technique.


    Tonan¡¯s body seemed to melt like a burning candle, and under the support of chakra, his figure gradually rose. His limbs became longer, and his facial features underwent a huge change. The original exquisite muscles began to bulge violently, and the clothes on his upper body burst open.


    At the critical moment, Tonan took a kunai to cut his pants into strips, avoiding the embarrassment if they tore open. His hair gradually whitened, turning into sliver strands. His stature gradually became huger, and his skin became wheat-colored. He had long lost his appearance.


    He took out the makeup items from his ninja bag and began to work in front of a mirror.


    Darkened the skin a shade more¡­


    Waxed the hair and swept it back.


    Trimmed the beard.


    Soon, a high quality imitation of ¡®A¡¯ appeared in the mirror. Tonan carefully checked at the reflection and after confirming there were no major flaws in his appearance, a crafty smile played on his lips.


    As double measure and in order to avoid any oversight, he grabbed some dust from the ground and sprinkled it all over his body. He covered himself as much as possible to make himself look like a person who had fought for three days and three nights.


    After doing all this, he packed up and walked to the opposite side of the gulf. Arriving not far from the cave, he slightly squatted down and with lightning flickering around his entire body, he jumped towards the cave at the gulf.


    Mid-air, he attached earth-attributed chakra to his feet to increase gravity and resistance. In the cave, everyone saw a man covered in lightning in the sky at a glance.


    ¡°Look, ¡®A¡¯-sama is back!¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, he is fine.¡±


    ¡°I was worried to death.¡±


    Boom~


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    Tonan heavily landed on the beach, giving rise to dust and sand in the air. His entire body was covered in dust, but with lightning flickering around him, he looked very domineering.


    A group of Cloud ninjas ran out from the cave and stood around him¡­


    ¡°¡®A¡¯-sama, you¡¯re finally back.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already got the information. Let¡¯s leave now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, it¡¯ll be troublesome if we got tangled with Leaf ninjas.¡±


    Tonan looked at this group of people and coughed, giving a fatigued look. Then he swayed a few times and fell to one knee on the ground.


    ¡°¡®A¡¯-sama, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Several Cloud ninjas hastily supported him and asked with worried and anxious looks on their faces.


    In their hearts, ¡®A¡¯ was an existence that could briefly confront a tailed beast. They had never seen him so weak, and for a moment, everyone was a little flustered. Tonan placed his hand on the ground for support and gasped, ¡°I¡¯m fine. On the way, I fought with a Konoha genius called Uchiha Tonan, and got slightly injured.¡±


    Everyone looked confused


    ¡°Uchiha Tonan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of him. Is he a new genius that appeared after the Second Great Ninja War?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that possible? A new genius can¡¯t be much older, how can he be ¡®A¡¯-sama¡¯s opponent? He definitely must be Konoha¡¯s secret weapon.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, it¡¯s the Nine-Tail¡¯s jinchuriki.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Nine-Tail¡¯s jinchuriki from the Uzumaki clan. When did it become an Uchiha? Has Konoha already changed the jinchuriki¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard something about him when I was in Konoha. He seems to be Sandaime Hokage¡¯s new student. And Konoha¡¯s White Fang died by his hands.¡±


    Immediately after these words came out, everyone gasped.


    ¡°He killed Konoha¡¯s White Fang¡­ no wonder.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished speaking yet. Uchiha Tonan is not too old, it¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t come here to listen to them discussing his achievements. He immediately interrupted their conversation and solemnly said, ¡°Stop speculating. He¡¯s indeed strong and his lightning-style ninjutsu is almost comparable to mine. It seems that old man, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stole Kumo¡¯s lightning-style secret technique and passed it to him. By the way, what about the things you brought from Konoha?¡±


    The Cloud spy ninja who escaped successfully handed the scroll to Tonan and said respectfully, ¡°Here it is, ¡®A¡¯-sama.¡±


    Tonan took the scroll and nodded with a look of praise. ¡°Good, you did well. But I need to take a break now. Also, you all shouldn¡¯t fawn on that Uchiha Tonan. When he arrives here, stall him for time. After I finish restoring my energy, I¡¯ll kill him with my own hands.¡±


    One of the Cloud ninjas asked with a worried look, ¡°Is Uchiha Tonan already chasing over?¡±


    How could they deal with such a powerful person? The atmosphere turned solemn for a moment. Tonan stood up with difficulty and coughed, ¡°Although I¡¯ve shaken them off, I¡¯ve also revealed the general direction. I guess they¡¯ll search along the coastline and find us. But he has a weakness. He attaches great importance to his companions. There are two genin in his team. It would be best if you capture them first. Remember, they must be captured alive to threaten him.¡±


    Seeing ¡®A¡¯-sama, who was always reckless, forced to the point where he had to use his brain, the Cloud ninjas team captain could see how terrifying the opponent was. He said with a solemn look, ¡°¡®A¡¯-sama, you can rest assured. We¡¯ll stop them, and get enough time for you to recover. You should go in and rest now.¡±

 CH 126

    As the Cloud ninjas urged him to rest and recover, Uchiha Tonan, who had disguised himself as ¡®A¡¯ nodded. But after taking just two steps, he reminded, ¡°By the way, he sneaked attacked me in the beginning. His Transformation Technique is very difficult to see through. It must be a secret technique, newly researched by that old man. I was careless and he got the first move. Damn it¡­¡±


    Feigning rage, Tonan used the compound ninjutsu Sarutobi Hiruzen taught him and punched the wall.


    Bang!


    The cave collapsed and the ground shook, pieces of rocks scattering all around, leaving a small hole in its wake that was enough for two or three people to squeeze in.


    ¡°¡®A¡¯-sama, don¡¯t be angry, get some rest now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, leave Uchiha Tonan to us, we¡¯ll handle him.¡±


    A group of Cloud ninjas said with righteous indignation.


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    Tonan nodded with a look of relief, ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


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    The Cloud ninjas jumped down to the shore and waited for ¡®Uchiha Tonan¡¯ who was about to arrive. As for Tonan, he walked deeper into the cave and sat down. A Cloud ninja, who had stayed behind, followed him.


    ¡°¡®A¡¯-sama, where are you injured? Let me treat you.¡±


    Closing his eyes, Tonan sat cross-legged on the ground and waved his hand, ¡°No need, I¡¯ve received a serious internal injury, and it can only be recovered with lightning attributed chakra. Leave me alone, go and help them.¡±


    The Cloud ninja was startled and cautiously said, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m a medical-nin.¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows and opened his eyes. He stared at the medical-nin and said in a stern tone, ¡°Go away quickly, one more person means more strength.¡±


    Filled with deep veneration, the medical ninja nodded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    At this moment, ¡®A¡¯, who had transformed into Tonan, was wandering around the coastline with a frowning Nohara Rin and Uchiha Obito. Looking at the endless coastline, ¡®A¡¯ kept scratching his head and muttering, ¡°From what I recall, it should be around here. There were the sea, the beach, and a cliff. All of these are here but there are no people. What¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    The boundless sea in front of them and several seagulls and white pigeons were flying in the sky, looking for food. Obito, who was behind ¡®A¡¯, couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Tonan, are you lost?¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ looked terribly upset as he said, ¡°Why are you so impatient? It¡¯s somewhere here. I¡¯ll definitely find it.¡±


    After speaking, he looked around in confusion again. Where is it!?


    ¡­


    More than two hours later, ¡®A¡¯ saw Cloud ninjas standing in a row on the shore ahead. He laughed, ¡°I finally found you.¡± The Cloud ninja captain who was standing at the forefront had noticed them a while ago. He squinted his eyes and inwardly thought, ¡°These people really came searching along the coastline. I wonder if those two hours were enough for ¡®A¡¯-sama to recover.¡±


    Soon afterward, the Cloud ninjas began to prepare for a battle. The captain shouted, ¡°Little brat, you are the legendary Konoha genius, Sandaime Hokage¡¯s student, Uchiha Tonan, right?¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ was stunned for a moment, wondering his people spoke to him like this. It was only then he recalled he was in Tonan¡¯s appearance and couldn¡¯t help thinking inwardly. ¡°My Transformation Technique is so perfect. No one can see through it.¡±


    A smug smile appeared on his face and he said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, it¡¯s me.¡±


    He dispelled the Transformation Technique, and his build also changed into his originally robust appearance. He reached out his hands and grabbed the stunned Obito and Rin. He then loudly said, ¡°The two little fellows were tricked by me. One of them is a member of the Uchiha clan. By the way, did you get the thing? Show it to me.¡±


    The Cloud ninjas looked at each other, resentment appearing on their faces.


    What ¡®A¡¯-sama said was absolutely true! Uchiha Tonan probably doesn¡¯t know ¡®A¡¯-sama has already arrived. He used Transformation Technique right in front of us to cheat the scroll out of us.


    The Cloud ninja captain¡¯s anger soared. ¡°Tonan is insidious and cunning. Fortunately, ¡®A¡¯-sama warned us, or else we would¡¯ve been deceived by him.¡±


    A ninja beside him leaned over and solemnly said, ¡°Captain, as expected, there is no trace of the Transformation Technique.¡±


    The Cloud ninja captain nodded, ¡°Even ¡®A¡¯-sama was unable to see through the secret technique, how can you find any flaws?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°A-sama still hasn¡¯t recovered yet. At this moment, we should use our brains and try to delay the other side. You all, play along with me,¡± the Cloud ninja captain whispered to his subordinates, and then said to ¡®A¡¯, ¡°Don¡¯t move, since you are so far away, we can¡¯t see if you are using Transformation Technique or not. Throw those Konoha¡¯s brats over and we¡¯ll check them.¡±


    Obito¡¯s eyes lit up. He instantly understood ¡®Tonan¡¯s intention, and whispered, ¡°Tonan, this is a good plan. Let me coordinate with you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this brat talking about?¡±


    A large question mark loomed over ¡®A¡¯s brain but he didn¡¯t bother to think too much. He threw Rin and Obito over. When Obito was midair, he shouted, ¡°Yes, look at me.¡±


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Grand Fireball¡­¡±


    However, before he could finish, a Cloud ninja jumped up and strangled his neck. He caught Obito like holding a duck and snorted, ¡°Substandard tactics. Although you¡¯re strong, you¡¯re too na?ve.¡±


    Tonan, who was using Wind Communication to listen to the overall situation, knew it was time for him to appear. After all, Obito the idiot had assisted him. He couldn¡¯t waste the opportunity. He walked out of the cave and jumped over to the crowd.


    ¡°A-sama.¡±


    Tonan nodded and stared at ¡®A¡¯ in the distance with a solemn expression. The moment he saw Tonan, Obito was dumbfounded, and he immediately roared at ¡®A¡¯ in the distance, ¡°Tonan, you bastard, what kind of plan did you think? You threw me into the trap.¡±


    At this moment, ¡®A¡¯ too was dumbfounded. Staring at the person in the crowd who looked exactly like him, he had only one sentence in his head, ¡°F***, I¡¯m fake.¡±


    Tonan took a step forward and with lightning flickering around his body, he pointed at ¡®A¡¯ and said, ¡°Konoha¡¯s brat, hand over the corpse scroll.¡±


    As soon as his words fell, the expression of the Cloud ninja beside him became unsightly. He asked, ¡°What! ¡®A¡¯-sama, could it be that Yuki¡­¡±


    Hearing his words, Tonan knew the name of the dead Cloud ninja. He put on a look of wrath and said, ¡°Yes, he killed Yuki and sealed his corpse in a scroll, ready to take it back to exchange for merits.¡±


    Finally, ¡®A¡¯ in the distance shouted, ¡°He¡¯s fake, I¡¯m ¡®A¡¯!¡±


    Tonan sneered and said loudly, ¡°Alright, then hand over Yuki¡¯s corpse.¡±


    Hearing his words, ¡®A¡¯ roared in anger, ¡°I¡¯ll never hand it over to you.¡± Lighting burst from his entire body, and he launched a surprise attack on Tonan.


    ¡°You dare to exchange a Cloud ninja¡¯s corpse for merits. It seems you don¡¯t take me seriously,¡± Tonan shouted angrily, and circulated lightning and earth attributed chakra within his body with all his power. Then, with the lightning flickering all over his body, he too rushed forward.

 CH 127

    With lightning covered on their bodies, a real ¡®A¡¯ and a fake ¡®A¡¯ exchanged punches.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Smoke and dust rose everywhere as two lightning flashes collided violently. Uchiha Tonan activated his Sharingan amid the battle. Relying on the dynamic vision, he was able to evenly fight ¡®A¡¯. Although he could keep up with his speed, his destructive power and defense were far too inferior to future Kumo Raikage.


    Between the lightning flashes, the two exchanged dozens of moves. ¡®A¡¯ had adorned an all-around defense of lightning armor, and his moves were ferocious. But Tonan had concentrated earth attributed chakra on his fists in order to gain more power to fight back.


    Therefore, when the two fought, Tonan dodged most of the time.


    Bang!


    The two people punched each other again. Tonan was not strong enough and was sent flying by the impact force. He fell heavily to the ground and slid dozens of meters landing at the Cloud ninja captain¡¯s feet.


    The Cloud ninjas looked flustered and hunkered down, ¡°A-sama!¡±


    Tonan covered his chest and said with anger, ¡°Damn it¡­, it¡¯s because my injury hasn¡¯t healed yet¡­¡±


    Hearing his words, a resolute look appeared on the Cloud ninjas¡¯ faces. ¡°A-sama, leave quickly. We¡¯ll stop him.¡±


    To protect their leader, the Cloud ninjas rushed forward. Tonan used this chance to pick up Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin and used the Lightning Spirit Wind Flash to leave.


    ¡®A¡¯s lightning-style secret technique was too terrifying. His speed was not inferior to Tonan¡¯s. But in terms of sheer strength, destructive power, and defense power, Tonan was far inferior to him.


    Unless Tonan went all out and used the Hatake Style Sword Technique, just relying on the half-assed ninjutsu taught by Sarutobi Hiruzen, he wouldn¡¯t be able to break through ¡®A¡¯s lightning armor with his fists.


    There was a reason lightning armor was known as the strongest defense type ninjutsu. At the coast, facing his subordinates¡¯ attack, ¡®A¡¯ controlled his strength to not hurt them. Fighting with his hands and legs restrained, felt very uncomfortable. After a long time, he was unable to bear it, ¡°I¡¯m the real ¡®A¡¯!¡±


    Bang, bang, bang¡­


    After a long time, a group of Cloud ninjas lay on the coast. ¡®A¡¯ stood in the middle, and after gasping for breath, he solemnly asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you all believe me?¡±


    The Cloud ninja captain, who was lying on the ground, looked stubborn. He stared at ¡®A¡¯ with disdain and said, ¡°Konoha¡¯s brat, kill me. Cloud ninjas aren¡¯t cowards who are afraid of death.¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ felt like he was going crazy. He grabbed his own hair and roared angrily, ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    A Cloud ninja snorted, ¡°You¡¯ve too many flaws. We had already noticed you had been searching along the coastline, but ¡®A¡¯-sama knew the specific location. Besides, you killed Yuki. It¡¯s impossible for him to kill his companion.¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ was dumbfounded for a moment. He took out the scroll and slammed it on the ground, ¡°I tricked them into handing this over. I didn¡¯t kill him.¡±


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    The Cloud ninja captain looked at the ¡®Konoha brat¡¯ in front of him and a hint of doubt flashed through his eyes. He carefully asked, ¡°You said you are ¡®A¡¯-sama, right? Then, let me ask you a few questions.¡±


    ¡°Ask.¡±


    ¡°What does Killer B-sama like to do the most?¡±


    ¡°Dance and sing.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of our visit this time?¡±


    ¡°Steal Konoha¡¯s sealing technique and help him suppress the Eight-Tails in his body.¡±


    Another Cloud ninja interjected with a sad look, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Konoha to know such confidential information.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ felt if this continued, he would not be able to stop himself from smashing that Cloud ninja¡¯s head.


    The Cloud ninja captain, however, believed that the person in front of them was indeed the real ¡®A¡¯. The chances of Konoha knowing this information were very low. ¡°Do you know our names?¡±


    Only after ¡®A¡¯ said everyone¡¯s name, position, and several missions he had done before, did the Cloud ninjas realize they had been duped.


    ¡°You really are A-sama¡­¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ sighed in relief but felt exhausted and gasped for breath, ¡°Where¡¯s the seal scroll?¡±


    ¡°We gave it to that ¡®A¡¯-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Where are those two Konoha brats?¡±


    ¡°They were also taken away by that ¡®A¡¯-sama¡­¡±


    ¡®A¡¯, who had just calmed his breathing, was even angrier at this moment. ¡°I¡¯m so angry!¡± He raised his fists and punched the ground to vent.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang¡­


    Tonan ran for a long time carrying Obito and Rin. Only after running far away from the coast did he stop to rest under a waterfall. As soon as Obito and Rin were placed down, Obito took out a kunai and pulled Rin behind him. He had a solemn look on his face.


    Tonan smiled and slowly blinked his eyes, revealing the three tomoe Sharingan.


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    ¡°You are¡­ Tonan!¡± Obito and Rin were pleasantly surprised. No matter how one disguised, Sharingan couldn¡¯t be faked. Tonan untied his ninja bag and put it on the ground. He took out a seal scroll and opened it.


    It was filled with daily necessities including clothes. Tonan smiled at Rin and said, ¡°Rin, I want to take a bath, turn around.¡±


    Rin blushed and immediately turned around. Tonan jumped into the small river below the waterfall. And as if a bottle of ink fell into the clear water, the water was quickly dyed black.


    ¡°Tonan, how long has it been since you took a bath? The water has become black,¡± Obito looked at the blackened river with a strange look.


    A full ten minutes later, Tonan finished dispelling the Reconstruction Technique and restored his original look. Finally showing his head, he explained, ¡°I put on too much makeup to look like that guy.¡±


    Obito exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s amazing. You can also do make-up. My grandma said that she could do it since she was young.¡±


    Tonan smiled, brushed his wet hair back with his hands, and said, ¡°Mine is camouflage-type makeup. If I had used the Transformation Technique alone, they would¡¯ve seen through me.¡±


    Obito nodded and tilted his head, ¡°Yes, but how did you become so tall?¡±


    Tonan answered casually, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a secret technique taught to me by Sarutobi-sensei. It¡¯s similar to the Akimichi clan¡¯s Expansion Technique. It belongs to Konoha¡¯s secrets, so you must not spread it.¡±


    Obito patted his chest with a serious look and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The next day, the three returned to the town. Hatake Kakashi and Namikaze Minato were already waiting here. They were relieved to see the three return safely. Minato said with a slightly blaming tone, ¡°Where did you go? Why didn¡¯t you leave any signs on the road?¡±


    Before Tonan could say anything, Obito explained in high spirits, ¡°Minato-sensei, let me explain¡­¡±


    Although Obito concealed the information about Tonan¡¯s secret technique, which caused his story to be full of flaws, Minato didn¡¯t expose it or questioned them. Instead, he smiled brightly and listened quietly. He even chipped in from time to time, ¡°Kumo¡¯s ¡®A¡¯? He¡¯s the Quasi-Yondaime Raikage. Even I would not be his opponent. Tonan, your growth is amazing.¡±


    Tonan smiled humbly, ¡°But he defeated me in a single move. If there was a head-on confrontation, then without you, Minato-sensei, we three might not even be able to escape. And there were so many Cloud ninjas. Under helplessness, I was forced to use tricks and schemes.¡±


    Obito scratched his head, ¡°Tonan, you sound so strange. How can these be called scheming? This is called wisdom.¡±


    Minato coughed lightly and held down Obito¡¯s head, looking squarely at him, ¡°Obito, you need to reflect on this incident after you return. If Tonan hadn¡¯t been alert, you would¡¯ve been captured by Kumo.¡±


    Obit¡¯s complexion collapsed, ¡°I wasn¡¯t careless¡­¡± Before he finished speaking though, his sad look disappeared, and he pointed at his eyes energetically, ¡°Next time, it won¡¯t happen. I¡¯m a man who has awakened the Sharingan.¡±


    At this moment, Tonan turned to look at Kakashi, who had been staring at him. Kakashi averted his eyes for a moment and pretending to be indifferent, asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Tonan nodded lightly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Seeing these two, Minato couldn¡¯t help showing a knowing smile.

 CH 128

    A few days later, Uchiha Tonan, who had completed the mission, returned to Konoha with Namikaze Minato¡¯s team.


    In the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen confirmed Minato¡¯s missions first and dismissed them. After they left, Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and said, ¡°Tonan, thank you for bringing back the secret sealing techniques Konoha lost.¡±


    Tonan smiled and said gently, ¡°Sensei, this is what I should do.¡±


    A big smile appeared on Hiruzen¡¯s wrinkled face. He blew out a mouthful of smoke and said with concern, ¡°It must¡¯ve been hard on you. Go back and rest for a few days. Only after you¡¯ve rested properly, come to train with me. Your foundation is already very strong. You can teach yourself as well. Don¡¯t be so anxious.¡±


    With Tonan¡¯s talent, he could learn any technique, regardless of its difficulty, by himself. Hiruzen didn¡¯t need to teach him ninjutsu specifics. Just pointing out a few key instructions was enough. Most of the time, Hiruzen would just give him a ninjutsu scroll and make him learn it himself.


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    Tonan bowed deeply and said, ¡°Thank you, sensei.¡± He then left the Hokage Building, but beyond his expectation, Minato and others were waiting for him outside. When Uchiha Obito, who was sitting on a bench, saw Tonan, he jumped up and excitedly said, ¡°Tonan is here! Now, let¡¯s go to eat barbecue, alright? I haven¡¯t had barbecue in a long time.¡±


    Minato gave a helpless look to Obito. He turned to Tonan and said with a bright smile, ¡°Tonan, we haven¡¯t had dinner together for a long time, let¡¯s have a meal together.¡±


    Tonan was stunned for a moment, and his gaze swept over Kakashi, who was secretly looking at him. He smiled and said, ¡°Alright, I haven¡¯t eaten out for a long time. I miss barbecue.¡±


    Obito said, ¡°Tonan and I are both in favor of barbecue. We already have two votes. Rin, what do you want to eat? I can change my vote.¡±


    Rin covered her mouth and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m also fine with it.¡± Kakashi also said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯m also eating barbecue.¡± Minato nodded and looked up at the sky. He then said, ¡°You all go ahead. I¡¯ll join in later.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    In the barbeque joint, four people waited patiently in their seats. The store¡¯s business seemed to be flourishing. It was almost full of people. The entire room was filled with a tantalizing aroma, making people¡¯s mouths water.


    Obito looked around and said, looking mysterious, ¡°Let me tell you a secret, I think Minato-sensei is in love with Kushina-senpai.¡±


    Everyone already knew this and didn¡¯t show much surprise. Seeing the other three look calm, he scratched his head and said, ¡°You all don¡¯t think so? Could it be that I¡¯m too sensitive?¡±


    Rin rubbed her forehead and sighed. Tonan took the kettle brought by a waiter and got up to pour water for the other three. ¡°Really? If they got together, it¡¯ll be a match made in heaven.¡±


    Seeing someone was not ignoring him, Obito opened his mouth, and his face was filled with a look of gossip. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Kushina-senpai is so fierce, and Minato-sensei is so gentle. If they got together, how can Minato-sensei endure it?¡±


    The atmosphere suddenly became still¡­ Uzumaki Kushina appeared behind Obito and bent over. Turning her head sideways, she said in his ears in a ghostly voice, ¡°O¡­ bi¡­ to.¡±


    Obito was stunned and his hair stood on end as he turned his head mechanically. Looking horrified, he said, ¡°Ku¡­ shina¡­ -senpai¡­¡±


    Rin couldn¡¯t control her laughter but quickly covered her mouth. Tonan looked at Kushina with a gentle expression and said, ¡°Kushina-senpai, long time no see.¡±


    Seeing Tonan after a long time, Kushina restrained her impulse to go berserk. She got up and said with a smile, ¡°Tonan, I heard that Hokage-sama has accepted you as his student. That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and said humbly, ¡°Yes, fortunately, Hokage-sama didn¡¯t think I¡¯m stupid.¡±


    The corners of Obito¡¯s mouth twitched slightly hearing this, and he said, ¡°Tonan, you¡¯re so hypocritical.¡±


    ¡°Oh? It seems I went too far. I have to reflect on myself after I return.¡± Tonan was a little startled, and holding a teacup, he smiled, looking embarrassed, but his eyes were slightly moist.


    As if people misunderstood him, he looked extremely aggrieved. The act brought the desired result and Kushina knocked on Obito¡¯s head, ¡°Obito, it¡¯s called modesty, modesty, do you understand?¡±


    Although he was beaten, considering the huge gap in strength and status, Obito could only suffer. ¡°Damn it~, it hurts~¡± Obito covered the lump on his head, and his tears almost fell.


    Just then, the waiter brought their barbeque. ¡°Guests, enjoy your meal!¡±


    Tonan¡¯s eyes lit up instantly and he put the barbecue on the grill. The saddened expression from a moment ago had completely disappeared. Minato hastily said, ¡°Don¡¯t be shy everyone. It¡¯s my treat today, eat as much as you want.¡±


    Everyone picked up their chopsticks and picked up sliced meat and roasted it on the grill.


    Minato suddenly asked, ¡°Tonan, what was the rank of your mission?¡± Tonan answered lightly, ¡°S-rank.¡± Everyone was dumbfounded. They were very surprised inwardly. Minato nodded and said, ¡°The one you fought was Kumo¡¯s ¡®A¡¯, right?¡±


    Tonan looked a little solemn as he answered, ¡°Yes, he was very powerful. In terms of speed, strength, and defense, he is terrifying.¡±


    Rin held a piece of sliced meat as she curiously asked, ¡°Is he stronger than Minato-sensei?¡±


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    Tonan pondered for a moment and answered seriously, ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be able to touch Minato-sensei, but Minato-sensei might not be able to break his defense.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they turned to look at Minato. They were shocked by how strong ¡®A¡¯ was. After all, Minato was very powerful in their eyes, and he seemed to have never lost so far. Minato nodded, ¡°I heard that he has mastered Kumo¡¯s Lightning Armor, which is known as the strongest shield. I guess, with my attacks, it is indeed difficult to hurt him.¡±


    Kushina hit the bowl with chopsticks, looking displeased, and warned, ¡°Can you not talk about missions and intelligence during our meetings? It makes the atmosphere gloomy. Tonan, come, eat more.¡±


    She picked up a piece of meat and placed it in his bowl. Tonan smiled brightly at her and his eyes were filled with cordial feelings. ¡°Thank you, Kushina-senpai. Don¡¯t just care about me, you should also eat more.¡±


    Kushina nodded with a smile, then looked at the four people who were immersed in eating and sighed, ¡°Time flies so fast. I feel like you¡¯ve all grown up.¡±


    Minato chuckled, ¡°During the war period, at their age, many would¡¯ve already become a person-in-charge of a combat team.¡±


    Tonan immersed himself in eating barbeque listening to everyone¡¯s casual conversation. Suddenly, a thought appeared in his mind.


    ¡°If a jinchuriki is killed, can I get the abilities of the tailed beast too? If so, then will the tail beast disappear? If it doesn¡¯t disappear, can¡¯t I just seal the tail beast into another person, and then kill him¡­ In that way, can¡¯t I continuously stack up, one Nine Tails, two Nine Tails¡­¡±

 CH 129

    Calculating maliciously, Uchiha Tonan subconsciously glanced at Uzumaki Kushina who was chatting happily. Instantly, the soul disguise that Tonan had once cast on himself using the Hypnotic Eyes genjutsu activated on its own.


    ¡°It hurts.¡± The chopsticks in his hand paused, and he frowned a little. His complexion returned to normal instantly but Namikaza Minato and Kakashi noticed his unusualness. There was a hint of hesitation in Hatake Kakashi¡¯s eyes as well, but he didn¡¯t ask. Minato, who was sitting beside Tonan, asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Tonan smiled and shook his head, ¡°Nothing, I just felt something bad might happen.¡±


    Minato frowned, glanced at the other three who were still chatting happily, and said gently, ¡°In any case, Obito and Rin will be doing just D-ranked missions during this time. Do you want me to take you to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow?¡±


    Looking at the situation, it seems serious. After all, as a ninja, the sudden unusual behavior worried Minato. If it¡¯s just an ordinary disease, it was fine, but Minato feared it was the legendary bloodline disease.


    Tonan waved his hand and softly said, ¡°No need, I¡¯m fine.¡± He smiled at Minato but suddenly a warm current surged within his body. ¡°Yo, who gave me this pleasant surprise?¡± The current gradually dissipated to his limbs and bones, making him full of energy, as if his entire body was just baptized.


    Just when he was feeling happy in his heart, a warm current influx into his eyes, strengthening his ocular power.


    The one who died was¡­ an Uchiha!


    Tonan put down his chopsticks gently and adjusted his glasses. He got up and bowed to everyone and said, ¡°Everyone, please enjoy your meal. I recalled I needed to do something. Please excuse me.¡±


    Kushina¡¯s hand paused and she said looking puzzled, ¡°Tonan, you haven¡¯t eaten much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for everyone to get together and Tonan is leaving so early. If he had something important, he would¡¯ve said it in advance. Did someone displease him?¡±


    Thinking so, Kushina looked at Obito, who was immersed in eating, and gave him a bad look. Obito didn¡¯t notice at all, he just looked at Tonan and said, ¡°Be careful on your way¡­¡±


    Minato seemed to have noticed something and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s something urgent, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    Tonan nodded and smiled apologetically at everyone before leaving the barbecue joint.


    ¡­¡­


    On the street not far from the Uchiha clan, at this moment, the sky was completely dark. The doors and windows of all households were tightly closed. The streets were empty, dimly lit by the faint light from the streetlamps.


    Tonan stood beside a lamppost, half of his body in the light and the other half in the dark. His ears stood up as he used Wind Communication with all his power. He heard the autumn wind¡¯s whistling sound, the low growls of stray cats and dogs, insects rustling ¡­


    ¡°What are you doing under the quilt not sleeping yet?¡±


    ¡°Mum, I¡¯m not doing anything.¡±


    ¡°Bring it here, little brat, how old are you? You are looking at such a dirty book¡­¡±


    ¡°Ninja-sama~ come~ eat a grape.¡±


    ¡°Hmm~ very sweet.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something even sweeter¡­¡±


    ¡°One thousand five hundred and eighty-one, one thousand five hundred and eighty-two. Hu~Hu~ Youth, cannot give up¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so boring, patrolling every day is simply boring to death¡­¡±


    ¡°Shisui, it¡¯s late, go to sleep¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Tonan breathed a sigh of relief. Right now he was truly worried about losing his Mangekyo. He continued to expand the range of Wind Communication, curious to see who had died.


    ¡°Did you find Jiro?¡±


    ¡°Captain, the chakra fluctuation emanated from here.¡±


    ¡°The soil here is turned, there¡¯s no grass.¡±


    ¡°None of us can use earth style.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s use our hands to dig.¡±


    After Tonan determined the position, he opened his eyes and three tomoe slowly spun. A white pigeon that was tearing up a rabbit immediately stopped eating and spread its wings. It flew through the forest and landed on a big tree not far from where the voices had originated, covering its body with dense leaves and watching quietly.


    Several Konoha Police Force members were digging the soil with their hands. Soon, a corpse emerged from underground. The dead body seemed to have been buried for a long time. It emanated the smell of soil, and the smell of rot, which made people nauseous. Unknown kinds of insects and ants were biting the flesh and the thick smell of maggots began to spread slowly.


    The corpse¡¯s eyes sockets were hollowed out.


    ¡°Jiro¡¯s Sharingan is gouged out.¡±


    ¡°This is the Corpse Corrosion Technique that can speed up corpse decomposition. We can no longer inspect the memory and the time of death also can¡¯t be estimated.¡±


    Everyone gasped. They were a little spooked. ¡°Go and report to the Hokage-sama and Patriarch Fugaku. A spy likely did it.¡±


    Seeing this, Tonan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, this person¡¯s corpse was not taken away. Otherwise, he was worried that someone would search his memory, and Tonan may get implicated. Although only a handful of ninjas could search memories like from the Yamanaka clan, Tonan couldn¡¯t take the risk.


    He felt slightly insecure. He couldn¡¯t let people who knew his secret live for long. They must be dealt with. But those were the elites of the Uchiha clan, the wonders of three-tomoe Sharingan. The weakest one was an ordinary jonin, and the older ones were almost all elite jonin.


    The current Tonan could kill all of them without any difficulty. But the issue was that he couldn¡¯t do it silently, primarily because he still didn¡¯t have a higher-up as his cover.


    Suddenly, Tonan¡¯s ears moved, and he heard some footsteps coming toward him.


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    ¡°Is it truly alright for us to follow Tonan like this?¡±


    ¡°Something is wrong with him. He kept frowning while eating. Something is likely wrong with his body. In this state, he needs to go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible. If it is delayed for too long, he might not be cured.¡±


    ¡°They followed me!¡± Suddenly, an idea appeared in Tonan¡¯s mind. He used one hand to take support from the lamppost and clutched his heart with the other. He suddenly raised his head, looked into the distance, and muttered, ¡°Is it truly happening?¡±


    He then maniacally ran into the distance. Behind him, Minato and Kushina, who were hiding in the darkness, glanced at each other and nodded tacitly. They continued to follow him. Soon, Tonan arrived at the forest¡¯s edge. There was no light here. It was pitch-black. Only birds¡¯ chirping could be heard from time to time. The atmosphere was a bit depressing.


    The several guards that were guarding Jiro¡¯s corpse noticed the movement and immediately looked back.


    ¡°Who is there?¡±


    ¡°Tonan?¡±


    Tonan stood on a big tree and said with a dull look, ¡°It seems I¡¯m too late.¡±


    A Police Force member frowned and asked, ¡°How did you know that something happened to Jiro?¡±


    Tonan closed his eyes and sighed softly. He then pointed at his own heart and said, ¡°Hereafter, be careful and try not to be alone as much as possible. This might not be done by outsiders.¡±


    That Police officer frowned, not understanding what Tonan meant. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


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    However, another Police Force member patted his teammate¡¯s shoulder and solemnly said, ¡°We understand¡­ you¡­ please return.¡±

 CH 131

    Notes:


    The Land of Whirlpools was located on an island off the coast of the Land of Fire and was the Uzumaki clan¡¯s origin. It was eventually destroyed and its survivors scattered across the Shinobi World


    Long before the founding of the hidden villages, during an era of endless war, Otsutsuki Kaguya consumed the fruit of the God Tree and became the first wielder of chakra on Earth, later merging with the tree to become the Ten Tails


    ¡°Have so many people that have been with Tonan already died?¡± Uzumaki Kushina stepped forward and hunkered down to rub Uchiha Tonan¡¯s hair, wanting to comfort him. Shortly afterward, she frowned, thinking of something.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t add up. If your theory is correct, then why has nothing happened to Minato, Kakashi, or me?¡± After a short pause, seeing Tonan not answering, Kushina felt she had found a breakthrough and continued to probe, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking? Did you discover something?¡±


    Tonan curled up even more and replied in an indifferent tone, ¡°You might not completely acknowledge me¡­ I can feel that you and Minato-sensei are subconsciously wary of me. We are limited to being acquaintances. There are no deep feelings.¡±


    Kushina was stunned. She stuttered as she said, ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not like that¡­ what about Kakashi?¡±


    On the mention of Kakashi, Tonan became silent for a long time and he finally replied, ¡°That¡¯s why I intentionally kept my distance from him after I fulfilled White Fang-sama¡¯s last wish. I¡¯m going to make him hate me. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to him.¡±


    It looked like Tonan made Kakashi hate him, not only to stimulate his growth but also to protect him. Kushina thought of another person and asked, ¡°What about Hokage-sama?¡±


    Tonan paused and shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t ask about sensei¡­¡±


    The answer made Kushina come back to her senses. Ever since the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not as kind as he looked on the surface. She was deeply vigilant of him and now it seemed that Hiruzen didn¡¯t consider Tonan as his own either.


    The two remained silent for a while. Kushina¡¯s thoughts were all over the place. In a situation like Tonan¡¯s, any regular person would know these things had nothing to do with the person but Tonan was the kind that liked to take everything on himself.


    ¡°I truly don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Kushina sighed but another idea popped in her head and she softly said, ¡°Tonan, do you want to make a bet with me?¡±


    Tonan shrunk and said indifferently, ¡°Not interested.¡±


    Kushina did not expect such a rejection but she held back her temper, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth. Minato and I like you very much. It¡¯s just that it might not be very deep as yet. But starting today, Minato and I will completely acknowledge you. And as long as we don¡¯t die, you must not think that you are an ominous person.¡±


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    Tonan, however, resolutely maintained, ¡°I won¡¯t bet.¡±


    Kushina secretly clenched her fists. The smile on her face was also a little stiff. But she continued to be as gentle as possible, ¡°Let me tell you a secret, I¡¯m Kyubi¡¯s jinchuriki. You would know about the tailed beasts, right? Do you think anything is more brutal or eviler than the Ninja World¡¯s tailed beasts? With such an existence sealed in my body, what else can curse me?¡±


    Tonan seemed to be shaken, and he weakly asked, ¡°Kushina-senpai, are you telling the truth?¡±


    Kushina smiled brightly and replied, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Tonan slowly raised his head. The moment he saw Kushina¡¯s face, the hypnosis seal in his mind activated. In the deep and dark spiritual space, a cluster of spiritual fire ignited, instantly dispelling the darkness.


    Tonan¡¯s eyes flashed with closeness as he quietly looked at Kushina and said, ¡°Kushina-senpai¡­¡±


    ¡°Tonan.¡± Kushina gently extended her hand, a step at a time¡­


    Namikaze Minato too walked out of the darkness seeing that Tonan¡¯s mood had stabilized. After coming over, he also similarly extended his hand with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Minato-sensei.¡± Tonan looked at the two people in front of him, and his eyes were full of emotion. ¡°Get up,¡± Minato said with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Tonan rubbed his eyes, holding back tears. He extended his hands and placed them on the hands of Kushina and Minato.


    In Kushina¡¯s sealed space, Kurama was confused, ¡°This is too strange. Someone¡¯s spirit can actually change from extreme darkness to extreme brightness instantly on seeing a certain individual.¡±


    As the jinchuriki, Kushina could hear the Nine Tails¡¯ words. She looked at Minato, her eyes filled with pride. The moon opened its eyes, gently watching the village and field below, like a shining copper plate.


    Under the warm yellow street lamp, Kushina and Minato led Tonan down the quiet street. ¡°Tonan, you didn¡¯t eat anything just now. Would you like to have some supper together?¡±


    ¡°Kushina-senpai, now that you mention it, I truly feel a little hungry.¡±


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    ¡°Something happened to your Jiro-san, are you going to visit his house later?¡±


    ¡°Almost all clan members hate me, so I won¡¯t go. I¡¯ll secretly send a bouquet after Jiro-san is buried.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    ¡°Kushina-senpai, Minato-sensei.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°You two won¡¯t leave me, right?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t.¡±


    Late at night, Tonan returned home with a bulging stomach. Although he had experienced too many things today, and he felt a little tired, the homework to be done should still be done. Under the dim light in the bedroom, he took out a book and began to read it.


    Reading could calm people and they would be able to reflect on themselves and notice their flaws. Tonight, Obito¡¯s remark, ¡®Tonan, you are so hypocritical¡¯, had been lingering in his mind. He was not annoyed. Other people were like a mirror.


    To other people, Obito¡¯s sentence was him talking nonsense. But for him, this was Obito pointing out his flaw. Perhaps, Tonan had never been a boorish man who only had strength in his eyes. Therefore, even though he was already powerful, he was still as cautious as before, and he kept belittling himself.


    But now, he had a series of achievements. If he continued to excessively belittle himself like that, that wouldn¡¯t be modest, rather¡­


    The direction was not wrong, but everything should be grasped to a degree. Furthermore, this degree was not set in stone.


    Tonan looked at ¡®Advanced Guide to Spy Camouflage¡¯ in his hand and sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve really slacked off lately. I¡¯m not making the kind of effort I used to. Life needs continuous learning, progress, and striving for ideals. In this world filled with competition, victory or defeat is the reality. If you don¡¯t keep up with other people, you will be eliminated, sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°Even if my current strength is enough to survive, I can¡¯t relax. I must be alert in peacetime and take preventive measures. I have to quell every little fire that might endanger my life in time. I¡¯ve to be worried¡­¡±


    ¡°After all, only about twenty years are left before the appearance of the Six Paths leveled powerhouses. Kaguya must reappear in the world. She is the ancestor of chakra. If she is used for breeding¡­ I guess the average combat power of the Ninja World will improve greatly. This would be a great deed that would benefit the common people.¡±

 CH 132

    In addition to Uchiha Obito¡¯s comment, Uchiha Jiro¡¯s death also made Uchiha Tonan feel a sense of crisis. In Konoha, who would dare attack a jonin like Jiro? It could only be Orochimaru or Shimura Danzo.


    Tonan didn¡¯t need to worry about Danzo checking people¡¯s memories for time being. The human experiment was very important and Danzo was a cautious person. He must have just let a few of his confidants know any details.


    Judging from how the corpse was destroyed after the eyes were dug out, the Yamanaka clan also would not be able to do much. But Tonan didn¡¯t dare to be careless as this matter was not completely under his control.


    There were two options in front of him now. One was to secretly kill the Uchihas who knew his secrets. The advantage of this option was that it would thwart all future troubles. But the disadvantage was clear. Unless he killed everyone in one go, they would suspect him and might even spread rumors. That would be troublesome.


    Moreover, killing more than a dozen Uchihas who had three tomoe Sharingans and were scattered throughout Konoha, and doing so within a limited time window without leaving any traces, would be near impossible.


    The other option was to do nothing and let Orochimaru and the others kill these people, and then secretly find out whether their corpses were destroyed or not. If not, he would have to either do it himself or chase after the culprits.


    But the consequence of that would be a very high chance that he needed to face one of the three sannin, who had shaken the Ninja World. Not to mention whether he could win against Orochimaru, the key point was that once he fell out with him, whether he could kill him or not would be the biggest issue.


    If he won without being able to kill Orochimaru, the scale of the fight would attract people. Then, regardless of how Hiruzen treated Orochimaru, Tonan, would be crowned with titles of the new generation genius of Konoha, a sannin rival, and so on.


    That was equivalent to putting him under the spotlight, making it very difficult for him to act in the future. Both options were too risky and gave him a headache. He put down the book to sip on the tea and rubbed his temples.


    There was much going on lately that made him a little tired. ¡°I thought I could finally rest, but intentionally or unintentionally, someone or the other is making life difficult for me.¡±


    Tonan took a deep breath and walked to the window. He looked at the night sky in deep thought. The lotus-like clouds had dispersed, and the moon was shining like a circular mirror. It was as pure and flawless as Tonan¡¯s spirit at this moment.


    As Tonan looked at the bright full moon, a sudden thought appeared in his mind.


    Bald head!


    ¡­¡­¡­


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    The first rays of the morning sun passed through the dawn sky and awakened the sleeping earth. A new day had begun. Tonan packed up his things and stuck three incense sticks on the altar of the wood carvings.


    ¡°If this trip goes well, I¡¯ll send a virtuous person of prestige to accompany you.¡±


    Half an hour later, Tonan came to the Hokage Building alone. When Sarutobi Hiruzen saw him, he was stunned for a moment, and asked with a puzzled look, ¡°Tonan, why are you here? Didn¡¯t I give you a holiday?¡±


    Tonan pursed his lips and timidly asked, ¡°Sensei, I feel a little tired recently. I want to go out for a trip, is that alright?¡±


    Generally speaking, Leaf ninjas couldn¡¯t leave the village unless it was for a mission. However, rules were set by people, and those with status could break them. Hiruzen frowned hearing Tonan¡¯s words. He blew out a mouthful of smoke and asked, ¡°Where are you planning to go?¡±


    Tonan thought for a moment and replied, ¡°I want to take a look around and also pick up the orphans on the way. The construction of the welfare institution is almost complete.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded, ¡°Tonan, I¡¯ve to tell you something.¡±


    Seeing Hiruzen¡¯s expression, Tonan responded immediately, ¡°Please do, sensei.¡±


    Hiruzen said in earnest, ¡°Konoha is a ninja village. If you don¡¯t have enough qualifications to enter, you need to pay a huge fee. If it¡¯s one or two people, I can help you save the costs. But if there are many, even I can¡¯t go against the rules.¡±


    Tonan nodded and lightly said, ¡°Sensei, do I have enough money?¡±


    Hiruzen replied solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s enough for the time being, but once the fee is paid, not much will be left.¡±


    Tonan smiled brightly, ¡°That¡¯s fine. If there¡¯s no money left, I can just find a way to earn more. But if I leave them in the Fire Capital for a long time, no one will take care of them.¡±


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    ¡°After all, a lot of time has already passed. It¡¯s almost time for the slow poison I¡¯d given to Masaki to work. After he is dead, no one will take care of the orphans.¡± Tonan thought in his heart.


    A hint of heartache flashed through Hiruzen¡¯s eyes, and he sighed, ¡°Tonan, you are not only my disciple, but in my eyes, you are like my biological child. There are some things I¡¯ve to tell you. We are ninjas, and there is nothing wrong with being kind, but we cannot sacrifice ourselves for kindness.¡±


    Tonan was stunned for a moment, ¡°But doesn¡¯t the Will of Fire teach us to¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Hiruzen interrupted him, ¡°Tonan! The Will of Fire is to make us have good qualities and protect our village. It¡¯s to make us remember the ancestors who sacrificed themselves for the village and cherish the hard-earned peace. It¡¯s not to encourage us to fearlessly make sacrifices. The world is too big but our strength is limited. The most important thing for us is to take care of our comrades in the village.¡±


    Tonan lowered his head and solemnly replied, ¡°I understand sensei. It seems my thoughts were a little biased.¡±


    Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, not giving any indication of what he was thinking. After a while, he continued, ¡°I want to tell you one more thing, you can go and play anywhere, but you must not go to the Fire Capital.¡±


    Hiruzen leaned forward slightly and solemnly added, ¡°I¡¯ve sent three Anbu members to the Fire Capital but none of them returned alive.¡±


    Tonan was shocked to hear this and asked in disbelief, ¡°Is the Daimyo going against Konoha?¡±


    Hiruzen shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not as you think. The ninjas in light are fine. In any case, this matter is very complicated. The most critical problem is very likely to lie within the village. But you cannot be involved in all this now. You just have to remember that you must not go to the Fire Capital.¡±


    ¡°As for the orphans, forget them this time. In a few days, I¡¯ll issue a mission for you and dispatch a ninja team to bring them back. By the way, you¡¯ve to remember one more thing. Among the Konoha higherups, don¡¯t believe anyone else other than me. This includes Danzo and the two Hokage advisers.¡±


    Tonan seriously replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After all that should be explained was explained, Hiruzen took out a certificate and filled in Tonan¡¯s information. He stamped a seal and gave it to him, ¡°Go, give this to the registration officer at the village entrance. You¡¯re my disciple. You don¡¯t need to register when you¡¯re leaving the village in the future. While going out to relax, you¡¯ve to be careful as well.¡±


    Tonan took the certificate and bowed deeply to Hiruzen, ¡°I¡¯ll leave now, sensei. You must also take care of your health when I¡¯m away.¡±


    With a kind smile on his face, Hiruzen waved his hand, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Have fun outside and come back.¡±

 CH 133

    At Konoha¡¯s gate, Uchiha Tonan stepped out of the barrier and took a deep breath. It was the kind of feeling that was similar to the wide sea allowing the fish to leap about or the vast sky letting birds fly.


    ¡°Perhaps, this world once had a single hue, but after my arrival, it caused a butterfly effect. The situation is becoming more and more confusing. The dignified Konoha Hokage cannot even trust his advisers! It seems Naraku¡¯s means are a bit strong¡­¡±


    Getting Shimura Danzo on his side made sense but being able to pull Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu into his camp as well¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit scary. Could it be he grasped a handle on them?¡± Tonan didn¡¯t believe the two advisers would betray Sarutobi Hiruzen just because of money. The only possibility was that they did dirty things and were caught red-handed.


    Thinking about this, even in the original works, regardless of the anime or manga, the Daimyo was Naraku. But in that, he was a well-deserved good-for-nothing. Humans truly need to lose the most precious things when they are the happiest. Only then they can grow up.


    Tonan sighed lightly, and his figure suddenly disappeared. In the distant woods, two people without any ninja marks were lurking.


    ¡°He ran away.¡±


    ¡°Did he use the Body Flicker Technique?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s faster than that.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s almost out of my perception range.¡±


    ¡°We cannot help it. Let¡¯s return to report that the mission has failed.¡±


    The two people looked at each other, but their line of sight was blocked by an indifferent face.


    Pop!


    Tonan placed his hands on their shoulders and said without any emotion, ¡°If my guess is right, you two have come here to seek death, isn¡¯t it? You didn¡¯t even wear masks.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t I move?¡±


    The two ninjas without any identification were terrified. Not only were their bodies paralyzed but they couldn¡¯t make a sound either. At this moment, in Tonan¡¯s eyes, the three tomoe were spinning slowly, casting the Hell Viewing Technique.


    He wanted to see their background. However¡­


    ¡°This curse seal again?¡±


    Tonan stopped pressing on their acupoints and made a hand seal.


    Crackle, crackle, crackle~


    Two lightning needles pierced through their heads and a powerful lightning-attributed chakra exploded, destroying their brains. After doing everything, Tonan didn¡¯t even bother to destroy the corpses and jumped back, landing on a higher branch.


    A gust of wind blew over, and he disappeared without a trace. He didn¡¯t need to guess who was behind these two. But Tonan couldn¡¯t figure out one thing. Why did the person behind the scenes send two chunin?


    He was Hiruzen¡¯s student. If two chunin could kill him, wouldn¡¯t that be the biggest joke? As for the identity of the person behind the scenes, he didn¡¯t even need to think.


    Several minutes later, at the Root Headquater¡­


    ¡°Danzo-sama, the mission failed.¡±


    ¡°Sure enough, that little fellow has a jonin¡¯s strength. Send the corpses back to the Fire Capital. Also, inform about that brat¡¯s strength to the Daimyo in passing.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why is the Daimyo paying so much attention to this brat?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    It would not be wrong to say that the Revere Fire Street was not inferior to Konoha in size. Because the most famous temple of the Ninja World, the Fire Temple, was located on a high mountain far-off from the Revere Fire Street.


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    Outside the street, there was a wide field. Now, it was approaching the autumn harvest. There were tall crops everywhere, hiding the farmers and flocks of white pigeons flew towards the sky.


    Tonan sat alone on a stone in the field, playing a custom-made flute purchased from the musical instrument store in the Revere Fire Street. He had been coming here for quite a few days already.


    The workers in the field were already acquainted with him and no one asked him questions again. The farmers, who were taking a break, lay on the ridge with straw hats on their faces, quietly listening to the elegant sound of the flute.


    Tonan was playing the flute but what he was listening to was not just the flute but a conversation.


    ¡°Naoko, there¡¯s a secret I¡¯ve always wanted to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Tomaru-san, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I like you.¡±


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    ¡°Tomaru-san, sorry, I already have someone I like in my heart.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that person?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t tell you right now.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Soon after, Tonan heard the sounds of plants being cut by a sickle. The movement was chaotic as if someone was venting and with time, it was getting closer to Tonan. Not long after, the crops in front of him were parted by the man called Tomaru.


    Tomaru ferociously waved his sickle towards Tonan and said, ¡°Why are you playing it? It sounds annoying. Do you know that you are disturbing everyone?¡±


    The sound stopped abruptly. Tonan put down the flute and got up, deeply bowing, ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±


    Tomaru waved his sickle, looking more irritated, ¡°Leave quickly, you are not welcome here. If you want to play, go somewhere else.¡±


    Tonan nodded lightly and turned to leave. A while later, a woman ran over, and said to Tomaru with dissatisfaction, ¡°Tomaru-san, why did you drive him away?¡±


    Seeing his sweetheart angry, Tomaru explained, ¡°Naoko, he¡¯s playing flute in our field¡­ what if he is a bad man? I did this for your safety.¡±


    Naoko took a deep breath and said to Tomaru, ¡°Go back, you don¡¯t have to worry about these things.¡± Tomaru felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. He lowered his head, ¡°I¡­ fine, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Naoko stood on the ridge. After seeing Tomaru leave, she turned around and stood on tiptoe, looking around. A gust of wind blew and bent the crops a little, revealing Tonan.


    He was walking on the ridge not far away, with his hands on his back and a calm expression on his face. The setting autumn sun gave a warm hue to his handsome face, making his features look impeccable.


    Suddenly, Tonan looked over in her direction. He reached out his hand to adjust his glasses and then nodded slightly towards Naoko. Naoko was stunned for a moment, and her heart was jumping. She even felt a slight suffocated feeling.


    ¡®Ding! Gained Nohara Naoko¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    The wind blew away quickly. The crops returned to their previous upright state, completely covering Tonan. Naoko jumped twice on the spot but was still unable to see anything. She felt a little lost in her heart.


    In the evening, she returned home after a busy day. She went to her bedroom first and looked in the mirror. As she touched her tanned skin, a figure flashed in her mind. There was a slight blush on her face, but then looking at her reflection, her eyes flashed with a hint of sadness.


    ¡°Naoko, don¡¯t think about it, that person looks rich and also younger. Stop daydreaming. Look, how tanned you are.¡±


    ¡°Naoko, the food is ready,¡± an aged voice came from outside. Naoko quickly covered the mirror and ran out of the bedroom. In this family, only she and her grandmother were left to depend on each other. Her grandmother was old, so Naoko had to carry the family¡¯s burden.


    On the dining table, there were two simple vegetarian dishes and two bowls of rice. Naoko sat in seiza-style in front of the dining table and ate rice in small bites. She was completely distracted. Sometimes, she was shy and smiling, and sometimes, she was frowning and worrying. Her changing moods did not miss her grandmother¡¯s notice but the elder woman didn¡¯t say much.

 CH 134

    The next morning, birds chirped non-stop as they looked for food. Uchiha Tonan got up from the hotel bed and left the Revere Fire Street, making his way to the Fire Temple.


    The clear sky in late autumn looked like a boundless calm sea. The white light on the horizon was like ripples on the sea. Drifting leaves decorated it with the hue of human fireworks. The steps up the mountain were covered with many leaves, and an old monk was working hard to sweep them with a big broom.


    Dong, dong, dong¡­


    As the sun made its presence felt, the clouds above the temple seemed to be swept away by a huge hand, pouring out golden light, shining a red glow for a long time. From the changeable clouds, the blood-red sun lent its sheen to mountains and valleys, filled with the autumn breeze.


    As the morning bell sounded, two novice monks opened the gate, and a group of pilgrims who had been waiting for a long time flocked inside the temple. These people had come here to compete for the day¡¯s first incense.


    The monastery amid green woods had apricot-colored courtyard walls. The grayish hall ridges and towering green ancient trees were bathed in autumn freshness. It all looked solemn and mysterious.


    A thousand-year-old camphor tree shaded the open space in front of the temple. White fences surrounded a big lotus pond with many pink lotuses. And a finely chiseled stone arch bridge was over the pond.


    Tonan walked leisurely on the strong stone bridge. He could hear the prayers and chants in the temple¡­


    ¡°Buddha, bless my ill father, make him get better quickly.¡±


    ¡°Benevolent Buddha, please bless my granddaughter with a safe life. It looks like she likes someone. If that person is good, bless them to be together.¡±


    ¡°Buddha, the last time when I worshipped you, I won at first, but later, I lost the money. This time, I sold my house, please, you have to bless me to win back all the lost money. If I lose again, our family will not survive. You cannot let us die. Please, please.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan stepped into the hall and stood behind the believers, looking up at the huge Buddha statue inside. This statue was somewhat similar to the one he had seen in the temple in his previous life.


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    This Buddha was incomparably tall, sitting upright in the hall. The entire statue was golden, but there were some bronze textures. A portion of the roof above the statue seemed to be covered with glass like a skylight for the hall.


    When the light trickled in, it would shine on the Buddha, making people feel that the statue was dazzling with some kind of majesty. But the Buddha here didn¡¯t make any hand gesture. Instead, it sat cross-legged with both hands on the knees and its eyes seemed to be looking down on the believers.


    Tonan¡¯s gaze slowly moved to the statue¡¯s eyes and slowly the prayers and chanting around him gradually faded away. The entire world became quiet for him. He seemed to be looking at the existence in the unseen, mystical world across time and space.


    ¡°Benefactor, please don¡¯t block passers-by.¡± After an unknown period, a monk¡¯s voice sounded beside Tonan. He continued to look straight at the Buddha¡¯s eyes, and a smile appeared on his face. He walked to the donation box and took out a thick stack of banknotes, stuffing them all into the box.


    The monk¡¯s eyes lit up. He immediately put his palms together and bowed to Tonan, ¡°Benefactor, boundless beneficence, Buddha will bless you.¡±


    Tonan looked at the Buddha statue¡¯s eyes again and lightly said, ¡°I hope so.¡± He put his palms together as well and bowed to the statue and then said to the monk, ¡°My name is Uchiha Tonan. I¡¯m a Leaf ninja. I want to meet Master Chigo.¡±


    The monk suddenly realized, ¡°It turned out to be ninja-sama. Please, come with me.¡±


    The two people walked through several corridors and arrived beside a stone table in a small courtyard. The courtyard was small and elegant. It was clean, simple, and tidy. The atmosphere of this place made people feel comfortable.


    ¡°Ninja-sama, please sit here for a while. I¡¯ll inform Master Chigo.¡±


    Tonan nodded and sat down on the stone bench. After a while, a monk hurried over with a cup and a teapot. He placed them on the stone table and poured Tonan a cup of tea. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master is receiving guests. Please wait a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Tonan took a sip from the teacup and began to listen to the sounds carefully using Wind Communication.


    ¡°Master Chigo, His Majesty is very satisfied with the previous matter.¡±


    ¡°Although we are monks, we are also Land of Fire citizens. This was something we should do.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s promise will be fulfilled soon. It¡¯s just that the manpower in the Daimyo Residence is tight. Therefore, His Majesty has instructed me to bring all the money needed for the construction of the temple and give it to you.¡±


    ¡°Daimyo-sama is considerate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Soon, Tonan heard footsteps approaching from far. He saw a middle-aged man with white hair appearing at the corner of the corridor. His steps were a little hurried as if he was busy. When the middle-aged man passed by Tonan, the two just looked at each other quietly.


    Tonan clearly saw surprise in the man¡¯s eyes. Tonan also recognized this man. He was his previous immediate boss at the Fire Capital, the Guardian Residence Chief Uekawa Ozora.


    When Tonan had secretly observed him before, he didn¡¯t look this old. ¡°How long has it been since then, and he is already this haggard?¡±


    At this moment, a monk rushed over and put his palms together, ¡°Ninja-sama, please come with me.¡±


    Tonan stood up and returned the greeting,  ¡°I¡¯ve troubled you.¡± The two people had just reached the corner of a corridor when suddenly Tonan¡¯s footsteps became a bit slower. He glanced back, intentionally or unintentionally. Just a moment ago, Tonan had noticed that after Ozora had left the Fire Temple, there was a sudden burst of chakra fluctuation which was not inferior to an elite jonin. Soon after, Ozora disappeared without a trace.


    Such speed, even in Konoha, it¡¯s considered pretty good. Logically speaking, even if Ozora possessed the strength of an elite jonin, Tonan wouldn¡¯t have felt that it was too outrageous. The key point was that Ozora¡¯s chakra gave Tonan a strange feeling.


    But Tonan just kept this for now and decided to find a chance to look into it after the current matter. Soon, the two people arrived in front of Chigo¡¯s room. The monk opened the door for Tonan and said, ¡°Benefactor, we are here.¡±


    Tonan stepped into the room. Chigo, who was meditating inside, opened his eyes, and said with a smile, ¡°Tonan, how come you¡¯re here?¡±


    Tonan smiled and took out a small gift box from his ninja bag handing it to Chigo, ¡°I took a leave to travel and relax. This is my gift for you, Master Chigo.¡±


    Chigo waved his hand, ¡°Tonan, I¡¯m a monk, I don¡¯t accept gifts.¡±


    Tonan opened the gift box and pointed at the things inside, ¡°There is nothing valuable in this. It¡¯s just a health care product I brought from Konoha. It has the effect of relieving fatigue, soothing the nerves, and helping sleep.¡±


    Chigo raised his eyebrows hearing his explanation. He looked at the things inside and asked, ¡°Health care products? Is this medicine?¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°Health care products are also a kind of medicine, and they have no side effects. You must not take too many at a time though. Take one pack before going to bed every day, and you can sleep well at night.¡±


    Chigo pondered for a bit, thinking that something like this didn¡¯t seem to be precious. Although he had no use for it, he couldn¡¯t hurt the other¡¯s sentiment. Therefore, he took the gift box and put it aside, ¡°I¡¯ll take it. You are considerate. Why are you here?¡±


    Tonan shook his head lightly, ¡°I¡¯ve no reason, I was just passing by so I thought to see you.¡±


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    Seeing that Tonan didn¡¯t have any specific reason to seek him, Chigo immediately got up, ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going to teach scriptures to the monks. You can also come and listen. In the afternoon, I¡¯ll show you around the Fire Temple.¡±


    A hint of embarrassment flashed through Tonan¡¯s face, ¡°That¡¯s too much trouble for you. I¡¯ll just take a look around.¡±


    Chigo smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s no trouble. You are a guest from afar, this is something I should do.¡±

 CH 135

    In the evening, numerous monks tapped on wooden fishes in the hall, the resulting rhythm making people feel calm. The leaves of the ancient tung tree next to the enclosing wall shone with golden light. With a gust of breeze, the tree branch shook, causing a few leaves to slowly fall to the ground.


    Suddenly, a chime came from not far away. The bell chimes were very clear as if they could directly pierce through people¡¯s spirits.


    Two people strolled side by side in the Fire Temple. Chigo continuously pointed at various sceneries as he introduced them to Uchiha Tonan.


    ¡°The history of the Fire Temple is too long. The exact written records can be traced back to before the samurai era.¡±


    ¡°This is where the monks perform the morning services.¡±


    ¡°This is where the monks live.¡±


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    ¡­¡­


    In between Chigo¡¯s various descriptors, Tonan asked, ¡°Master Chigo, are you already the Temple Master?¡±


    Chigo nodded, ¡°Yes after I returned the last time, I became the Temple Master.¡±


    Tonan nodded hearing this. As he looked around, he saw a beggar curled up in a corner in the temple. Looking doubtful, he asked, ¡°What is that person doing?¡±


    Chigo followed Tonan¡¯s gaze and sighed, ¡°That¡¯s a frustrated man. In the past, he used to come to the temple to burn incense and pray regularly. He even made a lot of donations to the temple. Now that he met with misfortune, it¡¯s not good for us to drive him away. We give him porridge every day. But he remains like this even after a while, we¡¯ll have to send him down the mountain.¡±


    Tonan frowned, ¡°And let him fend for himself?¡±


    Chigo put his palms together as if praying for that person in his heart and then helplessly said, ¡°Although it¡¯s cruel, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡±


    Tonan asked in confusion, ¡°Can¡¯t you enlighten him?¡±


    Chigo pointed to a monk who was walking over with a bowl of porridge, ¡°Look over there.¡±


    The monk walked over to the beggar. He was in no rush to give the porridge and persuaded the beggar first, ¡°Benefactor, as long as you don¡¯t have any distracting thoughts in your heart, you can let go of anything. Why bother like this?¡±


    The beggar raised his head and Tonan finally saw his face. His eyes were hollow. His skin was dark, and his beard had grown long because it wasn¡¯t trimmed for a long time. He looked very shabby. He kept lying on the ground and muttered, ¡°I¡¯ve lost all my family property. My wife and children have been taken away to offset the debt, what else can I do now? Stop talking. Let me eat, I¡¯m starving to death.¡±


    As if to prove his hunger, he rubbed his stomach and leaned on the steps, stretching out his hands to take the bowl.


    Tonan turned to Chigo, ¡°This is not the best way. Let me try.¡±


    Chigo nodded and Tonan walked towards the beggar. The monk had just placed the bowl in his hands when Tonan kicked it to the ground.


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    Pop!


    The monk was stunned and looked at Chigo standing not far away. Seeing Chigo¡¯s signal, he put his hands together and left quietly. Tonan stood in front of the beggar and indifferently said, ¡°Do you have a dream?¡±


    The beggar sneered, as if he heard a big joke, and leaned on the steps. ¡°Dream¡­ what¡¯s the point of it? Does a spring dream count¡­¡±


    Tonan pointed to a discarded bell at a corner, ¡°Right now, you are like that bell, broken. Every day, you can only do one thing, which is nothing. Is this how your life should be? I think your life is meaningless.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s tone was filled with contempt. He looked at the beggar condescendingly, as if he was looking at the lowest kind of existence. The beggar, however just rubbed his stomach with disapproval. He looked up at the sky, and his eyes blurred, ¡°I used to get up every day to go to the fields. There was energy in my heart. In those days, I looked forward to when to begin every day. But now the energy in my heart is drained. Every day, I think about when to end.¡±


    Tonan sneered with disdain, ¡°You said you thought about when to begin but did you ever? No, right? You make excuses and push things to someday in the future. What if that day truly comes? You¡¯ll give yourself more time and won¡¯t want to work hard. You just want a shortcut. Even if the consequences of failure can make you die horribly. People like you are not suitable to exist in this world.¡±


    The beggar smiled indifferently. Perhaps, it was because he was too hungry. He turned over with difficulty, put his hands on the ground, and prepared to lick the porridge on the ground.


    Bang!


    Tonan stepped on the porridge and said viciously, ¡°Every day, you come here to wag your tail, just to drink a mouthful of thin porridge. Even my dog doesn¡¯t eat this stuff. Why don¡¯t you bark? Then, I¡¯ll ask the monk to bring you another bowl.¡±


    Perhaps, Tonan¡¯s words were too heavy and stimulated the beggar¡¯s low self-esteem. The unkempt, hungry man stood up with anger on his face. Due to the height difference, he looked down at Tonan and yelled in a hoarse voice, ¡°What do you know! I tried my best. But did anyone give me a chance?¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes and grabbed the beggar¡¯s collar, pulling him forward. The force made the beggar kneel on the ground, and he had to look up at Tonan again. Tonan then said slowly in a deep voice, ¡°Do you have a chance if you stay here all day long? When you can¡¯t find hope, you should learn to change yourself. The biggest liar in life is us. Because we always want to change other people but not ourselves.¡±


    Tonan dragged the beggar to a wider path as if pulling a dead dog and pointed to a hall at the end of the path. He said, ¡°Look inside, look at those people. What do they do when they encounter pain and difficulty? They pray to Buddha for help and use false beliefs to hypnotize themselves, allowing themselves to fall into a good dream. Do you know what¡¯s the greatest pain in life?¡±


    Tonan lowered his head and looked straight into the beggar¡¯s eyes, ¡°Waking up from a dream, and having nowhere to go.¡± He pushed the beggar to the ground. The man rolled a distance, his eyes full of hopelessness. ¡°I¡¯m already¡­ hopeless¡­¡±


    Tonan squatted down in front of him and grabbed his collar, ¡°You are already like this now, can it get worse if you fight? What¡¯s stopping you? Are you scared? Afraid of taking the first step towards everything you should¡¯ve. Afraid of making the wrong choice from the start. Afraid of doing your best, but finding yourself worthless in the end. Right! You are scared! So, you should lie here every day, laughing at yourself in your heart. Where would you go? Your life¡­ like this¡­¡±

 CH 136

    Uchiha Tonan¡¯s remark seemed to touch a painful point in the beggar¡¯s heart. He was unable to control his emotions. He covered his face with both hands and sobbed, ¡°I¡¯m a good-for-nothing.¡±


    The emotions he had suppressed for so long were released all at once. He wailed and his entire body shook non-stop, as tears flowed down from between his fingers. Tonan looked at this and sighed. He released his hand, and carefully arranged the beggar¡¯s collar.


    ¡°Failure is everywhere, and life is hopeless. That¡¯s the reality. You won¡¯t drown if you fall into the water, but you will drown if you stay in the water. All you have to do is swim and keep swimming forward. Those who choose to give up from the beginning will not fail in the end. Because they failed right at the start. Failure is not terrifying, the fear of failure is.¡±


    The beggar stopped crying and slowly raised his head as if seeing someone for the first time. At this time, the breeze was gently blowing the young boy¡¯s hair. The leaves not far away on the ground also fluttered and flew in new directions. The radiance of the evening sun was extraordinarily rich, and like a pure solution, dyed Tonan¡¯s face golden. Just like the Buddha in the hall.


    The beggar looked at Tonan¡¯s face, which was lit up by the evening sun, and asked in a voice bereft of confidence, ¡°Can I do it? I¡¯ve given up for so long, is it too late?¡±


    Tonan reached out his hand and patted his shoulder, ¡°How can you be sure this is the endpoint of your life and not the lowest point before soaring high. If you give up too soon, you¡¯ll never know what you missed.¡±


    Tonan smiled, and his eyes were filled with motivation. After listening to him, the beggar slowly lowered his head, and gradually clenched his fists. The atmosphere was silent. Tonan waited patiently for his decision.


    ¡­¡­


    After a long time, the beggar took a deep breath and raised his head. He looked at Tonan with a newfound determination, ¡°Thank you, my name is Sekiya Ippu, what is your name?¡±


    Tonan stood up with a gentle smile and extended his hand, ¡°Leaf ninja, Uchiha Tonan.¡±


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    Ippu nodded. He seemed to want to engrave this name in his heart. He extended his hand and got up, ¡°If I can truly make it out, I¡¯ll definitely come to Konoha to thank you in person.¡±


    He took a deep breath and turned around, walking towards the gate of the Fire Temple with staggering steps.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Tonan asked from behind. Ippu paused and raised his head. In the distance, the sky was a fiery red with the setting sun. This kind of intensity could make people tremble and cry. This kind of flamboyance was as dazzling as the young who recklessly burned themselves for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a look at a higher place. No matter how long this journey is, and no matter how hard it is¡­ at least¡­ I¡¯ll not give up¡­¡±


    ¡®Ding! Gained Sekiya Ippu¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    After Ippu left, Chigo came over to Tonan and said in a surprised tone, ¡°Tonan, I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be able to persuade him.¡±


    Tonan smiled lightly, ¡°It¡¯s the way to understand it. He was so dispirited because he despaired in the current situation. The method to save him was not persuading him to let go because he had nothing to let go of. But let him realize that the worst is just the present. As long as he worked hard, the future will be better than the present.¡±


    Tonan was not good at consoling people, but he copied the pyramid selling pattern he had heard in anti-fraud news in his previous life. In his view, it seemed that no dispirited people could be found in that kind of an organization.


    Chigo pondered for a long time after hearing his words, and he seemed to understand something, but he also felt like he couldn¡¯t grasp it. ¡°Tonan, you told him that Buddha is a false belief¡­¡±


    Tonan put his palms together and apologetically explained, ¡°It was an expedient measure. I didn¡¯t mean to disrespect Buddha. It¡¯s just that, what he needed the most right now was not belief, but hope.¡±


    Chigo nodded. He didn¡¯t blame Tonan. Instead, he kept thinking about what Tonan said today to admonish Sekiya Ippu. Words were one thing, but actions were another. Tonan succeeded in waking up the fighting spirit in a person the Fire Temple was unable to enlighten.


    ¡°Tonan, you truly have more wisdom than anyone I¡¯ve ever met. I¡¯ll instruct a monk to clean a room for you later. You can stay in the temple at night. I¡¯d like to discuss dharma with you for some days.¡±


    Tonan shook his head, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t checked out from the inn. I¡¯ll come back tomorrow to seek your advice.¡±


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    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­


    After leaving the Fire Temple, Tonan returned to the Revered Fire Street. Before the markets closed, he went to a bookstore to buy a blank book and a pen and returned to the inn. In the room, under the dim lighting, he wrote the words ¡®Make-Out Paradise¡¯ on the cover of the book.


    He didn¡¯t know whether Jiraiya had written ¡®Make-Out Paradise¡¯ at this time or not. But that didn¡¯t matter. In any case, there was no such thing as copyright in this world. Anyone could steal it.


    Initially, Tonan wanted to create more visuals and pictures but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the skill. This was a shortcoming. He decided to pay attention to talents in the future who could fill this gap for him if he had a chance. Learning one more skill would give him one more method to resolve problems.


    Novels and comics, each had their strong points. The visual impact of comics was more intense and could make people immerse in the scene and imagine more clearly. However, the novel emphasized the story, which could mobilize the readers¡¯ imagination, gradually generating a feeling of substitution, and the emotions were more vivid.


    It was not that there were no vulgar novels in the Ninja World market but the plots were mostly crude and followed a fixed pattern. Tonan was customizing this novel for a certain someone. He believed it would make the person addicted to it.


    He wrote the first story in the novel ¡ª The Rhythm in the Field.


    The background was the fields of the autumn harvest. The male protagonist was full of vigor and vitality, and the female protagonist was delicate, lovely, bright, and beautiful. The key to this kind of novel was to score right at the beginning.


    The backstory should be fresh and relevant. The more difficult and twisty the beginning was, the more exciting it would be. The other parts just needed a brief description, as most of it wouldn¡¯t be read carefully. Because by this time, the readers would have already begun to imagine on their own.


    It was enough to rewrite the psychological transformation of the female protagonist at halfway point. Along with the progress of the situation, the female protagonist¡¯s stubbornness of vowing to die rather than obey would gradually turn into the desire to resist but still welcome it. In the end, she would compromise in her heart, and begin to actively cater to the man¡¯s desire.


    The most terrifying aspect of such a novel was not rousing a man¡¯s brutish nature, but quietly rearranging readers¡¯ cognition, making them think that the psychology of the opposite sex was like this, and as long as they succeeded in the base, the other party would surrender.


    The light bulb in the room had a poor connection. It flickered slightly from time to time. The window next to Tonan was also blown open by the cold wind. It was late autumn now, and the passing wind was still bone-piercingly cold.


    Although Tonan didn¡¯t feel cold, he got up and put on the windbreaker hanging on the hanger. He then returned to the table, sat down in a seiza-style, and continued writing calmly. He wanted to finish this masterpiece as soon as possible.


    The hand speed of a ninja was not something ordinary people could imagine. In just two hours, he had finished writing an entire book. Most of the content was nonsense, but readers wouldn¡¯t read carefully anyway. As long as the first part was exciting enough to make the readers enter their imagination, most of the content would only be skimmed through.


    In short, the quintessence was on the first couple of pages. Tonan leisurely breathed out and stared at the novel on the table. A smile appeared on his face. Things will become more interesting now.

 CH 137

    The next morning, Tomaru got up early as usual, and taking his farming tools, he prepared to head to work. The light outside was dazzling, a light breeze blowing the crops in the fields. It was the autumn harvest time.


    Just after walking out the door, Tomaru saw a shifty-eyed man trotting past his door in a hurry. A book suddenly fell in front of his feet. Tomaru wanted to call out to ask the man to stop, but when he raised his head, the person had already run around the corner and disappeared.


    Tomaru bent over and picked up the book, ¡°Make-Out Paradise? What¡¯s this?¡±


    He looked around and after confirming no one was there, he decided to satisfy his curiosity and casually glanced at it. It took one quick look for him to be completely taken by it. Especially, the description of the male protagonist¡­ Tomaru felt it was exactly describing him.


    Reading some more, his breathing became ragged, and he began to pant fiercely. He felt overwhelmed by emotions, and blood began to rush somewhere. By the time he came back to his senses, almost an hour had passed. Seeing that the person who had dropped the book hadn¡¯t come back yet, Tomaru quietly put it in his pocket and looked around with a guilty conscience. He ran towards the field.


    At the street¡¯s corner, Uchiha Tonan stuck out his head. Looking at Tomaru¡¯s back, his eyes narrowed a little, and a smile formed on his face. He turned around and walked towards the Fire Temple.


    ¡­¡­


    Tomaru had come to the field but he felt somewhat restless. Usually, he would have completed his task quickly, but now, not even a third was done. The hand holding the hoe was moving slowly and leisurely. As a fifteen-year-old boy, it would be a lie to say he didn¡¯t think of those things. Especially after seeing something this stimulating, he couldn¡¯t control his imagination.


    Young, growing teenagers were easily disturbed by such thoughts, making them restless. Soon after, he put down the tools and came to sit on the ridge. He looked around to confirm he was alone and quietly took out ¡®Make-Out Paradise¡¯ from his pocket, reading it with gusto.


    Tomaru returned home at night but he kept tossing and turning in the bed, unable to sleep. As soon as he would close his eyes, Nohara Naoko¡¯s image would appear in his mind and replace the story¡¯s female protagonist.


    Tomaru¡¯s parents had died early. In fact, one may not even call it early. Death in the thirties was normal in the Ninja World. After all, they were just civilians. Tomaru was alone and made his living by farming for the Fire Temple. His family was quite poor and he had no peers to play with.


    Only Naoko, who was three years younger than him, had a relatively better relationship with him. This was perhaps because both of them were orphans. However, Naoko was a little better off because she had a grandmother to rely on.


    Late at night, there was no trace of drowsiness in Tomaru¡¯s eyes. He was still reading the book in his hand, imagining many scenarios in his mind. He imagined becoming the novel¡¯s male of the¡­


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    Tomoru let out a long breath. The more he read, the more he thought, and the more uncomfortable he felt. Looking at the sky outside the window, he thought that he would have to work tomorrow. So, he forcibly resisted the urge to continue reading and put the book under his pillow, trying his hardest to sleep.


    Coo coo~ Coo coo~


    Birds cooing outside his window sounded like moaning in his ears. He opened his eyes, distracted. He had shut his eyes for a long time but was still unable to sleep as if tiny ants were biting in his heart.


    He covered his ears with his hands, took a deep breath, and continued to doze. Gradually, the sound of sleeping soundly came from the room. Outside, the moon was shining brightly, casting a layer of silver hue on earth. The town was empty, and every household had fallen asleep, their doors and windows closed.


    The workers who had been toiling hard the entire day were already asleep this late in the night. Tomaru, who was sleeping too, heard the breathtaking sound of a flute.


    In a daze, he opened his eyes and found himself in the field. The moon was high above the sky, and everything around was very clear. Under the moonlight, the golden crops seemed to be coated with a layer of silver, drawing a peaceful picture.


    Tomaru suddenly noticed a snow-white naked body appearing amid the thick harvests in front of him. His mouth felt dry and a voice in his heart told him that that beautiful person was none other than Naoko.


    He instinctively parted the crops in front of him and kept walking forward, closer¡­ closer¡­


    ¡°Why am I still so far¡­¡± Tomaru felt very strained and quickened his steps. But no matter how long or fast he ran, the surroundings remained the same, and the beautiful figure maintained a distance from him.


    The most annoying part was that the damned things coincidentally covered the key areas of the young women¡¯s body, driving Tomaru nuts.


    ¡°So uncomfortable¡­¡±


    Early the next morning, sunlight sprinkled into the room through the curtain gaps. Tomaru stretched out his hands as if trying to grab something. Gradually, he opened his sleepy eyes. His brain stopped for two seconds and he sat up straight with an exhausted look.


    After checking the time, he got up to shower with dark circles under his eyes. He picked up his tools and went out.


    Bang~


    A very short while later though, he staggered back to the bed and took out the ¡®Make-Out Paradise¡¯ from under the pillow. He put it into his pocket and went out again.


    For a few days, Tomaru felt like his spirit was on the verge of collapse. His loneliness became unendurable with every passing day, and he would often run to Naoko¡¯s family fields involuntarily, looking for various topics to get close to her.


    In the beginning, Naoko thought Tomaru liked to chat with her, so she also hung out with him. But slowly, his hands became a little restless. His actions frightened her, especially the look in his eyes that seemed like he was going to devour her alive.


    Although she didn¡¯t know what Tomaru wanted to do, she knew this feeling made her very uneasy, so she avoided him subconsciously.


    As time passed, Tomaru also noticed his mentality was abnormal and he couldn¡¯t continue like this. He decided to go to the Fire Temple and let a monk enlighten him.


    ¡­¡­


    In the Fire Temple, Tonan either wandered around every day, discussing Buddhism with Chigo. Perhaps, because Buddhism was not widely spread in this world, the base of believers was not comparable to that of his previous world. Therefore, the research on Buddhism was a bit shallow and monotonous. There was no deep comprehension.


    It was just persuading people to be kind, not to cling to hatred, and so on. Was that useful? That was very useful.


    This world was in a state of war most of the time. Everyone desired to get along and become friendly with each other the most. Advocating kindness and letting go of hatred happened to satisfy the wishes of the vast majority, and it captured an important market position as well.


    Chapter 137: Brimming With Vigor & Vitality, Spring Dreams


    The next morning, Tomaru got up early as usual, and taking his farming tools, he prepared to head to work. The light outside was dazzling, a light breeze blowing the crops in the fields. It was the autumn harvest time.


    Just after walking out the door, Tomaru saw a shifty-eyed man trotting past his door in a hurry. A book suddenly fell in front of his feet. Tomaru wanted to call out to ask the man to stop, but when he raised his head, the person had already run around the corner and disappeared.


    Tomaru bent over and picked up the book, ¡°Make-Out Paradise? What¡¯s this?¡±


    He looked around and after confirming no one was there, he decided to satisfy his curiosity and casually glanced at it. It took one quick look for him to be completely taken by it. Especially, the description of the male protagonist¡­ Tomaru felt it was exactly describing him.


    Reading some more, his breathing became ragged, and he began to pant fiercely. He felt overwhelmed by emotions, and blood began to rush somewhere. By the time he came back to his senses, almost an hour had passed. Seeing that the person who had dropped the book hadn¡¯t come back yet, Tomaru quietly put it in his pocket and looked around with a guilty conscience. He ran towards the field.


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    At the street¡¯s corner, Uchiha Tonan stuck out his head. Looking at Tomaru¡¯s back, his eyes narrowed a little, and a smile formed on his face. He turned around and walked towards the Fire Temple.


    ¡­¡­


    Tomaru had come to the field but he felt somewhat restless. Usually, he would have completed his task quickly, but now, not even a third was done. The hand holding the hoe was moving slowly and leisurely. As a fifteen-year-old boy, it would be a lie to say he didn¡¯t think of those things. Especially after seeing something this stimulating, he couldn¡¯t control his imagination.


    Young, growing teenagers were easily disturbed by such thoughts, making them restless. Soon after, he put down the tools and came to sit on the ridge. He looked around to confirm he was alone and quietly took out ¡®Make-Out Paradise¡¯ from his pocket, reading it with gusto.


    Tomaru returned home at night but he kept tossing and turning in the bed, unable to sleep. As soon as he would close his eyes, Nohara Naoko¡¯s image would appear in his mind and replace the story¡¯s female protagonist.


    Tomaru¡¯s parents had died early. In fact, one may not even call it early. Death in the thirties was normal in the Ninja World. After all, they were just civilians. Tomaru was alone and made his living by farming for the Fire Temple. His family was quite poor and he had no peers to play with.


    Only Naoko, who was three years younger than him, had a relatively better relationship with him. This was perhaps because both of them were orphans. However, Naoko was a little better off because she had a grandmother to rely on.


    Late at night, there was no trace of drowsiness in Tomaru¡¯s eyes. He was still reading the book in his hand, imagining many scenarios in his mind. He imagined becoming the novel¡¯s male of the¡­


    Tomoru let out a long breath. The more he read, the more he thought, and the more uncomfortable he felt. Looking at the sky outside the window, he thought that he would have to work tomorrow. So, he forcibly resisted the urge to continue reading and put the book under his pillow, trying his hardest to sleep.


    Coo coo~ Coo coo~


    Birds cooing outside his window sounded like moaning in his ears. He opened his eyes, distracted. He had shut his eyes for a long time but was still unable to sleep as if tiny ants were biting in his heart.


    He covered his ears with his hands, took a deep breath, and continued to doze. Gradually, the sound of sleeping soundly came from the room. Outside, the moon was shining brightly, casting a layer of silver hue on earth. The town was empty, and every household had fallen asleep, their doors and windows closed.


    The workers who had been toiling hard the entire day were already asleep this late in the night. Tomaru, who was sleeping too, heard the breathtaking sound of a flute.


    In a daze, he opened his eyes and found himself in the field. The moon was high above the sky, and everything around was very clear. Under the moonlight, the golden crops seemed to be coated with a layer of silver, drawing a peaceful picture.


    Tomaru suddenly noticed a snow-white naked body appearing amid the thick harvests in front of him. His mouth felt dry and a voice in his heart told him that that beautiful person was none other than Naoko.


    He instinctively parted the crops in front of him and kept walking forward, closer¡­ closer¡­


    ¡°Why am I still so far¡­¡± Tomaru felt very strained and quickened his steps. But no matter how long or fast he ran, the surroundings remained the same, and the beautiful figure maintained a distance from him.


    The most annoying part was that the damned things coincidentally covered the key areas of the young women¡¯s body, driving Tomaru nuts.


    ¡°So uncomfortable¡­¡±


    Early the next morning, sunlight sprinkled into the room through the curtain gaps. Tomaru stretched out his hands as if trying to grab something. Gradually, he opened his sleepy eyes. His brain stopped for two seconds and he sat up straight with an exhausted look.


    After checking the time, he got up to shower with dark circles under his eyes. He picked up his tools and went out.


    Bang~


    A very short while later though, he staggered back to the bed and took out the ¡®Make-Out Paradise¡¯ from under the pillow. He put it into his pocket and went out again.


    For a few days, Tomaru felt like his spirit was on the verge of collapse. His loneliness became unendurable with every passing day, and he would often run to Naoko¡¯s family fields involuntarily, looking for various topics to get close to her.


    In the beginning, Naoko thought Tomaru liked to chat with her, so she also hung out with him. But slowly, his hands became a little restless. His actions frightened her, especially the look in his eyes that seemed like he was going to devour her alive.


    Although she didn¡¯t know what Tomaru wanted to do, she knew this feeling made her very uneasy, so she avoided him subconsciously.


    As time passed, Tomaru also noticed his mentality was abnormal and he couldn¡¯t continue like this. He decided to go to the Fire Temple and let a monk enlighten him.


    ¡­¡­


    In the Fire Temple, Tonan either wandered around every day, discussing Buddhism with Chigo. Perhaps, because Buddhism was not widely spread in this world, the base of believers was not comparable to that of his previous world. Therefore, the research on Buddhism was a bit shallow and monotonous. There was no deep comprehension.


    It was just persuading people to be kind, not to cling to hatred, and so on. Was that useful? That was very useful.


    This world was in a state of war most of the time. Everyone desired to get along and become friendly with each other the most. Advocating kindness and letting go of hatred happened to satisfy the wishes of the vast majority, and it captured an important market position as well.

 CH 138

    In the Buddha Hall, Uchiha Tonan and Chigo were sitting facing each other. Special incense sticks were burning in the room, and green smoke was curling up in the air, filling the room with an unusual smell, very similar to the fragrance of sandalwood. The two people had their eyes closed and were relaxed.


    ¡°The Buddhist philosophy propagators are human. If you want to lead people on the right path, you should understand human nature. Doing good deeds or doing evil deeds are both the representation and the result. When a monk enlightens a believer, he must begin from human nature.¡±


    ¡°Why do people do good deeds? Most people who do good yearn to obtain the goodwill of others from their hearts. Why do people do evil? Because they aren¡¯t satisfied with what they have. They cannot obtain what they want on merit and within the rules. But they are unwilling to let it go. So, they break the rules and get the thing they want by hurting others.¡±


    Tonan shared his thoughts. His words made Chigo ponder for a while, and with a look of doubt, he asked, ¡°Your words make sense. But what if we cannot satisfy what they want? Wouldn¡¯t we be powerless to stop their evil hearts?¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses, ¡°There are two aspects ¡ª suppression and redemption. Use severe punishment to restrain them. The fear of punishment can restrain most people¡¯s behavior. Even if they want to do evil, they can only endure. And redemption is what monks ought to do. Since they¡¯re not satisfied with the present reality, let them understand how good their situation actually is. It¡¯s just that they haven¡¯t noticed it.¡±


    ¡°Most people¡¯s dissatisfaction comes from comparing themselves with those around them. In war times, people will be satisfied with just being alive. When war is over, they¡¯ll be satisfied with being able to eat until full. In peacetime, they start to pursue a quality of life. And when material achievement reaches a certain level, it¡¯s about the pursuit of spiritual satisfaction. Faith is also spiritual satisfaction.¡±


    Chigo seemed to understand Tonan¡¯s explanation but also seemed to not understand anything. He frowned and thought for a while, trying to explore the meaning of Tonan¡¯s words. But in the end, he could only blame himself for being too stupid.


    He sighed, ¡°Tonan, you¡¯re truly intelligent.¡±


    Chigo felt that Tonan¡¯s words were broad and profound. But due to the limitation of his cognition, he was unable to fully comprehend it. The theme of this world was peace, kindness, and restraint¡­ Anything beyond that was complicated.


    Tonan smiled humbly, ¡°Master is overpraising me. It¡¯s just a personal opinion, and it¡¯s just good to listen. It¡¯s not necessarily the truth.¡±


    Chigo said with a serious look, ¡°No, although I don¡¯t understand it well, I can feel these words contain the profound nature of Buddha. I must note this.¡±


    Chigo walked to the table and wrote down what Tonan had just said in a notebook. Tonan¡¯s expression changed. He got up and said, ¡°Master Chigo, our discussion here is nothing more than theory. Why don¡¯t I go to the main hall as you enlighten the believers? Let me experience it, and open my eyes.¡±


    Chigo paused for a moment and nodded, ¡°Right away, but let me record the last sentence first.¡±


    Not long after, Tonan and Chigo came to the main hall together. The hall was as crowded as a marketplace, and all were this temple¡¯s believers. They knelt in front of the Buddha statue, and prayed, hoping that Buddha would bless them and their life would be better.


    When many believers saw Chigo, they rushed over and surrounded him.


    ¡°Abbot is here.¡±


    ¡°Master Chigo.¡±


    ¡°Master Chigo, my mind is full of questions now.¡±


    Chigo put his palms together and lightly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, come one by one.¡±


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve been very unlucky recently, did I get bad luck?¡±


    ¡°Abbot, the doctor said that I¡¯m seriously ill and need to take medicine. But since you said that I have the Buddha¡¯s blessing, can I avoid medicines?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    After dispelling the doubts of several believers, it was Tomaru¡¯s turn. When Chigo saw his haggard and weak appearance, he asked, ¡°Young benefactor, you seem to have something on your mind.¡±


    Tomaro nodded repeatedly, ¡°Master Chigo, my imagination runs wild all day long recently. At night, I cannot fall asleep, and at daytime, my heart is flustered.¡±


    Tomaru was very excited to see Chigo. He was eager to unravel the confusion in his heart and find a solution. He couldn¡¯t endure his current situation, but he couldn¡¯t control the direction of his imagination either.


    Chigo nodded, ¡°What exactly is it? Has anything special happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Tomaru was a little embarrassed to mention it. He hesitated for a long time and couldn¡¯t speak. After all, this was something too awkward to mention out loud. Chigo pondered for a while and guessed his difficulty. He smiled a little and brought his ear closer, ¡°Go ahead, I can hear you.¡±


    Tonan looked left and right, covered his mouth with his hand, and whispered the events of the past few days in Chigo¡¯s ear.


    In the end, he looked ashamed and his ears were red. He had his head lowered, not daring to look straight at Chigo, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Abbot, what should I do?¡±


    Chigo couldn¡¯t help chuckling after hearing Tomaru. ¡°It turned out to be this. This is normal. At your age, everyone thinks about these things.¡±


    Tomaru looked entangled as he said, ¡°But, I haven¡¯t been able to sleep for several nights.¡±


    ¡°Is it that strong?¡± Chigo was a little surprised. He thought of something and turned to Tonan, who was beside him, ¡°Tonan, this young benefactor has been having insomnia. I just recalled the healthcare products you gifted me.¡±


    Only at this moment did Tomaru notice Tonan, and he instantly recalled how he had offended him the last time. Seeing Tonan have a good relationship with Master Chigo, he understood that Tonan was someone he couldn¡¯t offend.


    However, Tonan appeared broad-minded and not the kind of person who held grudges. ¡°Master, since I¡¯ve given it to you, you can do anything you like with it. You don¡¯t need to ask my opinion.¡±


    Chigo nodded kindly towards Tonan. He then called, ¡°Chiriku.¡±


    A monk who was a few years older than Tonan walked over to Chigo, and put his palms together, ¡°Abbot.¡± Chigo instructed, ¡°Go to my room and bring the box from the third shelf in the cabinet.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± After a while, Chiriku handed over the products that were brought by Tonan for Chigo, and Chigo handed it to Tomaru, ¡°This is a healthcare product. Eat a pack every night before going to bed. It should help you sleep.¡±


    Tomaru quickly thanked him, ¡°Many thanks, Master, many thanks.¡±


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    He carefully took the products and his eyes finally had some light. At that time, Tonan added from the side, ¡°Remember to take just one pack at a time. If the dose is too much, you¡¯ll lose consciousness.¡±


    Tomaru was stunned, and asked carefully, ¡°Will it cause death?¡±


    Tonan smiled and shook his head, ¡°No, it won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Tomaru nodded repeatedly and carefully hugged the box in his arms. He bowed to Chigo and ran down the mountain.

 CH 139

    The next day, Tomaru woke up from his sleep fully refreshed. The dark circles around his eyes had faded considerably. Although the feeling of having a spring dream was not bad, having it every day was more terrifying than a nightmare.


    Especially as this dream was very irritating. He couldn¡¯t get it in reality and he also couldn¡¯t get it in his dream either. Tomaru got up and sorted things out. He took out ¡®Make-Out Paradise¡¯ from under the pillow and put it into his pocket, going over to work in the field, feeling rejuvenated.


    The current Tomaru was much more efficient than his previous self. Coupled with his youthful strength, he completed today¡¯s task in a short time. Then, seizing the chance when no one was there, he came to the ridge to read the novel.


    In the evening, since there were more insects and mosquitoes outside, he sorted out his tools and returned home. Along the ridge, he saw Nohara Naoko in front of him.


    Naoko also seemed to have noticed something, and looked back at Tomaru, then jogged towards her house. Looking at her beautiful back view, Tomaru swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and an instinctual impulse surged in his body.


    At that time, the words Tonan said yesterday in the Fire Temple flashed through his mind. ¡°Remember to take just one pack at a time. If the dose is too much, you¡¯ll lose consciousness.¡±


    Subconsciously, an evil thought was quietly planted.


    ¡­¡­


    A few days later, at night, the street was quiet and empty. Other than a few crows resting on the branch, and cawing from time to time, there were also some white pigeons scattered everywhere, cooing.


    The households on both sides of the street had already turned off their lights and went to rest. On the quiet and deserted street, only a few dim street lamps were adding a little warmth.


    Naoko¡¯s face was pale, and her clothes were messy. She was walking step by step on the street like a lifeless body. Her eyes were filled with tears, obstructing her vision, which made her unable to see the direction she was heading. After a while, she stood under a lamp and slumped on the ground. Recalling what had just happened, she trembled in fear. She curled up and choked with sobs.


    After an unknown period, a cold wind blew on the Revered Fire Street. Along with the whistling sound of the wind, Naoko shivered.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Suddenly, a gentle and magnetic voice rang in her ears, and her entire body seemed to be wrapped in warmth. She raised her tearful face and looked at the approaching person.


    The smile on that person¡¯s face was perfect. It seemed he always had a smile on his face. Such a smile was very bright as if it could push away the darkness of the clouds and light up the entire world. It was also gentle and calm.


    Naoko was stunned for a moment, nearly forgetting the previous nightmarish experience. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ am I dreaming?¡±


    Tonan draped a windbreaker on Naoko and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s so late and so cold outside. It¡¯s not safe for a girl to be alone. I¡¯ll escort you home.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice was gentle and soft, which pierced through the young girl¡¯s heart. She stared straight at him and said, ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t walk?¡± Tonan shook his head and gently picked her up by the waist, ¡°Which direction is your home?¡±


    Naoko curled up and raised her hand timidly, pointing into a distance. Tonan nodded and holding Naoko in his arms, he walked towards her home. On the way, she rubbed her head gently against him, unsure of whether this was a reality or a dream. She muttered, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Tonan, a Leaf ninja.¡±


    Naoko was startled, and the light in her eyes dimmed as she said, ¡°Ninja¡­-sama¡­¡±


    Tonan looked down at her and smiled, ¡°I must be younger than you. You can just call me Tonan.¡±


    Naoko looked pale, ¡°Tonan¡­¡±


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    ¡°Can you tell me what happened to you? Did you meet a bad person?¡±


    Immediately after Tonan asked this, Naoko recalled the previous nightmarish experience, and her entire body trembled. She took a deep breath and forcibly held back her tears.


    ¡°I¡­ nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost there, let me down.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    At this moment, Naoko¡¯s grandmother was standing outside the house, waiting with a worried look on her face. While looking left and right, she finally saw Naoko and Tonan walking around from a corner. She immediately walked over and held her granddaughter¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Naoko, why did you return so late? I was scared to death.¡± Naoko could no longer hold back her tears when she saw her grandmother who was worried so much about her. But she still smiled forcibly and said, ¡°Grandma, I fell asleep on the field.¡±


    Naoko¡¯s grandmother finally smiled and said while nodding repeatedly, ¡°That¡¯s fine, that¡¯s fine. Young man, thank you for escorting Naoko back. Come in and have a seat.¡±


    Tonan waved his hand, ¡°No, it¡¯s already late. I¡¯ve to go back to the inn to rest.¡±


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    After speaking, he turned to leave. Naoko tightly grabbed the windbreaker she was wearing and said with a reluctant look, ¡°Your jacket.¡±


    Tonan turned around and smiled gently, ¡°No need, take it as a gift for you.¡±


    Naoko nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡± She watched Tonan until he turned to another street. On the dimly lit street, Tonan heard hurried footsteps coming from behind. His steps immediately paused and he turned his head to look. He saw a panting Naoko at the end of the street. Seeing him turn around, Naoko shouted, ¡°Tonan! We¡¯ll meet again, right?¡±


    Tonan shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s unlikely, I¡¯m returning to Konoha.¡± Naoko was stunned for a moment, and a look of loss flashed through her eyes. She shouted again, ¡°Nohara Naoko, that¡¯s my name!¡±


    Tonan smiled gently and waved his hand, turning to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Naoko¡¯s eyes overflowed with tears, and she raised her hands to wipe them. Only after she was unable to see him, did she turn around and walked towards her home. At the door, Naoko¡¯s grandmother said with concern, ¡°Naoko¡­¡±


    Naoko shook her head and walked straight into the house. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m sleepy.¡±


    In the bedroom, Naoko sat in front of a mirror for a long time¡­ a long time¡­ At some point, tears had already soaked her shirt. When Naoko came back to her senses, she saw the sky was already getting bright. Grabbing the windbreaker, she took out a pen and paper from the cabinet.


    An hour later, the sound of something falling into the water came from the river not far away from Revered Fire Street. At the same time, a mournful sound of a flute resounded from the forest, and it instantly spread throughout the entire Revered Fire Street¡­


    After playing a full verse, Tonan looked up at the sky, and an inexplicable look flashed through his eyes as he muttered, ¡°It¡¯s dawn.¡±

 CH 140

    In the Fire Temple, Chigo had just walked out of his room when he heard hubbub outside. A monk briskly walked into the courtyard, ¡°Master Chigo, there was a murder case in the Revered Fire Street. A girl committed suicide jumping into the river.¡±


    Chigo was used to life and death, so he was not too surprised. He put his palms together, ¡°Alas, let¡¯s go and pray for her.¡±


    ¡°But Abbot, this girl committed suicide because she was humiliated and she couldn¡¯t endure it. The monks have caught the culprit and brought him to the temple. We are waiting for you to deal with him.¡±


    Chigo was startled, and said with a serious expression, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then let¡¯s go.¡± He followed the monk immediately. Almost all areas under the Land of Fire had the guards arranged by the Daimyo Residence to maintain order. If there were criminals, the guards would escort them to the City Guardian Residence in a nearby town for trial.


    The Fire Temple was classified as a ninja temple, and it had a certain amount of military force. Therefore, there were no guards stationed here, and the Fire Temple monks handled all the security issues. The temple even had the authority to order punishment in case something happened.


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    The Fire Temple generally didn¡¯t exercise this right though and sent the criminals to the nearby Guard Residence. Soon, Chigo arrived at the square in front of the main hall. He saw two monks escorting a battered and exhausted youth. The boy¡¯s hair was disheveled and the clothes on his body were not in good order. He looked deadly still. Chigo had seen him before ¡ª it was Tomaru.


    On the ground next to him, was Nohara Naoko¡¯s corpse. Because the corpse had been immersed in water, it was rotting and turning white. Naoko¡¯s face had no color, looking pallid. Even in death, she was tightly grabbing the windbreaker she was wearing with both hands.


    Naoko¡¯s grandmother was lying on her corpse, choking with sobs. Seeing this, Chigo put his palms together and prayed for Naoko in his heart.


    He then asked in a deep voice, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


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    A monk handed Naoko¡¯s letter to Chigo and said, ¡°This is the suicide note that this little girl left. It explains the humiliation she experienced yesterday and her apology to her grandmother. She must¡¯ve written more at the back, but everything is smeared.¡±


    Chigo looked at the note¡¯s content and was startled. He then looked at Tomaru who was kneeling on the ground and asked, ¡°Do you have anything to explain?¡±


    Tomaru had already lost his sense of propriety. He trembled and answered, ¡°No¡­¡±


    He had done those things. Regardless of how he explained it, it was useless. The residents of Revered Fire Street, who had rushed over after hearing the news, were filled with indignation and yelled¡­


    ¡°Master, this boy has admitted his guilt. Kill him!¡±


    ¡°Abbot, Kill him!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tomaru was so frightened that he kept kowtowing to Chigo and said, ¡°Abbot, I admit I did those things, but I didn¡¯t kill her. I don¡¯t deserve to die either.¡±


    Due to the public outcry, Tomaru panicked even more. A resident shouted angrily, ¡°Vile beast! With the crime you have committed, even ten thousand deaths are not enough.¡±


    Chigo frowned and sighed, ¡°According to the Land of Fire¡¯s law, he indeed cannot be punished by death. He didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other hearing Chigo¡¯s words. Since the abbot had already spoken, although they were angry, they had to abide by the rules. At this moment, Uchiha Tonan walked in from outside the temple and said, ¡°Master Chigo, sin has a cause, and karma has an effect. I think this person should pay with his life.¡±


    Chigo raised his head and looked at Tonan, who was coming over. He solemnly said, ¡°Tonan, rules are rules.¡±


    Tonan shook his head, ¡°Although he didn¡¯t do it himself, the cause and effect of this matter stem from him. For instance, I threw a stone down a mountain. The stone bumped into another stone halfway. And the second stone fell down the mountain, crushing a passerby to death. Is it my fault?¡±


    Chigo thought for a while and answered affirmatively, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s your fault.¡±


    Tonan continued with his nonsense, ¡°But the stone I threw didn¡¯t hit anyone. And the second stone had nothing to do with me.¡±


    After hearing his words, everyone became silent for a while, and the residents shouted again¡­


    ¡°Kill him.¡±


    ¡°Kill him.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tomaru completely panicked by now. He thought he could escape with his life, but he hadn¡¯t expected Tonan¡¯s arrival halfway. He shouted, ¡°This is not my fault. I didn¡¯t want to do it at first. It¡¯s the abbot who gave me those medicines. If he hadn¡¯t given them to me, I wouldn¡¯t have given them to Naoko, and she wouldn¡¯t lose her consciousness. Then I wouldn¡¯t have had those thoughts and nothing would¡¯ve happened. The abbot is also responsible. It¡¯s not entirely my fault. As you said just now, I¡¯m the second stone, and the abbot is the first one.¡±


    Everyone stopped talking. Tonan took a deep breath and said in self-reproach, ¡°It turned out this was the case. If I hadn¡¯t given those medicines to Master Chigo, he wouldn¡¯t have given them to you because he misjudged a person. I didn¡¯t kill Boren, but Boren died because of me. I, I¡¯ve sinned¡­¡±


    Although Chigo didn¡¯t know who Boren was, he understood the sentence¡¯s inference. He sighed deeply, ¡°Tonan, this has nothing to do with you. Primarily, it¡¯s my mistake.¡±


    Naoko¡¯s grandmother didn¡¯t understand what these people were saying. She just heard that the medicine was given to Tomaru by Chigo. She wailed, ¡°Why did you give him those medicines? Return my granddaughter to me.¡±


    An unbearable look flashed through Chigo¡¯s eyes, ¡°I¡­¡±


    Although there were many factors involved in Chigo giving out the medicine, everyone was not a fool. It was impossible to blame him for this matter because of just this. Besides, Chigo was the Fire Temple¡¯s master.


    Everyone subconsciously believed he delivered all living creatures from suffering. Moreover, he was an eminent monk with noble character and high prestige. Chigo put his palms together and recited the scriptures for a while. He then slowly opened his eyes and instructed, ¡°Imprison this person in the Fire Temple, and send him to Matsumoto Town¡¯s Guardian Residence in a few days, where he will be trialed and imprisoned.¡±


    When Tomaru heard this, he sighed in relief, looking as if he survived a disaster. The monk beside him nodded and lifted him, taking him towards the back of the temple.


    Chigo sighed and said to Tonan, ¡°Tonan, I thought about what you said just now. This matter indeed has a cause and effect with you and me. As you said, everything requires a degree of careful study. Even if we are guilty, it was out of kindness. The sin isn¡¯t deep.¡±


    Tonan realized he might have misjudged Chigo a bit. Although he was a monk, he seemed to place more importance on Buddhist doctrine theories and how to preach them. Perhaps, he was kinder than ordinary people, but because he was a monk, his attitude toward evil was more lenient than ordinary people.


    ¡°It seems I need to add fuel to the fire.¡±

 CH 141

    Uchiha Tonan stared at the corpse on the ground and the mournfully crying old woman with a painful look. His fists were clenched, and his eyes were full of guilt as he gritted his teeth, ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t get through the hurdle in my heart. After all, it¡¯s a matter of someone¡¯s life. She was young with a great future waiting for her. Moreover, she did not just support herself, but also the elderly at home, which was already a burden for her. Even though life was hard, she faced it positively.¡±


    ¡°Such a diligent, kind, and beautiful girl met with a poisonous hand. However, her murderer is only being sent to the Guardian Residence where he will be imprisoned for a few years. After that, he can come out safe and sound, and continue to get away with impunity. Is this fair? Is this justice? She is dead, but how can you make this old woman survive? Can the grief in her heart be healed? Think from the perspective of the dead, and also from the perspective of the elderly. If you were in this situation, could you swallow this grief?¡±


    When everyone heard Tonan¡¯s words, they placed themselves in the old woman¡¯s shoes and anger surged in their hearts, secretly gritting their teeth. The more miserable the victim was, the angrier the people would be toward the perpetrator. Tonan was provoking anger towards sin in these people¡¯s hearts.


    And Chigo¡¯s approach was to prevent everyone from venting their anger. The saying ¡®one cannot afford to incur public wrath¡¯ has its merit. The old woman saw that Chigo was saving the murderer who was responsible for her granddaughter¡¯s death. And she couldn¡¯t accept this in her heart. She almost couldn¡¯t breathe and directly fell to the ground.


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    The residents supported her and persuaded her to not think about this¡­


    ¡°My condolences, dead people cannot be resurrected.¡±


    ¡°You have to take care of your health!¡±


    The old woman took a deep breath to calm down her emotions. She then asked Chigo with tears in her eyes, ¡°Master Chigo, why did you give him those medicines? He killed my granddaughter, but why aren¡¯t you killing him?¡±


    The old woman was so agitated that her body was trembling. Hearing her questions, the surrounding residents also chimed in, ¡°Yes, Abbot, even if you kill him, the Guardian Residence will not say anything.¡±


    ¡°I knew we should¡¯ve killed him at the foot of the mountain.¡±


    Chigo took a deep breath and put his palms together, bowing to the old woman, ¡°Benefactor, restrain your grief, I know your heart is full of hatred now. But killing this man will not revive your granddaughter. And that person is indeed not guilty of death punishment. All we can do is escort him to the Guardian Residence. Benefactor, let go of hatred. Only then, you will not live in misery.¡±


    The old woman laughed maniacally. She pointed at Chigo and shouted hoarsely, ¡°What scripture do you read? What Buddha do you worship? I donate money every year, and light incense every month. Why didn¡¯t Buddha bless my granddaughter? Now that she is dead, why are you still protecting the criminal? It¡¯s you! It¡¯s you who gave him those medicines! You are an accomplice! I will bite you to death!¡±


    The old woman pounced on Chigo and opened her mouth ferociously like a mad person. ¡°Stop!¡± Chiriku, who was standing beside Chigo, pushed the old woman away. The old woman fell to the ground. The surrounding residents couldn¡¯t bear to look at this. They stepped forward to support her. The old woman slumped on the ground. Her eyes were filled with hopelessness and she looked lifeless.


    After a few breaths, she looked up to heaven and shouted, ¡°God! Is there no one to uphold justice¡­¡± As if this had drawn the last of her energy, with her eyes wide open, she twitched a few times and stopped breathing.


    Chiriku hastily stepped forward and placed his finger below her nose. He then turned back and said with an ugly look, ¡°Abbot, she is dead.¡±


    Chigo stumbled when he heard this. His eyes were full of doubts, and he muttered, ¡°Did I do something wrong¡­ Did I make a mistake¡­¡±


    He knew that everything he had done was according to the rules. He had no intention of protecting the criminals, but why did it end like this? At this moment, he was completely confused and desperately wanted to find someone to enlighten him.


    Subconsciously, he turned his head and shouted, ¡°Tonan¡­ where is Tonan?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± A terrified scream came from the back of the Fire Temple. A group of Fire Temple monks retreated, gradually forming an arc, and Tonan walked out from the depths with a chakra tanto in one hand and Tomaru¡¯s head in the other. He was expressionless, and he raised his head high and coldly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was late in upholding justice.¡±


    The head in Tonan¡¯s hand was still dripping with blood. The path he had walked was also dyed red with blood. There was a terrified look frozen on the Tomaru¡¯s face, and his eyes were wide open. Chigo was stunned for a moment, and he asked in disbelief, ¡°Tonan! Why did you kill him?¡±


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    Tonan replied indifferently, ¡°Master Chigo, I think this person deserved to die. Now that I¡¯ve killed him, will you kill me?¡±


    Chigo hastily replied, ¡°You are confused now!¡±


    Tonan sneered and threw the head in his hand. It made a beautiful mid-air turn and fell to the ground, rolling all the way to Chigo¡¯s feet. It was facing upward, showing wide open eyes, a look of horror fixed on the dead face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not muddle-headed. Master Chigo, you don¡¯t need to care about the rules. I¡¯m a Leaf ninja. As long as I don¡¯t betray the village, anything I do has to be handled by the Hokage-sama. Even if you send me to the Guardian Residence, who will dare to judge me?¡±


    Chigo looked at the head near his feet and gasped for a breath. He seemed to have aged instantly. He raised his head, and slowly raised his palm towards Tonan. Instantly, a pure white Thousand-Armed Kannon formed behind Chigo. He shouted, ¡°I can only arrest you and send you to Konoha and let Hokage-sama deal with you.¡±


    Tonan snorted, ¡°Master, I forgot to tell you something, I¡¯m Hokage-sensei¡¯s disciple. Do you think he will punish me for a commoner¡¯s death? I¡¯m also a member of the Uchiha clan. Even if sensei wants to punish me, the clan will not agree. As long as I don¡¯t hurt anyone in the village, I can only be judged by the rules of the clan. And according to them, killing a commoner is no different from killing a dog. Your so-called rules are worth nothing in front of power.¡±


    Tonan closed and opened his eyes, revealing a scarlet Sharingan, continuing in a distant tone, ¡°Master, I don¡¯t know the Fire Temple rules. You gave the medicine, you protected the criminal, and that woman was angered to death by you. Today, I¡¯ve finally seen through it. Not only can you not distinguish between right and wrong, but you also don¡¯t feel guilt. It¡¯s a shame I respected you so much. What eminent monk? You are nothing but a sanctimonious person!¡±


    After speaking, Tonan raised the chakra tanto and ferociously stabbed it in his ribs. Blood splattered. Everyone in the square was stunned. Even Chigo was startled and involuntarily relaxed his stance.


    Tonan¡¯s face was covered in a cold sweat, blue veins popped out on his forehead, and his face twitched as if he was enduring great pain. He howled, ¡°The source of the medicine was me. I owe this blade to that girl, so I paid it back. Master Chigo, what will you do in return?¡±

 CH 142

    The Fire Temple¡¯s monks lowered their hands after listening to Uchiha Tonan. They were no longer wary of him. Instead, their gaze turned to Chigo. In their view, Tonan had almost nothing to do with this matter. If anyone would argue that Tonan giving the medicines to Chigo was a crime, then no one would agree.


    Obviously, he had nothing to do with this, but he punished himself because of guilt. In addition, he went against the crown and punished the guilty. This was a real gentleman, a great man! If they stood against him, would they be human? But what about their abbot? Compared to this, the master whom they loved and respected was inflexible. He not only shielded the offender but also angered the deceased¡¯s grandmother to death.


    Chigo noticed the Fire Temple monks¡¯ strange gazes and he subconsciously retreated two steps. He looked at the residents of Revered Fire Street behind him. He saw they looked at Tonan with admiration and respect but there was disgust in their eyes when they looked at him.


    No matter who it was, it was terrifying being compared to others and falling short. At this moment, the boundary between good and evil had blurred. It seemed that Tonan had become a chivalrous man who upheld justice for the weak. And he, the Fire Temple master was a ruler¡¯s lackey who didn¡¯t know the right from the wrong.


    Chigo¡¯s mind fell into chaos. He had great doubts about himself, and he muttered, ¡°You all¡­ do you all think¡­ I¡¯m wrong¡­¡±


    Tonan, who was bleeding continuously because the blade was still stuck in his body, walked to the square step by step. The monks surrounding him were silent, and with their hands lowered, they made way for him on their own.


    Tonan walked over to Chigo and solemnly said, ¡°Hypocrisy is a great evil. The millennium reputation of the Fire Temple has been damaged in your hands.¡±


    Enduring the pain, he bent over and carried the corpses of the old woman and Naoko on his left and right shoulders respectively. Then, under everyone¡¯s gaze filled with admiration, he left the Fire Temple. Tonan had a resolute look while carrying the two corpses and walking down the steps.


    On the flight of stairs, an old monk was sweeping the stairs. When he saw Tonan going down the mountain, he quietly put away the broom. He stepped aside and lowered his head, putting his palms together.


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    In the Fire Temple, after Tonan left, Chigo¡¯s heart was in chaos. Everything in front of him blurred. His body swayed. Fortunately, the sharp-eyed Chiriku supported him. After a long time, Chigo raised his head and glanced at the Buddha statue sitting in the hall. There was guilt in his eyes as he murmured, ¡°Chiriku, take me to the main hall.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After the onlookers saw that the matter was over, they all sighed and left the Fire Temple. But when they arrived outside the temple, they found the two corpses were placed at the temple¡¯s gate and Tonan had long since disappeared.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, his injuries were too serious, and he wasn¡¯t able to carry them.¡±


    ¡°Even so, he can¡¯t just leave the corpses here.¡±


    ¡°Does he have any conscience? How can someone leave a corpse here?¡±


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s carry the dead bodies. In any case, we are all neighbors, we can¡¯t trouble others.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    At this moment, Chigo and Chiriku came to the main hall. Chigo declined Chiriku¡¯s support and knelt in front of the Buddha statue. ¡°Chiriku, do you think I was wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, that girl¡¯s death didn¡¯t have much to do with me. But the death of that old woman was indeed caused by me. I¡¯m guilty.¡± Chigo closed his eyes. His mind was full of the strange gazes of the believers and disciples when looking at him.


    ¡°Abbot, please don¡¯t think like that.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you think I was right?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Seeing Chiriku was unable to answer, clarity flashed through Chigo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Chiriku, I¡¯m very optimistic about your talent and perception. My comprehension is lacking. I lack common sense, and I also don¡¯t accept changes. I shamed Buddha, shamed that grandparent and grandchild, and also shamed the millennium reputation of the Fire Temple. From here onwards, the Fire Temple will be handed over to you.¡±


    Chiriku asked in confusion, ¡°Master Chigo?¡± But even after a long time, Chigo sat there cross-legged without replying. With a bad premonition, Chiriku extended his trembling hand and placed his finger below Chigo¡¯s nose.


    ¡­¡­


    At the same time, in the forest outside the town. Tonan was continuously jumping from one tree branch onto another while carrying two corpses. Suddenly, a strong warm current came pouring into his limbs and bones. He stopped and placed those two on the ground, and pulled out the chakra tanto from between his ribs.


    It was easy for him, who had Byakugan, to know which part of the body was the least fatal. This injury looked terrifying but it was not even a minor injury. Moreover, under the effect of the oncoming current, Tonan could feel his wound healing rapidly.


    ¡°This physique¡­ is it the Senju or Uzumaki clan?¡±


    Many secret techniques and Buddhist doctrines appeared in his mind. Most of the secret techniques were of little use to him but several others made him very happy. Especially the core cultivation secret technique: Gift of the Hermit Group!


    At this moment, he understood what this secret technique which was not very different from senjutsu, was. Before the arrival of the God Tree, this world had gone through countless eras. In the past, the world had an extraordinary power that was not inferior to chakra. It was now called the power of nature or natural energy.


    Self-healing power was a naturally produced special power, similar to spiritual qi in Xianxia novels. The energy had produced many monsters and powerful humans. For instance, many summoning beasts of today were these monsters¡¯ descendants. In ancient times, after the God Tree was planted, all creatures in the entire world were marked with a mysterious imprint, and then, they were able to cultivate chakra.


    But they were unable to absorb the energy in nature. Over time, most monsters instinctively absorbed natural energy and strengthened their bodies. And the monsters of the three great holy lands adopted a special method to absorb natural energy, combine it with their chakra, and created the so-called senjutsu.


    Senjustu energy required cultivation. For example, the senjutsu learned by Jiraiya and the others were, in fact, already developed senjutsu energy bestowed by monsters. It was not that Jiraiya and the others had activated the Sage Mode, it was more accurate to say that they had obtained the energy of monsters. That energy was not absorbed from nature but passed on by monsters via summoning technique. This was also the reason why they couldn¡¯t cultivate senjutsu themselves and non-human characteristics manifested every time they entered this mode.


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    The Gift of the Hermit Group was a method to use natural energy discovered by a certain genius human. By cultivating this secret technique, one could open up an illusory space within the body, just like the so-called dantian in the novels. It could also absorb strong emotions and store them.


    Drawing the emotional energy in the illusory space, one could absorb the natural energy and combine it, finally forming the senjutsu energy exclusive to the human race. Even if this energy was not used, it could subtly strengthen a person¡¯s physique. And when this energy was used, the senjutsu energy could be combined with chakra to enter the Sage Mode.


    Because this senjutsu energy completely belonged to humans, there would be no change in appearance after entering the Sage Mode. But the biggest limitation of this method was absorbing others¡¯ emotions. The emotional energy was very stable, and it was firmly locked within the mortal body. Only when people were emotionally stable, they would emit a small amount of emotional energy for the people around them to absorb.


    However, Tonan had inherited Chigo¡¯s legacy. He already had a considerable amount of senjutsu energy within his body.


    ¡°Are you going to bury them here, evil-hearted ninja youth?¡±

 CH 143

    ¡°Are you going to bury them here, evil-hearted ninja youth?¡± Suddenly, an old voice came from behind Uchiha Tonan. He got up and looked at the beautiful mountains and rivers around and nodded with satisfaction. He then leisurely replied, ¡°Yes, the mountains and rivers are beautiful here. It¡¯s a very good place to bury the dead.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you bury them and stayed put for so long?¡±


    A hint of a smile appeared on his face, and putting his hands behind his back, he said without turning his head, ¡°I was waiting for you, Master.¡±


    ¡°You knew I was coming?¡±


    Tonan chuckled and replied while shaking his head, ¡°Master, when you sweep the stairs every day, you sweep from left to right. But today, when I was going down the mountain, you were sweeping from right to left. Your heart is in chaos¡­¡±


    Immediately after Tonan spoke. Crackle, crackle, crackle~


    The ground where that old monk was standing suddenly exploded. Tonan jumped out from the ground with a chakra tanto covered in lightning. Since the sunlight was bright, when it reflected on the chakra tanto, it dazzled people, making them unable to open their eyes.


    The sharp tip of the chakra tanto was pointed straight at the old monk as if it was about to pierce through him in the next second. At that moment, the old monk¡¯s otherwise cloudy eyes sharpened, and he stepped aside, dodging the sudden attack.


    However, in the next moment. Bang! Bang! Bang! ¡­


    The sounds of explosions resounded continuously, and the trees around collapsed one after another. The bits and pieces of stones flew everywhere, mercilessly hitting the animals that hadn¡¯t reacted yet. In the blink of an eye, a huge dust cloud mushroomed in the forest. Thick smoke enveloped the surroundings, and the sound of wind and insects that existed before disappeared.


    There was also the faint smell of blood in the air. Tonan had used a shadow clone to plant dozens of explosive tags underground in advance, and he had ignited them now. The dust and smoke slowly dissipated, pits were faintly visible on the ground, and the red spattered blood drops looked like red roses.


    Suddenly, a light flashed at the center of the smoke and dust. A pure white Thousand-Armed Kannon image had appeared behind the old man, and it used countless hands to protect the old monk.


    The eyes of Thousand-Armed Kannon were closed. She sat cross-legged on a pure white lotus throne, and her appearance was filled with mercy and sympathy. The old man looked calm and relaxed. He looked straight at Tonan with cloudy eyes and leisurely said, ¡°Sure enough, you are vicious. I wanted to know what exactly you wanted to do.¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses, and replied in a natural tone, ¡°I just want to save this messed up world in my way. Everything is for world peace and the great love for all creatures.¡±


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    The old monk snorted, not believing him. He pointed to the ground with one hand and pointed to the sky with the other as if entering another realm in the world. ¡°I have achieved the heart eye, your lies can deceive them, but not me. You must have some hidden secrets.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s expression instantly became indifferent, and a powerful electric current appeared around his body. Crackle, crackle, crackle~


    The current crackled around him, getting bigger and stronger. ¡°Old man, you shouldn¡¯t be so stubborn. Do you know who I am? Do you dare to touch me?¡± Tonan¡¯s eyes were fierce. The exquisite eyebrows were knitted together. There was no gentleness on his face, and he seemed to be determined to win.


    ¡°I know you are Konoha¡¯s Hokage¡¯s student. That¡¯s why I endured for so long. So that I can get rid of a calamity like you when there was no one around.¡± The old monk¡¯s voice sounded a little ethereal, floating throughout the forest, giving others a boundless sense of suppression. Tonan moved his right leg a little and asked, ¡°You are too daring, who are you?¡±


    ¡°The former abbot of Fire Temple, Terachi.¡±


    After speaking, the old monk opened his eyes wide and roared angrily, ¡°Welcoming Approach ¨C Thousand-Armed Murder!¡±


    Instantly, the pure white Thousand-Armed Kannon behind Terachi transformed into a red demonic-looking creature and each of her fists attacked Tonan like guided missiles. Tonan activated Lightning Spirit Wind Flash to dodge while rushing toward Terachi.


    However, the fists he dodged made a turn and attacked him from behind, while more continued to attack from the front. Tonan didn¡¯t want to fight head-on. He sped up and continued to dodge. Meanwhile, he made hand signs and slammed onto the ground, ¡°Earth Style ¨C Multi Mud Wall.¡±


    Instantly, dozens of hard earth walls grew from the ground in front of him. Under the effect of his large chakra reserve, each earth wall was seven to eight meters high, protecting him both front and back.


    ¡°You can¡¯t escape!¡± Terachi shouted, and his powerful chakra fluctuation blew his monk robe. The ground around him also cracked like a cobweb, and small stones floated in the air as if defying gravity.


    Meanwhile, the angry demonic-looking creature behind him attacked more ferociously with the momentum of toppling the mountains and overturning the seas. The speed was so fast that naked eyes couldn¡¯t see the attacks.


    The earth walls were smashed into pieces, the debris flying in all directions, hitting the surrounding trees. And the dust and smoke formed by the powdered earth enveloped Tonan. At the critical juncture, Tonan¡¯s indifferent voice came from the midst of the dust.


    ¡°Welcoming Approach¡­ Thousand-Armed Murder!¡±


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    Bang! Bang! Bang!¡­


    Sounds of fists came from everywhere and the residual power energized the air current, dispersing the dust and smoke. In the next moment, an unscathed Tonan appeared in front of Terachi.


    Tonan had put his palms together with his eyes closed. He had a look of compassion. Behind him, there was a Thousand-Armed Kannon, which was similar to the one behind Terachi.


    Terachi felt dizzy for a moment, and exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°How is this possible? How can you know the Fire Temple¡¯s secret technique?¡±


    But Tonan just chanted with a compassionate face, ¡°Merciful Buddha! All living creatures suffer. The good and evil in the world are constant. Since that is the case, it¡¯s up to me to bear the weight of darkness. Feed the demon and deliver all common people from torment. Master Terachi, although you and I have different methods, the results we pursue are the same.¡±


    After speaking, Tonan opened his eyes, revealing his scarlet Sharingan. He looked at Terachi with a sincere look. However, Tonan didn¡¯t realize something.


    The eyes of the Thousand-Armed Kannon behind him also similarly became scarlet, giving people a strange feeling. Terachi could no longer maintain the appearance of an enlightened eminent monk. He pointed at Tonan in horror and said, ¡°Evil spirit¡­ demon!¡±


    A hint of strangeness flashed through Tonan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°This old man is much wiser than Chigo. It seems I can¡¯t fool him. I did want to take advantage of the situation to fool him, and if I could gain his acknowledgment, then I could have added some senjutsu energy. But looking at the current situation, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no chance. What a pity¡­¡±

 CH 144

    After being momentarily shocked, Terachi had the look of facing death with equanimity. He crouched and clapped his hands together. His emaciated body instantly filled up and his muscles bulged.


    The loose monk robe ripped because of bulging muscles, flying all around. Terachi¡¯s eyes became round, and his eyeballs were protruding, filled with blood. Because of exerting himself excessively, his facial features became bright red and distorted like a boiled prawn.


    He transformed completely from the emaciated old man just now. Not only did his body become stronger, but his height also increased by three feet, emitting great strength. He clasped his hands, forming a seal, and shouted, ¡°Not only is your spirit darker than that of a tailed beast, but you have also learned to disguise yourself. I can¡¯t let you get out of here alive. True Several Thousand Hands ¨C Peak Expansion!¡±


    ¡°Good lord, he truly doesn¡¯t fear for his life.¡± Tonan had inherited Chigo¡¯s legacy, so he knew this move. However, it consumed too much senjutsu energy, and Chigo¡¯s energy was not sufficient. Unexpectedly, Terachi could use it.


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    The image of Buddha behind Terachi enlarged, and in a short moment, a small hill-sized motionless King Ming appeared behind him. Now, the image of Buddha was golden, and he sat half lying on a golden lotus throne. Moreover, he had three faces and several thousand hands.


    The left face looked compassionate, the right face had anger and the front face showed enlightenment. The thickly dotted arms looked like a peacock fanning out its tail. It made people feel dizzy looking at it.


    ¡°Demon! Receive death!¡± Terachi shouted angrily, and the motionless King Ming¡¯s infinite arms made a fist and attacked Tonan from all directions.


    Rumble~ The earth shook, boulders broke and flew everywhere. Just the wind generated by the movement of the fists was extremely fierce, causing dust, sand, and rocks to dance crazily in the mountain forest.


    Countless trees were broken by the fierce wind, and the soil on the ground rose high into the air. The bombardment of countless fists produced thunderous sounds, which seemed to have the momentum of destroying heaven and earth. The clear sky turned dusky, grey, and chaotic. To completely kill Tonan, Terachi went all out and bombarded for no less than ten minutes.


    When the smoke and dust that covered the sky and the sun dissipated, there was just a pool of blood in a huge crater.


    Terachi sighed in relief. His hands were drooping, and his eyelids were also closing slightly. It was like he would collapse from exhaustion in the next second. He turned his head and looked at the two corpses protected by the palms of the image of Buddha. But just when he was thinking of removing the Buddha¡¯s image to go bury the two dead bodies, his eyes filled with horror, and he looked around.


    ¡°How is this possible! How can there be such an intense evil aura?¡±


    Step, step, step¡­ As footsteps became clearer, Tonan walked out from the collapsed forest in the distance and entered Terachi¡¯s vision. His entire body was covered with lightning that seemed to be able to assimilate people¡¯s souls.


    He raised his hand, rubbed his temple a few times, and frowned. He moved his hands away. ¡°Hiss~ is this what it feels like to die? Old man, you should experience it as well.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice was coming from all directions. ¡°Barrier ¨C Four Red Yang Formation.¡±


    Suddenly, a golden barrier rose isolating Terachi from the world. His forehead was covered in a cold sweat. He looked at Tonan and at the blood in the crater. Looking horrified, he asked, ¡°Impossible¡­ how can a clone have flesh and blood¡­¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t bother to continue explaining to a man who was about to die. At this moment, Terachi¡¯s mind was in chaos, but it was a good chance. Tonan opened his eyes, and three tomoe spun rapidly. ¡°Genjutsu ¨C Hell Viewing Technique.¡±


    However, Terachi was confused for just a moment, and his mind became clear again. He took a deep breath, put his palms together, and said with determination, ¡°Demon, my belief is indestructible, you can¡¯t deceive me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, old man, you truly opened my eyes.¡±


    In the next moment, a stone pillar rose from the ground below Tonan¡¯s feet, moving Tonan to a high place. He looked at Terachi below and activated the Lightning Style Secret Technique ¨C Spirit of the Thunder God. He communicated with the natural lightning. The sky above the barrier became overcast and dark as if it was soaked with ink.


    A great pressure covered the entire barrier as if doomsday was coming. The muffled thunders were like raging billows flying up to the sky, getting closer and stronger. A streak of blue lighting spread in all directions like the branches of a bizarre tree, splitting the entire sky into pieces.


    Streaks of lightning flashed one after another as if they would strike Terachi in the next second. At this moment, Tonan¡¯s eyes were pure indifference bereft of any human emotions. He raised his right hand and a lightning ball condensed in it.


    The lighting around his body surged, and his hair fluttered. His demonic might was outstanding. In the next moment, the lightning ball exploded with dazzling white light. And that beam of white light pierced the sky. Soon afterward, the dark clouds in the sky seemed enraged, and the entire sky lit up with dazzling blue radiance.


    The fierce wind howled like a demon. Dark clouds were churning and rolling rapidly. They seemed to be piling up, getting denser and denser. And like thousands upon thousands of men and horses, they pressed towards the earth.


    ¡°Lightning Style Secret Technique ¨C Myriad Heavenly Lightning Prison.¡±


    It could be said that Terachi was the strongest opponent Tonan had met so far. In the battle of life and death, he used his strongest firepower. Terachi looked at Tonan in the distance, forcibly raised his spirit, and controlled the motionless King Ming behind him to brandish the fists to attack Tonan.


    However¡­


    Rumble~ Thick lightning fell, accurately striking every fist. Tonan simply stood there, frantically releasing chakra. His Sharingan spun continuously, capturing the trajectory of King Ming¡¯s fists with its powerful dynamic vision.


    While defending, he also controlled lightning to attack Terachi. At this moment, Terachi was trembling because of the huge chakra consumption. But his unparalleled willpower supported him. He controlled the motionless King Ming to smash the lightning falling from the sky.


    The earth was shaking. Hills and trees within the barrier had been wiped away without leaving any traces. Suddenly, the old woman¡¯s corpse that was being protected by the motionless King Ming¡¯s palm twitched.


    ¡°Hu~ cough, cough, cough~¡± The old woman seemed to have something stuck in her throat and coughed suddenly. Tonan¡¯s eyes moved to her, and a strange devilish smile appeared on his face. ¡°Oh, you are not dead.¡±


    Terachi saw his ruthless appearance and thought to himself, not good! The dark clouds in the sky surged, and a thunder dragon stuck its head out from them. The moment it appeared, it opened its mouth as if it was roaring, and a muffled thunderous sound filled the sky.


    The huge dragon aimed at the old woman on the ground and dived down.


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    Despicable! Terachi didn¡¯t think too much in haste. He felt Tonan was forcing him to defend the life of an innocent person. He instantly rushed toward the old woman.


    Bang!


    Following an earth-shaking explosion, the entire world seemed to have lost sound and became quiet for a moment. The entire barrier was filled with dazzling white light. Everything within it seemed to have been annihilated.


    Even the sturdy golden barrier began to flicker, seemingly, on the verge of being shattered in the next second.

 CH 145

    After a while, the white light dissipated, and Terachi was half-kneeling in front of the old woman. The Buddha image behind him had stretched out thousands of arms, protecting him, the old woman, and Naoko¡¯s corpse.


    The motionless King Ming had become very illusory after suffering this bombardment. It looked like it would collapse and dissipate at any time.


    Pop, pop, pop¡­ The lightning around Tonan also dissipated, and his eyes recovered human characteristics.


    ¡°You are truly a kind eminent monk.¡±


    The voice had just fallen when¡­.


    Puchi~


    Terachi felt a sharp pain in his chest. His eyes were wide open as he lowered his head in disbelief. He saw the old woman who had come back to life had transformed into Tonan. His hand had pierced his chest, grabbing his heart. Naoko¡¯s corpse also turned into a cloud of white smoke and disappeared.


    Terachi muttered in disbelief, ¡°Impossible, even if it¡¯s a¡­ clone¡­ I could have sensed the evil intention¡­¡±


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    Tonan didn¡¯t waste time explaining things to a dying man. He slowly dug out the heart as Terachi closed his eyes and fell to the ground. Without the support of the senjutsu energy, his body withered, and he looked like a thousand-year-old dried corpse lying in a coffin.


    The four flicker clones that had activated the barrier dispersed, and the golden barrier also disappeared.


    At this time, Tonan¡¯s real body walked over slowly from a distance and took the heart from the flicker clone¡¯s hand. He raised it in front of his eyes. Terachi¡¯s heart seemed to be still beating. A smile appeared on Tonan¡¯s face, which was pale because of the aftereffect of chakra depletion and the Spirit of the Thunder God.


    Bang!


    The heart was crushed ruthlessly. Then, he dispelled this flicker clone too. The dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, revealing a crack from where sunlight sprinkled, shining directly on Tonan.


    Not even a blade of grass was left within the area covered by the earlier barrier, but outside its range, it was still overflowing with vigor.


    Coo, coo~ Coo, coo~


    Flocks of white pigeons flew over from all directions as if celebrating victory, as they pounced on the spoils of war. Without the barrier¡¯s obstruction, a cool autumn wind blew in, bringing along withered leaves.


    Amid rustling autumn wind, leaves were swaying and fluttering aimlessly. After a long time, the black ferocious birds that had eaten their fill put on their pure white feather robes again and left chirping in satisfaction.


    A dead leaf drifted along with the wind and floated down from above Tonan¡¯s head. He squinted his eyes and spread out his palm. But just when the leaf was about to touch it, he suddenly disappeared.


    In fact, from the first day he came to the Fire Temple, Tonan was wary of Terachi. After all, the Fire Temple was a ninja temple, and every monk had extraordinary combat power. Tonan didn¡¯t believe such an old monk would be weak.


    Besides, in the Buddhist tradition, the most powerful people were usually sweeper monks. Since Chigo had cultivated a mind eye, he wouldn¡¯t believe that this sweeper monk hadn¡¯t. Therefore, when Tonan walked out of the Fire Temple, he used Flicker Clone Technique, creating two clones.


    Then, one flicker clone used Reconstruction Technique to transform into the old woman, and the other flicker clone transformed into Naoko. His main body cast hypnotic eye genjutsu on those two clones.


    The hypnotic imprint was when one clone saw another clone, the spiritual fire would bloom in their hearts to disperse the darkness. After all, the minds of the clones with entities were not shared with the main body. They were similar to the independent living body to a certain degree.


    The two clones kept their eyes wide open from start to finish and kept looking at each other at all times. The mind eye was a special perception technique that could perceive evil thoughts. But when there were no evil thoughts, nothing would be perceived.


    In addition, Terachi had only focused on Tonan. He had no time to think much about others. The real Several Thousand Hands ¨C Peak Expansion, its attack, and defense were terrifying. Tonan had to use White Fang¡¯s unique technique, and borrow the power of nature. Even with all this, he could only keep up with the opponent.


    If it was truly a battle without tricks, then even if Tonan had won, it would be a tragic victory. His amount of chakra was large, and his spiritual energy was powerful, but the power of his ninjutsu was a bit stronger, and his battle endurance was also a bit greater.


    More ninjutsu meant more means to face the enemy. At Tonan¡¯s level, to win against Terachi, he had to use unique skills and some tricks.


    ¡­¡­


    Half a month later, Konoha saw its first heavy snowfall of the year.


    Ding, ding, ding¡­


    The wind chime under the eaves swayed along with the cold wind. Snowflakes as light as a goose feather floated down from the sky, like silver flowers and white butterflies. The trees in the courtyard, stripped off their clothing by the cold winter, stood bare, enduring winter¡¯s harsh cold.


    Tonan sat in front of a heating stove and picked up a nursing bottle. He pecked it lightly with his mouth to test the temperature. A bit higher than human body temperature. It¡¯s just right.


    He looked at a baby in swaddling clothes in his arms and pressed the nursing bottle near its mouth. The baby instinctively opened his little mouth and sucked the milk greedily. After the baby was full, Tonan carefully placed him in the cradle. He then created a shadow clone to look after him.


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    Tonan himself walked out of the room and stood in the courtyard. He looked into the distance with his hands behind his back. Thousands of miles away in frozen wastes, even the setting sun seemed to have changed its color due to loneliness, turning a kind of hollow and desolate ash grey.


    After Tonan took care of Terachi, he possessed senjutsu energy, and his strength increased greatly, so he rushed back to Konoha. However, on the day he returned, Sarutobi Hiruzen told him some news.


    The good news was that the welfare institution was constructed. It was built in the most prosperous location in Konoha, and its area was about the same as the Ninja Academy.


    But there were two pieces of bad news as well. One was from the information brought back by the ninjas who went to the Fire Capital. Naraku had established an adoption system, and he didn¡¯t agree to send back the orphans Tonan had adopted.


    The second was the issue of Konoha Orphanage. Utatane Koharu had been in charge of the orphanage. Hiruzen wanted to disband it and entrust all orphans in it to Tonan. But Shimura Danzo opposed this, and at the same time, Koharu and Homura expressed their support for him.


    Their reason was that these orphans were all descendants of heroes. They should be supervised and raised by the village to avoid any accidents. Hiruzen couldn¡¯t find faults with this reasoning, so he could only give up.


    Now that it was peacetime, even the youngest wartime orphans were four or five years old. And children who had reached this age could enter the Ninja Academy if they were talented. If they were not, they could start to help various village departments working as assistants.


    Especially, the various big clans of Konoha, regardless of orphans or old people, were firmly supported by the clan. Tonan had also recruited a dozen or so civilian elder people. He provided them with free food and drinks every day. He served them like they were his seniors.


    As for orphans, it was just the one he had placed in the cradle. His father was a small clan¡¯s chunin who had died on a mission. His mother, a civilian, passed away during childbirth. Due to various reasons, the baby¡¯s clan refused to raise him, so he was handed over to Tonan.


    Unexpectedly, because of his arrival, Hiruzen, the Hokage, was actually suppressed by Danzo. He truly didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°It seems I need to find an opportunity to show the ability of an adopted son, and fight for father Hiruzen¡¯s influence. Otherwise, the welfare institution will just be in name only. Let alone becoming a helping hand, it will become a burden.¡±


    More importantly, just about a year is left before the start of the third world war. In the unlikely event that Hiruzen loses power completely, once he enters the battlefield, he might not have to face just the enemies, but also traitors. Although Hiruzen was hard-hearted when dealing with the ninjas in the village, Tonan wondered why was he so soft-hearted when dealing with Danzo and the two Hokage Advisors?


    He sighed helplessly, deeply worried about Konoha¡¯s prosperity and stability.

 CH 146

    Knock, knock, knock¡­ Uchiha Tonan was immersed deep in the worries about Konoha¡¯s future when his sighs were interrupted by a knock at the welfare institution¡¯s door. He walked over to open it and was greeted by a group of familiar faces. The people who had come were Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin.


    The first to smile brightly and call out was Obito, ¡°Tonan, we¡¯re here!¡±


    Tonan smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Everyone come in and warm yourself by the fire.¡±


    Wa, wa, wa~ Perhaps, because Obito was too loud, the baby in the room woke up.


    Duang~ A furious Kushina punched Obito on his head and reprimanded, ¡°Lower your voice!¡±


    Obito sullenly covered the area throbbing with pain. He was angry but didn¡¯t dare voice it out. Rin, who was beside them, couldn¡¯t help covering her mouth to smile. She then quietly looked at Kakashi.


    The group walked inside the room together and saw Tonan¡¯s shadow clone sitting on his knees beside the cradle, shaking a small bell to soothe the baby.


    ¡°So cute!¡± Both Kushina and Rin melted seeing the adorable infant immediately, but Kushina came back to her senses and asked, ¡°Tonan, what¡¯s the baby¡¯s name?¡±


    Tonan smiled gently, ¡°His name is Kotoura.¡±


    Minato turned his head to look at Tonan and asked with a smile, ¡°Did you name him after your father?¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses. Staring at Kotoura in the cradle, he answered, ¡°Yes, Little Kotoura will be by my side in the future. When I see him, I¡¯ll think of my father. I also hope he will dedicate his life protecting Konoha just like my father.¡±


    Minato nodded and asked again, ¡°But what about his surname?¡±


    Tonan rubbed his chin and lightly commented, ¡°That¡¯s a problem¡­ Kakashi, you¡¯re the Hatake clan patriarch. Could you let Kotoura have the Hatake surname?¡±


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    Kakashi casually spread his arms and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Kushina immediately hugged the baby and happily said, ¡°Hatake Kotoura¡­¡±


    Perhaps, because of fear, Little Kotoura¡¯s mouth shriveled, and his little feet also squeezed together, and soon after¡­


    ¡°He peed¡­¡± Kushina became anxious. Tonan¡¯s shadow clone stretched out his hands and took Little Kotoura back, ¡°Let me take care of it.¡± The shadow clone skillfully changed the diaper and gently put Kotoura back in the cradle. The infant squinted his eyes as if insecure, so he forcibly kept them open to stare at the strangers in front of him.


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    Rin sat beside the cradle and turned to look at Tonan, saying in a low voice, ¡°He seems to be sleepy.¡±


    Tonan nodded and his shadow clone took a small bell and shook it lightly. Tonan¡¯s main body also came up to the cradle and sat down on his knees. He sang a lullaby with a gentle look, ¡°The lake is like your eyes, dreaming of the starry sky, the mood¡¯s a legend, of the invariable waiting¡­¡±


    Outside the house, snowflakes that looked as light as feather and as white as silver fluttered about, sprinkling down from the sky.


    Inside the house, the heating stove¡¯s warmth made the entire room cozy. Everyone listened to Tonan¡¯s singing and watched Little Kotoura fall asleep quietly. No one wanted to make a sound to break this peaceful scene.


    ¡®Ding! Gained Nohara Rin¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Tonan¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ignoring the fiery gaze on him. At this moment, Rin was half-squatting, and with her palms supporting her face, her eyes drifting towards Tonan, who was still singing for Little Kotoura.


    ¡°Tonan-kun is so gentle¡­ Kakashi is also not bad¡­ I¡¯m so distressed¡­¡±


    When it was almost time, Tonan got up and made a ¡®shush¡¯ gesture, following which everyone quietly left the room. The white snowflakes were getting bigger and bigger, filling the sky like dandelions.


    Minato looked sideways at Tonan, who looked calm, and teased, ¡°Tonan, it seems you like children very much.¡±


    Tonan nodded lightly, looked at the snowflakes dancing in the sky, stretched out his hand, and said, ¡°Children are the future and the hope of the village. They are as pure as snow. Perhaps, I like to get along with such kind of people the most.¡±


    A snowflake fell on his hand, instantly melting by his palm¡¯s temperature. At this moment, a figure ran over from the Sunset Building not far away.


    He was the ¡®eternal genin¡¯, Maito Dai. ¡°Tonan, today¡¯s mission is completed. Not only did I clean every room, but I also changed their sheets and bedding.¡±


    Tonan placed his hands on his knees and bowed to Dai, ¡°Dai-senpai, I¡¯m truly troubling you. I just can¡¯t get away from here.¡±


    Dai waved his hands, ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. This is my mission. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave now. I¡¯ve to go back and see if that boy Gai has slacked in his training.¡±


    Tonan nodded with a smile, ¡°Dai-senpai, you can bring Gai with you during the day as well. Cleaning up is also a form of training. Also, I¡¯m going to issue a long-term mission. You two can live in the welfare institution and take charge of guarding the welfare institution¡¯s safety. I¡¯m worried about the elderly here. In case of an emergency, with your good physical strength, you can take them to the hospital in time.¡±


    When Dai heard this, his eyes lip up. He showed his white teeth and gave a thumbs-up, ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll bring Gai with me from tomorrow. Tonan, you¡¯re such a good person!¡±


    Dai turned to leave the welfare institution. ¡°Youth is to burn recklessly!¡±


    Tonan looked at Dai¡¯s back, and a smile couldn¡¯t help appearing on his face. It seemed despite the setbacks, this welfare institution still had some use. He was able to trick Dai and Gai into becoming security guards. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds fondness.


    Tonan didn¡¯t believe that by the end of the Third Ninja World War, Dai wouldn¡¯t acknowledge him. A forbidden art that can make a mortal body comparable to the gods! If he truly ran into an enemy that he was no match for, it will be useful.


    Using Eight Gates Released Formation and activating the Izanagi¡­ As for Gai, after he creates Night Guy, his fate will also be the same.


    At this moment, Obito, with his hands on the back of his head, asked in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t he Gai¡¯s father? He looks so weird. I heard he has always been a genin.¡±


    Minato rubbed Obito¡¯s hair and leisurely said, ¡°The level of a ninja doesn¡¯t explain everything. Dai-senpai is just not good at ninjutsu and genjutsu, but his taijutsu is very strong.¡±


    Tonan nodded in agreement, ¡°Although I¡¯ve come into contact with Dai-senpai for just these past few days, I¡¯ve seen many rare and commendable qualities in him. In particular, the spirit of never giving up is worth learning for all of us.¡±


    After speaking, he looked at the snowflakes that had already gotten somewhat sparse and softly said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s almost time, I¡¯m going to cook food for the elderly. After dinner, let¡¯s chat with them to relieve their boredom.¡±

 CH 147.1

    After dinner, together with Uchiha Tonan, everyone chatted with the elderly living in the Sunset Building to break their otherwise monotonous routines. For some time, the welfare institution looked lively.


    As careful as he was, Tonan didn¡¯t let people come often to visit these elderly people. He would request Sarutobi Hiruzen to let the Ninja Academy students come over and do public benefit activities every now and then but everything was measured.


    For Tonan, these ninjas and the academy students were just tools he used to try and please the old people. If they were allowed to appear often in front of the elderly, it might lower his chances of gaining acknowledgment. Even though these old people lacked both strength and skills, it didn¡¯t matter to Tonan. He firmly believed everyone had some value, no matter how old or young they were.


    The old people were indeed just perfect. Tonan taught them things such as zither, the game of Go, calligraphy, painting, and so on when he had free time, keeping them occupied. In any case, they had nothing else to do, might as well let them play Go or something every day.


    Although such skills wouldn¡¯t benefit him in any way, it was better than nothing. When it was almost time, the old people fell asleep one after another under the Tonan¡¯s concerned watch. Soon after, Namikaze Minato and the rest of the group too left the welfare institution.


    Back in the room alone, Tonan walked to a table and made a pot of tea for himself. Looking at the shadow clone that was walking back and forth while holding the newly christened baby, Hatake Kotoura, Tonan rubbed his temples. He was slightly annoyed and his mind was playing out several scenarios.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve to wait for the war to begin for this welfare institution to really come in handy. Before that, I need to help Father Hiruzen bring Konoha under his control. As long as he¡¯s in power, the Konoha Orphanage can be disbanded before the war starts.


    ¡°The other problem I have to tackle is the ninja clans. Now that it¡¯s peacetime, these clans have great careers, and they can easily raise a few orphans and old people. But judging from Konoha¡¯s current policies, the economy will collapse sooner or later, and as long as the war breaks out, the number of orphans and elderly will steadily increase.


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    ¡°The ninja clans might not be able to support them when the time comes. I need to carefully plan this. The welfare institution has many benefits. And this sort of a good deed will be seen and publicized by everyone. Especially fostering children¡­ if a few geniuses came out from my welfare institution¡­


    ¡°The ninja clans might still have misgivings though. After all, they are a clan, and they will not tolerate their bloodline wandering about destitute. It would work out best if my welfare institution poses to only be responsible for raising the children. And when they are of age, the clans can take them back.


    ¡°But if there¡¯s no cost, it¡¯ll make people suspicious. The clans¡¯ higher-ups are wise enough to know there are no free meals under the sky. Just asking them to pay up might not be enough¡­.¡±


    Suddenly, a phrase flashed through Tonan¡¯s mind ¡ª investment for the future. The welfare institution could make the outside world promise that after the children became ninjas, a certain percentage of their mission rewards would have to be given to the institution.


    And after the amount reaches a certain number, the two parties will no longer be transactionally connected. Thinking of this, the corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose slightly. He picked up his teacup and took a sip.


    The next day was destined to have a foggy beginning. There was snowfall in the middle of the previous night and the accumulated snow was more than half a foot thick in the morning.


    After feeding Little Kotoura, Tonan created two shadow clones. One was responsible for taking care of Kotoura, and the other was taking care of the dozens or so old people in the welfare institution.


    As for the main body, he put on a white windbreaker and left the room. The Maito father and son pair, Dai and Gai, had already moved into the room nearest to the courtyard¡¯s gate.


    From early in the morning, the two had begun shoving away snow in the courtyard with their bare hands. ¡°Gai! Burning youths don¡¯t fear the bitter cold!¡±


    Tonan glanced at them from a distance and didn¡¯t disturb them. He left the welfare house quietly stepping on the snow.


    Meanwhile, at the Hokage Building, the atmosphere of the meeting room was solemn. Shimura Danzo sat directly opposite Hiruzen and tapped his fingers on the table, ¡°Hiruzen, this is the Daimyo¡¯s request. You can also see the Land of Fire¡¯s economy is growing rapidly under his regime. We must give due importance to the Five Great Countries Honorary Chunin Competition.¡±


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    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and said with a frown, ¡°Even so, we cannot let Tonan go. You are all already aware of what transpired in the past.¡±


    Danzo leaned forward slightly and aggressively said, ¡°Hiruzen, you are the Hokage, you should consider the village first. The Daimyo has specifically asked for Tonan to participate. Whether it¡¯s his strength and status or his reputation in the Fire City, he¡¯s the best candidate.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke again and looked straight at Danzo, his face flushing with some anger, ¡°Anyone else is fine, but not Tonan¡­.¡±

 CH 147.2

    Sarutobi Hiruzen was beginning to feel angry. In a meeting at the Hokage Office, he looked straight at Shimura Danzo and said, ¡°Anyone else is fine, but not Tonan. Both Shinnosuke and Asuma are dead. Do you want me to send my disciple to risk his life as well?¡±


    Seeing the atmosphere tense, Mitokado Homura said in a low voice, ¡°Hiruzen, what happened with Shinnosuke is already in the past. We can only say that he participated in a vortex and fell victim to the political struggle. As for Asuma, the Daimyo has already made a statement that it had nothing to do with him. I guess it was enemy spies adding fuel to the fire. You cannot fall for such tricks.¡±


    Hiruzen glanced at Homura and then looked at Danzo. As if understanding what was going on, he angrily roared, ¡°Don¡¯t force me, Danzo. I¡¯ve been indulging you because I consider us companions. Do you think I don¡¯t know you¡¯ve been secretly communicating with the Daimyo? Do you think I don¡¯t know that you have been regularly getting large funds from him?¡±


    Danzo seemed wronged hearing Hiruzen¡¯s words, and asked with a look of disbelief, ¡°Hiruzen, how can you slander me like this! Everything I do is for Konoha. Since you disagree, let¡¯s put the decision to vote.¡±


    Homura hesitated for a bit and lightly coughed, ¡°Hiruzen, the Daimyo has already succeeded to the throne. From his attitude, he¡¯s not willing to go against Konoha. Even the financial support for Konoha has increased a lot during this time. He is already showing goodwill, and we should also move forward. We know you can¡¯t stop worrying about Tonan but think about it. The Daimyo has no reason to harm him.¡±


    Watching the one-sided play put on by Danzo and Homura, Hiruzen¡¯s face darkened and his tone was not good as he said, ¡°You mean you support Danzo. Koharu, what about you?¡±


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    Utatane Koharu secretly glanced at the confident Danzo. She didn¡¯t dare to look at Hiruzen and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll remain neutral.¡±


    When Hiruzen heard this, the hand holding the smoke pipe tightened.


    At this time.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Hiruzen coldly asked, ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡±


    An Anbu member¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Hokage-sama, Orochimaru-sama is here.¡±


    Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and then thought of something, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Orochimaru, who was wearing a flak jacket, walked into the conference room with a faint smile on his face. He looked at the people in the meeting room and his gaze stopped at Hiruzen. He said with a smile, ¡°Sensei, it seems I came at the wrong time.¡±


    Hiruzen said with a warm face, ¡°No, you came at the right time.¡±


    Hiruzen then lightly commented to Danzo and the others, ¡°I think Orochimaru is fully qualified to vote on this matter as well. After all, his achievements are nothing to scoff at. What do you all think?¡±


    Even before Homura and Koharu could open their mouths, Danzo was the first to agree, ¡°I have no opinion. In terms of qualifications and strength, I think Orochimaru is fully qualified to participate in high-level decision making.¡±


    Danzo¡¯s quick agreement made the originally confident Hiruzen feel a shadow of a doubt. He began to explain things to Orochimaru, ¡°Orochimaru, this is what we are discussing. The Daimyo is going to hold the Five Great Countries Honorary Chunin Competition in the Fire Capital, in a display of power. He called Tonan to represent the Land of Fire in this competition but I think Tonan¡¯s current strength and experience are not enough, so he¡¯s not a suitable candidate. I wonder what is your opinion on this.¡±


    Orochimaru didn¡¯t look surprised at all upon hearing Hiruzen¡¯s words. He pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°Tonan? As sensei¡¯s student, and the number one new genius of Konoha, I think no one is more suitable than him.¡±


    Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and continued to remind his student, ¡°Orochimaru, you might not be familiar with Tonan. Although he¡¯s a genius, a genius also needs time to grow.¡±


    Who would have thought that Orochimaru completely ignored Hiruzen¡¯s signal and leisurely said, ¡°Tonan is your disciple, I believe he¡¯s capable.¡±


    Hiruzen now completely understood the situation. Orochimaru was already on Danzo¡¯s side and he was not here to support him but to add weight to Danzo¡¯s position. This was blatant betrayal, and this betrayal was from the disciple he had always relied on.


    At this moment, Danzo tapped a few times on the table with his finger, and said with a victorious smile, ¡°Hiruzen, since Orochimaru also agrees, do you still want to stop this? We are all thinking from the village¡¯s perspective. Uchiha Tonan is indeed the best choice.¡±


    Hiruzen stared at Orochimaru for a while, and his face was gloomy as he lightly nodded, ¡°Very good, Orochimaru, you¡¯ve grown so much that even I can¡¯t understand you.¡±


    Orochimaru innocently replied, ¡°Sensei, I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about. I just considered things from an objective viewpoint. You can ignore it if you think what I said was wrong.¡±


    Hiruzen retracted his gaze and stared at the table. He began to smoke again and stopped speaking. After a few breaths, HIruzen recovered his calm and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s necessary to ask the concerned person¡¯s opinion on this as well.¡±


    It was Danzo¡¯s turn to fly off the handle. He slammed the table and shouted, ¡°Hiruzen, you¡¯re being impulsive. Uchiha Tonan is a Leaf ninja first and then your student. This test is to represent the village and is also an assigned mission. Could it be that this matter is over just because he said he is unwilling to participate? Then, what¡¯s the use of us old men? Should we just stop managing the village and let them do whatever they please?¡±


    Hiruzen took a deep breath and blew out smoke from his nostrils. He placed the smoke pipe on the table and slowly got up, looking straight at Danzo, saying word by word, ¡°Shimura Danzo, is this your attitude towards the Hokage?¡±


    The two people stared at each other for a few seconds before Danzo admitted defeat. He sat down on the chair and lowered his head, ¡°The village needs a fair leader. If someone wants to use official authority for private interest, I¡¯ll be the first person to oppose him. The Will of Fire in my heart doesn¡¯t allow me to turn a blind eye to this.¡±


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    His words were impeccable and filled with stern righteousness. Hiruzen knew that if he continued to argue, he would lose more than he would gain.


    Would the past Danzo dare to speak to me like this? It¡¯s because ever since the new Daimyo assumed office, every time he gave funds to the village, he would also privately line Danzo¡¯s pockets heavily. The prices have been skyrocketing, and on many occasions, for the village¡¯s development, Hiruzen had to lower his head to Danzo for money.


    At this moment, he felt like a mere figurehead. It seemed that most of the power he had in the past had slipped off at some point. Hiruzen sat down, leaned back on the chair, and sighed, ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve all decided, then let Tonan participate. You can all leave now.¡±


    After hearing Hiruzen¡¯s words, Danzo smiled and took the lead to get up and leave. Orochimaru and Homura followed behind. Only then did Koharu stand up and said, ¡°Hiruzen¡­¡±


    However, before she could say anything more, Danzo turned his head and gave her a cold look. Koharu swallowed back her words and left with her head lowered.

 CH 148

    Just after the four of them left the meeting room, they noticed a person standing by the window in the corridor. The person was wearing a white windbreaker, and his slender figure was thin but elegant.


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    He was looking at the scenery outside the window with his hands behind his back as if he was observing something. This was the very Uchiha Tonan who was the primary subject of the argument just now.


    Shimura Danzo glanced at him and lightly said, ¡°Little fellow, what a coincidence you are here.¡± In his heart, however, he thought that Sarutobi Hiruzen had secretly summoned Tonan. Tonan seemed to have just noticed their presence. He turned around and adjusted his glasses, greeting with a smile, ¡°Danzo-sama, Advisors-sama, Orochimaru-sama.¡±


    Tonan behaved very politely. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu both nodded back, thinking this young boy was very well behaved. Although they were on Danzo¡¯s side at this time, most of their reasons were not about going against Hiruzen.


    On one hand, Tonan was indeed the best candidate and they didn¡¯t want to go against the Daimyo. But on the other hand, Danzo had given them a promise that they couldn¡¯t refuse.


    While walking past Tonan, Danzo patted his shoulder and said with a smile that did not reach his eyes, ¡°Half a year later, we need you to win glory for Konoha. Make extra effort in this time to strengthen yourself.¡±


    Orochimaru¡¯s snake eyes also focused on Tonan, and a look of interest flashed through his narrowed slits. Tonan didn¡¯t respond. He just smiled and watched the four people leave. After they were gone, he walked into the meeting room.


    He saw Hiruzen leaning on the chair to rest with his eyes closed. Tonan lightly walked behind him and stretched out his hands. He then rubbed Hiruzen¡¯s temple with his thumb and transmitted some chakra into it, making the massage even more relaxing. After a while, he asked in a quiet voice, ¡°Sensei, what is bothering you?¡±


    Hiruzen took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. Much had happened recently that was giving him a splitting headache. He enjoyed the head massage and the depressing feelings in his heart dissipated a bit. ¡°Why did you come here?¡±


    During this time, Hiruzen felt exhausted both mentally and physically. Since Shinnosuke and Asuma¡¯s death, it could be said that the people to whom Hiruzen attached the most importance were Tonan and Orochimaru.


    Orochimaru had been with him for so many years. He had personally watched him grow from an ignorant boy to one of the sannin who shook the Ninja World. He had always been his pride. Unexpectedly though, the student he valued the most betrayed him at a critical moment.


    In terms of teacher-disciple relationships, Tonan was Orochimaru¡¯s junior brother. However, he still pushed him into the fire pit of the Capital.


    Tonan controlled the strength of his hands and softly said, ¡°I thought of some regulations for the welfare institution. I wanted sensei to help publicize it.¡±


    Hiruzen sighed and took a sip of tea. He waved his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s put the matter of the institution aside for now. The higher-ups just had a meeting. The Daimyo asked you to participate in the Honorary Chunin Competition that will be held in the Fire Capital in half a year. After a vote, this discussion is now finalized and you have to participate.¡±


    Tonan nodded lightly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with that. It¡¯s my honor to win glory for the village.¡±


    Hiruzen opened his eyes and held Tonan¡¯s hand. Patting the back of his student¡¯s hand, he earnestly said, ¡°Tonan, you¡¯re still too innocent. Some things are not that simple. Perhaps, I¡¯m truly old. I never expected them to stand together now.¡± Hiruzen squinted his eyes as he said this.


    Hearing his words, Tonan paused and asked, ¡°Is it related to politics?¡±


    A bitter smile appeared on Hiruzen¡¯s face, ¡°What do you understand about these things?¡± Tonan smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I¡¯ve actually seen many things but I¡¯m not interested in paying attention to them. In my heart, as long as the village is fine, and sensei is healthy, I¡¯m satisfied.¡±


    There were only the two of them in the office, and white smoke was still rising from the smoke pipe on the table. Hiruzen stared at Tonan and compared this junior disciple with Orochimaru. It was only at this moment that he realized the two were not comparable at all.


    Although Orochimaru was also intelligent and perceptive, he attached too much importance to personal interests. His heart was uncertain, and he was not loyal enough. But this disciple in front of him was perfect in every aspect. Tonan shared his burdens, liked him, and also had a sense of justice.


    Thinking this way, Hiruzen felt strangely relieved. He sighed, ¡°The only thing I¡¯m angry about is that my student, Orochimaru, actually helped Danzo.¡±


    After he spoke, the atmosphere became silent. The light snowflakes were dancing in the air outside the window as if millions of jade scales were falling from the sky. Hiruzen kept his head down with a bit of regret and heartache.


    After a long time, Tonan suddenly said, ¡°Sensei.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Tonan looked straight at Hiruzen¡¯s eyes and said with determination, ¡°I¡¯ll always be on your side. If someone goes against you, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to get rid of him. Even if I¡¯ve to use dirty tricks that I abhor, I¡¯ll do it for you.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s eyes glowed with ruthlessness as he resolutely looked at Hiruzen. The latter never thought that Tonan, who had always been courteous, had such a side to him. He asked with a stunned look, ¡°Tonan¡­ what do you mean?¡±


    Tonan looked at Hiruzen with gleaming eyes and warmly said, ¡°Sensei, you¡¯ve dedicated so much to Konoha over the years. You swallowed an insult, considered the big picture, and didn¡¯t go against the Daimyo. Your thinking is so advanced. I¡¯ve always believed you can lead Konoha to glory. Whoever goes against you is going against the village and going against my principles.¡±


    ¡°As your student, if I don¡¯t help you then who will I help? In fact, I¡¯m not so great. Everything I love has its origin in you. For you, even if I¡¯ve to fall into darkness, I¡¯ll do anything. Even if the entire world betrays you, I¡¯ll always be your student.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s tone was powerful and impressive. The more he spoke, the more excited he became. His eyes flickered, and his gaze was filled with admiration when he looked at Hiruzen.


    Hiruzen felt deeply disappointed after Orochimaru¡¯s betrayal today. Seeing Tonan¡¯s unfaltering loyalty, the defense he had erected around his heart for so many years was thoroughly shattered.


    ¡®Ding! Gained Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Hiruzen had tears in his eyes, and he said with a touched look, ¡°Good child, just having you to have thought like this is enough. Things haven¡¯t reached that point yet. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±


    Tonan shook his head and said, ¡°Sensei, I¡¯ll participate in the competition, and win first place. I want everyone to know that I¡¯m the student of the strongest Hokage. I want to be your pride. Please don¡¯t make it difficult for me. Have confidence in me sensei.¡±


    Hiruzen was shocked when he heard Tonan¡¯s words. He nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°Alright, if you need any help, just tell me.¡±


    Tonan smiled and pulled his hand from Hiruzen¡¯s grip. He in turn held Hiruzen¡¯s hand, letting the older man feel the temperature of his palm, the warmth slowly entering his heart.


    ¡°Sensei, thank you for taking care of me in the past. Please don¡¯t treat me as a child in the future. Sooner or later, I¡¯ll grow into a tall tree that can shelter Konoha from the wind and rain for you.¡±


    After making this promise, Tonan got up and walked out of the meeting room. When he reached the door, he paused and turned back, ¡°Sensei, give me some time. I¡¯ll definitely be able to help you.¡±


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    Tonan strode away after saying that. Hiruzen looked at the door and rubbed his eyes lightly, mumbling, ¡°This child¡­¡± He then took a deep breath and his eyes glimmered again. He narrowed his gaze and muttered to himself, ¡°Old friend, I¡¯m sorry. Konoha cannot be destroyed in your hands.¡±


    ¡°Guards.¡±


    ¡°Hokage-sama.¡±


    ¡°Carry out my instruction ¨C the first and second Anbu squads are to start investigating Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. Including the important people of their clans, everyone should be investigated. Anyone who has private dealings, in all cases, whether there is definite evidence or just conjecture, bring them all to me in three days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Hokage-sama.¡±

 CH 149

    It was still afternoon when Uchiha Tonan walked alone on the street after leaving the Hokage Office. Even though the snow was falling, the commercial streets were filled with people going about their daily activities. Tonan did not have the air of ninjas. He squatted on the roadside and skillfully bargained with the vendors.


    After a series of back and forth, they finally reached an agreement. Then, after he happily paid the money, the vendor took the ingredients to the welfare institution. Not long after, at the corner of the street, some members of the Konoha Police Force appeared.


    Tonan casually glanced at them and then turned around to sit down in a breakfast restaurant. A waitress came to him with a smile on her face. ¡°Welcome, may I ask what you would like to order?¡±


    Tonan smiled and replied, ¡°One bowl of porridge, and two kinds of pickles, please.¡±


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    ¡°Please wait.¡±


    Tonan waited. Resting his elbows on the table, he placed his hands together, just happening to cover his lips. Behind his hands, his lips moved and he activated Wind Communication Technique.


    On the street, the Konoha Police Force squad captain suddenly narrowed his eyes and glanced around casually. He then said to the squad members, ¡°All of you continue to patrol. I need to go to find Captain Shinji for something.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Late at night, Tonan finally put Little Kotoura to sleep. Then, he created a shadow clone to take care of the baby, and the main body put on a black cloak, and quietly left the institution.


    The winter moon was clear and cold, emitting ice-like white radiance, reflecting a pale hue on the entire Konoha. The cold wind danced in the air like sharp swords, and when it passed through the leaves, they let out shrill cries.


    In the Uchiha clan district, several shadows were quietly leaving their houses one by one. They were heading towards the forest outside Konoha. Not long after, the dark shadows jumped down from trees and gathered under a cliff.


    An Uchiha clan member asked the most experienced person among them, ¡°Shinji, is it here?¡±


    Uchiha Shinji looked around and nodded after confirming that the location was right. He said, ¡°It should be around here. You all weren¡¯t followed on your way, were you?¡±


    The group of Uchiha clan members shook their heads and one of them replied, ¡°No, we all took detours to make sure that no one followed us.¡±


    Shinji nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good. Everyone, rest for a bit and wait for Tonan.¡±


    Suddenly, an Uchiha clan member asked with a worried look, ¡°Shinji, do you think Tonan has forgotten the clan because he followed the Hokage for too long?¡±


    Shinji replied firmly, ¡°Impossible, the Great Elder¡¯s judgment can¡¯t be wrong. Besides, Tonan has already done so much in the dark. He even took the risk of killing White Fang, removing the sharpest tool of the Konoha higher-ups. Great Elder told me earlier that Tonan is also secretly sowing discord between the Hokage and the other high-leveled executives. If he didn¡¯t have the clan in his heart, why would he bother to do these things? He could have just followed the Hokage.¡±


    Another slightly older clan member immediately chimed in, ¡°Yes, no other Uchiha can do what Tonan did. In any case, even if I died, I can¡¯t swallow my pride to please those people.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they placed themselves in Tonan¡¯s shoes and felt that Tonan didn¡¯t have it easy. They nodded their heads in agreement.


    Shinji raised his head and glanced at the white moon in the sky. He squinted his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s almost time, why isn¡¯t Tonan here yet?¡±


    Coo, coo~ Coo, coo~


    At this moment, white pigeons¡¯ cooing came from all directions. Under the silver glow of the cold moon, a dense black shadow flit across, as if a large flock of crows was flying. The black shadow was getting closer and larger and stopped above the cliff.


    Slowly, the shadow merged to form a human silhouette. Everyone looked at it with vigilance. That figure took a few steps forward and came to the cliff¡¯s edge, looking down at the crowd.


    Behind the cliff, there was a cold crescent moon. And only the scarlet spinning Sharingan could make these people see that the person who had come was an Uchiha.


    ¡°Is everyone here?¡± At just about ten meters, the cliff was not very high. When everyone activated their Sharingan and looked closely, they could vaguely see Tonan¡¯s appearance. But as Uchiha clan members, being looked down on from a high place, made them feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°Was that just genjutsu¡­¡±


    ¡°Was he, in fact, already here, but we never noticed?¡±


    ¡°Did he deceive so many Uchiha clan members who have three tomoe Sharingan?¡±


    ¡°It seems Great Elder is right. Tonan is the most likely Uchiha to surpass Asura. Thinking of this, Shinji¡¯s frown relaxed a little, ¡°Tonan, why did you call us all here?¡±


    Tonan looked at everyone below with his scarlet Sharingan and coldly said, ¡°The list of confidants that the Great Elder delivered to me before his death had thirty people. How come there are just sixteen here?¡±


    Shinji frowned again hearing Tonan¡¯s words. He hesitated for a bit and replied, ¡°There are just twenty as far as I know. But Jiro and Yoshisuke were killed recently and even their Sharingan was dug out. The other two are busy and can¡¯t come for the time being. As for the remaining ten, we don¡¯t know who they are, and the Great Elder didn¡¯t tell us.¡±


    When Tonan said thirty people, he was just bluffing. After all, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that everyone here who knew about him would agree with him. Sure enough, only twelve people acknowledged him, but twenty knew about his secret.


    ¡°Let¡¯s seize this chance to catch them all in one fell swoop. There are many ways to kill them, but let¡¯s use Orochimaru first. If a fish slips through the net, I can just fish in the troubled waters.¡±


    Tonan nodded indifferently and said, ¡°This matter is of great importance. Great Elder didn¡¯t tell you all everything for the sake of the clan¡¯s great cause. I hope you can understand.¡±


    Shinji nodded, ¡°We are not that petty. Great Elder naturally had his thoughts. Everything is for the clan.¡±


    Tonan placed his hands on his back and looked down, ¡°I gathered you all here because I have a mission to give you.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s attitude made some of the Uchiha clan members unhappy. One of them took a few steps forward and revealed his three tomoe Sharingan, glaring at him, ¡°Tonan, although the Great Elder favored you, we are all your seniors. Pay attention to your words.¡±


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    ¡°Words?¡± In the next moment, the three tomoe in his eyes instantly spun rapidly.


    ¡°Eh¡­¡± The three tomoe of that person instinctively moved a little, and it instantly deactivated on its own. That person closed his eyes and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Shinra!¡± Several people exclaimed and hurried over to support him.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. He has merely passed out from spiritual exhaustion.¡±

 CH 150

    Only now, everyone began to understand the strength of the youth on the cliff from the bottom of their hearts. All of them couldn¡¯t help correcting their expressions, and their gazes looking at Tonan became more radiant.


    In the Uchiha clan, other than the special status such as the Patriarch or the Great Elder, everyone subconsciously respected strength. They began to get curious about the true strength hidden by this youth. But they heard Tonan leisurely say, ¡°Amid the revitalization of the clan¡¯s great cause, I¡¯ll not permit anyone to oppose me.¡±


    ¡°Shinra is like this, please don¡¯t mind him.¡± Shinji looked at Tonan, his eyes filled with a fanatical hue, and his words seemed to have some degree of respect.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just gave him a light warning.¡± Tonan waved his hand casually as if subduing a clan member with three tomoe Sharingan was a trivial matter. Immediately afterward, he lowered his head and said with a serious face, ¡°Let me tell you about Konoha¡¯s current situation. Since I¡¯ve successfully gained Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s trust, his prejudice against the clan has been eliminated. Moreover, he has promised me privately that he¡¯ll push me to the Hokage position when I have the qualifications.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s tone was light as he said this as if this matter was just everyday things like eating and drinking tea. But after he spoke, the Uchiha clan members exclaimed in joy¡­


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Great¡­ like this, the clan can regain the Warring States Period¡¯s glory.¡±


    ¡°This is a great move. There¡¯s no need for infighting at all, and we can directly get the power.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Silence.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice was not loud but it seemed to explode in their ears, making them focus on him. This move created some awe in their hearts. Everyone present became silent and heard Tonan indifferently say, ¡°But now, the times have changed. Sarutobi Hiruzen alone doesn¡¯t have the final say. The force led by Shimura Danzo opposes him. Danzo has even got the support of two Hokage Advisors and Orochimaru. In some aspects, his right to speak even surpasses Sarutobi Hiruzen. And Danzo always had evil plans toward our clan. He¡¯s our biggest enemy now.¡±


    Having said this, Tonan squinted his eyes and looked at the people below. Everyone frowned when they heard this. Obviously, they had never been in contact with these internal matters of the higher-ups, and they naturally didn¡¯t know their complicated relationship.


    They had always thought that Konoha¡¯s Hokage meant what it said. They had never thought that someone would dare to oppose his authority. Many people haven¡¯t even heard the name Shimura Danzo.


    Only the older and more senior people had some impression of this name in the depths of their memories. Everyone became worried and began to put forward their suggestions¡­


    ¡°Is that what is happening?¡±


    ¡°Tonan, do you want to lead the Uchiha clan to support Hokage?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I think you should talk directly to Patriarch Fugaku. He has always advocated getting closer to the higher-ups.¡±


    However, Tonan coldly replied, ¡°No, as the number one clan in Konoha, the Uchihas cannot stand in line easily. Otherwise, if Sarutobi Hiruzen loses power and influence, we would also be done for. We cannot put all the chips in one basket. Therefore, I called you all here.¡±


    ¡°According to the information I secretly got from the higher-ups, Orochimaru and Danzo seem to be conducting some kind of human experiment. And there are various indications that the clan members¡¯ deaths are connected to this.¡±


    Hearing this, the Uchihas below exploded. Everyone was shocked. No one had thought that such a crazy thing was done by the Konoha higher-ups.


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    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°Jiro and Yoshisuke were actually not killed by the enemy villages¡¯ spies but by the village people?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to kill Orochimaru and Danzo, and avenge our clan members¡¯ death.¡±


    Tonan frowned. The Uchiha clan members indeed couldn¡¯t resist their impulses. Each of them was temperamental and careless. Moreover, they also bluntly spoke the words they shouldn¡¯t, and at every turn, they shouted about killing. They weren¡¯t particular about tactics either.


    No wonder, although the Uchiha clan was powerful, it was still toyed around by the Konoha higher-ups. Tonan shouted in a deep voice, ¡°Reckless fools! I called you all here today to investigate the truth and uncover the person behind the scenes.¡±


    After he spoke, cooing sounds came from all around. A large number of pigeons circled in the sky above everyone.


    ¡°These are the ninja beasts I nurtured. From today onwards, all your moves will be under their observation. Once anyone encounters the enemy, they¡¯ll notify me. When I find the person behind the scenes, I¡¯ll release the signal flare. At that time, you all need to rush over quickly and prevent the enemy from running away.¡±


    Shinji frowned, but he thought of something and said with a worried look, ¡°But, as you said just now, the person behind the scenes is very likely to be¡­ Orochimaru¡­¡±


    Tonan arrogantly replied, ¡°You all don¡¯t need to worry about that. With my current strength, we don¡¯t need to be afraid of him. The only thing we need to worry about is his escape. But I¡¯m a person who likes to do things absolutely and eradicates the roots. If the person behind the scenes is truly him, then I must kill him completely to avoid future troubles.¡±


    The atmosphere became dead silent. Everyone looked at each other and was a little speechless. In their opinion, Tonan was bragging a little too much. It was difficult for them to believe his words.


    Who was Orochimaru? How powerful was he? No one in the entire Konoha didn¡¯t know about him. But here, Tonan was confidently saying he wanted to kill him. It was extremely absurd and everyone clicked their tongues in succession.


    Yes, the Uchiha clan was born with the ability to act like pretentious pricks who were best at taunting. Most of the members even perfected their acts and turned them into muscle memory.


    But when they heard Tonan¡¯s words, they didn¡¯t think it was just a pretentious prick act but blatant big talk. Generally speaking, when they encounter someone who talked big, they would not hesitate to ridicule and expose him.


    But Tonan¡¯s b******* was not impeccable. Instead, it was full of holes, which made them not know where to start even though they wanted to ridicule him.


    So embarrassing~


    Orochimaru, after all, was one of the three sannin of the Ninja World. He was an existence that survived under the hands of the so-called demi-god Hanzo of the Salamander. In the entire village, there might not even be a few people who could fight against him.


    Perhaps, the former Hiruzen could, but the current Hiruzen was already over fifty years old. Orochimaru was the combat power ceiling of Konoha. Could the young and inexperienced Tonan fight against him?


    Shinji coughed heavily, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere. ¡°Tonan, I think we should discuss this more carefully.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s scarlet Sharingan looked at Shinji and said with arrogance, ¡°I didn¡¯t come to discuss, I¡¯m just informing you. You just have to wait for my signal. By the way, tell this to the other two who didn¡¯t come as well.¡±


    After speaking, he turned into a white pigeon and disappeared from everyone¡¯s view. After he left, the surrounding was quiet for a while. In the end, someone couldn¡¯t help breaking the silence and said to Shinji, ¡°Shinji, this guy is too arrogant. Such an arrogant person, I truly can¡¯t imagine him enduring for so many years. Too¡­ hard.¡±


    As an Uchiha clan member, he had rarely learned to speak tactfully. The people around also agreed with him. Shinji coughed lightly, ¡°Everyone, be a little more tactful. Tonan, after all, is still young, and he has endured for so long. It¡¯s not easy to get a chance to vent, and it¡¯s normal for him to be unable to control himself for some time. Everyone, please understand.¡±


    ¡­¡­


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    Tonan knew well that when dealing with the Uchihas, he shouldn¡¯t give them an inch, otherwise, they would ride on his head and act like tyrants.


    Besides, in his heart, these people were already labeled as dead people, so he didn¡¯t bother to play nice with them. As for the seemingly arrogant words, he was just telling the truth. Orochimaru was truly strong. He had a lot of strange ninjutsu, and his summoning beast was also powerful. But in a one-on-one fight, he believed that he could suppress this snake-like sannin.


    It was just that he was unsure of whether he could kill him or not. After all, in terms of the ability to survive in the entire Ninja World, Orochimaru was definitely the number one. Even if he was killed on the spot, that guy might resurrect from some corner suddenly.


    However, he was just limited to being difficult to deal with. His battle strength didn¡¯t pose much threat to the current Tonan. Also, he was not very good at schemes and intrigues. All he needed to do now was to wait and find Orochimaru¡¯s hidden experiment base.

 CH 151

    Two days later, late at night, silence reigned supreme. In a dark forest, dozens of miles away from Konoha, the night sky appeared especially boundless, and the bright moon hung high like a silver plate in the cloudless sky.


    The stars twinkled quietly in the distance but cautiously faded farther deep into the space. The bone-chilling northern wind whistled through the forest, blowing the bare trees as they rattled, making eerie sounds.


    Deep in the dark forest, a near boneless figure emerged from a hole in a big tree. The person was wearing a white kimono, and his face was not just pale but bloodless. His snake-like eyes emitted a dangerous radiance.


    His pale hue was incompatible with the darkness but the night¡¯s gloominess fused with his aura. This was Orochimaru, one of the three Konoha sannin that were known not only to be the strongest ninjas but also Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s disciples.


    Orochimaru left the tree and leisurely walked into the quiet and dark forest. After about ten minutes, he returned with a test tube in his hand. Just now, he had gone to a certain place to get some fresh experimental materials.


    In the test tube, there was a pair of eyes soaked in a special solution. There was still some bloodstain around the eyeballs that floated in the solution. The pupils were staring in one direction, giving the impression that the eyes could see through them.


    Orochimaru looked at the eyeballs in the test tube while walking, and he couldn¡¯t help licking his lips with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Coo, coo~ Suddenly, Orochimaru raised his head and vigilantly looked around. He didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. The cold wind was blowing, making the woods howl in pain, cutting a rather scary picture.


    Under the desolate moonlight, the forest seemed to give birth to countless concealed shadows. From the distance, it looked like the netherworld¡¯s ghost flames were multiplying endlessly.


    Orochimaru put the test tube into his ninja bag with a frown and whispered, ¡°Am I too high-strung because the recent experiments are too intense?¡± Although he thought this, Orochimaru, who had a very cautious personality, stood in the same place for a long time.


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    He secretly used ninjutsu, mobilizing countless small snakes to find the enemies that might be hidden in the forest.


    Rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ Small snakes of various colors searched all over. Their eyes emitted green radiance, and from time to time, they would stick out their long tongues, searching for any life presence in the vicinity.


    Under the whistling wind, the sounds of these snakes crawling could only be heard vaguely. Orochimaru was well aware that this experiment could not be exposed. Especially, since he had already offended Hiruzen.


    Perhaps, an Anbu member sent by the Hokage was observing him secretly from somewhere.


    One breath, two breaths, three breaths¡­ Time passed bit by bit, and the snakes had already crawled everywhere they could. Now, there were different kinds of poisonous snakes all over the place.


    Even the bare branches of the trees were covered with coiled shadows. In addition, birds¡¯ cries could be heard from time to time, which seemed to be the last struggle for life, and it also seemed to be a cry for help before succumbing.


    There was a faint smell of blood in the air. Orochimaru had ordered the snakes to hunt down all animals around this place, just in case. This was to prevent anyone from using ninja beasts to secretly observe him.


    After a while, Orochimaru was finally convinced there were no traces of other living creatures around. Only then, did he feel relieved enough to walk towards the experiment base¡¯s entrance.


    Walking over to the tree hole he had come out from, Orochimaru extended his hand very cautiously. His arm wriggled, and a snake head came out of it, which probed inside the tree hole. After ensuring nothing was amiss, Orochimaru entered it.


    The tree hole was no less than seven or eight meters deep. Orochimaru landed at the bottom. There was a hard cliff around, and only in the front, there was a dark passage. The sannin walked into it with ease and then headed down following stone steps.


    After walking for dozens of meters, he arrived at a well-lit place. This was Orochimaru¡¯s number one laboratory that stored the remains of various animals, as well as several medicinal materials and reagents.


    But that was just a cover. Orochimaru came to the corner of the room, placed his hand on a specific area of the cliff, and slightly pushed it. The area sunk in and next to him, a stone gate slowly opened.


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    Orochimaru walked through and pressed the switch beside the stone gate, closing it behind him. Immediately afterward, he impatiently took out the test tube from his bag.


    Before walking to the experiment table, he carefully took out the eyeballs in the tube with tweezers and put them into a container. Suddenly, Orochimaru sensed something. He frowned and turned around abruptly, inspecting carefully.


    This lab was much larger than the one outside. There were human bodies sealed in containers, ninjutsu scrolls he developed on the bookshelves, and also a dissected corpse lying on an operating table in the middle.


    In a specific corner, cells and limbs of various people with different bloodline limits were stored in a special freezing solution. There was also a bed and a chair in the innermost part of the laboratory for his use when he wanted to rest.


    From Orochimaru¡¯s position, the entire laboratory could be seen at a glance. There was no one else here but the warning signs in his heart were getting stronger by the second.


    It originated from a snake¡¯s instinct as if he was being watched by a powerful hunter. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, but he didn¡¯t dare act rashly. He repeatedly observed everything in the laboratory. After all, there were several mysterious ninjutsu in the Ninja World. Perhaps, someone had certain hidden ninjutsu that could dodge perception and hide in unexpected places.


    But if anyone had entered before him, then it was impossible for him to not move anything in the lab. Orochimaru carefully observed every inch of his laboratory and compared it with his memories before he left.


    Time slowly passed.


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely the same. The entire laboratory has not changed from the time I left. Could it be my misconception? Or did I return too quickly and the intruder had no time to move things¡­. No, it must be my misconception. If someone was truly hiding here, I would¡¯ve already found him.¡±


    Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. With a strange smile on his face, he muttered, ¡°Interesting¡­¡± He slowly stepped forward and came to a container where a human body was stored. A row of clear glass containers was neatly arranged.


    Orochimaru slowly moved his head closer to the container and carefully observed the human specimen soaked in the special liquid. There was a man with his eyes closed in this container. It looked like he would open his eyes any second.


    His skin was very pale because his blood was drained and a special fresh-keeping solvent was injected into his body. His hair was floating in the liquid, and his face looked awful. It was obvious he was not too happy to die.


    ¡°Well, this has no issue. There is no life activity, and there is also no trace of the Transformation Technique.¡±


    Orochimaru placed his hand on the container and stroked it as if he was caressing something he loved dearly. The expression on his face was very gentle but in this environment, there was no warm feeling. It just looked weird.


    After confirming there was nothing wrong, he lowered his eyes and his expression returned to normal. He then walked to the next container to observe it.


    No problem. This one is also fine¡­

 CH 152

    After checking all the human containers, Orochimaru was a little less confident. The things in the laboratory were in plain sight. There were no hiding places. Was a special transformation technique used to turn the intruder into some kind of an item?


    If it was an ordinary transformation technique, it would constantly emit unusual chakra fluctuation and would not escape him. Orochimaru walked away from the human container and looked around the laboratory with a solemn expression. He trusted his instincts more than his eyes and perception.


    ¡°Something is wrong here! And since the intruder is hiding, it means he¡¯s afraid of me.¡± Thinking this, a small smile appeared on Orochimaru¡¯s face as he walked to the bookshelf.


    He said in a hoarse voice while casually sorting out the books, ¡°Rats like to hide in dark corners, hoping that the poisonous snake will leave quickly.¡±


    After speaking, he stuck out his snake tongue and took out a scroll from the bookshelf. While opening the scroll and looking through it, he smiled and kept using words to stimulate the hidden enemy.


    At the same time, he secretly used Blade of Killing Intent. This was a special kind of genjutsu that could continuously accumulate killing intent by slaying people, thereby enhancing its effect. The intent couldn¡¯t be enhanced endlessly and was subject to one¡¯s spiritual energy limitation. Otherwise, it would backfire and the user could fall into a frenzy.


    ¡°I know you are hiding here. Wait for me. I¡¯ll find you soon.¡±


    ¡°Did you see the corpses in the containers?¡±


    ¡°They were all those who had broken into this place before.¡±


    ¡°Little rat, your heart sure is beating so fast~¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Time passed little by little. In the entire lab, other than Orochimaru talking to himself, there were no movements. Even after a long time, he didn¡¯t notice anything unusual.


    ¡°Did I truly make a mistake?¡± At this moment, Orochimaru was doubting his instincts and stopped talking. He closed the scroll and put it back on the bookshelf. Looking around, he stuck his tongue out and licked his lips.


    He then reached for another scroll, ready to rest after reading it. Experimenting too required proper work and rest balance. However, when Orochimaru¡¯s hand held that scroll, his snake pupils shrank suddenly.


    Something is wrong!


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    At that moment, an eerie voice came from behind him. ¡°When a prey faces a powerful hunter, it usually keeps hissing. On one hand, it¡¯s to suppress its fear, and on the other hand, it¡¯s an attempt to scare off the hunter.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡± Orochimaru shouted and turned around, following the direction of the voice. There was an operating table in the front along with rows of human containers.


    Orochimaru¡¯s gaze frantically swept across the rows and then rested on the operating table. His expression then became playful, ¡°It¡¯s a good disguise, why don¡¯t you show yourself now? Interesting little rat.¡±


    As his words fell, the dissected corpse on the table turned over its head stiffly like a zombie and showed a hideous smile. The internal organs of the opened-up chest cavity merged into meat pulp and slowly began to beat rhythmically like a heart.


    In the next moment, it seemed to shed the skin, and a black-haired youth came out from it. The youth¡¯s hands were hanging down loosely, and his head was also lowered. The image made Orochimaru feel like he was seeing his reflection, and he couldn¡¯t help licking his lips.


    Gradually, the black-haired youth raised his head, revealing a scarlet Sharingan. Orochimaru raised his eyebrows and said in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s you, Tonan-kun. I wonder why you came here.¡±


    A strange smile appeared on Uchiha Tonan¡¯s face, and with his Sharingan looking straight at Orochimaru, he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Why do you think I came here? Of course, it¡¯s to take care of you.¡±


    Immediately after he spoke, Orochimaru¡¯s right hand wriggled quickly, turning into poisonous snakes, and swarmed towards Tonan.


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    ¡°Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.¡±


    ¡°Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.¡±


    To his surprise, Tonan used the same technique, and countless poisonous snakes entangled and bit each other. Both sides had no advantage.


    ¡°Sharingan¡¯s copy ability? It can copy my secret technique,¡± Orochimaru was surprised. He quietly ended the ninjutsu, and his right hand turn back to its original shape.


    Similarly, Tonan ended the technique, and with an arrogant smile, he pointed at his Sharingan, ¡°In front of these eyes, you¡¯ve no chance. Orochimaru, you dared to betray Sarutobi-sensei. As his student, I¡¯ll clean up the blemishes in his faction.¡±


    When Orochimaru heard this, he laughed out loud as if he was hearing a very funny joke. Looking at Tonan, his snake eyes were filled with sarcasm. ¡°Hahaha¡­ It was about this. I thought it was something else, but you turned out to be a fool that was completely brainwashed by Sarutobi Hiruzen. It¡¯s a shame that I overestimated your calibre.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s face darkened instantly. Orochimaru slandered his ¡®beloved adopted father¡¯ Sarutobi. Tonan gradually emerged from the meat pulp, and coldly said, ¡°One of the three legendary sannin. It now seems that it¡¯s just an undeserved reputation.¡±


    A hint of mischief flashed through Orochimaru¡¯s eyes, and he leisurely said, ¡°Tonan-kun, do you truly think I can¡¯t see through this genjutsu?¡±


    Orochimaru emitted powerful chakra fluctuations as he said this and the scene in the laboratory shattered. It returned to the original. At this moment, Orochimaru was still standing at the lab¡¯s door and it was open. And Tonan was sitting on the chair located in the innermost part of the laboratory.


    It was just that Tonan¡¯s current state appeared truly pathetic. His body was slightly hunched, his hands were resting on the armrests, and his forehead was soaked with sweat. His eyes, which were glaring at Orochimaru, were also bleeding.


    He said with a look of resentment, ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    Orochimaru leisurely took out a kunai from his ninja bag and spun it in his hand a few times, ¡°Genjutsu backlash? You are truly miserable.¡± Saying this, he quickly threw the kunai. Tonan forcibly raised his spirit and moved to one side, narrowly dodging the kunai.


    Clang¡­ The kunai deeply lodged into the stone wall behind Tonan. However, when he moved his gaze towards the door again, he was stunned. Orochimaru had disappeared from there at some point.


    Suddenly, a big snake sprang out from below the chair and bound Tonan. Orochimaru too suddenly appeared behind the chair and stabbed his neck. ¡°I admit you are talented, and perhaps, you might have surpassed me in the future. But now, you are just a pup, and you cannot escape the fate of being devoured.¡±


    Puchi¡­ The kunai ruthlessly pierced through Tonan¡¯s neck.


    But there was no sign of pain on his face. Instead, he ignored the fatal injury and turned his head 180 degrees to look at Orochimaru. There was a strange and sinister smile on his face.

 CH 153

    Seeing this, Orochimaru frowned and felt his hair stand on end. At the same time, the ear-piercing crackling sound of electricity resounded in the room.


    Crackle, crackle, crackle¡­ ¡°Lightning Style, Ray.¡±


    A straight lightning light shot out from the corner of the room. It instantly penetrated Uchiha Tonan and Orochimaru together. On the other end of the light, Tonan, who was wearing a black windbreaker, was hanging upside down from the laboratory¡¯s ceiling with an indifferent expression.


    The Tonan, who was penetrated by the lightning, turned into white pigeons and flew in all directions. Orochimaru looked down at the lightning that penetrated his abdomen, and said in disbelief, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it¡­ Your genjutsu talent is much higher than all the Uchihas I¡¯ve ever seen. You cast dual illusions in such a short time. However, you¡¯re underestimating me a bit too much.¡±


    Orochimaru raised his head and opened his mouth. A python crawled out of it and then opened its big mouth. An unscathed Orochimaru spilled out from the python¡¯s mouth. The original body that was penetrated by the lightning collapsed on the ground like a lump.


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    Orochimaru stood on the ground, and looking at Tonan with a hint of ferociousness, he made hand seals with one hand. In the next moment, the python behind him disintegrated, turning into a dense snake tide, and rushed towards Tonan.


    At this time, Tonan had already retracted the lightning light. He looked at the incoming snake tide and indifferently said, ¡°Die, you traitor!¡± After speaking, he quickly made hand signs, opened his mouth, and spat out many fireballs.


    Fire Style, Phoenix Sage Nail Crimson Technique.


    The fireballs smashed into the incoming snake tide and there was a series of explosions as the fireballs made contact with the snakes. The sounds reverberated throughout the laboratory followed by a burnt smell.


    In a short time, all the poisonous snakes were burnt to a crisp. A hint of pride flashed through Tonan¡¯s eyes as he grabbed the chakra tanto on his back and snorted, ¡°Orochimaru, no matter how poisonous the snakes are, it¡¯s useless if they can¡¯t bite me.¡±


    Orochimaru¡¯s expression was ugly. His snake pupils stared at Tonan, who was still hanging upside down, and he stood in combat readiness. Tonan¡¯s three tomoe Sharingan spun wildly and his entire body burst out with violent lightning. He had activated Lightning Spirit Wind Flash. Following this, he instantly disappeared leaving a roar in his wake.


    ¡°Die!¡± Along with the lightning flicker, Tonan reappeared in front of Orochimaru. Raising the chakra tanto, he swung it down at Orochimaru.


    Clang¡­ As one of the three Konoha sannin, Orochimaru¡¯s taijutsu too was nothing to joke about. He raised a kunai, perfectly blocking Tonan¡¯s chakra tanto. The powerful chakra fluctuations created an air current, strong enough to blow both their hair.


    Orochimaru¡¯s snake eyes shrunk a little. He was indeed a bit surprised to find that the strength emitting from the kunai was not weaker than his. In the next moment, the two disappeared. Only shadows could be seen flickering everywhere in the lab. The two were fighting at a high speed.


    Clang, clang, clang, clang¡­ The rapid and intense metal colliding sounds continuously echoed in the laboratory. Tonan was stronger in terms of speed and power. With the secret techniques of ¡®The Professor¡¯ Sarutobi Hiruzen, he could simultaneously use both lightning and earth-attributed chakra to enhance his speed and strength.


    In addition, there was also Hatake Sakumo¡¯s Lightning Spirit Wind Flash, which could reduce the air resistance of his actions. Orochimaru was not in a disadvantageous position either. Not only was he an extraordinary ninja but he had also created the Soft-Bodied Fluid Technique. Regardless of which tricky angle Tonan used to attack, he could easily dodge or block it.


    It was to the state that Tonan was being suppressed. In the fierce battle, he even had the time to continuously rattle Tonan. ¡°Little brat, taijutsu is an indispensable part of a ninja¡¯s strength. You dared to come here alone to court death knowing just this measly ninjutsu. I don¡¯t whether to admire your guts or call your stupid brain.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s expression remained unchanged. After exchanging a few blows, he appeared behind Orochimaru, raised his chakra tanto, and swung it down. Orochimaru¡¯s arm turned 180 degrees and used the kunai to block the tanto.


    However, at that very moment, a smile appeared on Tonan¡¯s face, as he fiercely said, ¡°You fell into my trap. My sword technique is more than this.¡± In the next instant, the dual attributed chakra of lightning and wind covered the tanto. This was the ultimate profound meaning of the Hatake Style Sword Technique. It made the chakra tanto possess the slicing property of wind-attributed chakra, and paralysis property and destructive power of the lightning-attributed chakra.


    Crackle, crackle, crackle¡­ Even before it could touch him, just seeing the chakra tanto covered in lightning and wind made Orochimaru realize its sharpness.


    ¡°Not good!¡± Orochimaru yelled in his heart.


    Crack! The moment the kunai came into contact with the chakra tanto, the tanto cut it apart like tofu. The cut was smooth and there was no reduction in the tanto¡¯s momentum. It instantly split Orochimaru¡¯s body from top to bottom.


    A triumphant smile emerged on Tonan¡¯s face. He slowly put the chakra tanto back into the sheath. Having faced a hard blow, Orochimaru lay on the ground paralyzed and stared at Tonan with wide eyes, murmuring in disbelief, ¡°How¡­ how¡­ can this be¡­¡±


    Orochimaru¡¯s body slowly rolled. His internal organs and blood filled the ground, and his eyes still had an unwilling look. Tonan looked at Orochimaru¡¯s corpse which was cut into two pieces with a proud face and snorted.


    Puchi¡­ Suddenly, Tonan¡¯s eyes were wide open. He slowly lowered his head and saw a kunai¡¯s tip coming out from his chest. His entire body trembled, and he gritted his teeth as if he was enduring great pain and said in disbelief, ¡°Wh¡­ when¡­¡±


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    At this time, Orochimaru appeared behind him, placing his head near his junior brother¡¯s ear. Then, with a sneer, he said, ¡°The prey is always the prey. Even if you muster your courage and behave fiercely, you still can¡¯t escape the fangs of a poisonous snake.¡±


    It appeared that Orochimaru had come out from the scorched remains of the poisonous snakes on the ground. Tonan coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood, falling backward.


    Orochimaru wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Tonan, who had died with his eyes open. Then, with a cruel smile, he said, ¡°It seems I¡¯m lucky today. The three tomoe Sharingan was delivered to my doorstep.¡±

 CH 154

    Suddenly, Orochimaru frowned. Looking at Uchiha Tonan, who had a look of reluctance, on the ground, he said in an amused tone, ¡°Not dead yet?¡±


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    Tonan coughed a mouthful of blood and weakly replied, ¡°Orochimaru-sama, it seems you like the Sharingan very much.¡± His words made Orochimaru frown. Feeling uneasy, he asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Tonan, who was lying on the ground, raised his hand with difficulty. He pointed toward the deepest part of the laboratory. At the same time, a gentle and indifferent voice came from behind Orochimaru. ¡°Orochimaru-sama, these ninjutsu you researched are very interesting. But they are a bit vicious.¡±


    Orochimaru was startled. He felt a chill down his spine. He turned his head and looked in the direction ¡®Tonan¡¯ was pointing and he saw the gentle boy in gold-rimmed glasses sitting on the chair, reading a ninjutsu scroll spread open on his lap. Meanwhile, the corpse that was on the ground turned into white pigeons and flew away.


    Orochimaru solemnly stared at him and asked with an unsightly look, ¡°Was that also genjutsu? It seems your ocular power is stronger than I thought.¡±


    Tonan ignored Orochimaru. He kept reading the scroll. The atmosphere became silent. The longer the silence, the more pressure in the air. Cold sweat appeared on Orochimaru¡¯s forehead as he used his hand to brush off the long hair sticking to his face. He said with a stiff smile, ¡°Tonan-kun, if you like these scrolls, I can give them to you.¡±


    Hearing this, Tonan raised his head and adjusted his glasses. Shaking his head, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t accept undeserved emolument. Besides, you developed these after painstaking research. You poured so much sweat into this. How can I accept it? However, to prevent them from spreading out and harming the world, I¡¯ll keep them for you temporarily, and hand them over to Sarutobi-sensei.¡±


    Tonan sealed all the ninjutsu scrolls into one storage scroll and put it into his ninja bag. At this moment, Orochimaru looked completely morose, and threatened, ¡°If you do this, only one of us will live.¡±


    Tonan stood up leisurely and watched Orochimaru calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if only one of us will live or not but I know for sure that I¡¯ll live. As for you, it¡¯s difficult to say.¡±


    Orochimaru was brimming with killing intent. His eyes emitted pallid radiance that could devour one¡¯s soul. ¡°Relying on Sharingan and the threefold genjutsu?¡±


    Tonan shook his head lightly and warmly said, ¡°No, no, no¡­ you are one of the sannin who has shaken the Ninja World. Such offensive genjutsu can¡¯t kill people. It can only destroy spirit and will. And as for the hypnotic genjutsu, you can easily detect it. Moreover, you are still in your prime. I never thought I¡¯d be able to kill you.¡±


    Orochimaru frowned hearing this, ¡°Then what are you relying on?¡± A gentle smile played on Tonan¡¯s lips as he said, ¡°I rely on the same thing you do, my strength.¡±


    Orochimaru¡¯s eyes rose, looking furious, ¡°You used a shadow clone to send a signal.¡±


    Tonan nodded earnestly, ¡°Yes, Orochimaru-sama, you¡¯re done for. Unless you can get rid of me within twenty minutes, I¡¯m going to Sarutobi-sensei to complain.¡±


    Without waiting, Tonan made hand seals and slammed his palm on the ground.


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Earth Splitting Technique.¡±


    Rumble¡­ A crack appeared on the laboratory¡¯s ceiling and the rocks split apart, revealing the cold moonlight outside. The moment the crack had appeared, Tonan jumped up and ran towards the top.


    ¡°You want to run away?¡± Orochimaru roared, quickly making hang signs, and slammed his hand on the ground.


    Secret Art ¨C Evil Snake Slithering.


    A thick snake burst out from the ground and flew towards Tonan, who was in midair. Seeing the incoming giant snake, Tonan made hand signs with his right hand. Lightning flickered and condensed into a ball in his palm.


    Orochimaru didn¡¯t wait for Tonan to attack. He made more hand signs and launched ninjutsu, a step before him.


    Secret Art ¨C Evil Snake Explosion.


    Boom! The giant snake exploded. The power of the flesh and blood was no less than dozens of explosive tags. The strong air current created by the explosion blew dust and smoke. It instantly became dark all around, and pieces of stones were hurled through the air.


    The fierce winds also made the trees in the forest bend and emit cracking sounds. After the smoke and dust settled, Orochimaru appeared on a bare branch, and his snake eyes were focused on the center of the mayhem.


    ¡°Orochimaru-sama, are you looking for me?¡±


    Orochimaru¡¯s eyes shrunk, and he turned his head. Tonan had appeared behind him at some point. And with lightning flickering all over his body, the junior was already attacking him. However, this level of attack posed no threat to Orochimaru.


    Tonan¡¯s punch pierced through Orochimaru¡¯s body, and it instantly turned into a cloud of white smoke. Orochimaru had used Shadow Clone Technique at some point to confuse Tonan. As for the real him, he had appeared in the distance.


    After such a long battle, Orochimaru had placed Tonan on the same level as himself. He no longer underestimated him. At this moment, he looked very grim, ¡°Can he wield this level of genjutsu? How can Sharingan be so powerful? Is this truly just the three tomoe or is his genjutsu talent too high?¡±


    Orochimaru raised his eyebrows, and his face became paler. ¡°He used poison in front of me. But it¡¯s just an inferior poison, truly na?ve¡­¡±


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    Bang!


    A big smoke cloud mushroomed in the forest. Like fireworks blooming in the night sky, it enveloped the area within a radius of several meters. Blazing heat and strong winds spread in all directions from the epicenter. All plants and animals in that area were blasted into pieces, and the impact also uprooted the trees farther away.


    Tonan had taken advantage of the time when Orochimaru had left the laboratory earlier to set up several hundred explosive tags in the ground. After about half a minute, the smoke and dust thinned, and things could be vaguely seen.


    There was a big crater at the place where Orochimaru was standing just a moment ago. In the crater, there were many scorched giant snakes coiled up together.

 CH 155

    After a while, Orochimaru slowly crawled out from the giant snake¡¯s mouth. His entire body was emitting smoke, and his figure looked wretched. He gritted his teeth, ¡°Little brat, you¡¯ve pissed me off.¡±


    He made signs quickly and slammed his hands on the ground, ¡°Summoning Technique ¨C Myriad Snake Net Formation.¡±


    Instantly, rustling sounds could be heard everywhere in the forest. Orochimaru had summoned tens of thousands of poisonous snakes, big and small. The largest one was as big as the giant snakes he summoned earlier, and the smallest one was as small as the little finger. He seemed to have moved the entire Ryuchi Cave here.


    Tonan raised his head, and the three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly as he looked around. With poisonous snakes wandering all over the place, he seemed to be in a sea of snakes. Immediately, he made the stance of one hand pointing to the sky, and the other pointing to the earth.


    While the stance was correct, Tonan had already forgotten how the old monk had done it before. When the monk took the stance, it made people feel like he had entered the realm of only one in heaven and earth with no joy or sorrow.


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    Tonan had simply studied the finger technique of Buddha in his previous world. Even if he seemed to have entered the realm of all things in heaven and earth, he did not give off any feeling of peace. He did his best to put on a compassionate look, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve to break the prohibition against taking life today. It¡¯s truly a sin, a sin.¡±


    ¡°Welcoming Approach ¨C Thousand-Armed Murder!¡±


    In an instant, a white image of the Thousand-Armed Kannon appeared behind Tonan. At this moment, the snake closest to him raised its head, spitting out its sharp blood-red tongue. With one taking the lead, the others followed. Soon, countless poisonous snakes swarmed toward him.


    The moment these snakes attacked, the Thousand-Armed Kannon behind Tonan turned into a furious demonic-looking creature. Her countless fists flew towards the snakes.


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    Bang, bang, bang¡­ No matter how many snakes rushed toward Tonan, before they could reach him, they were bombarded with the fist. A red mist filled the sky, and blood flowed all around.


    Orochimaru looked at the fierce Tonan in disbelief. ¡°His genjutsu is already genius level, his taijutsu is not inferior to mine, and even his ninjutsu is so strong. Does he have any flaws?¡±


    ¡°This is¡­ the secret technique of the Fire Temple. Where did you learn it?¡±


    With one hand pointing at the sky, and the other hand pointing at the ground, Tonan still had a sympathetic look as if he had attained tao. ¡°I used to escort Master Chigo. Master said that my pure disposition has innate wisdom, and I¡¯ll definitely lead the world to peace in the future. So, he taught me this secret technique that requires flawless benevolence. Orochimaru, this move especially restrains evil spirits like you. Allow yourself to be seized without putting up a fight.¡±


    Orochimaru took a deep breath and nodded slowly, ¡°No wonder only the Shodaime Hokage learned the secret art of the Fire Temple. It has such a requirement¡­ what a pity¡­¡±


    Orochimaru looked up at the sky. Ten minutes had already passed since the signal was released. And through the perception of snakes in the periphery region, he had noticed that more than a dozen people were running towards their location.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ didn¡¯t he say twenty minutes? How come people are arriving in just ten minutes? I can¡¯t waste any more time. I¡¯ve to quickly get rid of him.¡±


    Orochimaru bit his thumb and slammed his hand on the ground.


    Summoning Technique ¨C Manda.


    A could of white smoke rose and a huge towering snake appeared below Orochimaru¡¯s feet. The moment Manda appeared, the poisonous snakes summoned earlier couldn¡¯t endure Manda¡¯s bloodline pressure and retreated into the distance.


    Manda raised his head high and roared. After that, he solemnly said, ¡°Orochimaru, among the sacrifices of last time, two were ill. This time, I want fresh and alive ones to eat.¡±


    Orochimaru stared at Tonan in the distance and said, ¡°Help me kill this brat first.¡± Manda slowly lowered his head. Tonan¡¯s thin figure reflected in his eyes, and he said with a tone filled with disdain, ¡°Oh? An Uchiha brat. He¡¯s not enough to even fill my tooth gap.¡±


    Manda swung his huge tail towards Tonan as he spoke. The move brought about fierce wind and created whistling sounds. Tonan narrowed his eyes and deployed Lightning Spirit Wind Flash to dodge the fatal attack. While he was still in midair, he made hand signs. The moment he landed on the ground, he slammed his hands on the ground and shouted, ¡°Senjutsu ¨C Multi Overturning Dragon Technique.¡±


    This was Sarutobi Shinnosuke¡¯s signature ninjutsu. Tonan had made a special trip to learn this from Hiruzen. Now that Tonan had inherited Chigo¡¯s legacy, he had learned the Gift of the Hermit Group, which was a senjutsu exclusive to the human race.


    With the senjutsu energy boost, this S-ranked earth-style ninjutsu displayed the greatest might, far exceeding Shinnosuke¡¯s.


    Rumble¡­ Within the radius of several miles, the earth trembled violently, and earth dragons, whose size was no inferior to Manda, rose from the ground. With their appearance, the entire land seemed to have sunk. Tonan had made more than ten earth dragons in one breath, and these huge creatures looked like the tails of a huger creature under the dim night light.


    Orochimaru was shocked after seeing Tonan¡¯s moves. ¡°Is this brat¡¯s chakra reserve so much? What bad luck!¡±


    Under Tonan¡¯s control, the earth dragons slammed onto Manda in succession. Manda was unwilling to be outdone. He waved his snake tail, heavily smashing the earth dragon in the front.


    Bang¡­ Under the powerful force, the earth dragon was knocked down in one blow. It shattered into pieces, and huge rocks fell to the ground. But this left Manda¡¯s tail dripping with blood.


    ¡°So painful, Orochimaru. How did you provoke this fellow?¡±


    Manda originally thought that these earth dragons were just like earth dragon bullets, but beyond his expectation, they were very hard. After smashing only one, he was significantly injured.


    Orochimaru looked at the remaining nine earth dragons, and his complexion was unsightly. He made hand seals and roared, ¡°Triple Rashomon.¡±


    Orochimaru summoned three Rashomon, blocking the only path of the earth dragons.


    Rumble¡­ The earth dragons slammed into Rashomon violently. First¡­ Second¡­ Third.


    In the end, the Rashomon was able to stop the earth dragons. Among the three gates, two were destroyed, and the last one was also half destroyed. Seeing this, Orochimaru and Manda couldn¡¯t help taking a deep breath and sticking out their tongue. However, before they had time to relax, Tonan continued to inject senjutsu chakra into the ground.


    Rumble¡­ Huge earth dragons sprang out from the ground again and opened their big mouths, roaring at the sky.


    ¡°Orochimaru, I don¡¯t want the offerings for this time. I¡¯ve something to do, so I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    When Manda saw this, he abandoned Orochimaru without a second thought and dispelled the Summoning Technique.


    ¡°Damn it, is this the genius?¡± At this moment, a hint of powerlessness emerged in Orochimaru¡¯s heart. Despite being one of the dignified Konoha sannin, he was forced into such a miserable plight by his junior.

 CH 156

    At this moment, Orochimaru noticed more than ten Uchihas in the surroundings. Many Uchiha clan people had arrived at the periphery of the battlefield. Seeing the devastating scene, as well as the tail-like earth dragons behind Uchiha Tonan, everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with horror, and some people even exclaimed subconsciously.


    Uchiha Shinji asked, ¡°Tonan, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Tonan replied with a solemn face, ¡°Shinra is dead, and his Sharingan was taken away by Orochimaru. There is one of his experimental bases, where he secretly conducts human experiments, including the Uchiha clan¡¯s Sharingan.¡±


    The information enraged the Uchihas and they glared at Orochimaru ferociously. The Sharingan was incomparably important to the clan. It was the Uchiha inheritance and now someone dared to covet the clan¡¯s power.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Abominable¡­¡±


    ¡°I never thought that the culprit who killed the clan members was a Konoha Sannin.¡±


    ¡°I never thought Orochimaru was such a person!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, kill him, and avenge our clan.¡±


    The Uchiha clan members activated their Sharingan and used their strongest techniques against Orochimaru.


    ¡°Genjutsu ¨C Hypnotic Eyes.¡±


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    ¡°Genjutsu ¨C Hell Viewing Technique.¡±


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Grand Fireball Technique.¡±


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.¡±


    ¡°Lightning Style ¨C Lightning Dragon Technique.¡±


    ¡°Lightning Style ¨C Thunderclap Technique.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Many ninjutsu and genjutsu were launched at Orochimaru at once. As the attacks bombarded him, they created a fierce explosion, giving rise to smoke and dust all around. Tonan took advantage of the lapse to look at the Uchiha clan members and secretly counted their numbers.


    ¡°Exactly seventeen. It seems all who know my secret are here.¡±


    At this moment, a huge cloud of smoke burst out. And in the next moment, accompanied by a fierce roar, a behemoth appeared under the cold moonlight. This was Orochimaru¡¯s final trump card ¨C the Eight-Headed Serpent.


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    The white Eight-Headed Serpent swayed its heads and continuously flicked the tongue, creating slithering sounds. The huge body was wriggling as if it would attack in the next second and swallow everyone.


    The Eight-Headed Serpent which was as big as a hill made everyone feel heavy pressure. The centermost snake head opened its big mouth, and Orochimaru¡¯s upper half emerged from it, and he said with a crazed look, ¡°You all must die here.¡±


    The Uchiha clan members had never seen such a behemoth. Their faces were filled with fear, and they couldn¡¯t help taking a few steps back.


    ¡°Is this a summoning beast?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a monster. It¡¯s bigger than Orochimaru¡¯s summoning beast.¡±


    ¡°The ninjutsu we used just now will not affect it.¡±


    ¡°It seems to be the legendary Eight-Headed Serpent!¡±


    Seeing the cowardly look of his clan members, Tonan shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll restrain him. You all, go and kill his main body. Everything is for the Uchiha¡¯s glory!¡±


    After shouting, Tonan made ten earth dragons charge into the Eight-Headed Serpent. The several earth dragons collapsed after colliding against the Eight-Headed Serpent. As for the remaining earth dragons, they tied its snakehead, body, and its tails.


    Looking from the distance, the earth dragons were like a chain, and the Eight-Headed Serpent was firmly shackled on the ground.


    Tonan felt the rapid consumption of senjutsu chakra within his body, and shouted while gritting his teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there in a daze, hurry up! Ninjutsu is useless against him, use taijutsu to kill him.¡±


    Everyone saw that Tonan was able to restrain such a terrifying thing. The fear in their hearts reduced a little, and resentment reappeared on their faces. Thinking about how Orochimaru had killed their clan members and stolen their eyes, they became even angrier.


    They rushed towards Orochimaru on a snakehead of the Eight-Headed Serpent. As for Orochimaru, while his Eight-Headed Serpent was restrained by the earth dragons, he spat out a sword glimmering with pallid light and held it in his hands.


    This was the Kusanagi Sword! It was the legendary divine artifact that could cut anything. Seeing this, a pleasant surprise flashed through Tonan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Good heavens, I never thought I¡¯d get an unexpected harvest this time.¡±


    In the original work, although Monkey King Enma possessed a diamond body, the Kusanagi was still able to easily break through his defense.


    ¡°Since I planned to seize Enma¡¯s body, I was worried about how to break through his defense after gaining his acknowledgment. But the opportunity has presented itself. I have to seize it. The divine artifacts have heart¡­ this thing and I should have predetermined fate.¡±


    The Uchiha clan members jumped on the Eight-Headed Serpent¡¯s body and rushed towards Orochimaru from all directions. They then took out kunai and launched their attacks.


    However, Orochimaru possessed a divine artifact. It was very easy for him to deal with them. The ignorant Uchihas in the front foolishly used their kunai to block the Kusanagi. As a result, they were cut into halves along with their kunai.


    The Uchihas in the back became wiser, and no longer tried to block the attack but rather used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge. And thought about attacking from all directions.


    With the restraint of the earth dragons, Orochimaru needed to divide his mind to control the Eight-Headed Serpent. As a result, his speed of killing people was slow.


    Seeing this, Shinji said with an anxious look, ¡°Tonan, this won¡¯t do, we are powerless against him.¡±


    Tonan shouted solemnly, ¡°You all, hold him a bit longer. I¡¯ll use the ultimate forbidden technique that Hokage-sama taught me, which will kill him.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice seemed to be filled with conviction. And his firm eyes showed that he had a well-thought-out plan. This was enough to reaffirm the Uchiha¡¯s trust in him.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Shinji nodded. He commanded the others and rushed towards Orochimaru again. Soon, under Orochimaru¡¯s attacks, the Uchiha clan members died one after another, leaving behind just six people.


    And these were also barely hanging. They were heavily bleeding, and there were deep sword wounds all over their bodies. It could be seen how dangerous the battle was. The six people were already terrified and looked at each other.


    Their movement also paused, and they didn¡¯t dare to rush forward, fearing that they would also die like their companions. They just stood on the Eight-Headed Serpent¡¯s body and kept a distance from Orochimaru. They didn¡¯t dare to attack him but stared at him with alertness.


    Tonan saw the situation. ¡°What should I do now? If these people are set free, there will be many troubles in the future.¡± Therefore, he secretly made two earth dragons disintegrate on their own. Immediately, two snakeheads of the Eight-Headed Serpent were freed from the restraint and bit two Uchihas.


    ¡°Tonan, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Tonan, save me!¡±


    In an instant, two people were swallowed by the snakeheads and blood dripped down from the corners.


    Tonan shouted from the distance, ¡°A bit longer, the preparation is almost complete.¡±


    After a few breaths, another Uchiha clan member was swallowed by the Eight-Headed Serpent.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Seeing that not all of them were dead yet, Tonan continued to encourage them. ¡°Stall a bit longer, the forbidden technique is almost ready.¡±


    ¡°Endure a bit longer, just enduring a bit longer is fine.¡±


    Shinji dodged the snakehead and roared, ¡°Only three of us are left now. How much longer do you need? Is it still not ready?¡±


    Just after speaking, the moonlight above his head dimmed and Shinji subconsciously raised his head¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡± In the wilderness, two sets of chewing sounds could be heard. The Eight-Headed Serpent ate people by chewing. It sounded very crispy. The last Uchiha member¡¯s spirit collapsed seeing the other two teammates being eaten. He could no longer endure it.


    He jumped down from the Eight-Headed Serpent and rushed towards Tonan. At this moment, Tonan¡¯s hands had already left the ground, and he had stopped the ninjutsu. Staring at the Eight-Headed Serpent in the distance, his scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan was spinning rapidly, making a black circle.


    The Uchihas who had died right now had contributed a considerable amount of ocular power. Tonan even felt that the surging ocular power seemed to often touch a membrane layer. And it appeared that as long as he put in a bit more effort, he could easily break through it.


    ¡°Mangekyo, my Mangekyo, are you coming?¡±


    Tonan was immersed in the rapid increment of the ocular power. He couldn¡¯t help but spread his arms wide as if to embrace heaven and earth.


    This feeling was too wonderful.

 CH 157.1

    ¡°It seems to be lacking a little. Yes, there¡¯s still a person who hasn¡¯t died yet. The plan is about to succeed! I¡¯m looking forward to the Eight-Headed Serpent, who is free from the earth dragons¡¯ restraints now, dealing with this last person.¡±


    Thinking of this, a strange smile appeared on Uchiha Tonan¡¯s face. However, Orochimaru had stopped the Eight-Headed Serpent and focused on Tonan. He had heard what Tonan said just now. Now that he stopped the Dragon Overturning Technique, he must be ready to use the forbidden technique.


    Tonan¡¯s open arms and the victorious smile on his face especially made Orochimaru worry.


    ¡°Even an overbearing Dragon Overturning Technique is not his trump card, how terrifying is his forbidden technique? Could it be the Reaper Death Seal? What¡¯s the secret in his body? What¡¯s his ultimate goal?¡±


    To be on the safe side, Orochimaru decided to take a look at the situation and make the final decision of whether to run away or not. For a while, he didn¡¯t dare act rashly and didn¡¯t command the Eight-Headed Serpent to hunt down the last remaining Uchiha.


    As a result, the Uchiha clan member ran all the way and stopped in front of Tonan. He bent down and placed his palms on his knees, panting heavily. After a while, he raised his head and looked at Tonan with hopeful eyes, ¡°Tonan, are you prepared?¡±


    At this moment, the Uchiha clan member looked at Tonan with open hands, and the fear in his heart reduced a little. Standing here made him feel an unprecedented sense of security. In his heart, he had already begun to imagine that in the next moment, Tonan would use the forbidden technique to kill Orochimaru in one fell swoop to avenge the clan members.


    Thinking of this, his face was filled with expectation. The smile on Tonan¡¯s face didn¡¯t diminish. He looked at his clan member with his scarlet Sharingan, and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Soon after that, his gaze moved toward the Eight-Headed Serpent in the distance, ¡°Orochimaru-sama, it seems you¡¯re not cruel enough. Don¡¯t you know you have to cut the weeds and dig up the roots?¡±


    The Uchiha clan member frowned hearing Tonan¡¯s words, not understanding his intention. He asked with a puzzled expression, ¡°Tonan, what are you talking about?¡±


    He saw Tonan looking at him. Although the gentle smile on his face hadn¡¯t changed, it looked sinister, making him feel very uneasy.


    The next second.


    Crackle, crackle, crackle¡­ Puchi¡­


    Tonan¡¯s right hand flickered with lightning and pierced through his fellow clan member¡¯s chest. The heart was pierced, and blood flowed down the wound, dying his cloth red, dripping on the ground.


    The clan member stared at Tonan, who was still smiling, in disbelief, and he opened his trembling lips, ¡°Why¡­ why¡­¡±


    He believed in Tonan so much, and so many people died in the battle because of his words. But in the end, this was the result. In the next moment, the lightning-attributed chakra in Tonan¡¯s hand exploded.


    Boom~


    The Uchiha clan member was blasted into a cloud of blood mist. Not even a trace of bone was left. Orochimaru, who was looking from the distance, was stunned. He flicked his tongue out and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Tonan-kun, what are you doing today? The more I look at you, the more I can¡¯t understand you.¡±


    ¡°I thought he gathered his clan members to expose me, but he just wanted to borrow my hand to kill them. What¡¯s his objective?¡±


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    Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, wanting to reexamine Tonan. Tonan dispersed the lightning and shook his hand with disgust, ¡°These are the Uchiha clan¡¯s warmongers. They intended to rebel and seize Konoha. As Hokage-sama¡¯s student, and the inheritor of the Will of Fire, I have a duty to eliminate such unstable factors.¡±


    Orochimaru was stunned. He looked at the sky and laughed, ¡°Hahahahahahaha¡­ As it turned out, the old man Sarutobi got a good dog.¡±


    Even after hearing Orochimaru calling him a dog, there was no trace of anger in his heart. After all, being angry would only hurt him, which was too much of a loss. Besides, if words could kill people, what was the use of strength?


    At this moment, Tonan felt a little pity in his heart. When the Uchiha clan member died just now, he didn¡¯t get the inheritance, which meant that that person hadn¡¯t acknowledged him.


    However, judging from the feeling just now, the constant stacking of ocular power should be able to evolve the Sharingan. Now, his ocular power was so powerful that as long as his emotions fluctuate a little, he could activate the Mangekyo Sharingan.


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    Sometimes, having a rational mind didn¡¯t seem to be a good thing. He wanted to make himself angry. Tonan reached out his hand to adjust his glasses and said righteously, ¡°Orochimaru, you have not only betrayed Sarutobi-sensei, but you are also doing inhumane human experiments. Evil people like you should be eradicated.¡±


    Orochimaru¡¯s face became gloomy, and he coldly said, ¡°What do you understand? If the Ninja World wants to progress, people need to be sacrificed. You are just like that old man Hiruzen. You speak about one thing and do another. It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    Orochimaru spoke as if he was incomparably repulsed. Tonan straightened his body and quickly made hand signs while saying, ¡°You can slander me, but not Sarutobi-sensei. You will anger me if you say that.¡±


    Orochimaru felt that he could no longer drag on, and angrily shouted, ¡°Get angry in hell.¡± He made the Eight-Headed Serpent rush towards Tonan. The huge body wriggled on the ground, leaving behind a deep groove as its snake body rubbed against the ground. The bloodstains around proved that a fierce battle had occurred here.


    At this moment, Tonan had enough chakra in his body because he had received gifts from his recently dead clan members. It was just that more than half of his senjutsu energy was consumed. But almost twenty minutes had passed since they had fought.


    The battle between the two was so loud that the Leaf ninjas should be arriving soon. All Tonan needed to do now was to stall Orochimaru. When Konoha¡¯s people would arrive, the conclusion of the battle would be set.

 CH 157.2

    The battle between Uchiha Tonan and Orochimaru was so loud that the Leaf ninjas should arrive any time now. All Tonan needed to do now was to stall. When Konoha¡¯s people arrived, the conclusion of the battle would be set. Tonan slammed his hands on the ground.


    Senjutsu ¨C Multi Overturning Dragon Technique.


    The previous scene reappeared. The moon was still hanging in the sky. It hadn¡¯t moved much but the scenario below had undergone earth-shattering changes.


    Looking down from the sky, at this moment, the original forest had turned into barren scorched land. The white Eight-Headed Serpent shone under the silvery moonlight. And the earth dragons bound the Eight-Headed Serpent as if they had transformed into shackles.


    This was because the body of the Eight-Headed Serpent was too doughty. It was much stronger than Manda¡¯s. If the earth dragons forcibly collided against it, they would shatter. In the mouth of the Eight-Headed Serpent, Orochimaru¡¯s body turned into a white snake, and he continuously moved around the Eight-Headed Serpent¡¯s body, smashing the earth dragons with the Kusanagi Sword.


    But whenever an earth dragon was smashed, Tonan would immediately summon another one. This could only delay Orochimaru, not stop him. Orochimaru shouted wildly while smashing the earth dragons, ¡°The Eight-Headed Serpent has already integrated with me. Let me see whether you have more chakra to stop me.¡±


    Tonan coldly replied, ¡°I truly didn¡¯t think you were so powerful and had so many trump cards. Honestly speaking, the current me can do nothing about the Eight-Headed Serpent. I miscalculated.¡±


    Orochimaru¡¯s snake eyes stared at Tonan and asked, ¡°Then, are you ready to surrender?¡±


    Tonan shook his head lightly, ¡°No, no, no, don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m still the younger generation. It is only natural that I can¡¯t defeat you, who is one of the Konoha Sannin. Even if I lose, I can be proud. But you are different, as long as you don¡¯t kill me today, you can only be reduced to a lost dog from hereon.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s tone was relaxed as if he was telling a fact, but it stabbed Orochimaru¡¯s heart. He said with an ugly face, ¡°Do you want to stall me until the old man Sarutobi came?¡±


    Tonan generously admitted to it, ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t think that you can fight against the entire Konoha. You still don¡¯t have that ability, Orochimaru-sama.¡±


    Hearing this, the Eight-Headed Serpent fought against the earth dragons as if it had gone crazy. The collapsing speed of earth dragons exceeded Tonan¡¯s replenishment speed.


    Tonan raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Are you so angry that you want to kill me?¡±


    After speaking, he simply stopped using the Overturning Dragon Technique and quickly began to make another series of hand seals.


    Senjutsu ¨C Great Dragon Flame Technique.


    Tonan spat out flames from his mouth. The flame transformed into a fire dragon that was much larger than any previous earth dragons in midair and flew towards the Eight-Headed Serpent.


    Seeing this, ridicule flashed through Orochimaru¡¯s eyes, and he didn¡¯t put any defense against this fire-style ninjutsu. ¡°Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m not afraid of the fire style.¡±


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    The fire dragon slammed into the Eight-Headed Serpent and burned its entire body with raging flames. But this serpent was immune to ninjutsu. The flames only burned for a bit before dissipating.


    Orochimaru¡¯s body also just emitted white smoke, and he looked a little disheveled. He frowned a little and said, ¡°You amaze me more and more. Your fire style actually made me feel hot.¡±


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    Tonan looked at the approaching Eight-Headed Serpent and raised his eyebrows slightly. It seemed that the proportion of senjutsu energy was a bit too little. The output was worse.


    Orochimaru looked at Tonan, who seemed to have no means left, feeling a hint of joy. ¡°Let me send you on your way. After I kill you, I will gouge out your eyes and get its every worth.¡±


    Suddenly, the shared vision with the white pigeons appeared in Tonan¡¯s mind, and he couldn¡¯t help smiling. Immediately afterward, he used Wind Communication Technique, and roared, ¡°Orochimaru, you murdered the people in the same village. You use their corpses for human experiments. Your evil crimes fill the heaven. Even if I die here today, I¡¯ll execute you to get justice for the dead villagers. No matter how strong you are, I¡¯m not afraid, because I firmly believe that evil will not triumph over virtue.¡±


    Orochimaru now knew he didn¡¯t have much time so he didn¡¯t bother to talk to Tonan. He directly controlled the Eight-Headed Serpent and attacked. The sturdy snake tail swung down at Tonan, trying to smack him to death. Tonan hunkered and activated the Lightning Spirit Wind Flash to dodge.


    Boom¡­ The ground that the tail hit was smashed, leaving a large crater. Tonan was sent flying back making a beautiful arc in the air. But when Orochimaru was about to attack again, an angry roar filled the sky.


    ¡°Enma! Transform into Adamantine Staff.¡±


    ¡°Grow for me.¡±


    ¡°Adamantine Prison Wall.¡±


    Instantly, dozens of staffs appeared in the sky which were slightly bigger than the Eight-Headed Serpent. The staffs were getting closer and bigger. Each was like a heaven-supporting pillar and they fell towards the place where the Eight-Headed Serpent was located.


    Boom¡­ When the smoke cleared, a cage that had trapped the Eight-Headed Serpent came into view. Just when Tonan was about to fall to the ground, a figure flashed over and gently caught him in his arms, ¡°Tonan, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Sensei¡­ Orochimaru-sama¡­ he¡­ he killed a lot of people¡­ he is doing human experiments¡­¡± Seeing Hiruzen, Tonan sighed in relief and weakly complained.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak, I heard everything just now. You are not at fault, rest for a while. Leave this to me now.¡± Hiruzen took a deep breath and handed Tonan to an Anbu member behind him. He jumped a few times and landed in front of the Adamantine Prison, then looked at the Eight-Headed Serpent that was continuously hitting the prison wall.


    Soon, Anbu members arrived here one after another and surrounded the place from a distance.

 CH 158

    Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes as he looked at Orochimaru, who had transformed into the Eight-Headed Serpent, and quickly made hand signs, ¡°Earth Style ¨C Swamp Vortex Technique.¡±


    With his move, the Adamantine Prison Wall¡¯s soil turned into a mudflow vortex, spinning rapidly. Despite the Serpent¡¯s astonishing brute strength, at this moment, it seemed powerless and under the powerful suction, it gradually sunk.


    In the end, its huge body was submerged in the mud. Only the eight heads were visible. Even after using such large-scale earth-style ninjutsu, Hiruzen showed no signs of fatigue. He stared at Orochimaru and sighed, ¡°Orochimaru, is there something you want to say?¡±


    Orochimaru gave up struggling and stared at Hiruzen with his snake eyes. His sensei¡¯s face was filled with wrinkles and his hair had turned grey, showing how far along in years he was. But as his disciple, no one knew better than him how powerful Hiruzen was.


    The title of the strongest Hokage was not for show. It was something Hiruzen earned during the First Great Ninja War and the early stages of the Second Great War. The present situation was proof enough. Even though Orochimaru had used his trump card of the Eight-Headed Serpent, Hiruzen could restrain him.


    The two looked at each other and time seemed to stand still. The atmosphere was silent for a while. Hiruzen understood this disciple well. Seeing his silence, he knew that Tonan¡¯s allegations were true. Orochimaru was conducting human experiments.


    Hiruzen sighed, ¡°Orochimaru, stop your ninjutsu and return to Konoha for trial.¡±


    Among the Konoha sannin, the most important one for Hiruzen was Orochimaru. In terms of strength alone, only a few people could defeat him. Even though Orochimaru had stood on Danzo¡¯s side recently, Hiruzen didn¡¯t resent him.


    Orochimaru finally spoke, ¡°Sensei, can I still live if I go back with you?¡± The question silenced Hiruzen for a while. After a long time, he weighed in, ¡°You are, after all, my student. I¡¯ll try my best to plead for you. Moreover, I guess, with your relationship with Danzo, he won¡¯t just watch you die. This is a critical matter so the various clan patriarchs will participate in the trial. The worst outcome will be your execution.¡±


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    A sneer appeared on Orochimaru¡¯s face, ¡°What¡¯s the best outcome?¡± Hiruzen was silent again for a long time before sighing softly, ¡°You¡¯ll be imprisoned in Konoha¡¯s prison for a lifetime.¡±


    Orochimaru took a deep look at Hiruzen and then glanced at the Anbu members surrounding him. He immediately nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After speaking, he retracted the Eight-Headed Serpent mode and Hiruzen dispelled the earth-style ninjutsu. The Adamantine Prison Wall that trapped Orochimaru wasn¡¯t removed, it just shrunk, and like a cage, imprisoned him. ¡°Sensei, I¡¯ve shown my sincerity. Why don¡¯t you put this thing away?¡±


    Hiruzen shook his head, ¡°To be on the safe side, let¡¯s wait until the ninjas of the Nara and Yamanaka clans arrive.¡±


    Orochimaru stared at Hiruzen and flicked his tongue out, ¡°Sensei, you not only want to imprison me but also search my memories.¡±


    A hint of hesitation flashed through Hiruzen¡¯s face before he nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve committed a crime. I¡¯m following the rules.¡±


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    ¡°Sensei, do you truly think that I don¡¯t know what you are thinking?¡± As he spoke, Orochimaru raised the Kusanagi Sword and swung it at the Adamantine Prison Wall.


    Crack¡­ Orochimaru cut open a big hole in the Adamantine Prison and immediately fled. The surrounding Anbu ninjas stepped forward to block him, but he dodged them easily.


    The Adamantine Prison Wall turned back to its original appearance of monkey king Enma after Orochimaru escaped. Enma looked at his palm in disbelief. There was a deep wound on it. ¡°It¡¯s the Kusanagi Sword, the sharpest divine artifact in legends. Hiruzen, why don¡¯t you chase after him?¡±


    The Anbu members turned to Hiruzen as well. Without his command, they didn¡¯t know whether they should go after Orochimaru or not. Hiruzen just stood there calmly, and his eyes were deep. No one knew what he was thinking.


    After about half a minute, he took a deep breath and ordered, ¡°Chase.¡±


    Swish, swish, swish¡­ The Anbu ninjas used the Body Flicker Technique, chasing in the direction Orochimaru had taken off in. For a powerhouse like him, half a minute was enough to run far away. Ordinary ninjas would never be able to catch up to him even if they wanted. Everyone realized in their hearts that Hiruzen considered his old relationship with Orochimaru and chose to let him escape.


    At this moment, an Anbu member appeared behind Hiruzen and fell to one knee, ¡°Hokage-sama, Uchiha Tonan is chasing after Orochimaru.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, and said to Enma, ¡°Transform into Adamantine Staff, Enma.¡± He picked up the Adamantine Staff and joined the chase. He had no intention to go after Orochimaru but he was worried about Tonan¡¯s safety. After all, Tonan¡¯s sense of justice was too strong. If he truly caught up with Orochimaru, he would try to stall him even if it meant his death. If by chance Orochimaru ruthlessly killed him, Hiruzen would regret it.


    In the dense forest, the ancient trees were towering, covering the sky. In the dark corners of the night, it looked especially eerie and mysterious. The wind swayed the tree tops, making rustling sounds, disturbing the quiet. Orochimaru moved fast, no obstacles could hinder him. He had already shaken off the Anbu chasing after him.


    Despite this, he didn¡¯t dare relax. He continued to run wildly, looking straight ahead. Once captured, the outcome was certain death if his memories would be checked. He and Danzo had done much in private that was not limited to just this.


    If Hiruzen were to know about these things, his consideration for their old relationship or the desire to save him would vanish. He would be the first person who would want to kill him. Orochimaru was sure about this because he knew that people like Hiruzen were the most selfish.


    Hiruzen often talked about the Will of Fire, the interest of the village, and the like. But the reality was that if anyone truly threatened Hiruzen¡¯s interest, he would not be merciful. Hiruzen said that he wanted to save him. That was because he thought he had just killed some civilians and ordinary ninjas in the village. Other people¡¯s lives were of no importance to Hiruzen.


    Among Orochimaru¡¯s several crimes, only two were enough to make Hiruzen kill him. The first was that he had used Sarutobi clan members for experiments. Although the Sarutobis had no special bloodline limit, most of them could awaken various chakra attributes. The most extraordinary members were Sarutobi Hiruzen and his father Sarutobi Sasuke who possessed all chakra attributes.


    As for the second thing, it was the source of his experiments¡¯ funding. Almost all of it came from the Land of Fire¡¯s Daimyo. The Daimyo had secretly sent several precious experimental materials to him as well and they had had too many dealings in private. Even Danzo was not aware of some of these.


    Nearly everyone knew that the death of Hiruzen¡¯s sons was related to the Daimyo. If someone said that Hiruzen was not hostile to him, Orochimaru wouldn¡¯t believe it. Hiruzen hadn¡¯t made any big moves because he knew he was old, and his deterrent power was weaker than before.


    If he took action against the Daimyo, there was a good chance he would lose the thing he most cared about: power. In other words, once these things were exposed, not only Hiruzen, even Danzo might no longer protect him.


    It seemed he could no longer stay in the Land of Fire. A cunning rabbit has three burrows. Orochimaru had many secret bases in other countries. As the matter stood, he had no regrets in his heart. Even if he could restart, he would do it all over again.


    With the Daimyo¡¯s funding, the progress of his experiments had advanced rapidly. He had already researched and developed many important things.

 CH 159

    On the horizon, a clump of dark clouds piled up, drifted, and spread across the sky covering up the bright moon. The huge shadows shrouded the forest below, adding a hazy filter to the picture. Perhaps, it was because of the approaching dawn, the forest was filled with faint mist, and water droplets hung on the grass blades.


    Amid it, there were hints of fresh smells of grass and mud, which blew directly against the face. To others, it would be a very refreshing feeling but it made Orochimaru frown. He felt the weather was unusual. The mist was fine. Due to the high humidity in the forest, it was expected to get misty before dawn. But Orochimaru felt a strong wind blowing against his face.


    How could there be mist when the wind was blowing? At this moment, the wind and mist coexisted. This unusual phenomenon was very disturbing.


    Coo, coo, coo, coo¡­


    Hiss, hiss¡­


    Rumble¡­


    Aoo¡­


    The whistling sounds of the wind, the birds and insects¡¯ cries, the beasts¡¯ roars, and the muffled sound of thunder gave the impression of an orchestra in the forest. But Orochimaru found it chaotic and was irritated. At this moment, his eyes were slightly blurred, and he couldn¡¯t tell the atmosphere around him.


    The strong wind mixed with the moisture of the mist blew against his body, and soon, his clothes were damp. Although he was fleeing for his life, he felt something was wrong. He had no time to delve deeper into it but he couldn¡¯t stop his intuitive alarms.


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    The whistling sound of the wind slowly became stronger, and it felt painful as it blew against his body. The towering trees in the forest were swaying violently under the wind. Some smaller trees were broken or uprooted. The wind blew through the forest, making harsh sounds like endless wailing, giving people a chill.


    Orochimaru felt that the resistance he was facing while running was becoming stronger. The mist ahead was growing thicker, making it harder to see.


    Suddenly, his snake eyes shrank. At this moment, he felt an instinctual warning that would only appear in a life-or-death moment. He immediately stopped, wanting to dodge.


    However, he didn¡¯t know why his body seemed to have become sluggish. In an instant, three flashes lit up from different directions, and in the blink of an eye, everything seemed to have returned to its original state. The mist was still so thick that people couldn¡¯t see clearly.


    Orochimaru didn¡¯t even see who was coming. It seemed that the scene just now was an illusion.


    However¡­


    Puff¡­ Orochimaru was horrified to discover that his hand that was holding the Kusanagi Sword was cut off, and the severed hand fell into the mist along with the sword. Blood sprayed wildly, dyeing the mist around him bloody.


    ¡°Who is it!¡± Orochimaru paled in an instant. He shouted out but didn¡¯t dare to act rashly.


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    ¡°Orochimaru-sama, your junior brother has come to send you on your way.¡± In the dense mist where nothing could be seen, Tonan¡¯s voice came from all directions. It seemed to be far away, yet close at hand.


    Orochimaru covered the wound on his right shoulder. His forehead was covered with sweat but he pretended to be calm, ¡°It¡¯s you, Tonan-kun.¡± In his heart, he didn¡¯t believe it would be so easy to get away from here. Suddenly, his eyes shrank, and exclaimed, ¡°Impossible, how can I be poisoned¡­ when was it?¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice resounded in the mist again. ¡°Orochimaru-sama, you are a master of poison. I know that ordinary poison will be useless against you. But there are some, which I think even you won¡¯t be able to beat. Haven¡¯t you noticed anything after running in the mist for so long?¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice seemed ethereal, reverberating throughout the forest, making Orochimaru¡¯s mood chaotic. It also made him feel fear, a feeling he had lost for a long time. When he heard Tonan¡¯s words, he was stunned but he came to his senses.


    ¡°Orchids¡­ but this isn¡¯t the season for them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I sprinkled orchid pollen here, and in the previous two areas, I sprinkled the Golden Snake Herb fine powder and the Drifting Oil Fruit. Consuming these three separately is not toxic but after inhaling them in a short time, they will mix and turn into a special neurotoxin that dulls the nerves.¡±


    Orochimaru reached into his ninja bag but his face became uglier. He had fled in a hurry and had no time to take antidotes. ¡°There is such a poison.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice continued to come from all directions, ¡°Orochimaru-sama, blind research is no good. You need to be down-to-earth and read more roadside books. This formula is in the Konoha Bookstore. You can buy a complete set for three hundred Ryo. The smell of these three things is too strong. Ninjas would subconsciously become vigilant after smelling them. But you must know these things, so you don¡¯t become vigilant against them. There is a saying, it is often a good swimmer who drowns.¡±


    Orochimaru secretly circulated his chakra. The severed arm was nothing to him. As long as Tonan made a move, he was ready to spit out his entire self from the mouth. Perhaps, it would have an unexpected result.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very good way of poisoning. The move you used just now to cut off my arm must be Kiri¡¯s Silent Killing Technique.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was planning to use this technique to send you on your way.¡±


    Orochimaru¡¯s snake eyes looked around, and he solemnly asked, ¡°Do you think you can kill me?¡±


    In the mist, Tonan¡¯s laughter sounded crisp. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use your big moves? The bigger, the better. Then Sarutobi-sensei will rush over as quickly as possible. The mist is so thick, I¡¯m afraid he will get lost.¡±


    Another white light flashed after he spoke. Orochimaru narrowly dodged it, but a few strands of his hair were cut off. This time, he finally saw Tonan.


    Tonan was holding the Kusanagi Sword, and staring at him indifferently. The three-tomoe Sharingan was spinning rapidly in his scarlet eyes. Time stood still at this moment and intense ocular power invaded Orochimaru¡¯s mind.


    This was the combined ocular power of over a dozen three-tomoe Sharingan. Even if Orochimaru¡¯s spirit wasn¡¯t injured, he wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it. But now, when he was not only seriously injured but also affected by the neurotoxin, his plight was not looking good.


    Genjutsu was broadly divided into two types, offensive and supplementary. Generally speaking, offensive genjutsu would happen in an instant, destroying the opponent¡¯s spirit with various illusionary experiences. This genjutsu relied on the spiritual energy of the two fighting sides. Most of the results of this genjutsu were the collapse of the weak and the winner getting weaker.


    The supplementary genjutsu was similar to the hypnotic eye, which could affect the judgment or control of the opponent. The disadvantage of this genjutsu was that it could only be used to abuse inexperienced people. If the opponent was an expert, he could instantly get out of it as soon as he realized he was trapped.


    As for the advantage, the caster could attack the opponent before the opponent gets out of the illusion. At present, Tonan was using this genjutsu. In a battle between experts, an instant could decide the victor. As long as Orochimaru had no time to release the Eight-Headed Serpent, the struggle would be over.

 CH 160

    Outside the mist, Uchiha Tonan¡¯s three flicker clones had completed making hand signs.


    Senjutsu ¨C Spiraling Pressure.


    Senjutsu ¨C Great Dragon Flame Technique.


    Senjutsu ¨C Flooding Dust Technique.


    In the distance, Sarutobi Hiruzen led a group of Anbu members, carefully searching for Orochimaru¡¯s traces. Hiruzen was a little absent-minded when he asked, ¡°Have you found Tonan?¡±


    ¡°Hokage-sama, nothing on this side.¡±


    ¡°There is no trace on this side as well.¡±


    Several Anbu members, who had returned from searching in the distance, came to Hiruzen and reported their findings. Suddenly, an Anbu member pointed into the distance and exclaimed, ¡°Hokage-sama, look over there.¡±


    Prompted by him, everyone raised their heads and looked in the direction where he had pointed. There was a momentary surprise in Hiruzen¡¯s eyes. He immediately jumped to the top of a tree and looked into the distance. He saw a red light blooming in the distance.


    A huge fire dragon had flown out from the forest below, and it circled in the sky, lighting up everything. Not far from the fire dragon, yellow sand covered the sky, and also enveloped the ground, starting to rotate rapidly around a certain area.


    After a few seconds, a yellow tornado was formed that violently swept everything on the ground. The trees nearby were uprooted, and even the surface of the ground was scraped off. The fire light shone on the yellow tornado, making it look like a doomsday scene.


    Hiruzen looked at this and Tonan¡¯s image flashed through his mind. He whispered, ¡°This is¡­ compound ninjutsu¡­¡±


    In the next moment, the fire dragon seemed to raise its head and roar. Then, it dived into the yellow tornado. Instantly, the world brightened. The shockwave from the explosion spread in all directions, flattening the surrounding forest.


    A few seconds later¡­


    Boom!


    An earth-shaking explosion was followed by the roar of a powerful gust of wind. It was so fierce that everyone had to bend down and grab hold of a tree trunk. Despite this, some people were still suspended in midair because of the strong wind and were unable to keep holding on to the tree trunks.


    Crack¡­


    Crack¡­


    The wind wreaked havoc like a ferocious tiger. Trees couldn¡¯t withstand its impact being either uprooted or breaking off. It took a while for the explosion¡¯s aftermath to dissipate. Many towering trees had collapsed. Barring Hiruzen, everyone else was in dire straits.


    Hiruzen squinted his eyes and rushed toward the battlefield. At the center, there was a big crater with a diameter of several miles.


    Outside the crater, there were fallen, burning trees, and the fire continued to spread outward. The flying sparks and the thick smoke were drifting toward the sky.


    When Hiruzen had just arrived at the periphery, he saw Tonan walking out of the sea of fire with the Kusanagi Sword in his hand. The burning flames became his backdrop, making his face glow red.


    ¡°Tonan, what about Orochimaru?¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and gently said, ¡°Orochimaru-sama would rather die than come back with me. So, I used my strongest trump card. This is the compound ninjutsu you taught me, sensei. Judging by the power, Orochimaru-sama should be dead.¡±


    Hiruzen remained silent for a while. He then sighed, ¡°Tonan, you¡¯ve worked hard. Everything was Orochimaru¡¯s fault in this case. Even if he dies, no one can blame you. You were just avenging the dead villagers.¡±


    Hiruzen lowered his head. Orochimaru, after all, had been his student for many years, but now that his ending was like this, he felt a little uncomfortable. Suddenly, Hiruzen noticed the battle spot. From the beginning to the end that Tonan fought with Orochimaru, he appeared to have restrained him in the middle.


    In other words, even if Hiruzen hadn¡¯t intervened, Orochimaru was very likely to die in Tonan¡¯s hands. Moreover, the might of the compound ninjutsu was greater than what even he could display.


    ¡°Has my little student grown to a level comparable to a sannin? Isn¡¯t this talent a bit too scary?¡± Hiruzen knew that Tonan¡¯s talent was very high but he had never imagined him to be so strong when going all out. This progress was unbelievable.


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    He stared at Tonan and asked, ¡°Tonan, I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be able to defeat Orochimaru alone. How did you do it?¡±


    Tonan made a sad face, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the desperate help of the Uchiha clan members. They all were not only jonin with three tomoe Sharingan, but they were also a few who accepted the will of fire. But the result¡­ they were all killed by Orochimaru trying to avenge the villagers.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for them, I might not be able to hold on until you arrived, sensei. Right now, thanks to your deterrence, Orochimaru didn¡¯t notice I was lying in ambush. That gave me a chance to launch a surprise attack and cut off his hand. Moreover, he was focused on running away and didn¡¯t dare use large-scale ninjutsu like the Eight-Headed Serpent.¡±


    After listening to Tonan¡¯s explanation, Hiruzen nodded in understanding.


    That¡­ made sense.


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    Although Orochimaru is one of the sannin, he is not invincible. After fighting against more than a dozen Uchihas with three tomoe Sharingan, he must have exhausted his cards. After all, when Hiruzen arrived, Orochimaru had already been forced to use a forbidden technique like the Eight-Headed Serpent.


    Moreover, when he was running away, he was a bit careless, and Tonan¡¯s surprise attack cut off his arm. Tonan would be able to kill him with his strength greatly reduced.


    However, did Orochimaru truly die?


    Hiruzen didn¡¯t dare assume. After all, this student of his had the most life-saving means among all his disciples. Even he knew just a part of it.


    Hiruzen sighed and stared at the Kusanagi Sword in Tonan¡¯s hand, ¡°What had to happen has happened, Tonan. Don¡¯t be sad. The people from your clan sacrificed their lives for the village. I¡¯ll give pensions to their families according to the rule.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, sensei.¡±


    Tonan had his head lowered from beginning to end. He looked lost and never met Hiruzen¡¯s gaze. Hiruzen wanted to ask him to hand over the Kusanagi Sword but he felt it was a bit inappropriate to ask for it at this time.


    Thinking about it, Tonan was his student, and the Kusanagi Sword was Tonan¡¯s war spoils. If he asked for it, it would affect his image in Tonan¡¯s heart. In the end, he hesitated for a bit but still sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s return to the village. Leave the Anbu to deal with the matter here

 CH 161

    What had happened was a very big matter for Konoha. Orochimaru was one of the sannin. Regardless of prestige or strength, he was second to none. Sarutobi Hiruzen had a pile of aftermath to deal with. Therefore, he hurried back to the Hokage Office to work overtime.


    As for Uchiha Tonan, he returned to the Welfare Institution to look after the baby. In the warm room, little Kotoura had just finished drinking the milk and was sleeping soundly in the cradle. His face was chubby, and his mouth was pink and tender. He would suck his lips from time to time as if he was dreaming of something delicious.


    He would also kick the soft blanket off his body ever so often. Seeing this, the shadow clone was not impatient. He gently pulled up the soft blanket to cover him up and rocked the cradle.


    Tonan made a pot of tea for himself and sat cross-legged beside a tea table. On the table, there were ninjutsu scrolls he seized from Orochimaru¡¯s place. Among these, several were taken from the bookshelves in Orochimaru¡¯s laboratory, and several were taken from the innermost secret room.


    With his Byakugan, Tonan could easily see through the mechanism inside. This was why he was able to enter Orochimaru¡¯s lab like returning to his own home. Orochimaru¡¯s secret arts were simply an eye-opener for him.


    Secret Art ¨C Soft Physique Modification. This ninjutsu would make the user¡¯s body go through a special transformation, greatly enhancing softness and flexibility. And the user would be able to freely stretch or twist his body to any angle.


    Secret Art ¨C Molting. This technique shed off the injured body and spit out a new intact body from the mouth, but the new body would be weaker for a short time. Generally speaking, ordinary ninjas could only use it at most once or twice in a battle. If used too much, the opponent wouldn¡¯t need to do anything and the user would fall to the ground.


    One had to say that the value of this ninjutsu was simply beyond the forbidden techniques in some aspects but the prerequisite for it was that one must have learned the Soft Physique Modification first.


    Tonan considered himself relatively open-minded. He didn¡¯t reject body modification. He had no objection to these things. He memorized the content of the two scrolls and then began to look at the others.


    Many secret arts were related to summoning snakes. The value of these from the laboratory¡¯s bookshelves was not high. Tonan looked at them just to enrich his knowledge. There was no need to learn it. Soon, he had almost finished reading it all.


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    In the end, he opened a slightly old scroll. The handwriting on this scroll seemed illegible and was something like a draft. Suddenly, Tonan¡¯s eyes opened wide and he sat straight up. This scroll recorded a failed secret art that was not even named.


    From the description, this secret art was a cursed seal researched and developed by Orochimaru. The principle of this seal was to cut off one¡¯s insignificant amount of life origin via chakra. Then, turn the life origin into a cursed seal and plant it in the recipient¡¯s body.


    A part of this cursed seal¡¯s effect was similar to the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. It could control the life and death of the recipient. But this cursed seal had one more effect, which was it could subtly transform the physique of the recipient, making the recipient¡¯s physique draw closer to the user¡¯s physique.


    At the end of this secret art, Orochimaru had written explanatory notes and improvement directions.


    Sixteen pregnant women were observed and dissected. I finally found the key conjecture to reincarnate. But I must assimilate with the body first for this. This cursed seal¡¯s assimilation effect is inadequate, not to mention achieving perfect assimilation. The next optimization should be focused on reducing the control effect and strengthening the assimilation. If that doesn¡¯t work, perhaps, I can try adding some kind of special medium for the transition¡­


    Tonan looked at the notes and fell into deep thoughts. After a long time, he closed his eyes and opened them abruptly. In his eyes, the three-tomoe was spinning rapidly. He moved the scroll close to his eyes and carefully looked at the handwriting to judge how old it was.


    Gradually, his face became gloomy, ¡°At least a year and a half¡­ Orochimaru might not have met Jugo yet¡­¡±


    After all, in the original works, Uchiha Sasuke once resurrected Orochimaru from Anko¡¯s Cursed Seal of Heaven. If Orochimaru truly developed the cursed seal, then he might be able to resurrect in any corner of the Ninja World.


    Sasuke¡¯s help was needed in the original works because Orochimaru was sealed in the illusory world by Itachi¡¯s Totsuka Blade, and he couldn¡¯t remember his death.


    ¡°Forget it, even if he didn¡¯t die, his vitality is seriously damaged. When we meet next time, he won¡¯t be my opponent. Wait until I have a bit more means, I¡¯ll definitely be able to kill him.¡± Thinking of this, Tonan shook his head slightly and deactivated his Sharingan. He began to memorize the content of this secret art.


    This crude cursed seal was Orochimaru¡¯s failure. Although the assimilation effect was there, it was practically zero. Tonan knew that the medium in Orochimaru¡¯s conjecture was the senjutsu energy. And he just happened to have it.


    If he could develop this seal, then it would be a great boost to his strength improvement. He could just give a chance to confused people to work hard. First, gain their acknowledgment, then regardless of their aptitude, as long as he planted a cursed seal, they would become genius sooner or later.


    If this were to happen, wouldn¡¯t that be wonderful? Therefore, he named the cursed seal: Cultivate Path.


    Meanwhile, there was an underground secret base somewhere in the Land of Rice Fields. Several ninjas came to the depths of the base with scrolls and put them into a secret room. The ninja who was in the lead counted the number of scrolls and nodded in satisfaction, ¡°This batch of materials is almost ready. It can be delivered to Orochimaru-sama next month.¡±


    A ninja beside him said with a worried look, ¡°What I¡¯m worried about the most now is how to make up the offerings prepared for Orochimaru-sama.¡±


    The leader ninja frowned, and with a worried look, he asked, ¡°How many are we short of?¡±


    The ninja next to him calculated and worriedly replied, ¡°We need thirty-five more. Several kids became ill some time ago and the medical equipment at the base was insufficient to cure them.¡±


    The leader ninja narrowed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath, ¡°We¡¯ll set out together later, find a small village with a suitable number of people, and complete the mission in one fell swoop.¡±


    Just after he finished speaking, the leader ninja suddenly felt unbearable pain all over his body, and he fell to his knees.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± The ninjas around were worried and asked with concern, ¡°Sakata, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The skin of the ninja named Sakata turned red and the cursed seal on his neck emitted radiance. He screamed in excruciating pain and collapsed to the ground. Then, there was no movement. A big snake came out from the cursed seal on Sakata¡¯s neck and opened its mouth. An extremely weak Orochimaru crawled out from it.


    As if he was completely exhausted, Orochimaru fell to his knees and panted heavily.


    ¡°Orochimaru-sama!¡± Seeing him, everyone exclaimed in surprise and fell to their knees. Taking support from the ground, Orochimaru stood up with great difficulty and looked at them with a gloomy face, ¡°All of you leave and take him with you.¡±


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    Everyone got up to leave and carried Sakata, whose life or death was unknown. In the dark secret room, Orochimaru staggered and used his hands to take support from the wall. He then took a deep breath and coughed heavily. His snake eyes were emitting great hatred. He gritted his teeth, ¡°Damn it¡­ Uchiha Tonan¡­¡±

 CH 162

    The next morning, the sky was blue and clear with just a few white clouds floating here and there. Floating in the empty sky, the clouds looked lonely but made people feel calm. Although the winter sun couldn¡¯t raise the temperature by much, it made people feel warm from the bottom of their hearts.


    After a few days without snow, the Welfare Institution¡¯s open space had become lively.


    ¡°Youth!¡±


    ¡°Eat.¡±


    ¡°This one doesn¡¯t count, I misread it!¡±


    ¡°You will regret it again.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t draw this stroke well. I will redraw it again.¡±


    Uchiha Tonan pushed open the door and glanced at Maito Dai and his son, who were training in the open space, and the elderly people, who were either playing chess or drawing or sitting around while gossiping.


    Instead of trying to brush his presence, he turned around and walked out of the institution to buy ingredients for tomorrow. However, immediately after walking out of the gate, he saw a Leaf ninja leaning against the fence beside the institution, as if he was waiting for someone.


    Seeing Tonan walk out, the Leaf ninja said with a warm look, ¡°Tonan, Hokage-sama has asked you to go to the Hokage Building when you are free.¡±


    Although the news of Orochimaru¡¯s death had not spread yet, it was obvious from this Leaf ninja¡¯s attitude that he knew a part of it. Perhaps he heard that Tonan killed Orochimaru. While speaking, he showed admiration.


    Hearing his words, Tonan placed his hands on his knees and bowed to the other party, ¡°Got it, I honestly troubled you. If you have anything in the future, you can come in and find me. You don¡¯t have to wait outside.¡±


    Tonan showed a humble look. His etiquette was also in line with that of the younger generation. Tonan had always cherished his reputation. He was unwilling to be crowned with a hat of arrogance. The ninja seemed to be at a loss seeing Tonan bowing toward him. He repeatedly scratched his head, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember it next time.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t expected Tonan to speak so politely despite being so powerful. This simply turned his view of the Uchiha clan on its head. Tonan smiled and nodded, walking toward the Hokage Building.


    Today, he could feel that the personnel in the Hokage Building were much more cordial to him. Not just that but they also looked at him with reverence. Before this incident, in the eyes of Konoha¡¯s citizens, he was a genius with no achievements under his belt.


    In the past, even as Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s student, every time he came to the Hokage Residence, he had to explain the purpose of his visit. But today, just as he stepped into the building, the receptionist got up and welcomed him and led him to the Hokage Meeting Room. His attitude was beyond different.


    When Tonan walked into the meeting room, he found the atmosphere a bit awkward. Hiruzen was sitting on the main seat. On the other hand, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu stood in front of their chairs like subordinates. There was also an empty seat in the room that belonged to Shimura Danzo.


    Hiruzen blew a mouthful of smoke. When he saw Tonan walk in, he immediately showed a kind and amiable smile, ¡°You¡¯re already here, Tonan? Didn¡¯t I ask Tobira to wait until you woke up to call you? You¡¯ve slept only for a few hours, how is that enough?¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glass and said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m used to rising early. I met Tobira-senpai when I walked out.¡±


    Hiruzen smiled and pointed at the vacant seat, ¡°I¡¯ve troubled you. Come Tonan, Danzo left at the perfect time, you can sit here.¡±


    Tonan glanced at the two standing Hokage Advisers and immediately shook his head, ¡°Sensei, how can I sit when the two Hokage Advisers-sama are standing?¡±


    Hiruzen looked at Homura and Koharu, and said in an indifferent tone, ¡°Both of you sit down.¡±


    Homura and Koharu nodded and sat down. Their posture was stiff and they sat upright, looking uncomfortable. Hiruzen looked at Tonan again and showed a warm smile, ¡°Tonan, I called you here to discuss something. Sit down so we can speak at leisure. You don¡¯t want us to keep our heads up to speak with you, right?¡±


    Tonan pretended to be modest and thought for a while. He then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± After he sat on Danzo¡¯s seat, Hiruzen blew out another mouthful of smoke, ¡°We have decided to dissolve Konoha Orphanage and merge it into your welfare institution. From now on, Konoha will provide a certain portion of the funds needed. Koharu, you can hand it over to Tonan.¡±


    Hearing Hiruzen¡¯s instruction, Koharu forcibly suppressed the reluctance in her heart, and with a smile, handed a thick document to Tonan, ¡°Tonan, this is the information of Konoha Orphanage. You should read it.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    At this moment, at the Root Headquarters, Danzo threw the ornaments placed beside him to the ground. ¡°Damn it! Orochimaru, that trash. He got killed by an Uchiha kid. And Homura and Koharu, those idiots didn¡¯t even know how to cover up their private dealings, and let Hiruzen seize evidence.¡±


    After venting out, Danzo sat on the seat with a look of resentment. Aburame Ryoma, who was kneeling below, bowed his head, ¡°Danzo-sama, please calm your anger.¡±


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    Danzo clenched his right fist and slammed on the armrest, ¡°How can I calm my anger? The Root personnel is cut by half. I think Konoha will be destroyed in Hiruzen¡¯s hands, sooner or later. And that kid¡¯s wings are already grown enough. Although he got the help of other Uchihas, his strength has already reached the elite jonin level.¡±


    ¡°It will not be long before he will become the sharpest sword in Hiruzen¡¯s hand, and become the next White Fang. I estimate it will be difficult to kill that kid even if he is surrounded. But he seems to be eager to get the villagers¡¯ acknowledgment. In addition, he has inherited the samurai spirit. Perhaps, he can be dealt with in the same way as White Fang.¡±


    ¡°Ryoma.¡±


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    ¡°Yes, Danzo-sama,¡± Ryoma replied with his head lowered.


    ¡°Send people to spread the news that Uchiha Tonan killed Orochimaru. What should be spread, I don¡¯t need to tell you, right?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t let Hiruzen grasp your handle.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After Ryoma left, Danzo¡¯s gloomy voice sounded in the dim room. ¡°Now even White Fang was able to endure the villagers¡¯ curses. I will see what this kid will do. Even if he doesn¡¯t commit suicide, he will collapse. If you do something wrong due to anger¡­.¡±

 CH 163

    By noon, in the Hokage Meeting Room, the handover between Uchiha Tonan and Utatane Koharu had concluded. Tonan arranged the documents neatly and put them in his ninja bag. He then got up and bowed to Koharu, ¡°Adviser-sama, I troubled you.¡±


    Koharu smiled stiffly. Konoha Orphanage was a lucrative post. Not to mention the yearly funds, the more important thing was the orphans¡¯ affection. Generally, they would enter various Konoha departments when they reached a certain age. If she needed anything done, the orphans would make things convenient for her. But now, Tonan has taken everything away. How could she be happy?


    Hiruzen saw through Koharu¡¯s feelings. He casually waved his hand, ¡°You two can go back. Orochimaru is already dead. Don¡¯t think about these things anymore.¡±


    Mitokado Homura and Koharu looked at each other quietly before getting up and leaving. Once they left, Hiruzen snorted. He then looked at Tonan with a kind and gentle smile, ¡°Tonan, don¡¯t you have anything to ask?¡±


    Tonan smiled, ¡°Sensei, if you think you should tell me something, you¡¯ll do so without asking.¡±


    Hiruzen was extremely satisfied with Tonan¡¯s attitude. He said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. Last night, we investigated Orochimaru¡¯s experimental base. And found that Orochimaru seemed to be researching a special secret art that allows people to reincarnate. Koharu and Homura sided with Danzo before because Orochimaru promised them he would reincarnate them once the secret art was successfully developed.¡±


    Hearing this, Tonan said lightly, ¡°Something like this violates the law of nature. Even if it succeeds, a huge price would¡¯ve to be paid.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and nodded, ¡°Yes, we found many notes in the laboratory that recorded the possible flaws, which is that it damages the original soul. A person¡¯s soul is set from the beginning, and it will only decrease over time. Therefore, the danger of this secret art is immense¡­¡±


    A light flashed through Tonan¡¯s mind, and he noticed the problem. His system seemed to inherit abilities only. It was useless against things like the soul. It seemed that the system converted special bloodline limit characteristics, knowledge, and cultivation into abilities. But things such as lifespan and soul couldn¡¯t be inherited. In the past, when Tonan had just gotten the system, he thought these things were considered abilities. After all, his talent had truly increased.


    It was only later that he discovered that things such as innate comprehension were just a way of thinking about problems. Some people were accustomed to thinking about a problem in one way, while others were able to think about it from different angles. These were personal abilities.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then can I keep getting stronger? Can I live forever? Even Sage of Six Path died of old age. If I want to live forever, I guess I¡¯ll have to inherit the bloodline limit of the Otsutsuki clan.¡±


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    But Tonan didn¡¯t believe that the Otsutsuki were immortal. It should just be that their lifespan far exceeded that of humans. Tonan felt like he seemed to have missed a key point, but he couldn¡¯t think of it.


    Suddenly, Hiruzen thought of something and asked, ¡°By the way, when you fought against Orochimaru, did you feel you were inadequate in any aspect?¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s voice pulled Tonan out of his thoughts. Here came his chance.


    Tonan frowned and pretended to think for a moment, ¡°I think Orochimaru¡¯s summoning beast was very powerful. Facing such a behemoth, I could only feel insignificant.¡±


    Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, ¡°Summoning beast¡­¡±


    The atmosphere was silent for a while, and after a long time, Hiruzen stood up and waved at Tonan, ¡°Tonan, come with me.¡±


    It¡¯s here. Tonan was delighted in his heart. He quietly followed Hiruzen and left the Hokage Meeting Room. After a while, Hiruzen led him to a deserted Konoha suburb. The trees were bare and shriveled vines were hanging down from them. Hiruzen made hang signs, and slammed his palm on the ground, summoning a huge scroll.


    He spread it open and solemnly said, ¡°Tonan, I¡¯m going to teach you Summoning Technique. This is a space-time ninjutsu. We can make a contract with summoning beasts, then use the technique to summon them to help us in a fight. The reason why I didn¡¯t teach you this yet was that both Orochimaru and Jiraiya found their summoning beasts themselves.¡±


    ¡°At first, I thought that one day you¡¯ll meet a summoning beast that suits you. But perhaps, people¡¯s fates are different. Maybe you were destined to inherit my legacy. My summoning beast is the monkey clan. If you think it¡¯s suitable, just sign your name on this scroll.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t hesitate. He bit his thumb and wrote his name on the summoning scroll. As he was writing it, he looked carefully and found that Hiruzen¡¯s summoning scroll just had Enma¡¯s name.


    Seeing that Tonan had finished signing, Hiruzen continued to explain, ¡°Before using the Summoning Technique, there are a few things I want to explain. The Ninja World is where humans live, but the other side of this planet is where summoning beasts live.¡±


    ¡°Most of them don¡¯t help humans for free. For instance, the monkey clan. After signing a contract with them, I¡¯ve to collect special herbs for them every once in a while. The value is not too high but most of them are only available in the Ninja World. Now that you¡¯ve signed a contract, you¡¯ve to fulfill the deal and they¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Tonan listened carefully and nodded, ¡°I understand sensei.¡± At this moment, a gust of wind blew and as the bare branches swayed a few times, two dried leaves fell. Hiruzen pointed at the seal on the back of the summoning scroll, ¡°Memorize the hand signs and then try to see whether you can summon Enma.¡±


    Tonan sat cross-legged on the ground and studied carefully. He looked at the scroll as if he wanted to understand every word on it and carve it in his heart. After about ten minutes, he narrowed his eyes and made hand signs, slamming his hand on the ground.


    Summoning Technique ¨C Enma.


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    Along with a ball of white smoke, Enma appeared in front of them. He didn¡¯t seem surprised that Tonan had summoned him. He said to Hiruzen, ¡°Hiruzen, it seems you two have already discussed it.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded, ¡°Enma, I¡¯m troubling you. Take Tonan to Mount Huaguo to find a partner.¡±


    Enma turned to Tonan, ¡°Tonan, I¡¯ll return to Mount Huaguo and then use Reverse Summoning Technique. When you sense it, don¡¯t use chakra, otherwise, you might easily fall into unknown places.¡±


    Tonan nodded and said seriously, ¡°Got it, Enma-sama.¡±


    Enma turned into a ball of smoke again, voluntarily dispelling the Summoning Technique. After half an hour, Tonan sensed a suction force coming from somewhere. He calmed his mind and soon disappeared in front of Hiruzen.

 CH 164

    Mount Huaguo was lofty and towering like a pillar supporting heaven. Halfway up the mountain was surrounded by rosy clouds and multicolored sunlight. It looked like a dreamland.


    There was also a huge waterfall pouring down the cliff on the top with great momentum, and it smashed into the deep pool at the mountain¡¯s foot. Along with the rumbling sound, the water splashed in all directions, and the grassland at the foot was shrouded in mist all year round.


    Uchiha Tonan felt his vision blur for a moment, and then he appeared on the grassland. He couldn¡¯t help exclaiming, ¡°Amazing!¡±


    A proud look appeared on Enma¡¯s face, who was standing at one side with his hands folded in front of his chest, ¡°The Reverse Summoning Technique is not so easy to use. I guess apart from Mount Huaguo, only the other three sacred places have arrays with this ability.¡±


    Tonan noticed the key point. He raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Array?¡±


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    Enma stomped on the ground, ¡°Do you think Summoning Technique is as simple as space-time ninjutsu? A special space-time array is arranged at the bottom of Mount Huaguo, which can teleport living beings and things from Mount Huaguo to the contracted person¡¯s side. Reverse Summoning Technique, however, is more troublesome, but I can¡¯t tell you about it. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to see our strongest young warriors and you can choose one. After all, I¡¯m not young anymore, and I can¡¯t always fight together with you or adapt to your fighting style.¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and bowed to Enma, ¡°Thank you Enma-sama.¡± After that, he followed him and activated the Sharingan to observe Mount Huaguo¡¯s beauty.


    Since Tonan could absorb natural energy, he could feel that the natural energy was much denser here compared to the Ninja World. Enma didn¡¯t comment when Tonan activated his Sharingan. Everyone knew Sharingan enhanced dynamic vision. But this allowed Tonan to secretly use Byakugan¡¯s see-through ability to observe Mount Huaguo¡¯s reality, while continuously admiring, ¡°So beautiful¡­¡±


    Through observation, Tonan saw a huge and complicated array at the bottom of Mount Huaguo, which could make people feel dizzy. There was no trace of chakra in this array.


    Tonan made a bold guess. The energy used for Summoning Technique¡¯s teleportation was natural energy and chakra was just equivalent to navigation. This array made Tonan think of Kumo¡¯s Heavenly Transfer Technique. Tonan was pretending to look at the scenery, so it was not wise to keep staring at the ground. Most of the time, he looked around.


    As his field of vision kept getting closer, Tonan noticed a large group of monkeys sitting cross-legged on the summit. These monkeys weren¡¯t using chakra in their bodies but their bodies were slowly becoming harder. Tonan guessed that the monkey clan had a way to grasp senjutsu energy but they could use natural power to strengthen their bodies.


    It seemed the Adamantine Body wasn¡¯t inborn but cultivated. If the natural energy was regarded as the cultivation world¡¯s spiritual qi, then the three sacred lands were equivalent to cultivating qi, and the monkey clan was equivalent to body refiner.


    Looking at it this way, the cultivation method was a big deal. Enma led Tonan up the mountain while introducing him to the monkeys who were practicing ninjutsu or taijutsu along the way.


    ¡°This is Entsu¡­ his body is the hardest among the monkey clan¡¯s younger generation.¡±


    ¡°This is Enya¡­ he has the greatest understanding of the special ninjutsu of the clan. After transforming into Adamantine Staff, he can split into sixty staffs at a time.¡±


    Tonan suddenly noticed a thin figure in the distance. It was a monkey that was a little shorter than him. The monkey was so skinny that the rough clothes made of animal fur could hardly hang on his body. His exposed arms seemed to be just skin and bones with barely any fur.


    The monkey was continuously hitting a boulder with his body but without any result. It looked like hitting a rock with an egg. But the monkey didn¡¯t think about it. He continued to hit the boulder and used all his strength every time.


    His entire body was bleeding but he didn¡¯t care about it. Judging from the sound of the impact, the monkey didn¡¯t seem to be strong. Tonan couldn¡¯t help but point at him, ¡°Enma-sama, who is he?¡±


    Enma, who was walking in the front, stopped his steps and looked in the direction where Tonan was pointing. He sighed, ¡°His name is Enkuu. There was an accident when he was born. As a result, his physique is so poor he can¡¯t even beat younger monkeys now.¡±


    Enma¡¯s tone was full of helplessness. Tonan nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Can I go talk to him?¡±


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    Enma seemed to have guessed what Tonan was thinking. He frowned, ¡°Tonan, you have to remember we are choosing a partner for you. You need someone who can help you in a battle. Being sympathetic and kind now means being cruel to yourself in the battle. Moreover, regardless of who you take as a partner, the agreed number of herbs will not be reduced.¡±


    In Enma¡¯s view, Tonan should choose a more powerful partner instead of a weak one because of emotions. Tonan nodded, ¡°I understand, but I want to have a few words with him.¡±


    Enma waved his hand, ¡°Alright then, go by yourself. I¡¯ll go to the Waterfall Cave to teach the young monkeys. You can come to look for me after you choose your partner.¡±


    After speaking, Enma disappeared into the jungle after a few jumps. Tonan looked at Enkuu in the distance and narrowed his eyes. Since the Adamantine Body was just a special method to strengthen the body with natural energy, his target should be the monkey whose acknowledgment he could easily get.


    After all, as the Monkey King, Enma was not so simple. It was difficult to fool him. And the powerful monkeys were mostly rebellious. Tonan had to maintain his character and needed to be gentle with others. He couldn¡¯t guarantee that those monkeys would take a yard after getting an inch, and finally, ride his head to make a fortune.


    Persimmons needed to be picked softly. After thinking for a while, Tonan picked a banana from the roadside and walked over. When meeting someone for the first time, it was better to bring a symbolic gift than to go empty-handed.


    Tonan arrived behind Enkuu and stood quietly, not disturbing him. He just watched the skinny monkey continuously ramming against the boulder. His tireless appearance would worry people. Soon, Enkuu stopped due to exhaustion and sat on the ground. He panted with his head lowered when suddenly, a banana appeared in front of him.


    Enkuu was stunned for a moment and looked up. He saw a person standing in front of him with a smile.


    ¡°Human? He should be a human. It¡¯s similar to the description Enma-sama had given. As for the appearance¡­ too ugly, there is too little fur.¡±

 CH 165

    It was no surprise that Enkuu would think this way because, to him, all creatures of the other races looked the same except for his race. He asked in an uncertain tone, ¡°Human?¡± Uchiha Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly and replied warmly, ¡°I¡¯m Uchiha Tonan, you can call me Tonan.¡±


    He shook the banana in his hand lightly and signaled Enkuu to take it with a gentle smile on his face. Enkuu hesitated for a moment but took the banana and peeled it off, eating it one bite at a time.


    Tonan smiled and sat down beside him. Looking at the mist below Mount Huaguo, he lightly said, ¡°I¡¯m here to look for a partner.¡±


    Enkuu nodded, ¡°I know that humans must sign a contract before being able to come here.¡±


    Tonan casually asked, ¡°Are you interested in coming to the Ninja World?¡±


    Enkuu was startled hearing the question. He was obviously tempted but his eyes became dull soon and he said while shaking his head, ¡°I¡¯m not talented and no matter how hard I train, my adamantine body is still just fur. Even the worst one of my peers has started learning ninjutsu. If I go to the Ninja World, even a genin can kill me. It¡¯d be better for you to choose someone powerful, otherwise, it¡¯ll be a big loss for you.¡±


    Enkuu continued to eat the banana. Although he looked like he didn¡¯t care, his frustrated expression betrayed him. He was aware of his strength, or lack thereof, and didn¡¯t want to hold someone back or ruin their future.


    Tonan was even more satisfied with his words. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you being a waste, I was afraid you had no desires and greed.¡±


    He said, ¡°I watched you train for a while and I noticed you¡¯re doing it wrong.¡±


    ¡°What am I doing wrong?¡± Enkuu looked at Tonan with a puzzled look. Tonan leaned back and placed his hands on the ground, speaking in a low voice, ¡°Effort is useful but making effort in the wrong direction will keep you away from your goal. Have you ever heard of Konoha?¡±


    Enkuu thought for a while and nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it from Enma-sama.¡±


    Tonan closed his eyes and took a long breath. He had to begin brainwashing now that consisted of three steps. The first was to trigger resonance.


    It¡¯s simply saying things like I used to be just like you or even worse than you. Or, we are fellow sufferers, and so on.


    With a look of reminiscence, he began, ¡°I used to be the lowest-ranking student in the Konoha Ninja Academy. I had no friends, no one to care about me, and no one to comfort me. Every day, I had to suffer the cold eyes of my clan members. Facing their ridicule, I could only pretend to be happy and didn¡¯t dare show my efforts in front of others.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid¡­ afraid that even after trying my best, I might not achieve anything in the end. I was afraid that everyone would think I¡¯m a piece of trash after they knew this. I could only act like I¡¯ve abandoned myself, making other people think that I¡¯m not useless but I just don¡¯t make any efforts. But at that time, I truly strived my hardest!¡±


    ¡°I was very serious in class and my written test scores were always the highest. I had even previewed the senior year courses. Every night, after my family fell asleep, I¡¯d get up and run to the corner of the yard to quietly train by myself. I pretended to be strong and struggled under my parents¡¯ high expectations. Even so, there was no result. I couldn¡¯t even compare to others in throwing techniques.¡±


    ¡°When the grades for my first school term came out, my parents found out that I ranked last. They, who had high expectations from me, became disgusted. They insulted and whipped me at every turn. At that time, I hated myself so much for being so useless. I couldn¡¯t even find the value or meaning of my existence in this world.¡±


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    When Tonan said these things, he didn¡¯t forget to put on his saddest expression. At first glance, anyone would sympathize with how hard and unforgettable his experiences were. Enkuu was already fascinated. Wasn¡¯t this similar to his current situation? He had no strength, and he was not welcomed by anyone. Even his relatives didn¡¯t support him. He anxiously asked, ¡°What about now?¡±


    The second step of brainwashing was to show off the results. Simply tell him about how amazing he is and let him be envious.


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    Tonan sat up straight and with a sweet smile on his face, said in a slightly proud tone, ¡°Now, I¡¯m the last student of the Hokage-sama and the number one Konoha genius. I defeated an Anbu captain called Konoha White Fang. Yesterday, I killed Orochimaru, one of the Konoha sannin, who was secretly doing human experiments.¡±


    Tonan was observing Enkuu¡¯s expression. Seeing his blank look, he explained, ¡°You might not have heard of them but have you heard of the Ryuchi Cave? Manda is that cave¡¯s strongest warrior. He is also Orochimaru¡¯s summoning beast.¡±


    Tonan stuck out his index finger and waved it lightly in front of Enkuu, ¡°One move. I made it run back to Ryuchi Cave with one hit. If it hadn¡¯t dispelled the summoning technique, I¡¯m confident that my second move would¡¯ve killed him.¡±


    Listening to Tonan¡¯s words, Enkuu felt his emotions surge. He wanted to immediately run over to Manda and stomp it under his feet. But after a moment, his passion cooled down and he said with doubt, ¡°You¡­ bragging¡­¡±


    Although what Tonan said was exciting, it also sounded unbelievable. Enkuu didn¡¯t know who Manda was but he had heard of the Ryuchi Cave, which was one of the three sacred lands. Could this seemingly young human youth truly beat Manda?


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose slightly. He pulled out a sword from his back and said, ¡°This is a divine artifact called the Kusanagi Sword. It¡¯s the sharpest weapon under the heavens. This was my war trophy after I killed Orochimaru. This sword can easily break through Enma-sama¡¯s cover as well and defeat him.¡±


    Tonan held the Kusanagi and casually swung it at the huge rock in front of him.


    Crack¡­ The huge rock split into two halves. Enkuu had become a believer. He suddenly stood up. Staring at Tonan fanatically, he stammered, ¡°Tonan¡­ -sama¡­ please guide me.¡±


    Tonan smiled a little and started the third step of brainwashing.


    Want to be as strong as me? Want to become the second me? Then, just be obedient and learn from me. Do what I tell you to do.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me -sama, just call me Tonan. In fact, from the first time I saw you, I felt we are the same kind. Ordinary training methods don¡¯t have much effect on special people like us. What we need is to find the right way. That choice is more useful than effort.¡±


    Tonan stood up and stretched out his hand towards Enkuu, ¡°Are you willing to be my partner? I¡¯ll personally teach you and make you stronger quickly.¡±

 CH 166

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    Enkuu looked at the palm in front of him, and his mind was filled with the word ¡®strong¡¯. He extended his trembling hand. But just before it could come in contact with Uchiha Tonan¡¯s hand, he retracted it and said with a gloomy expression, ¡°But I¡­ I¡¯ll hold you back.¡±


    He was aware of his strength and other monkeys also said he was useless. Although it sounded indignant, it was the truth. This little monkey was considerate of others. But the simpler he was, the easier he was to deceive.


    Tonan looked directly into his eyes and said, ¡°Even if living like ants, ambition should be lofty. Even if life is as thin as paper, the heart should be unyielding. The problem is with your training method, not you. As long as you accept my teaching, I believe you¡¯ll become strong. You have to have confidence in yourself. If you don¡¯t give it a shot, you won¡¯t know your potential. When I¡¯m not afraid, why are you?¡±


    This chicken soup for the soul never becomes outdated. Especially for losers who need to be supplemented with it the most. Sure enough, as soon as Tonan¡¯s thick chicken soup was poured, Enkuu cheered up as if injected with adrenaline. He placed his hand on Tonan¡¯s, ¡°Thank you for your trust. I¡¯ll definitely live up to your expectations. I¡¯ll work hard to become strong.¡±


    Enkuu¡¯s eyes were burning and his heart was full of hope. He even fantasized about a stronger version of himself in the future. Looking at his appearance, Tonan smiled and nodded, ¡°Excellent, this monkey is beyond saving now.¡±


    Tonan led Enkuu towards the Waterfall Cave. The closer they got, the more monkeys they encountered. On the cliffs on both sides of the stone steps, many monkeys sat on the branches scratching their ears. Seeing Tonan and Enkuu, they shouted with great interest, ¡°Is that the new human that signed the contract?¡±


    ¡°I heard Enma-sama say that he is very strong. He might be even stronger than Sarutobi-sama in the future.¡±


    ¡°Why is Enkuu following him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ perhaps, he¡¯s pestering the human to take him to the Ninja World.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s dreaming.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, if he can go, I¡¯ll kiss your ass.¡±


    When Enkuu heard these taunts, he felt very uncomfortable. He clenched his fists tightly and lowered his head. Those words of doubt echoed in his heart, causing his newly rising hope to crash to the bottom. Tonan knew what his newest target was feeling without looking back.


    He lightly commented, ¡°When you don¡¯t have strength, try not to argue with others. Only the strong have the right to speak. When you are stronger, they¡¯ll care about your feelings on their own. Mount Huaguo is too small. When we see the wider world together, you¡¯ll find that the monkeys who are mocking you today were just ignorant.¡±


    Enkuu nodded but his mood didn¡¯t recover for a long time. Tonan was not impatient. People who had been ridiculed for a long time suffered from inferiority complexes. Their psyche couldn¡¯t be changed with just a few words. The most useful thing was strength.


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    After a while, the gentle boy and the skinny monkey walked into the Waterfall Cave. There was a huge hot spring with many herbs floating in the middle of the cave emanating a medicinal smell. Although it was strong, it was not unpleasant. Instead, the mellow smell was calming.


    Enma sat on the stone chair, quietly observing little monkeys soaking in the hot spring. Seeing Tonan coming in with Enkuu, he raised his eyebrows, ¡°Tonan, did you make your choice?¡±


    Tonan bowed towards Enma, ¡°Enma-sama, I want Enkuu to be my partner.¡±


    Enma didn¡¯t mock Enkuu like other monkeys. He just asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Tonan nodded firmly, ¡°I believe Enkuu has immense potential, but it¡¯s just not developed yet. I believe he¡¯ll grow immeasurably strong in the future.¡±


    Hearing Tonan¡¯s praise in front of Enma, a warm current emerged in Enkuu¡¯s heart. Enma didn¡¯t say much about it, ¡°Alright. Then, I¡¯ll add Enkuu¡¯s name to the contract. You¡¯ll have the priority to summon him. If you want to summon me, you just need to increase your chakra output. But I¡¯m not your partner so every summon costs extra.¡±


    Tonan smiled, ¡°No problem, Enma-sama.¡± He then turned around and placed his hand on Enkuu¡¯s shoulder. He stared at him with a smile and said, ¡°Enkuu, I¡¯ll return to the Ninja World and summon you.¡±


    Enkuu raised his head and seeing Tonan¡¯s trusting eyes, he couldn¡¯t help thinking, ¡°Is this a partner¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­ Tonan.¡±


    It was evening by the time Tonan led Enkuu down the Konoha streets. The afterglow of the setting sun added warm hues to their bodies. Enkuu tried his best to restrain his curiosity but his eyes couldn¡¯t help wandering around, looking at this novel place. He was like a country bumpkin in town.


    Tonan wasn¡¯t impatient at all. He explained everything in Konoha to him. He pointed here and there, describing different things. The passers-by didn¡¯t seem to be surprised when they saw Enkuu. Summoning and ninja beasts were very common in Konoha. At most, some people would stop and take a second look.


    Tonan led Enkuu to the Uchiha clan. He planned to purchase a batch of herbs. Because the quantity was relatively large, he chose to come to the herb store in the clan¡¯s district because it was much cheaper than outside.


    Enkuu curiously asked, ¡°Tonan, where are we going now?¡± Tonan replied, ¡°We¡¯re going to the herb store to purchase herbs and give them to you to pay your clan. Then, we¡¯ll go to my house to train.¡±


    A hint of gratitude flashed through Enkuu¡¯s eyes, ¡°I haven¡¯t helped you yet, so wouldn¡¯t it be a loss for you if you paid now?¡±


    Tonan smiled, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. In any case, I needed to purchase some herbs for myself.¡±


    ¡°Are you sick?¡± Enkuu asked. Tonan shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I want to practice a secret art and I need to use these herbs.¡±


    Enkuu nodded, ¡°You are so powerful. The secret art you value should also be very powerful.¡±


    Tonan smiled, ¡°You¡¯ll know it when you practice it.¡±


    Enkuu was astonished and asked in disbelief, ¡°You want to teach me a secret art? Can I practise a secret art of humans?¡±


    They had already reached the herb store¡¯s door. ¡°How will you know without trying? Good things must be shared with partners.¡± Saying this, Tonan walked into the store.

 CH 167

    The herb store¡¯s owner was an old Uchiha with gray hair. The man recognized Uchiha Tonan. Considering that he could open an herb store in the Uchiha district, his strength and status weren¡¯t low.


    He knew a thing or two about what happened last night. He greeted Tonan and said with a forced smile, ¡°Welcome, what is the guest looking for?¡±


    He was a member of the Uchiha clan. Even if he had opened a store to do business, it was difficult for him to show a flattering smile. Tonan handed over the list given to him by Enma and said, ¡°This is a herb list. Give me ten times the amount written on it.¡±


    The store owner took the list and glanced at it. His eyes immediately lit up, and the smile on his face became genial. He hurried to the store¡¯s warehouse to get the herbs. About five minutes later, he came out with his face full of sweat and a storage scroll. He handed it over to Tonan and said, ¡°Here are your herbs. Because the quantity is so large, this storage scroll is a gift. Rounding up, the total price is 6.5 million Ryo.¡±


    Tonan took the scroll, and without checking it, handed over another list to the store owner and said, ¡°Double the amount written on this list. And pack each herb separately.¡±


    After taking the list and looking at it, the originally true smile of the store owner became one of flattery. No one could blame him for losing the great Uchiha pride because this business deal was too large.


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    The income of this deal alone was equivalent to his store¡¯s combined income of two years. The Uchiha clan had almost no secret art that required herbs. Therefore, the sales were not very good. After the store owner went to the warehouse, Tonan handed the scroll in his hand to Enkuu,  ¡°Enkuu, this is your reward for ten years.¡±


    Enkuu was stunned for a moment. He took the scroll and said emotionally, ¡°Tonan, I haven¡¯t helped you yet¡­ giving so much to me¡­¡±


    Enkuu¡¯s hand holding the scroll was shaking. He was very excited. Although these things should be handed over to the clan, he could use them as he pleased when cultivating the Adamantine Body. Unlike before, he wouldn¡¯t need to wait in line for a long time.


    Tonan smiled slightly, ¡°You are more than worth this money. You are my partner. In my heart, you¡¯re priceless.¡± Enkuu felt a warm current rise in his heart. He wanted to cry for no reason. He had never been treated so well by anyone before.


    The second list given by Tonan contained the herbs needed to practice Soft Physique Modification. It didn¡¯t need too much so the price was not too expensive. However, Tonan had used a trick and added an extremely expensive herb to the list. Although it was useless to him, its circulation in the market was relatively good.


    When he needed money, he could find an opportunity to sell it without losing much. As for why he did it¡­ of course, it was to deceive the na?ve Enkuu so that the monkey would understand how good and worthwhile Tonan was.


    At that time, the store owner finished packing the herbs into separate packages and stored them in a scroll. Handing it over to Tonan, he said, ¡°Please take this. The price for this is 13.6 million Ryo. Altogether, you¡¯ve to pay 20 million Ryo.¡±


    Tonan put away the storage scroll and cheerfully paid the money. ¡°See you again.¡± Behind one human and one monkey, the store owner enthusiastically bade farewell.


    Along the way, Enkuu, who was still immersed in emotion, asked, ¡°Why did you purchase such expensive herbs? What¡¯s their use?¡±


    Although Enkuu didn¡¯t know the prices of human society, he knew that the herbs needed by his clan were very expensive. But those herbs for ten years worth were not as expensive as the ones Tonan purchased. Tonan casually replied, ¡°This is for us to practice the secret art.¡±


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    ¡°Us two? This¡­¡± Enkuu was dumbfounded. He knew that Tonan was good to him but he had never imagined he was this good to him. Not only was he going to teach him a precious secret art but was also willing to spend so much for him. For a moment, Enkuu forgot to walk and remained frozen in the same spot.


    Tonan looked back at him and narrowed his eyes, ¡°Why are you standing there in a daze? Let¡¯s go home and practice together.¡±


    Enkuu came back to his senses and his gaze toward Tonan changed completely. Then, he said with a big smile, ¡°Alright!¡±


    ¡®Ding! Gained Enkuu¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Tonan also smiled hearing the system¡¯s prompt. ¡°Stupid monkeys are so easy to deceive. I heard that a monkey¡¯s brain is very nourishing. Especially when a fresh monkey brain is fried in boiling oil, it tastes like tofu. I wonder if that¡¯s true¡­¡±


    It took nearly ten minutes for them to reach Tonan¡¯s home in the Uchiha district. Immediately after entering, Tonan took out the Soft Physique Modification scroll and spread it open. He said to Enkuu, ¡°You learn it first. After you¡¯ve memorized the content, I¡¯ll practice it together with you.¡±


    Enkuu read the introduction of the secret art, ¡°This secret art is truly strange. The monkey clan¡¯s secret arts make the body hard but this one makes it soft.¡±


    Enkuu scratched his head. He couldn¡¯t figure out the use of this art. Tonan said casually, ¡°This is Orochimaru¡¯s strongest secret art. Never mention it to others¡­ it¡¯s too precious and people will be jealous.¡±


    Enkuu nodded seriously and stared at the scroll with a fanatic look. ¡°If what Tonan said was true, this scroll must have a special meaning. Orochimaru could make Manda his summoning beast. He must be very strong. His strongest secret art might not be inferior to the Adamantine Body. Tonan is so good to me¡­¡±


    Enkuu¡¯s aptitude was a bit lacking. It took him two hours to memorize the content. After he finished reading it, Tonan took him straight to the bathroom. He then turned on the water and threw herbs needed for the Soft Physique Modification into the bathing pool. The water turned so green that it also dyed the tiles beside the pool.


    ¡°Take off your clothes and soak in.¡± After instructing Enkuu, Tonan stripped his clothes and entered the pool. Enkuu was a monkey and a male monkey at that, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.


    Tonan sat cross-legged in the pool and slowly made hand signs. He controlled the chakra flow within his body according to the scroll¡¯s instructions. Enkuu also took off his fur clothing and entered the pool, beginning to practice.


    Time flew and half an hour quickly passed. Tonan opened his eyes and felt that his current physique seemed to be different from before. He raised his hand in front of his eyes and bent his fingers in the opposite direction. His fingers stuck on the back of his hand.


    ¡°We just began but the effect is so strong. It seems in a month the transformation will be complete.¡±

 CH 168

    There was a small smile on Uchiha Tonan¡¯s lips. He liked his progress in the Soft Physique Modification. The molting didn¡¯t require completion of the Soft Physique Modification, just one-third of it was enough.


    The more completed the modification, the lesser aftereffect of molting and the more times it could be used in a short timespan. In the original works, Uchiha Sasuke didn¡¯t learn the Soft Physique Modification but under the subtle influence of the cursed seal, his physique had changed to some extent. Therefore, he was able to use the Molting Secret Art.


    After the cursed seal disappeared, the incomplete Soft Physique Modification of his physique returned to its original state over the years.


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    Since today¡¯s modification process was completed, it was useless to continue to soak any longer. Tomorrow night, Tonan would use another batch of herbs to soak again. He got up from the pool naked and wrapped a white towel around his hip, as he quietly watched Enkuu.


    Tonan taught this secret art to Enkuu on a whim. He wanted to try fusing Soft Physique Modification and the Adamantine Body, two polar opposite cultivation techniques, and see if there would be any interesting results.


    He was testing this on the fact that the system¡¯s inheritance ability didn¡¯t seem to fuse and bring changes to the abilities already present but made them co-exist. For instance, Tonan had all chakra attributes, but these chakra attributes had no sign of merging into a bloodline limit of their own.


    Tonan, who was deeply influenced by the culture of his previous life, had heard of combining hardness and softness. Therefore, he thought of using Enkuu as an experiment.


    He wouldn¡¯t experiment himself without knowing the aftereffects, so he could only let Enkuu be the guinea pig. If Enkuu discovered he couldn¡¯t practice Adamantine Body while practicing Soft Physique Modification, Tonan would stop him from practicing it before he completely succeeded.


    At that time, he would directly rely on the system to let these two abilities exist side by side. Even after about two hours, Tonan saw that Enkuu hadn¡¯t woken up. He frowned and asked, ¡°Enkuu, did you fall asleep?¡±


    Enkuu sat cross-legged in the pool and because of the greed liquid, his fur was dyed green, turning him into a green monkey. Hearing Tonan¡¯s voice, he opened his eyes in frustration. He lowered his head and looked at the green liquid, ¡°Tonan, it seems I¡¯m too stupid. You should change your partner.¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly. Is it because there is a conflict between Soft Physique Modification and Adamantine Body or is this monkey¡¯s aptitude just too deficient? Even if it was, just how bad was it?


    Suddenly, a light flashed in Tonan¡¯s mind, and with a gentle smile, he signaled Enkuu to come over, ¡°Enkuu, come here.¡±


    Enkuu quietly nodded and crawled out of the pool. Perhaps, because Tonan was not a female monkey, he didn¡¯t even bother to put on clothes. Just like that, he sat beside the pool, depressed, holding his knees.


    Tonan had spent a lot of money to purchase these herbs. And Tonan was generous enough to let him practice together. However, he was unable to live up to his expectations. There was no change at all. He was truly unworthy of Tonan¡¯s careful nurture.


    Tonan looked down at Enkuu, and a strange smile flashed on his face. Immediately afterward, he squatted down in front of the green monkey and asked, ¡°Enkuu, I¡¯m going to help you but the process might be a little painful. Can you endure?¡±


    Enkuu raised his head and stared at Tonan, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of anything.¡± Enkuu would do anything as long as he could get stronger. Tonan nodded and quickly made hand signs. A strange charka fluctuation appeared on his palm.


    In the next moment, Tonan placed his palm on Enkuu¡¯s head.


    Cursed Seal ¨C Cultivation Path.


    Enkuu felt as if a foreign object was forcibly injected into his head, and his eyes instantly opened wide in pain. He held his head and kept rolling and wailing by the pool. He felt as if a pair of hands were scratching his brain, causing him to feel a splitting headache. It even gave him the urge to bang his head on the floor but he knew he couldn¡¯t do that. The pain represented change. He must persevere.


    Tonan didn¡¯t want to let the movement here disturb the surrounding Uchihas, so he pressed Enkuu¡¯s chakra point below his throat. After that, no matter how hard Enkuu tried, he couldn¡¯t make a sound. He just writhed in agony on the floor.


    Gradually, his struggle became weaker and weaker. In the end, he just lay on the ground and twitched frequently. His eyes were lifeless. It seemed his strength had left his body, not even leaving enough for him to breathe.


    Tonan merely watched the show from the beginning to the end. There were no emotional fluctuations as if he was looking at a corpse. This was the first time he was using the Cultivation Path Cursed Seal, so he didn¡¯t know whether it would kill someone or not.


    The worst result now would be Enkuu¡¯s death. In that case, Tonan would receive his knowledge and will know how to cultivate the Adamantine Body. However, Tonan had seen a group of little monkeys soaking in the medicinal liquid in Waterfall Cave. Chances are that the Adamantine Body needed the medicinal liquid to practice but he didn¡¯t know the prescription.


    The list given by Enma would definitely not contain all the necessary herbs. After all, the Adamantine Body was the monkey clan¡¯s foundation. It was most likely that only Enma, the king of the clan, knew the prescription.


    The death of a useless monkey wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble for the current Tonan. He could just tell Enma that to make Enkuu strong, he taught him a precious secret art but it conflicted with his abilities and he died violently.


    At that time, he would just need Hiruzen to plead for mercy on his behalf and pick another monkey as a partner. After a while, Enkuu finally couldn¡¯t endure the pain and passed out. Tonan squatted down and placed his hand below Enkuu¡¯s nose. He nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t die. Now, I can see the effect of the senjutsu energy in the Cultivation Path Cursed Seal.¡±


    About an hour later, Enkuu woke up slowly. It was a dimly lit room and there seemed to be a faint fragrance in the air. He was lying on the floor covered with a blanket. Enkuu could feel the exhaustion in his body. He felt tired. He wanted to sit up but he had no strength.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    Enkuu turned his head and looked over. Tonan was sitting behind a tea table, drinking tea while reading a book. Since he had already gained Enkuu¡¯s acknowledgment, he just needed to sit back and wait for the harvest.


    Enkuu was just a little monkey with no strength. Tonan didn¡¯t have to intentionally play nice anymore.


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    Enkuu took a deep breath and gritting his teeth, he sat up. He subconsciously felt his head but found nothing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, I opened your conception vein.¡±


    ¡°Conception vein?¡± Enku had never heard of this and asked in confusion.


    Tonan picked up a teacup and leisurely took a sip, ¡°This is a special meridian. After it is opened, it will liberate one¡¯s potential to a certain extent. I¡¯ve increased the number of herbs in the bathroom. Go and soak in now. If one hour won¡¯t do, then soak for two hours. Soak until your practice is successful.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t look up or at Enkuu. He just informed him like this. But Enkuu firmly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely succeed this time.¡±


    He got up with some difficulty and took a deep breath, walking to the bathroom step by step.

 CH 169

    After reading the book, Uchiha Tonan laid down and rested for a while. Although the Konoha Orphanage was disbanded, the orphans in it were already helping various Konoha departments. They had steady pay and accommodation and Tonan didn¡¯t bother to ask them to come over.


    Acknowledgment was not easy to obtain, especially from people who had their own agendas. If there were too many people, it would only waste his time. On the contrary, infants were the most suitable. As long as he used shadow clones to raise them, he would gain their acknowledgment naturally.


    In any case, the Third Great Ninja War would break out in a year at most. At that time, there would be no shortage of orphans. He didn¡¯t need to be impatient.


    ¡°With my current strength, I¡¯m capable of becoming the top fighting force in the Third Great Ninja War. But I don¡¯t have enough assurances. The war is not about fighting alone and the opponents have powerful ninjutsu as well. For instance, Onoki¡¯s Dust Style. As long as this technique hits me once, unless I activate the Izanagi, it¡¯s certain death.¡±


    ¡°In addition, the Third Raikage is also not a vegetarian. Besides, the tailed beasts are also a problem. To be on the safe side, I should learn the Adamantine Body first and increase my defense. I should also awaken Mangekyo.¡±


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    ¡°My ocular power has already reached a terrifying level. If it was anyone else in my place, he might¡¯ve already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan long ago. But my mentality is too stable. It¡¯s truly difficult to awaken it. I want to be angry¡­¡±


    Tonan sighed and closed his eyes, slowly falling asleep.


    The next day, a loud cheer could be heard from the bathroom. ¡°Tonan, I succeeded!¡±


    This was Enkuu. Tonan opened his eyes and got up, heading to the bathroom. Enkuu was sitting cross-legged on the pool¡¯s edge looking at his ten fingers. The fingers were like earthworms, twisting without disturbing each other. It seemed like the muscles, bones, and joints no longer existed.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Tonan praised lightly.


    Enkuu immediately stood up and bowed deeply towards Tonan with an excited face, ¡°Thank you, Tonan.¡± This success had rekindled his hope, and this hope was given by Tonan.


    Tonan smiled a little and waved his hand, ¡°Go back to Mount Huaguo. Hereafter, you¡¯ll train there during the day, and I¡¯ll summon you here at night to practice with me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave now.¡± As soon as he spoke, Enkuu turned into a cloud of white smoke and disappeared.


    Tonan bent over and picked up Enkuu¡¯s clothes, shaking his head. ¡°This monkey is not too bright. Will eating such a brain with low IQ be truly nourishing?¡±


    After a while, Tonan finished washing up and left his house to go to the welfare institution. Walking through the Uchiha district, he could sense that the clan member¡¯s attitude toward him seemed to have changed. In the past, most of them treated him coldly. Tonan was close to Sandaime, and his move to distance himself from the clan was simply regarded as treacherous. Regardless of who it was, on the surface or in secret, they hated Tonan.


    But today, almost all the people lowered their heads and took a detour the moment they saw him. Noticing this, Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly.


    ¡°This situation¡­ It seems like the clan knows that I killed Orochimaru. So, although they don¡¯t like me, because of the gap in our strength, they are avoiding me.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t care about it. In his eyes, the Uchihas were nothing but future rations. The reason why he hadn¡¯t made a move on the clan yet was that he was worried that the butterfly effect would be too great and would affect Uchiha Sasuke¡¯s birth.


    There were only two people who possessed Indra¡¯s power in the Ninja World. One was Sasuke and the other was Uchiha Madara. It was hard to make a move on Madara whose heart and mouth were full of Senju Hashirama.


    In contrast, Sasuke was easier. Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto were the essential factors to awaken the Rinnegan. He couldn¡¯t tolerate any mishap in their birth.


    Tonan, who had just left the Uchiha district, stopped and heard passers-by whisper¡­


    ¡°Look, that¡¯s Uchiha Tonan. He and a bunch of Uchihas besieged and killed Orochimaru-sama.¡±


    ¡°Why did they kill Orochimaru-sama?¡±


    ¡°The Uchiha clan is evil. I guess they just wanted to kill the strong people in the village so that they could do whatever they wanted.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ regardless of Tsunade-sama or Jiraiya-sama, their departure after the last war has something to do with the Uchihas. Now, they¡¯ve also killed Orochimaru-sama.¡±


    ¡°I remember Uchiha Tonan had also killed White Fang-sama.¡±


    ¡°This Uchiha Tonan is too evil. Now, there is no White Fang-sama or the sannin, what if a war starts? Who can reach the top? Can he reach the top?¡±


    ¡°No, I heard it¡¯s because Orochimaru-sama was conducting human experiments¡­¡±


    ¡°I know all that. I¡¯ve heard the exact information. The materials for those experiments were either corpses or enemy spies. I think Orochimaru-sama did the right thing. He was researching ninjutsu to strengthen Konoha.¡±


    ¡°Taking ten thousand steps back, even if Orochimaru-sama truly did experiments with villagers, it would be worthwhile. If necessary, I can stand up and choose to be a sacrifice. Do you all understand the Will of Fire? Sacrifice a few people to illuminate the entire village.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to understand the Will of Fire so deeply.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking. That kid is coming.¡±


    That person quickly lowered his volume and glanced at Tonan secretly, while signaling his companion to shut up.


    ¡°When he comes over, I¡¯ll spit on him.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? He even dared to kill Orochimaru-sama, killing a civilian like you is nothing.¡±


    He tugged his companion¡¯s clothing. Seeing Tonan approaching, he was dying to slap his companion to death. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to run away if he kills me.¡±


    ¡°He is Hokage-sama¡¯s student and an Uchiha clan member. His background is terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    The man said he was not afraid but his voice was already inaudible and he didn¡¯t dare look at Tonan. At this moment, Tonan had already walked up to them and suddenly stopped in front of them. Several people were so frightened that they lost their minds and stuttered¡­


    ¡°Tonan¡­ -sama¡­¡±


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    ¡°We¡­ we¡­ didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡±


    Tonan frowned as if he was thinking of something. After a few seconds, his eyebrows relaxed, and with a gentle smile on his face, he said, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, good morning.¡±


    After greeting, Tonan changed his direction and walked towards the Hokage Building. The people couldn¡¯t help breathing a sigh of relief.


    ¡°He has left.¡±


    ¡°He might not have heard us. We were speaking in a low voice.¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­, I feel like he was intimidating us.¡±


    ¡°Did he truly think that being powerful is amazing?¡±

 CH 170

    At the Hokage Residence, Uchiha Tonan walked into the office and bowed to Sarutobi Hiruzen, ¡°Sensei.¡±


    Hiruzen was frowning at this moment, ¡°Tonan, I was about to send someone to call you. Someone told me about a rumor in the village today. Don¡¯t worry, they don¡¯t know the truth. I¡¯m planning to send people to clarify it for you.¡±


    Hiruzen was afraid that Tonan would follow in White Fang¡¯s footsteps after hearing the rumors. White Fang¡¯s incident was the result of him making the village suffer a loss and someone needed to take responsibility.


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    In addition, since White Fang¡¯s strength and prestige were too high, Hiruzen wanted to take this chance to take him down a peg. But he had never thought that White Fang¡¯s heart was so fragile. However, Tonan was different. He was like a son to him. Hiruzen couldn¡¯t tolerate such rumors about Tonan.


    Tonan, however, said with a calm expression, ¡°Sensei, I came here to discuss this. I want you to ignore the rumors. Leave the clarification to me.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Hiruzen was puzzled. He didn¡¯t understand how Tonan would handle this. Tonan said with a look of reminiscence, ¡°Master Chigo once taught me a secret technique that can only be practiced with a flawless and kind heart. It¡¯s just that the practice of this technique is very different. You need to be able to open your heart to accept and enlighten others. This rumor is related to me, so I¡¯ve to explain it to the villagers myself. I believe they will understand and agree with me.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s eyes glowed as if they were full of love and hope. Hiruzen looked at his innocent demeanor and blew out a mouthful of smoke, ¡°I¡¯ve also heard about the Fire Temple¡¯s secret technique. No wonder only the First Hokage could learn it for so many years. I was thinking they were keeping it a secret but it turned out there was such a restriction.¡±


    Tonan warmly smiled, ¡°Sensei, do you want to learn it? I think an honest person like you is very suitable to learn this technique.¡±


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    Hiruzen almost choked on the smoke. ¡°I know what kind of a person I am. I¡¯m still a bit far away from having a flawless and kind heart.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ I, after all, am too old to learn. I¡¯ll leave this to you then. If you can¡¯t resolve it, come to me.¡±


    Tonan placed his hands on his knees and bowed to Hiruzen, ¡°Thank you for letting me do this, sensei. I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    After Tonan left the Hokage Residence, he went to the welfare institution. He dispelled the shadow clone that was taking care of little Kotoura and created another one.


    Apart from looking after Kotoura, the shadow clone was also responsible for the welfare institution¡¯s meals. He had no time to rest. If he dispelled midway, Kotoura would be in danger. Before going out, Tonan also asked Maito Dai and his son to help purchase ingredients.


    On Konoha streets, Tonan turned on the effect of Wind Communication to the maximum. He heard countless doubts, scorns, and insults.


    ¡°Very good, let the anger ferment¡­ the fiercer the insults, the better. Make me angry. I wonder what¡¯ll be my Mangekyo¡¯s abilities. It seems its abilities are named after the deities of a certain island country¡¯s myths. However, there don¡¯t seem to be many gods in their myths, and there are only a few powerful deities.¡±


    ¡°Amaterasu? Tsukuyomi? Kotoamatsukami? Or Kagutsuchi? It is said that Sharingan is the eye that portrays the soul, and most of the awakened abilities are related to it. If that¡¯s the case, I think no ability matches me. Could it be that it¡¯ll be the ability with the name of some minor deities? Or related to acknowledgment? Or killing people? I¡¯m looking forward to it¡­¡±


    Tonan wandered around the streets for a long time. However, the villagers¡¯ discussions seemed too low. He felt they were not going all out. Most of them were just doubts and dissatisfaction. There were just a few insults. The villagers¡¯ characters seemed to be a bit high. Tonan frowned slightly.


    ¡°This is no good. I don¡¯t feel anything at all. If things develop like this, one day everyone will forget about it and it will be replaced by new things. That¡¯s human nature.¡±


    After mulling over it some more, he thought the rumors had just begun and everyone¡¯s emotions were not heightened. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the rumors to ferment for a few more days. I just need to keep brushing my presence, so that they don¡¯t forget about me.¡±


    Making this decision, Tonan wandered through every street in Konoha. At noon, he took advantage of a small gap to eat something at a roadside stall and then continued to wander around with great cause. He didn¡¯t return home until after sunset.


    Then, he summoned Enkuu to practice Soft Physique Modification. Once Enkuu appeared, Tonan could feel his changes. He immediately grabbed Enkuu¡¯s wrist and pulled him into the bathroom. ¡°Let¡¯s go, and practice quickly.¡±


    While walking, Tonan lightly poked Enkuu¡¯s wrist. He could feel the skin dent a little but the more it dented, the stronger the resistance. It seemed the simultaneous practice of the Soft Physique Modification and the Adamantine Body affected both internal and external cultivation.


    The Adamantine Body trained skin and bones but with the addition of the Soft Physique Modification, it had become an all-around enhancement. This was good news for Tonan. Tonan didn¡¯t know whether it was his misconception but he felt that Enkuu¡¯s fur seemed to have gotten brighter.


    Because he didn¡¯t take care of it often, his fur was very messy and rough earlier. But now, it was soft and shiny making people feel comfortable seeing it.


    ¡°Enkuu, after a day of training, do you feel any discomfort in your body?¡±


    Enkuu looked at Tonan with a moved expression and replied with a smile, ¡°I feel better than ever. Today, my Adamantine Body crossed the threshold. Enma-sama said if I maintain this progress, after half a month, I¡¯ll be able to practice it without relying on external stimuli.¡±


    Enkuu was very excited. His strength finally took a step forward. Half a month¡­ With a gratified smile on his face, Tonan rubbed Enkuu¡¯s head and gently said, ¡°Pay close attention to this secret technique then and be sure not to ignore it. If Enma-sama asks why you are progressing so fast, just tell him I taught you a secret art but you mustn¡¯t tell the details. You¡¯re my partner so you can learn it, but others can¡¯t.¡±


    Enkuu nodded solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tonan. This is your secret art, I won¡¯t teach it to others.¡±


    In Enkuu¡¯s heart, Tonan¡¯s favor was equivalent to giving him a second life. Tonan helped him improve, made him ignore what other people said, and was willing to spend money for him. Tonan was so good to him, Enkuu had already acknowledged him from the bottom of his heart. Regardless of the situation, he would never betray Tonan.


    Tonan smiled and pointed at the pool, ¡°Quickly get in and soak.¡±


    Perhaps, the effect of the cursed seal was too powerful. Enkuu looked more and more like a human. His body became straight, his legs became longer and his tail seemed to have shortened a little.


    Another noticeable point was that his fur seemed to have gotten lighter than the original dark brown fur of the monkey clan. Tonan guessed this might be because he used the human race¡¯s senjutsu energy when he planted the Cultivation Path Cursed Seal. This was just like people who had the Cursed Seal of Heaven planted on them had abnormal characteristics when they used them.


    Enkuu was a monkey, belonging to a primate animal, and was relatively close to humans. Therefore, the changes didn¡¯t seem too abnormal.

 CH 171

    The morning sun¡¯s first rays spread through the sky, waking up the sleeping Konoha. There was remnant mist in the air that made the little bodies of the chirping birds, flying back and forth, a little wet. But it couldn¡¯t stop them from searching for food.


    A new day had begun. Enkuu walked out of the green pool and used clean water to wash off the medicinal liquid dyeing his body. Sunlight shone in from the bathroom¡¯s window, making his fur glow with a faint golden light, looking very beautiful.


    After his recent training, the monkey¡¯s frail body had become stronger. He put on the clothes that Uchiha Tonan had specially got for him and came to the study. Tonan was standing in front of the altar table, solemnly sticking three incense sticks in front of the rows of wooden carvings. His lips were moving as if in prayer.


    Enkuu said, ¡°Tonan, I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Tonan let out a soft hum and casually waved his hand in response. Dispelling the Summoning Technique, Enkuu returned to Mount Huaguo.


    ¡°Alas¡­¡± Tonan sighed deeply looking at the three rows of wooden carvings for a long time. During the past two days, he went out shopping at dawn but the villagers didn¡¯t dare be presumptuous in front of him. Even while discussing in hushed tones, they seemed constrained. They were all afraid of his strength. They feared if he heard their inappropriate words, they would end up being executed.


    But it was exactly this constraint that annoyed Tonan. If the villagers didn¡¯t insult him hard enough, how could his mood fluctuate? He was almost touching that realm, just a step away.


    Tonan was a little anxious, and he couldn¡¯t help murmuring, ¡°These people¡­ why don¡¯t they have the energy like they did when insulting White Fang?¡±


    Tonan was puzzled. He had done nothing to frighten them so why were they so afraid?


    ¡°Could it be¡­ because I¡¯m an Uchiha¡­¡± Tonan frowned, thinking about how to break this deadlock. He knew who spread the rumors without thinking. But the crucial point was the person was a little too weak and his people-inciting ability was poor.


    Honestly speaking, Tonan was disappointed in Shimura Danzo. To be fair though, it was not that Danzo didn¡¯t want to continue to increase his efforts. It was just that from the first day the rumor appeared, Hiruzen was firmly watching him, and he didn¡¯t dare make any move.


    Tonan returned to the tea table and sat in front of it. He put his hand on his forehead and rubbed his temple lightly with his fingers.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯ve to make the rumors and insults more violent myself. This is about human nature¡­ Human nature¡­¡±


    Tonan pondered for a long time, and suddenly a light flashed in his mind. The corners of his mouth rose¡­ Half an hour later, he walked out of the Uchiha clan district with his head lowered, looking gloomy.


    After leaving the district, he turned into an alley. Immediately afterward, he created several shadow clones and using the Transformation Technique, turned them into villagers.


    Not long after, Tonan came to a busy commercial street. There were young and old people on the street. This was the most prosperous place in Konoha, and it was also the place with the largest flow of people.


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    ¡°That fellow is here again.¡±


    ¡°So, what if he comes, we can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, forget it.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan heard these conversations and thought to himself, ¡°Forget it? How can you forget it! Hurry up, pull yourself together. You all need to come forward and speak up for Konoha¡¯s justice.¡±


    In the next instant, an egg flew out of nowhere and hit Tonan. It shattered on his head and fell to the ground, but the liquid inside stuck on his hair along with a few broken eggshells. It slowly flowed down his face, making him look awkward.


    For a moment, the pedestrians on the street held their breaths, worried that the brave warrior who secretly threw the egg would be killed. However, Tonan didn¡¯t respond and continued to walk silently.


    It was just that his head was lowered even more, and his expression looked even more downcast. He tightly clenched his fists but had no intention to fight back.


    After a few moments, another egg was thrown. Sure enough, he was hit again. This time, it directly hit his face. Some sharp eggshells scratched his face and blood was oozing out.


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    ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death, you bastard.¡±


    ¡°Besieging Orochimaru-sama? If you had the guts, you should have gone one-on-one.¡±


    ¡°Not only did you murder Orochimaru-sama you also conspired to destroy his reputation.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    With many villagers looking, someone took the lead. Seeing Tonan dared to be angry but didn¡¯t speak, they believed he was afraid of the mob power. Their morale was boosted. They grabbed things from the roadside vendors, aiming everything at him with all their might.


    For a moment, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and stones flew indiscriminately. At the same time, curses rained from their mouths.


    ¡°Get out of Konoha.¡±


    ¡°Damned Uchiha imp.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just die?¡±


    ¡°The Uchiha clan is full of bastards.¡±


    Once someone took the initiative, everyone began to curse.


    ¡°Who is cursing the Uchiha clan?¡± Suddenly, the surrounding became silent. A Konoha Police Force squad rushed into the crowd and subdued the villagers who insulted their clan.


    The captain glanced coldly at the crowd, and the surrounding villagers lowered their heads in fear, hastily fleeing the scene. He snorted and walked over to Tonan, ¡°Tonan, are you alright?¡±


    Regardless of which side Tonan was on, he was always an Uchiha. Killing Orochimaru was a matter of prestige for the clan. How could they let villagers curse and insult him like this?


    However, facing the concern of the guard captain, Tonan slowly raised his head. He looked at him and coldly said, ¡°This is my business, I don¡¯t need the Uchiha clan¡¯s intervention. The villagers will understand me sooner or later.¡±


    Hearing this, the guard captain was first stunned and then burst into anger. What kind of person is this¡­ These people are insulting you, but you are still defending them? So unreasonable!


    The captain took a deep breath and snorted again. He turned around and said to his teammates, ¡°Release the villagers. Ignore if you encounter something like this again in the future.¡±


    He then led the police force away.

 CH 172

    The positive feelings the police force gathered toward Uchiha Tonan with great difficulty instantly dissipated. Helplessly, Tonan had to go towards another bustling commercial street. Meanwhile, the shadow clones that had transformed into villagers were prepared.


    Just as he arrived at this commercial street, the same scene repeated itself but no one came to his rescue this time. Even when the police force squad saw him berated, they ignored it and took a detour.


    To incite villagers more, Tonan¡¯s shadow clones used the swears from his previous world.


    ¡°Your father drinks a lot of alcohol¡­ Your mother has three hands¡­ Your elder sister is ugly¡­ I hugged your younger sister¡­ Your grandfather can¡¯t walk¡­ Your grandmother loves to stay overnight¡­ You¡¯ll be childless even when you are a fifty-year-old dog.¡±


    ¡°Your words stink¡­ You get angry without reason¡­ Everything you do is unsatisfactory.¡±


    ¡°You are mentally ill¡­ Your wife is truly unrestrained¡­ Your father can¡¯t move his pestle¡­ Your mother can¡¯t climb the bed¡­ Your big sister doesn¡¯t look like a human¡­ Your younger sister is skinny enough to be a dog beating stick.¡±


    ¡°***************¡­ *******¡­¡±


    ¡°***********¡­¡±


    Tonan¡¯s shadow clones¡¯ sharp curses simply stunned the villagers. But seeing no response from him, their enthusiasm was triggered. They racked their brains, looking for the most vicious words to insult him. They wanted to vent all their anger.


    Tonan had already reached the center of the square. The space was relatively open and enough to accommodate many to vent to their heart¡¯s content.


    He stopped there, lowered his head, and closed his eyes. At the same time, he opened the door of his heart wide to feel the destructive power of words. With time, more and more villagers joined in. All kinds of miscellaneous items were about to bury Tonan.


    The villagers had never cursed so vigorously in their entire lives. As if their cognition vein was opened, they became enlightened and many novel words came up. At this moment, Tonan had already let go of his thoughts, trying his best to not let his rationality suppress his already scanty amount of emotion.


    ¡°A little bit, just a little bit of anger can awaken my Mangekyo.¡±


    As countless curses entered his ears, Tonan¡¯s heartbeat sped up a bit. His fingers began to tremble instinctively¡­ The three-tomoe had appeared in his eyes on its own. And without him supplying chakra, it began to spin slowly on its own.


    ¡°*********¡­ *******¡­ ¡±


    ¡°******¡­ ****¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    By Now, Tonan already looked like a beggar. His tidy hair was glued together because of the eggs hurled at him. His current state appeared miserable. What¡¯s more, people felt throwing vegetables alone was not enough and threw their baskets at him as well.


    Tonan only lowered his head even further, his face almost buried in his chest. But he remained silent. The curses got louder and louder. Before a person could finish, another would have already begun. It seemed they were taking this chance to vent the anger of their lives.


    In Tonan¡¯s eyes, which were covered by his bangs, the three tomoe had already formed a circle. He felt a drop of anger dropping into the vast ocean-like ocular power. But it was like a waterdrop falling into boiling oil. The ocular power boiled over on its own, rushing towards a thin film of an unseen world.


    Just a little bit, a bit more.


    ¡°Beat him to death!¡±


    ¡°Altogether, beat him to death.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Instigated by the shadow clones, a group of villagers rushed toward Tonan, then punched and kicked him. Tonan slowly knelt and put his hands on the ground, discarding his defense. He even suppressed his chakra¡¯s instinctive reaction.


    His arms scraped on the uneven ground, leaving fresh wounds on his skin. More and more people rushed over, wanting to participate. They punched and kicked him, hitting his head, stomach, and legs.


    Tonan curled up on the ground, blocking people¡¯s punches and kicks with his arms.


    Bang, bang, bang¡­


    ¡°Captain, are we truly not going to help him?¡± At the end of the street, many Konoha Police Force members had gathered. Looking at Tonan¡¯s tragic situation, some members couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°If he wanted to resist, with his strength, would he be beaten like this? He¡¯s a fool, ignore him.¡± Several captains rejected helping Tonan, then waved to their team members and went to patrol other places.


    At the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen had sent people to pay attention to any news about Tonan. ¡°What! The villagers have started to surround and beat Tonan?¡±


    Hearing the latest report, Hiruzen stood up in a hurry and left the office using the Body Flicker Technique. Because he was afraid public opinion would hurt him, he repeatedly suppressed Danzo¡¯s actions and thought it would be fine after a while.


    But beyond his expectations, things became worse. Tonan was getting beaten and cursed in the street.


    On the square, the villagers were eager to vent their resentment against Tonan.


    Boom!


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    Suddenly, a thunderclap resounded on a sunny day as if something intolerable had been born. A deep sense of fear spread through every villager¡¯s heart. They involuntarily stopped their attacks and their bodies trembled instinctively. One could hear gulping sounds all around.


    ¡°You¡­ why¡­ aren¡¯t you¡­ hitting¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m tired¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Someone in the crowd screamed, and the crowd panicked. Everyone started to step back as if they were avoiding something terrifying.


    ¡°Why are you screaming?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    At the same time, in the world of eternal peace on the other side, suddenly, the sky shook and blood-red lightning flashed everywhere as if the entire world was going to be torn apart.


    Countless cracks appeared on the ground, mountains collapsed, and rivers changed their course. On top of the mountain at the center of this land, the Sage of Six Paths, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes. He quickly made hand seals and slammed his palm on the ground.


    The entire world seemed to have calmed by a stabilizing force. It instantly recovered its former calmness, as if everything that had happened just now was an illusion.


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    A young man with Byakugan came behind Sage of Six Paths and solemnly said, ¡°I sensed a kind of severing feeling. Did someone from the younger generation of the Ninja World grasp a new Pure Land?¡±


    The Sage of Six Paths shook his head, ¡°Impossible, Hagoromo, the Pure Land belongs to the mutation of heavenly control. It lies between virtual and real. Even if another Otsutsuki clan member eats the chakra fruit and gives birth to an offspring, it¡¯s difficult to possess this ability.¡±


    Otsutsuki Hagoromo frowned and pondered, ¡°Since it can affect the Pure Land, if it¡¯s not because of the Ninja World, then it should be because of the nearby planet.¡±


    The Sage of Six Paths nodded, ¡°We will know the situation in the Ninja World once new souls enter. When Indra¡¯s chakra returns, I plan to reincarnate him immediately. With their chakra reincarnating in the Ninja World, we can observe the Ninja World¡¯s situation at any time.¡±


    The Sage of Six Paths looked at the sky and sighed. He couldn¡¯t figure out what could have happened for this Pure Land, a space between virtual and real, to be disrupted. It was like being squeezed by the same things.


    But this ocular power was unique according to the bloodline information.

 CH 173

    At the commercial street square in Konoha, at this moment Uchiha Tonan was kneeling with his head lowered. His body was full of scratches and a sticky egg liquid was dripping down his hair. But there was a smile, in fact, pure joy on his face.


    Once the rationality he had suppressed was released, the insignificant trace of anger in his heart was extinguished. In his scarlet eyeballs, a small black tomoe spun, and then another appeared in a centrally symmetrical manner.


    If the entire eyeball was regarded as a circle, then the Mangekyo¡¯s shape was like the yin and yang symbol. With it, some information about Mangekyo Sharingan¡¯s abilities started filling Tonan¡¯s head.


    The moment he received it though, most of his joy faded and a strange look appeared. He tried to use this newly acquired ability. His right eye suddenly opened, and the pattern of his Mangekyo spun rapidly.


    Wisps of invisible black qi flew out of the villagers¡¯ bodies and were absorbed by his right eye. As this happened, the fear in the villagers¡¯ hearts abruptly disappeared. There was not even a trace left, leaving behind only good and beautiful thoughts in their hearts¡­


    One by one, everyone looked at Tonan¡¯s small trembling figure amid the mess and they couldn¡¯t bear to watch this sight.


    ¡°Tonan, we¡¯re here!¡± Right at this moment, several people jumped down from the roofs on both sides. These were Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, and the team of Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin.


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    Seeing his sorry state, Kushina immediately rushed to help him get up, ¡°Tonan, are you alright?¡± Tonan stood up with a haggard look. He stared at Kushina, looking confused, ¡°Kushina-senpai, did I do something wrong? Why is everyone blaming me?¡±


    Tonan swayed slightly as if he was seriously injured both mentally and physically. When Kushina saw this, she felt heart-wrenching pain. She took him in her arms and patted his back, ¡°You did nothing wrong. Someone must¡¯ve secretly incited these people.¡±


    Seeing this desolate and helpless version of Tonan, who was otherwise radiating with optimism, Kakashi pulled out his White Fang and stood in front of him. He coldly stared at the villagers. It was as if he would kill anyone who dared to step forward without hesitation.


    Even Obito, Minato, and Rin stood around Tonan with tacit understanding, and together with Kakashi, they protected him. Minato solemnly said, ¡°Tonan, you¡¯ve to pull yourself together.¡±


    Facing this protective formation, the villagers who had no resentment left in their hearts, simply looked at each other. They were at a loss for what to do next. Just walking away after all they had done so far did not seem right. And they did not have the energy or the will left to continue cursing either.


    Having achieved his goal, Tonan too didn¡¯t want to take the initiative to be cursed any further. His priority now was to restore his image and see if he could use the villagers¡¯ guilt to gain some acknowledgment.


    The approach was simple. Choose a topic, find the villagers¡¯ sore points and poke it a few times. They would sympathize with him if he would hurt them like this and would stand on his side.


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    Tonan broke free from Kushina¡¯s arms and staggered out of the protective circle. He walked up to the villagers and took a deep breath, placing his hands on his knees and bowing deeply. ¡°Hello, uncles, aunts, and senpais. I want to know what I did wrong? Can someone explain it to me? If I¡¯m at fault, I¡¯m willing to accept any punishment.¡±


    Tonan bit his lip as if he was trying his best to endure the pain in his heart. Kushina looked at him and couldn¡¯t help taking a few steps forward, ¡°Tonan¡­¡±


    However, Minato grabbed her hand and softly said, ¡°Let him handle it, let¡¯s not disturb. I believe he can do this.¡±


    Minato looked at Tonan as well. He recalled what Tonan had said when they met for the first time. He had said that his dream was to gain the entire village¡¯s acknowledgment.


    ¡°Tonan, you can do it,¡± Minato cheered in his heart.


    The villagers who had no grievances in their hearts remained silent for a long time. No one answered. But Tonan had to continue the charade. One of his shadow clones who had transformed into a villager stepped forward and pointed at him, ¡°Why did you kill Orochimaru-sama?¡±


    This shadow clone became the villagers¡¯ voice, and when played like this, the ending was already set. Tonan replied in a low voice, ¡°Because Orochimaru-sama was secretly capturing villagers to make them live experiment subjects.¡±


    Tonan specifically changed the concept, from human experiments to live experiments. It could better reflect Orochimaru¡¯s cruelty and ruthlessness. The shadow clone snorted, ¡°So what? Why did Orochimaru-sama conduct live experiments? To develop new ninjutsu that benefits Konoha. With new ninjutsu, fewer people will die in the next war. If he needed it, I¡¯d be willing to be the first sacrifice. This is my Will of Fire¡­ what do you all say?¡±


    The shadow clone threw this troublesome topic at the villagers behind him. The crowd could sense something was not right. Live experiments must be a crime. But now, when the shadow clone was asking whether they would sacrifice themselves for the village or not, it was inappropriate to answer negatively.


    One after another, they replied with awkward looks¡­


    ¡°Eh¡­ yes¡­¡±


    ¡°We should¡­¡±


    Tonan looked at everyone and nodded lightly, ¡°Is that so? It seems my understanding of the Will of Fire is different from yours. The Will of Fire I adhere to is that everyone in Konoha regardless of ninjas and civilians is equal. There is no distinction in class. The old, the weak, the disabled, and the pregnant are the targets we need to protect. When I infiltrated his laboratory, I saw babies and pregnant women in the containers filled with green liquid.¡±


    ¡°I wondered how sad were the families who lost their children and mothers-to-be. I lost my mind when I thought about them. I wanted to kill that demon in human disguise and seek justice for the babies who had not seen the prosperity of the world yet.¡±


    Tonan had two main thoughts behind his long-winded speech. One was to express how much he valued the villagers and the other was to reinforce Orochimaru¡¯s brutality. Sure enough, as soon as he said this, everyone frowned and remained silent.


    However, just this much heat was not enough. The shadow clone aggressively continued, ¡°Orochimaru-sama has made many contributions. Without him, more people would¡¯ve died during the war. He saved so many people¡­ what¡¯s the big deal about killing a few infants and pregnant women. People die every day in the Ninja World. A few dying now is better than a lot dying later.¡±

 CH 174

    ¡°Bastard!¡± Uchiha Obito, behind Uchiha Tonan, couldn¡¯t help cursing when he heard the shadow clone¡¯s inhumane words. He raised his fists to rush forward and beat the cold-blooded villager. But Namikaze Minato grabbed his collar and stopped him.


    The shadow clone narrowed his eyes and looked at Obito with disdain, ¡°Little brat, I¡¯m thinking rationally here. It¡¯s useless to be emotional. Your feelings represent only yourself. You can¡¯t represent everyone. We¡¯re all willing to forgive Orochimaru-sama and we¡¯re also willing to sacrifice ourselves.¡±


    After speaking, he selected a villager with a pregnant wife and said, ¡°Brother, come here.¡±


    That villager pointed at his nose with a confused look and asked, ¡°Me? Alright¡­¡± He whispered something to his wife beside him and walked over to the shadow clone. The shadow clone asked, ¡°If the village is in danger, are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the village?¡±


    The villager awkwardly scratched his head. In front of everyone, especially his wife, he must show off. If he said he was unwilling, everyone would stare daggers at him.


    He replied in an inaudible voice, ¡°I¡¯m willing.¡± Although his voice was soft, everyone heard it. The shadow clone glanced at Tonan, his face filled with arrogance. He continued to ask the villager, ¡°In the same situation, sacrificing your wife and children is also not a problem, right?¡±


    That villager was stunned for a moment but he shook his head this time, ¡°No, I can be sacrificed but I¡¯ll protect my family with my life.¡±


    When the shadow clone heard this, he looked at the man with disgust, and snorted, ¡°Stupid fellow, you have no consciousness. If it were me, I¡¯d happily sacrifice my family for the entire village.¡±


    After speaking, he looked around and selected the next lucky person from the crowd. ¡°Brother over there, you come here.¡±


    However, this person didn¡¯t move at all. He stood in his place and said, ¡°I won¡¯t come. In any case, I don¡¯t want to die. Whoever is willing to sacrifice themselves can go. I¡¯m my parents¡¯ only son. They will die with grief if I die.¡±


    This person¡¯s words resonated with the villagers, and everyone nodded in agreement. The shadow clone¡¯s face filled with resentment.


    This was Tonan¡¯s acting. He was his opponent. There was no possibility of him losing. All explanations were false and the most important thing was that he was leading the masses¡¯ sentiments. Coupled with this roll-call approach, no one could escape.


    Whoever dared to come out and say he was willing to sacrifice his family today would be despised by the villagers tomorrow. If a person was willing to abandon family, his scruples would be seen as questionable by all.


    Now, this ¡®representative¡¯ opposing Tonan had lost the battle. Most of the villagers felt they were wrong. But since they wanted to save face, they didn¡¯t know what they should do.


    All Tonan needed to do now was just give them a way to retreat. Most people have an innate self-protection mechanism. It was difficult for them to admit they had done something wrong. Because once they admit it, it would be followed by self-denial, which went against instinct.


    Therefore, Tonan needed to let them know they were right but it was someone else who was wrong. Even if they were truly wrong, it was because of incomplete information and they were at best misguided.


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    The shadow clone pointed at the villagers as if disappointed with their irresolute behavior. ¡°You all¡­¡±


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    Tonan immediately took a step forward, ¡°Do you have any family? Will you let me meet them?¡±


    The shadow clone became stubborn, ¡°I¡¯m an orphan, and I¡¯ve not married. But when I do, I can sacrifice them.¡±


    When everyone heard this, a sudden realization dawned on them. This person was so extreme because he didn¡¯t know the importance of family. Someone like him, who had never felt a family¡¯s affection, could only make a clouded judgment.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not like him.¡±


    The villagers distanced themselves from this man¡¯s camp. Tonan stared at the shadow clone, ¡°It just so happens that the development process of medical ninjutsu in Konoha Hospital has stopped because they don¡¯t have test subjects. Since you¡¯re willing to sacrifice yourself for the village, you should go and register yourself as a test subject.¡±


    The shadow clone obstinately continued, ¡°I can do it. As long as you admit you were wrong and give an explanation to everyone, I¡¯ll go to the hospital immediately.¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes and coldly said, ¡°Alright, then let your real body come over. Also, your Transformation Technique is very poor.¡±


    Minato had also naturally noticed that the shadow clone was maintaining weak chakra fluctuations. He said, ¡°Looks like you were secretly instigating the villagers and spreading rumors.¡±


    The shadow clone¡¯s complexion changed. He took a few steps back, ¡°Damn it¡­ disperse!¡±


    Soon after, this shadow clone and many villagers in the crowd turned into a cloud of white smoke.


    Bang, bang, bang¡­ The villagers came back to their senses. Good Heavens, it turned out that someone was secretly scheming and confusing them.


    Tonan sighed, ¡°Everyone, I know you¡¯ve been deceived. Many ninjas participated in human experiments secretly. It¡¯s just they were too secretive and it was never found out. I know there will be people who hold a grudge and want to get revenge on me. So, I wandered around the village these past few days, trying to find out about these people. But I never imagined that everyone was so angry with me.¡±


    Tonan placed his hands on his knees and bowed deeply to the villagers, ¡°I apologize to everyone. Regarding Orochimaru-sama, I was too young and impulsive.¡±


    With this, guilt flooded the villagers¡¯ hearts¡­


    ¡°Tonan, don¡¯t say that. It was everyone being stupid. I didn¡¯t even notice I was being used.¡±


    ¡°We should be apologizing to you. You were helping us, but we still blamed you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, without you, our family members could be captured for human experiments at any time.¡±


    ¡°You helped us get rid of the danger, and avenged innocent people who died miserably. We should thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not human¡­ My brother has been missing for two years. He must¡¯ve been taken away by Orochimaru. But I never considered it before. I even threw eggs at you.¡±


    Suddenly, a kind-hearted villager in the crowd knelt and placed his head on the ground. ¡°Please forgive us.¡±


    With one taking the lead, the herd mentality took effect.


    ¡°Please forgive us.¡±


    ¡°Please forgive us.¡±


    The remorseful villagers knelt and sought Tonan¡¯s forgiveness. Seeing the people kneeling and admitting their mistakes, the villagers who felt this was just a trivial matter and didn¡¯t need to join in also admitted their mistakes.


    After all, they had done everything together, so since other people were admitting mistakes, they would stick out like a sore thumb if they didn¡¯t. Soon, all the villagers knelt together.


    Tonan was secretly delighted. ¡°Excellent, it¡¯s time to harvest acknowledgments.¡±

 CH 175

    Uchiha Tonan put on a panic-stricken look. ¡°Everyone, get up, please. Whatever the case may be, you are all my seniors and elders. How can this be alright?¡±


    As he was speaking, he was also pulling up the villagers one by one beginning with the person nearest to him. He appeared flustered as if he would join them in kneeling in the next second.


    Supporting the villagers¡¯ stand up, Tonan said in his sincere-most tone, ¡°Protecting everyone in the village is my duty as a ninja. This is what I must do. You don¡¯t know ninjutsu and you were deceived by bad people. That¡¯s not on you. It can only be said that the immoral are too cunning.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, you are pregnant. This cannot be good for the baby. Please don¡¯t kneel.¡±


    Seeing Tonan¡¯s generosity and compassion, everyone¡¯s heart was filled with a mix of guilt and gratitude. At this moment, all his past good deeds flashed in their minds. In the past, they had just heard the stories but now, they could see his excellent morals and noble character first-hand.


    Ding! Ding! Ding! Gained Nagao Haruto¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Takada Yanso¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Hino Kaede¡¯s acknowledgment¡­


    The continuous acknowledgment prompts were a sweet melody in Tonan¡¯s ears. This was the proverbial double happiness at his door. Not only did he awaken Mangekyo, but he was also poised to inherit quite a few legacies.


    Even if the quality was not worth much, acknowledgments were never a waste. Also, even though these people were civilians, Konoha¡¯s villagers were different from others.


    They had either started to refine chakra when they were young and knew basic ninjutsu such as the three techniques or had migrated after spending a lot of money. Just to be able to enter Konoha with money meant something.


    ¡°Everyone, please get up. I¡¯m fine. You all just didn¡¯t know all the facts.¡± Tonan suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and plastered a flattering look on his face. Under his repeated requests, the villagers stood up but their faces were filled with guilt.


    Looking at Tonan, Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato had gentle smiles on their faces without even realizing it. Kushina looked at the awkward Tonan and felt that he was taller than anyone else at this moment.


    His head had residual vegetable leaves and eggs that he didn¡¯t even have the time to shake off. His arms were covered with scars, and his body was blue and purple. All the villagers had punched and kicked him and the bruises were now showing up.


    Even though Tonan must be suffering from bodily pain, he was forgiving and supported those who hurt him. No matter who it was, this would be enough to touch their emotional chords.


    Thinking of this, Kushina said, ¡°Tonan is amazing. It¡¯s difficult to imagine he had gone through so much but could still maintain the kindness in his heart.¡±


    A bright smile appeared on Minato¡¯s face, and he softly added, ¡°I think Tonan is probably the son of the Prophecy that Jiraiya-sensei mentioned. He will bring peace to the Ninja World in the future.¡±


    Kushina mulled over his words for a bit and then firmly nodded, ¡°He can definitely do it.¡±


    Ding! Gained Uzumaki Kushina¡¯s acknowledgment.


    Ding! Gained Namikaze Minato¡¯s acknowledgment.


    Tonan, who was helping the villagers get up, paused for a moment but didn¡¯t show any strange behavior.


    ¡°Excellent! Triple happiness! I never thought there would be such an unexpected harvest. Old Danzo is my lucky star. After Asura¡¯s reincarnation, Naruto is born, Flying Thunder God and the Uzumaki clan¡¯s sealing techniques will be mine.¡±


    Right at this moment, Sarutobu Hiruzen arrived in the square with a group of Anbu. As soon as he appeared, he grabbed Tonan¡¯s hand and asked with a worried look, ¡°Tonan, are you alright?¡±


    From the moment he heard that Tonan was being cursed and beaten by the villagers, he was worried about his safety. He rushed over, fearing that something might happen. At some point, in Hiruzen¡¯s heart, Tonan¡¯s status was higher than anyone else¡¯s.


    Seeing Hiruzen, Tonan smiled lightly, ¡°Sensei, I¡¯m fine but can you please make everyone get up?¡± Hiruzen looked around. Most of the villagers were still kneeling. At this moment, an Anbu member walked over and whispered something in Hiruzen¡¯s ear.


    The Hokage¡¯s eyebrows rose and he glanced at Tonan with a look of relief. He then turned to the kneeling villagers, ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Everyone, get up now. It seems that the misunderstanding has been resolved. Don¡¯t take this to heart. Let me explain¡­ This entire matter was only Orochimaru¡¯s fault. If Tonan hadn¡¯t killed him, I¡¯d do it myself.¡±


    Since Hiruzen spoke up personally, the villagers obediently stood up and stared at Tonan apologetically. Hiruzen too looked at him and seeing his sorry state, thoughtfully said, ¡°Tonan, go back and rest for now. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    Tonan nodded and waved his hand at Minato and the group, ¡°Minato-sensei, Kushina-senpai, Kakashi, Obito, Rin, thank you. I¡¯ll leave now. See you again.¡±


    With that, he turned around and walked toward the welfare institution. The crowd stepped aside, making way for him. When Tonan passed by them, he gave them a kind smile.


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    Ding! Ding! Gained Goto Haruki¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Akiba Kunta¡¯s acknowledgment¡­


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    ¡­¡­


    After returning to the welfare institution, Tonan first went for a bath. In the steamy bathroom, he leaned back against the poolside, lowered his head, and looked at the reflection of his Mangekyo Sharingan in the pool. ¡°How can it be of this shape? Isn¡¯t it a bit out of place?¡±


    The Mangekyo he recalled seeing was like a windmill when it spun but his Mangekyo was a black ball as soon as it spun.


    ¡°One thought good and evil. Good words, evildoing¡­ kind deeds, evil heart¡­ They are worthy of being the eyes that represent the soul. Not to mention they are fitting for the true situation.¡±


    Tonan looked at the reflection for a long time. He couldn¡¯t help chuckle and shook his head. People¡¯s Mangekyo Sharingan was named after deities but his was named after demons and monsters.


    The left eye¡¯s ocular technique was called Shuten. According to the legend, Shuten-doji could command hundreds of demons and was the head of the Demon clan.


    In his left eye, there was a world between real and virtual that could accommodate dead souls. The souls that existed in it would gradually emit the primordial soul for Tonan to absorb. Shuten Ocular Technique could absorb nearby souls and place them into the ocular technique space when it was active.


    The right eye¡¯s technique was called Tamamo-no-Mae. According to legend, Tamamo-no-Mae was a golden-haired, white-faced nine-tailed fox that excelled at bewitching people and sucking their vitality.


    After Tonan activated the right eye, it could absorb the negative emotions of nearby creatures. This trick was useless for others. It could just be used for psychotherapy for depressed people.


    But for Tonan, who had grasped the cultivation method of the Sage clan, this was a very precious skill. With this technique, he could easily absorb significant emotional power and then use it to absorb the natural power in the world. Tonan would never lack Senjutsu energy like this.


    As for the Susanoo that comes along with the Mangekyo Sharingan, it was also a bit different from others. Using both eyes, he could summon Gundam. But it was not Susanoo that was summoned, but the Great Tengu.


    Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Madara¡¯s Susanoo evolved to the point where they were called Tengu. Sasuke¡¯s was a Raven Tengu and Madara¡¯s was a Kurama Tengu. Itachi¡¯s was a Crow Tengu and Kakashi¡¯s was Lightning Tengu¡­


    The Tengu lay between a demon and a god, and most of them had the appearance of a samurai. But the Great Tengu was the real number one demon in the legend, known as the foremost evil spirit among eight million deities.


    According to rumors, the Great Tengu was an existence an emperor had turned into. That emperor entered the temple to practice Taoism but after cultivation, he became a malevolent spirit. On his deathbed, he used his blood to write down scripture, following which, he turned into the Great Tengu.


    Tonan¡¯s Great Tengu ocular technique had five forms ¡ª Skeleton Form (average in all aspects), Buddha Form (strengthen defense), Yaksha Form (strengthen attacks), Tengu Form (humanoid samurai, has a chance of awakening spiritual weapons), and Great Tengu Form (a pair of divine wings on the back, substantially strengthen all aspects.

 CH 176

    Uchiha Tonan closed his eyes and soaked his body in water which gently moved around his neck. The entire pool was scalding and was a little hazy, making it difficult to see anything.


    Thinking about his Mangekyo, Tonan sighed. The Mangekyo¡¯s abilities were very good but the names were too demonic. It could be said that it was the eye of the demon.


    ¡°When others hear it, they¡¯ll know I¡¯m not a good person. How can I let that be? I¡¯ve to show the Mangekyo in front of people so I have to think of righteous-sounding names before that.¡±


    After thinking for a while, Tonan slowly opened his eyes and the corners of his mouth rose slightly. He had already thought of several good names.


    Suddenly, he thought of the space between the real and the virtual worlds in his left eye. Immediately, the Mangekyo of the left eye spun rapidly turning into a black ball. And his spirit seemed to be drawn and entered into the dark space.


    When he came back to his senses, he found himself overlooking the entire space from the perspective of the sky. At this moment, most of the things were dark-colored and blended, exuding a repressive and terrifying vibe.


    The sky inside the space was blood-red and the ground was pitch-black. Now and then it burned with green-colored flames. There were also black mountain peaks but there was no sign of life on them. They were just steep and dangerous.


    The red lava flowed down from the summits toward the center like a river gathering at one spot. The entire space was filled with uncertainty and despair.


    After a while, Tonan withdrew from his left eye¡¯s space and deactivated his Mangekyo, touching his chin.


    ¡°I thought it¡¯d be a space like the Pure Land that would take in the soul. But it looks like hell¡­¡± Tonan sighed deeply. Before awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, he was filled with expectations. But after that, he felt it was a shame. To be honest, it was boring.


    ¡°There was no great surprise, I feel just so-so. The left eye absorbs the soul and provides the primordial soul which is a good ability. As long as there¡¯s enough pure soul, I can live for a long time. But even if I didn¡¯t know how to increase the primordial soul for the time being, worst comes to worst, I could¡¯ve researched Orochimaru¡¯s Living Corpse Reincarnation.¡±


    Tonan thought this was a good option as well. As long as he could live, it was more important than anything else. The right eye was also fine. It absorbed the power of negative emotions, allowing him to cultivate Senjutsu energy.


    However, these two ocular techniques were useless in battle. While fighting, if he absorbed his opponents¡¯ negative emotions, it would just make them calmer and attack harder.


    ¡°If I wanted to fight with Mangekyo, only Great Tengu is useful. Looks like I¡¯ve to rely on harvesting acknowledgments to strengthen myself. Speaking of that, I gained a lot today but these villagers¡¯ strength is mediocre.¡±


    The more he thought, the more Tonan frowned. Gradually, a thought flashed through his mind, and he mumbled, ¡°Perhaps¡­ I should change my way of thinking. Cherish the moment, and don¡¯t aim too high. Why don¡¯t I just help those who acknowledged me and let them fly higher and walk further.¡±


    Doing so would increase their strength and Tonan could also reap the benefits eventually. When the time comes, his strength would improve greatly. Tonan got up from the pool and put on his bathrobe. He walked to the window to look at the sky outside. ¡°Let¡¯s wait till it gets dark. It¡¯s good to do things in the dark¡­¡±


    In the evening, Tonan left the welfare institution and returned to his home in the Uchiha district. He summoned Enkuu as per his usual routine and continued to train Soft Physique Modification with him. After that, he dressed up and left the house. Soon, he turned into a dark figure and integrated into the night.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    Late at night, the moon appeared and disappeared under the shadow of floating clouds. The desolate moonlight shrouded the entire Konoha with a misty layer. Konoha¡¯s winter was biting cold even when there was no snowfall.


    Many insects and birds had returned to their nests. The entire village was quiet. Only the sounds of the cold winds and rustling leaves could be heard.


    In a residential house, a sturdy man was sleeping soundly on his bed. His snores echoed throughout the bedroom. It was because of this very habit that his wife had long begun to sleep in a separate room.


    The bedroom window was closed to prevent the winter chill from entering the warm room. The cold wind blew and the bare branches outside the window swayed non-stop, howling a terrifying tune.


    In the warm bedroom, the sturdy man had already kicked away the quilt and was lying on his back. The round and plump belly moved up and down, along with his snores. He was deep asleep.


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    At this moment, a human-shaped figure gradually climbed up the window. The figure blocked the entire window, obstructing the moonlight from sprinkling in. It seemed that the bedroom was scoured by darkness.


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    Whoosh~ Whoosh~  The cold wind blew in and the sturdy man frowned in his sleep, instinctively curling into a ball. In the next moment though, the chill disappeared and the man¡¯s frown gradually eased.


    Suddenly, he opened his eyes. He saw that the sun was shining brightly outside the window and the dazzling light hit his eyes. He couldn¡¯t help but raise his hand to cover them. He got up and went to the window to push it open.


    The damp and slightly warm wind blew against his face. In winter, it was a rare sight to see the sun. The sunlight shone through the clouds lighting up the ground.


    The early morning fog had dissipated, leaving behind crystal-clear water droplets on the grasses, full of vigor. Although the winter sunlight was not too hot, it was warm.


    The man couldn¡¯t help enjoying it. He squinted his eyes, ¡°The weather is so nice today.¡± Just at this moment, he noticed a cloud gradually floating down from the sky. He looked at it as it got closer and closer to him, and he was dumbfounded¡­ ¡°The cloud¡­ is falling¡­¡±


    In an instant, the cloud covered the entire house. It was like the sturdy man was in the midst of a thick fog. He closed the window and went to the next room to call his wife and watch this wonderful scene together.


    However, the strange thing was, not to mention his wife, even the children in his house had disappeared. Just when he thought it was strange, the sounds of his wife and children¡¯s laughter came from the fog outside. He sighed in relief, and with a happy smile on his face, opened the door and walked into the thick fog without a second thought.


    When he walked into it though, he was isolated from the world. All the sounds around him disappeared but it did not raise any bad premonitions in his heart.


    After walking for a while, he noticed the place ahead becoming clearer. The dense fog seemed to be afraid of something and retreated to both sides. There was a grassland in front of him. An old man with white hair and a ruddy complexion was standing there with the support of a cane. And that old man was smiling at him.

 CH 177

    ¡°You are¡­¡± The sturdy man eyed the man in front of him with vigilance. But the old man only smiled kindly and said with a look of admiration, ¡°Young man, you have a kind heart. You are the right choice to be entrusted with the forbidden power. I¡¯m leaving this place and I hope you can replace me to protect Konoha.¡±


    After throwing some mystifying words, the old man pointed at the sturdy man with his cane. A golden light shot out from it, hitting the man¡¯s chest. Feeling unbearable pain, the man immediately fell to the ground and rolled, wailing continuously.


    ¡°You are the chosen one. Just hold on a bit longer, I believe you¡¯ll succeed. Remember to not let others know you have the forbidden power, otherwise, their jealousy will be your death.¡±


    The sturdy man felt the entire world spinning in front of him, the severe pain making him want to bang his head to death.


    Gradually, everything became dark and he felt weightless. The old man and the mist disappeared. It was as if he would reach hell in the next moment.


    Bang¡­ A heaven-shaking explosion happened in his mind and the man suddenly opened his eyes, jolting up on his bed in shock.


    Taking a few heavy breaths, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He then looked sideways at the window and saw the clear and peaceful moonlight outside. A gentle wind blew in, making him feel cold all over his body.


    The man sighed in relief and shook his head, ¡°Was just a dream¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he frowned and jumped off the bed, slowly walking to the window. The window was open. The man clearly remembered he had shut it before he went to sleep.


    ¡°Did I forget to close the window?¡± The man frowned as he looked at the moon in the sky and fell into deep thought.


    Just then, he seemed to have thought of something. He pulled open his night suit¡¯s collar and looked at his chest. He saw a golden-red mark glittering on it, emitting a warm current that gradually spread throughout his body.


    ¡°It was not a dream¡­¡± The man stared at the mark in a daze. He made the hand signs of the Clone Technique he was not accustomed to.


    Bang¡­ With a ball of white smoke, an identical clone appeared. The man was first dumbfounded and then wild with joy. At this moment, there was only one sentence in his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m chosen by the world.¡±


    Not long after, in the Uchiha district, Uchiha Tonan returned home before dawn. After his aptitude had improved, Enkuu no longer needed to soak in for the entire night. Seeing that Tonan was not present after he completed his practice, he voluntarily dispelled the Summoning Technique and returned to Mount Huaguo.


    Tonan seized this time to rest. He went to the bedroom and lay down. Tonight, he had planted a cursed seal on six people who had acknowledged him. With the seal, their physiques would gradually assimilate to Tonan¡¯s physique.


    Although assimilation had its limit, it could also change their aptitudes and allow them to become ninjas. As there was a certain risk in receiving a cursed seal, Tonan must guard and help them endure before leaving.


    If not, once the person died, the cursed mark was likely to be exposed. Tonan took the opportunity to carry out this task in the dream, making them think they had a fortuitous encounter.


    People were selfish and they would subconsciously be secretive about such encounters. This cursed seal was not of heaven or earth. With time, it would be hidden and not appear unless Tonan stimulated it.


    Most of the Cultivation Path Cursed Seal¡¯s abilities were about control. The principle was very similar to that of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. As long as Tonan wanted, he could kill these people at any time without anyone discovering anything.


    If anyone dared to speak out about the seal, his brain would be destroyed instantly, showing an unclear cause of death. If something like this happened in Konoha, someone would automatically take the blame for him. This was the real ration that could be eaten any time.


    Like planting crops, he was sowing seeds. When the season comes, he could harvest a lot of food.


    Early the next morning, Tonan came to the welfare institution and released the shadow clone making another one to look after Kotoura.


    The main body walked out of the room and looked at the Maito Dai and Maito Gui father and son duo who were training hard in the institution¡¯s open field. There were also old people gathered there in the distance.


    With his new ration planting method, these elder people didn¡¯t have much value in Tonan¡¯s eyes anymore. Since they were already so old, they didn¡¯t have much time to train even if he planted a cursed seal on them.


    Besides, with their physique, perhaps, they might not be able to survive the pain and die. But he still wanted to nurture them because he felt his current strength was not enough.


    Although these rations were not palatable, he shouldn¡¯t waste them. When he had time, he decided to use a shadow clone to express sympathy to them and set up an elderly art troupe to develop some special skills.


    Interrupting his thoughts, Tonan sensed chakra entering the welfare institution. Turning his head, he looked at the institution¡¯s gate and saw a yellow-haired woman with black-framed glasses smiling at him. She walked over leisurely toward him and Tonan narrowed his eyes.


    He then adjusted his golden-rimmed glasses and gave a warm smile. The yellow-haired woman walked over and softly said, ¡°Hello Tonan-kun, my name is Yakushi Nono. I was the Konoha Orphanage¡¯s director appointed by the higher-ups. Now that the orphanage is disbanded, they¡¯ve instructed me to come work here as your assistant.¡±


    Tonan smiled warmly, ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m not very good at looking after children and I¡¯m always tied up. You must be very good at this, Yakushi-senpai. I¡¯ve to learn from you.¡±


    Nono smiled softly, ¡°Tonan-kun is being kind. You defeated Orochimaru-sama. Also, I¡¯m not much older than you, you can call me by my name.¡±


    Tonan went over her high points while chatting. After realizing that she seemed to have no special bloodline limit or ninjutsu, he lost interest in talking with her. He opened the door, ¡°Come in and take a look at Kotoura. Right now, he¡¯s the only child in the welfare institution.¡±


    Nono followed Tonan into the room and just happened to see Tonan¡¯s shadow clone focused on changing the baby¡¯s diaper. Seeing the shadow clone¡¯s skilled movements, she was inwardly surprised. ¡°Tonan-kun, you seem to like children very much. You are much more careful than me. Speaking about it, using a shadow clone to take care of a child should be too tiring. The aftereffect of the clone is not small.¡±


    Tonan lightly shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not too bad. Most of the time, I need to practice, so I can only resort to this. It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m tired, as long as he can grow up healthy, that¡¯s enough for me.¡±


    Nono looked at Tonan as if she had seen a kindred spirit. ¡°I heard what happened to you recently. Everyone has a very high opinion of you.¡±


    Tonan simply said, ¡°It¡¯s an undeserved reputation. Since you¡¯ve come, I¡¯ll leave Kotoura to you and also let him get familiar with you. Now that I¡¯ve some time, I¡¯ll take care of the elders.¡±


    Nono earnestly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to take good care of him.¡±


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    ¡°I trust you.¡± Tonan nodded and dispelling the shadow clone, he left the room.


    After walking out, his eyes instantly turned cold. Yakushi Nono, the Root spy, had arrived.


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    ¡°I guess she came to the welfare institution with a mission to monitor me. Of course, this must be a long-term mission. Reporting back my everyday actions to Danzo. How about I¡­ work out a plan to kill her? When Father Saru asks, I can slander her as a spy from the enemy village.¡±


    ¡°And if someone dares to speak for the dead, I can just ask the Yamanaka clan to search her memories in front of everyone. In any case, she must have a Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, so nothing would be found. And if nothing could be found, it would be the most favorable evidence.¡±


    Thinking of this, Tonan rubbed his chin. Soon after though, he gave up the plan. There was an issue with it. Now that he was already a ceiling-leveled combat power of Konoha, his ways of thinking should change as well. There was no need to bother to frame and kill a mere ninja.


    In any case, she would never find things he didn¡¯t want. Since she was Danzo¡¯s informer, why not let Danzo know things he wanted to through her?


    That was the best plan¡­


    ¡°It seems I¡¯ve stayed up late a lot lately. My mind has become dull,¡± Tonan chuckled and shook his head, walking towards the open field of the welfare institution. He was preparing to get close to the Maito father and son and the old people.

 CH 178.1

    For several days after the incident, Uchiha Tonan spent his days in the welfare institution getting along with Maito Dai and Gui, as well as the elderly people. Faced with his careful pamper, the ¡®empty nesters¡¯ laid down their arms and surrendered in just a day.


    The simple-minded Maito father and son were unable to escape as well. Tonan didn¡¯t use any grand gestures. He only helped them financially. He also trained in taijutsu together with them and easily gained their acknowledgment.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped. Tonan¡¯s soaring reputation in Konoha had already got half the work done. Whoever heard of his deeds would give a thumbs-up and speak highly of him.


    The disparity of position and strength, coupled with an excellent reputation, made it easier to gain acknowledgment of the simple people. The Maito father and son pair could even be described as obtuse, making Tonan¡¯s task even easier.


    Every night, after he completed practicing Soft Physique Modification with Enkuu, he would go plant the seeds of hope in these rations.


    In the past few days, ninja books in the Konoha Bookstore were almost sold out every day. Tonan¡¯s new rations were buying these books for home studying. Much like him, when he had just acquired the system, they were yearning for power.


    On this day, in the Hokage Meeting Room, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in the main chair smoking. He tapped his finger on the table, ¡°Danzo, why don¡¯t you try explaining the situation to the Daimyo? I believe he¡¯ll understand and agree.¡±


    Shimura Danzo sat expressionlessly across Hiruzen and glanced at Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu who were sitting quietly on the left and right sides of the Hokage.


    ¡°I got it. Tonan¡¯s strength is indeed not suitable to participate in the Honorary Chunin Contest. I¡¯ll send someone to inform the Daimyo. So, who¡¯ll participate in his place?¡±


    Hiruzen smiled subtly and blew out a mouthful of smoke, ¡°What about Kakashi? His strength is not bad. Although he is young, the younger the age, the more we can demonstrate our Konoha¡¯s strength.¡±


    Danzo thought for a while and then shook his head, ¡°Kakashi is also not suitable.¡±


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    Hearing Danzo disagreeing with him, Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and coldly asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±. The atmosphere in the meeting room stiffened a little.


    Danzo lowered his eyes and indifferently replied, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I don¡¯t mean to argue with you about candidates. It¡¯s just that Kakashi is White Fang¡¯s only son. And according to the investigation, the lightning-style ninjutsu used by Abe Seimei is very similar to White Fang¡¯s secret technique. I¡¯m just worried that the Fire Capital may misunderstand the situation.¡±


    Hiruzen frowned, ¡°Is that so? How come I didn¡¯t know about this? Have you been keeping things from me?¡±


    ¡°There was no need to tell you about it. After all, you seemed to have finally forgotten about what happened and I didn¡¯t want to bring it up and trigger your grief again.¡±


    In front of Hiruzen, who was currently gaining momentum, Danzo could only avoid the sharp edge and solemnly continued to explain, ¡°In the past, the Daimyo Residence suspected that White Fang was Abe Seimei. They reasoned that White Fang probably had a grudge against Konoha. So, disguised as Seimei, he incited Shinnosuke to kill the Daimyo, provoking the relationship between the Daimyo Residence and Konoha.¡±


    ¡°Ryoma too had told me that he had seen White Fang use similar lightning-style ninjutsu during the Land of Rivers¡¯ mission. At that time, I thought it was possible. But after I did some private investigation, I ruled out that possibility.¡±


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    Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and his expression changed a little, ¡°Did you dig up White Fang¡¯s grave?¡±


    Danzo folded his arms and replied with an innocent look on his face, ¡°I just sought evidence. I collected some corpse samples to confirm that White Fang is truly dead. You can rest assured I won¡¯t disrespect his grave by digging it up. After all, he was Konoha¡¯s hero.¡±


    Hiruzen looked at Danzo. Finally, he chose to keep the peace. He blew out a mouthful of smoke and asked, ¡°Since it¡¯s not White Fang, what¡¯s the problem with letting Kakashi participate?¡±


    Danzo smiled coldly and sinisterly said, ¡°Kakashi is a good kid. I don¡¯t want him to be the target of the Daimyo Residence¡¯s anger. The Daimyo doesn¡¯t look like the kind of person who cares about evidence. Hiruzen, when did you become so na?ve? If you want to take this opportunity to get rid of Kakashi, I¡¯ve no problem but make it clear.¡±


    Hiruzen felt that despite the insinuation, Danzo¡¯s argument was valid. He agreed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll select a member of the Sarutobi clan, and then you can report the candidate¡¯s name.¡±


    Once the discussion was completed, Danzo didn¡¯t bother to continue looking at Hiruzen¡¯s face. He immediately got up and left. Hiruzen too returned to his office after a while.


    He leaned back on his chair, thinking about the information Danzo shared. ¡°Where did White Fang obtain that lighting style secret technique? It must¡¯ve been on the battlefield. No, he must¡¯ve gone deep behind enemy lines to carry out a mission. Only like that, he would¡¯ve obtained such a powerful secret technique. Where did he go in the second great ninja world war¡­¡±


    Hiruzen pondered for a while and realized that White Fang had been to almost every hidden village during the war. This was not surprising because he was good at gathering intelligence and in assassination missions. Therefore, the missions he carried out were all behind enemy lines.


    And the so-called lightning-style secret technique might have been a war spoil that White Fang snatched during his mission. Usually, all the village heads turned a blind eye toward such things and didn¡¯t care about them.


    ¡°It must¡¯ve been Kumo¡­¡±

 CH 178.2

    After mulling over it from different aspects, Sarutobi Hiruzen suspected that Abe Seimei might be the head of Kumo. After all, it could be estimated that only Kumo had such a powerful lightning-style secret technique. ¡°It¡¯ll be a bit troublesome. I reckon ordinary diplomacy is of no use toward those reckless idiots. Unless the war is waged¡­¡±


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    ¡°Shinnosuke, Asuma¡­ If the next war starts, I¡¯ll avenge you two.¡±


    A hint of guilt flashed through Hiruzen¡¯s eyes. Both his sons died not long ago but he had almost forgotten about them. He opened his drawer ready to take a look at their photos and cherish them once more. But as soon as he did that, he found a photo lying in the middle. It was Uchiha Tonan¡¯s graduation photo. On that day, he had become a genin.


    Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and picked up the photo. He looked at it for a while. In the photo, Tonan had his usual calm smile. Hiruzen couldn¡¯t help smiling looking at it, recalling the discussion he had with Tonan about the village.


    ¡°This child¡­ He¡¯s truly reassuring.¡±


    Hiruzen placed the photo on the desk and continued to rummage through the drawer to find Shinnosuke and Asuma¡¯s photos. But he couldn¡¯t find them even after nearly turning his drawer upside down. It was only then that he recalled he was afraid the photos would remind him of his dead sons back then, so he took them back to his home.


    He couldn¡¯t help the guilt filling up his heart and also felt sorry for his sons. Since he couldn¡¯t see them, he decided to focus on the enemy. Hiruzen took out Seimei¡¯s information. Two photos came into his view. One was black and white and the other was color. The two people looked the same but Hiruzen recalled what Tonan had said earlier. So, he focused on their eyes.


    Sure enough, Hiruzen felt he noticed something, and his eyes gradually narrowed. The eyes were indeed different. On careful observation, he discovered that the proportion of the pupils and the white of the eyes in the two photos were different.


    ¡°This is very strange. He¡¯s indeed a spy in disguise.¡± Hiruzen took a deep breath, but the more he looked at it, the angrier he became. He threw the photos back into the drawer and shut it. He then picked up Tonan¡¯s photo and looked at it to soothe his mood.


    After looking for a while, Hiruzen was about to put Tonan¡¯s photo away. But he stopped when his right hand was just about to completely close the drawer. Since the drawer was not closed tightly, it left a gap, through which only the eyes of Seimei¡¯s color photo could be seen. Bereft of the other facial details, Hiruzen suddenly felt that the eyes were familiar.


    The Hokage Office seemed to have fallen into a dead silence. Even a dropping pin could be heard. Hiruzen stared at the photo¡¯s eyes. After a long time, he picked up the photo on the desk with his trembling hand and put it in the front for comparison.


    Hiruzen was drenched with cold sweat, and he subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He found it difficult to breathe. In the next moment, he suddenly pulled open the drawer and took out the color photo. He then held Tonan¡¯s graduation photo in one hand and Seimei¡¯s color photo in the other and walked to the window.


    Facing the dazzling sunlight, he held the two photos high and slowly overlapped them. Like this, the two seemingly unrelated people overlapped each other. Tonan had a gentle smile in the photo and Seimei, on the other hand, had a strangely fierce expression. But their eyes aligned perfectly.


    At this moment, Tonan and Danzo¡¯s words appeared in his mind one after the other.


    ¡°Eyes are the windows to people¡¯s souls. Different people have different eyes.¡±


    ¡°According to the investigation, the lightning style ninjutsu used by Abe Seimei is very similar to White Fang¡¯s secret technique.¡±


    White Fang died in Tonan¡¯s hands. Allegedly, he taught Tonan swordsmanship while he was alive. Perhaps, he also taught him the lightning-style secret technique. A thought appeared in Hiruzen¡¯s mind but he immediately shook his head, trying to get the ridiculous doubt out of his mind.


    ¡°No¡­ Tonan is not such a person¡­ He has no reason to kill Shinnosuke and Asuma. Not only did he have no reason, but he also had no strength to do that.¡±


    Suddenly, Hiruzen recalled the report he heard on the day Orochimaru died. On that day, Tonan had been fighting Orochimaru for a long time. And later, he used super compound ninjutsu to burn Orochimaru to ashes, leaving nothing behind.


    Could it be that he had been hiding his strength? But how can one explain the Transformation Technique? Ordinary Transformation Techniques are easy to see through.


    At this moment, Hiruzen¡¯s entire body was soaked in sweat, and his legs were trembling. He turned around and placed his hands on the desk to support himself. He then recalled Tonan¡¯s growth trajectory.


    Suddenly, he raised his head and shouted, ¡°Guards!¡±


    An Anbu member opened the door and knelt on one knee, ¡°Hokage-sama.¡±


    He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, ¡°Go and bring me all the information on Sanbo Motoyoshi. No! I¡¯ll check it myself.¡±


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    After speaking, Hiruzen straightened up. Using the Body Flicker Technique, he went straight to the intelligence room. After searching for a long time there, he finally retrieved Motoyoshi¡¯s information.


    There was much recorded on the deceased man and Hiruzen read all of it meticulously, afraid that he might miss something. Finally, he stared at a record of intelligence, and muttered while trembling, ¡°Re¡­ construction Technique¡­¡±


    Pop¡­ The intelligence document fell to the ground. And Hiruzen staggered back two steps. In his mind, he recalled the time when Abe Seimei appeared and disappeared, and compared it to Tonan¡¯s time in Fire Capital.


    Some things seemed unrelated, but when you find a connection line, you would find too many coincidences which couldn¡¯t stand critical examination on their own. Hiruzen¡¯s legs lost power. He fell to the ground and placed his hands on the ground to support himself.


    ¡°Ah!¡± He roared like an old lion. His voice was hoarse and filled with grief. In addition, his face was filled with madness.


    ¡°Hokage-sama!¡± An Anbu member, who was guarding the intelligence room, pushed open the door and entered. Hiruzen with a red face and bloodshot eyes yelled fiercely, ¡°Get out! Leave me alone and go away!¡±


    The Anbu member was so frightened that he quickly left the intelligence room and closed the door. But he could still hear the sounds of pounding and Hiruzen¡¯s intermittent growls from inside the intelligence room.


    ¡°Why is it you¡­ why is it you!¡±

 CH 179

    In the evening, the earlier clear sky was already shrouded with clouds. The cold wind whistled. It felt painful when it blew against one¡¯s face. The dark clouds condensed together, resembling a thick piece of iron, gradually falling to the ground as if they wanted to engulf the Hokage Rock.


    There were just a few pedestrians on Konoha streets. They were all wearing padded jackets, their necks tucked into their scarves. The hot air they exhaled turned into vapor, responding to the cold temperature.


    Uchiha Tonan walked out of the welfare institution and closed the door behind him.


    Coo¡­ coo¡­ In the sky, a flock of birds circled like they wanted to go to the forest to avoid the severe cold. Tonan¡¯s expression, however, remained unchanged. He tightened his windbreaker and walked towards the Sarutobi clan district in a hurry.


    One, two, three¡­ A total of six Anbu members are secretly observing him. Tonan had a bad premonition in his heart. Just a moment ago, an Anbu member had barged into the welfare institution and told him that Sarutobi Hiruzen asked him to come over for a meal at his place tonight.


    And now, six Anbu officers were monitoring his movements.


    ¡°I thought it was an ordinary family dinner, but it seems very likely to be a Hongmen banquet. Where exactly did I go wrong for Sarutobi Hiruzen to act so out of character?¡±


    Many possibilities flashed through Tonan¡¯s mind. Suddenly, his footsteps paused. The Anbu ninjas hiding in the dark became nervous. Tonan turned around and went back to the welfare institution.


    The Anbu began to discuss using sign language. ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°Hokage-sama instructed us to only monitor his movements. Don¡¯t make any move. We just need to wait and watch.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The sky gradually darkened and due to the bad weather, there was no moonlight. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t even see trees a few meters away on such a night. Hiruzen was sitting in the living room, smoking while looking at the family photo in his hand.


    His trembling hand gently caressed the photo as if he was caressing the person in it. His mind was filled with the scenes of Shinnosuke and Asuma playing around him when they were young.


    He remembered their appearances and voices, but now, he would never have the chance to see any of them again. In the past, he was depressed every day due to the pain of losing his sons.


    In his darkest period, it was Tonan who opened a window of hope and gave him some warmth.


    At this moment, Hiruzen¡¯s mood was complicated like never before. The enemy who killed his sons was always close to him and their relationship was deeper than any other he had at the moment. The truth he had been seeking out for a long time was finally in the open but it was more bitter than he could stomach.


    Hiruzen sighed. He felt he had truly become old. He got up, put the family portrait back in its original place, and went back to the sofa. He blew out a mouthful of smoke and looked at the dark sky outside.


    Snow had begun to fall at some point. The cold northern wind blew into the house along with tiny snowflakes but Hiruzen had no intention of closing the door. He just stared outside quietly.


    ¡°He should be coming soon. Could I have misunderstood something? Could it be a part of Abe Seimei¡¯s scheme to sow discord between Tonan and me?¡±


    The more time passed, the more Hiruzen¡¯s thoughts ran wild. He thought of countless possibilities in an instant, trying to deceive himself and finally reaching harder facts. ¡°If it was truly Tonan, doesn¡¯t that mean he had deceived me from the beginning and everything he had done was an act? Why did he do this?¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke, which obstructed his vision. Suddenly, he thought of a possible motive.


    Killing Shinnosuke, Asuma and Orochimaru¡­ Could it be that Tonan had designs on the Hokage¡¯s position? Was he always on the Uchiha¡¯s side? Thinking of this, Hiruzen¡¯s eyes shone with intense killing intent.


    Crack¡­  The smoke pipe that had accompanied him for many years was broken by a great force.


    Just then, a baby¡¯s cry was heard outside, interrupting his thoughts. From outside the open courtyard gate, Tonan hastily ran in with his head lowered amid the snowstorm.


    As Tonan got closer to Hiruzen, the baby¡¯s cries became louder. Just like this, Tonan ran into the room and closed the door with his free hand.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Sensei, you didn¡¯t have to wait for me with the door open. It¡¯s so cold outside.¡± Tonan said in a slightly reproachful tone while unbuttoning the windbreaker, revealing a crying baby inside.


    ¡°Be obedient, Kotoura, we have arrived at grandpa¡¯s house, it¡¯s not cold anymore.¡± Tonan coaxed Kotoura while sitting beside Hiruzen and then picked up the baby.


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    When Hatake Kotoura saw Hiruzen, he seemed to be frightened and immediately stopped crying, staring at him. There was some timidity on his immature face. Initially, Hiruzen wanted to question Tonan the moment he came in but Kotoura¡¯s presence disrupted this. He couldn¡¯t yell in front of an infant in any case.


    Tonan glanced at the empty dining table and frowned, ¡°I was delayed because I had to change Kotoura¡¯s diaper. I¡¯m going to cook now. Sensei, please hold Kotoura for me.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, Tonan shoved Kotoura into Hiruzen¡¯s arms and hurried into the kitchen. Since Hiruzen needed to free up his hand to hold Kotoura, the broken smoke pipe in his hand fell to the ground.


    The baby¡¯s eyes widened and he looked curiously at Hiruzen¡¯s frosty expression. Perhaps, he felt that the old man in front of him was a little scary. In the next moment, Kotoura opened his mouth and began wailing again.


    Hiruzen¡¯s face twitched but he still subconsciously shook his hand and did his best to coax the infant. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s mind was in chaos. He neither lost his temper nor was he pretending to be kind. The sounds of dishes moving and food cooking came from the kitchen. Tonan had closed the kitchen door to prevent the fumes from flooding into the living room.


    Since he had not grasped the situation yet, he started a verbal offense to stall for time.


    ¡°Sensei, this is the first time Kotoura has met you. This little kid is shy so he¡¯ll feel a bit afraid. He won¡¯t cry once he gets to know you. Kotoura¡¯s background is quite miserable. His family doesn¡¯t want him anymore. I asked Kakashi to take him into the Hatake family so that he can have a surname.¡±


    ¡°When he grows up, I¡¯ll be his father. And since you are my sensei, Kotoura can call you grandpa. Sensei? Sensei?¡±


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    Tonan was not too loud amid the sizzling oil sounds in the kitchen but Hiruzen could hear him loud and clear. It was just that he didn¡¯t respond. He sat on the sofa with Kotoura in his arms without saying anything.


    The kitchen door was pushed open. Tonan stuck his head out from the gap and sniffed, ¡°Sensei, don¡¯t smoke. It¡¯ll be bad for Kotoura at this age.¡±


    After speaking, he pulled his head back into the kitchen and closed the door again.

 CH 180

    The moment the kitchen door closed, Uchiha Tonan¡¯s expression became cold and his eyes narrowed. While cooking, he was thinking about what to do next. Just now, he had taken the chance to observe the living room.


    The broken smoke pipe on the ground as well as the portrait that had been put in the cabinet was taken out at some point. Together with today¡¯s out-of-character action, it¡¯s very likely that the issue was related to Shinnosuke and Asuma¡¯s death.


    Fortunately, before coming here, he went back to bring Kotoura along with him to stabilize the situation before the unknown conflict was set off. But the baby could only win a bit of time. What had to happen will still happen.


    ¡°I wonder how much Hiruzen knows. If he knows that I killed Shinnosuke and Asuma, then he¡¯ll fall out with me. Right now, he is stronger than Orochimaru. I can kill Orochimaru even if I didn¡¯t use lightning-style secret techniques. But if I¡¯ve to fight to the death with Hiruzen, then I can win if I go all out in a one-on-one situation.¡±


    But that¡¯s the ideal situation. In the battle between ninjas, strength can only account for the greatest factor before reaching the Six Paths level. Tonan not only needed to prevent Hiruzen from using big forbidden techniques like the Death Reaper Seal but also from summoning Konoha ninjas to besiege him.


    The current Konoha was just a bit tougher than the Konoha of the original works. Although he was strong, his strength might not rival Pain.


    If he fought against Hiruzen, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina would help Hiruzen even if they acknowledged him. Just the Flying Thunder God alone will annoy him to death.


    Moreover, if he killed Hiruzen, then leaving the village would be the only way left for him. At that time, everything would collapse, and his large-scale plantation would be useless. For now, he could only take a step and observe.


    The best result was to resolve the suspicion and let Hiruzen put down the hatred of killing his sons. Naturally, the worst result was that he had to denounce the village and go to other places to develop rations.


    After a while, Tonan pushed open the kitchen door and came out with food, filling the living room with a rich aroma. After setting up the table, he walked over to Hiruzen and took Kotoura back in his arms. Then, with a smile on his face, he said, ¡°Kotoura is not crying anymore. Sensei, come and eat. I¡¯ll take care of feeding him.¡±


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    Hiruzen nodded numbly and got up. He sat at the dining table but instead of eating, he stared at Tonan who was feeding Kotoura. Tonan scooped a spoonful of gruel and put it in his mouth. He chewed it for a while and spat it back to the spoon and fed it to the baby.


    Seeing Kotoura smacking his lips, Hiruzen recalled how cute Shinnosuke and Asuma were when they were children. For a moment, intense grief surged in his heart.


    His eyes turned red, and he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Tonan, you are Abe Seimei, right?¡±


    The question made Tonan pause his hand for a moment. The smile on his face disappeared and then looking at Kotoura in his arms, he remained silent. The atmosphere of the room became tense and still. Only the whistling sounds of cold wind could be heard.


    After a while, Tonan continued to feed Kotoura indifferently and softly said, ¡°Sensei, let¡¯s go out and talk after dinner. Don¡¯t frighten Kotoura.¡±


    Seeing the change in Tonan¡¯s expression, Hiruzen felt a chill in his heart. But taking another look at the infant staring at him with big innocent eyes filled with curiosity, he suppressed his anger and nodded.


    He picked up the chopsticks and put food in his mouth, slowly chewing it. The food was delicious but at this moment, Hiruzen felt like he was eating wax. After a few bites, he put down the chopsticks and sat there in a daze, staring at the food on the table.


    Ten minutes later, Tonan put the full Kotoura back on the sofa and created a shadow clone to look after him. The main body went to the clothes hanger behind the door and fetched Hiruzen¡¯s rob.


    He walked over to Hiruzen and handed it over, ¡°Sensei, it¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s go out and talk.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded and got up, leaving the courtyard with Tonan. The two left the Sarutobi district. Side by side, Tonan and Hiruzen walked in silence. It seemed that Hiruzen didn¡¯t want this matter to spread, so he took Tonan out of the Konoha Barrier and came to the forest near Orochimaru¡¯s previous secret base.


    The forest was dark. The branches of most of the tall trees were bare. Only the dim light could be seen, making the forest look mysterious. With the mist covering nearly everything, the place was strangely quiet.


    They went through the forest and continued to walk away from Konoha. When they came out, there was only a light snowfall, but now, it was getting dense. Only the sounds of cold winds could be heard as the snowfall gained momentum.


    A thin layer of snow had already coated the ground. Suddenly, Hiruzen, who had been walking in the front, stopped. Tonan also stopped. Adjusting his glasses, he softly said, ¡°Sensei, feel free to ask if you have any questions.¡±


    Hiruzen turned around and asked coldly, ¡°Are you Abe Seimei?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You killed Shinnosuke and Asuma?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s eyes turned cold as he angrily glared at Tonan. He immediately raised his right hand, making a hand sign with one hand. In the next moment, the soil at Tonan¡¯s foot turned into a quagmire and pulled him into it.


    Tonan, however, didn¡¯t struggle in the slightest. Soon, only his head was left above the ground, and he quietly watched Hiruzen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any excuse?¡± Hiruzen looked down at Tonan with cold eyes.


    Tonan calmly answered, ¡°Sensei, I don¡¯t want to fight with you.¡±


    Hiruzen clenched his fists tightly. His heart was filled with anger. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t call me sensei, I can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    Tonan replied lightly, ¡°Sensei, I still have dreams that have not been realized, so I can¡¯t die here. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Bang¡­ Tonan in the quagmire turned into a ball of white smoke. Hiruzen¡¯s eyes narrowed. He turned back towards the forest in the distance and made hand signs.


    ¡°Compound Ninjutsu ¨C Multi Earth Dragon Flame Flow.¡±


    The earth trembled violently, and more than ten earth dragons broke out from the ground in the forest. These dragons spat fire in a certain direction in the woods.


    The impact force of the earth dragons and the burning effect of fire style fused. In an instant, wherever earth dragons passed, trees broke into pieces and collapsed, scaling up the fire. The mist in the forest was instantly dispersed by the high temperature of the flames.


    Facing Hiruzen¡¯s ultimate move, Tonan muttered in the forest. ¡°Senjutsu ¨C Multi Nine Rock Pillars Technique.¡±


    Rumble¡­ Instantly, densely packed hard stone pillars rose in the woods, piercing every incoming earth dragon. The forest within a radius of more than ten miles had turned into stone and below was raging fire.


    As soon as the master and apprentice exchanged their moves, the landscape of the place changed completely. In the center of the stone forest, a stone pillar slowly rose to the highest point.


    Tonan stood on the top of this stone pillar. The three tomoe in his eyes were spinning, as he looked down on Hiruzen, ¡°Sensei, don¡¯t waste your energy. You can¡¯t deal with me, let me go. This is my fault. I don¡¯t want to continue to lie. When I realize my dream, I¡¯ll come back to admit my mistake and seek punishment from you. At that time, whether you want to kill me or cut me into pieces, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    Hiruzen looked very gloomy under the blazing light of the fire and yelled, ¡°Do you truly think I¡¯ve grown old and can¡¯t stop you?¡±

 CH 181

    After challenging Uchiha Tonan, Sarutobi Hiruzen used Summoning Technique to bring Enma into the battle. As soon as the monkey king appeared, before he even had the time to inquire, Hiruzen commanded, ¡°Enma, turn into Adamantine Staff.¡±


    Enma obeyed without hesitation and landed in Hiruzen¡¯s hands. In the next moment, the Adamantine Staff grew bigger and longer, and like a pillar supporting the sky, it swept towards Tonan.


    Wherever the Staff passed, the senjutsu-summoned stone pillars smashed into smithereens. Tonan¡¯s eyebrows rose a little. He was a bit surprised in his heart. It was such a simple move, but its might was even greater than he imagined. It could actually shatter the senjutsu-triggered stone pillars so easily.


    However, even if such a move was invincible on the battlefield, it was not much in a one-on-one fight. Just when the Adamantine Staff was about to hit Tonan, he used Lightning Spirit Wind Flash and jumped, dodging the attack, while quickly making hand signs in midair.


    ¡°Senjutsu ¨C Great Dragon Flame Technique.¡± A huge flame dragon spewed out from Tonan¡¯s mouth. Its appearance lit up the entire sky and as it appeared, it roared and rushed towards Hiruzen. Hiruzen was not perturbed. He used earth-style ninjutsu, similarly creating a stone pillar below his feet, rising him up in the air.


    Then, holding the mighty Adamantine Staff with both hands, he began to spin rapidly.


    ¡°Adamantine Staff ¨C Gale.¡± Boom¡­ The Staff¡¯s afterimages fused, giving rise to a fierce wind that blew everything away around Hiruzen. It even reversed the direction of the forest fire. The broken-down stone pillars were also unable to endure the lashing of this fierce wind and shattered.


    Tonan¡¯s senjutsu great dragon flame tenaciously resisted the great wind power and continued to fly towards its target. However, the closer it got, the slower the great dragon flame moved. Gradually, it became impossible to advance even an inch.


    Finally, after reaching the critical moment, the great dragon flame opened its mouth, seemingly letting out a roar, before being blown back.


    The moment the great dragon flame dispersed, Hiruzen put away the Adamantine Staff and quickly made hand signs.


    ¡°Compound Ninjutsu ¨C Multi-Wind Fire Shuriken Technique.¡± The flame and fierce wind in the sky merged, turning into rapidly rotating shurikens, relentlessly attacking Tonan who had already fallen to the ground.


    Tonan stayed in the same place and looked up indifferently at the thickly dotted wind fire shurikens in the sky. Rumble¡­ The dazzling fire illuminated the surroundings.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t dodging?¡± Hiruzen frowned and asked in disbelief. He immediately made another series of hand signs and used perception ninjutsu, but he couldn¡¯t sense Tonan¡¯s life aura.


    ¡°Impossible, how can you die so easily?¡± Hiruzen muttered. It felt like his heart suddenly became empty. He didn¡¯t believe the result and used perception ninjutsu again, but he still got nothing. It seems Tonan was truly dead¡­


    At this moment, Hiruzen found that he didn¡¯t have the pleasure of successfully avenging his sons. Instead, he felt as if he lost the most precious thing in the world. The snowfall was getting heavier. The large snowflakes fluttered densely, falling from the sky. As soon as they touched the fire, they melted into a plume of smoke.


    The fire gradually subsided, thickening the smoke. Hiruzen stood in a daze. Time passed second by second. The fire was completely extinguished, and the surrounding area was shrouded in a thick fog. Hiruzen¡¯s clothes were soaked and it became very cold. However, he felt that he was confused like never before. He didn¡¯t know whether he did the right thing or not.


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    Suddenly, he sensed danger from behind. Crackle, crackle, crackle¡­ When the harsh ear-piercing chirping sound came, it was already close at hand. Hiruzen instinctively turned around and thrust the Adamantine Staff in his hand towards the electric light.


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    Puff¡­ The blood splattered on the ground, turning into a bright red flower. The scene seemed to freeze at this moment. Hiruzen and Tonan looked at each other just like this. Both wearing a look of disbelief.


    The Adamantine Staff had ruthlessly pierced through Tonan¡¯s chest. But the Kusanagi Sword in Tonan¡¯s hand had just cut off a few strands of Hiruzen¡¯s hair.


    Tonan¡¯s eyes widened, and a sad smile appeared on his face. ¡°You truly want to kill me¡­ no hint of mercy¡­¡±


    Hiruzen¡¯s hand that was holding the Adamantine Staff trembled slightly, and he mumbled with a complex look, ¡°Tonan¡­¡± Blood flowed from Tonan¡¯s eyes and looking miserable, he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°My Kusanagi Sword intentionally deviated but your Adamantine Staff was aimed at the heart. Regardless of what I did, it was not enough¡­ In your heart, I¡¯ll always be inferior to those two wastes!¡±


    The three tomoe Sharingan in Tonan¡¯s eyes spun rapidly and turned into Mangekyo. Seeing this, Hiruzen was stunned. ¡°This is¡­ are these eyes¡­¡±


    The Mangekyo spun slowly but was filled with despair. In the next moment, the surrounding scenery fluctuated. Hiruzen woke up with a start and looked around. There was no sign of any battle here.


    Was it just genjutsu? For some reason, Hiruzen subconsciously sighed in relief. He noticed they were still in their original positions. The only difference was that at this moment, Tonan was kneeling on the ground.


    With his head lowered, he was trembling, and drops of blood were dripping on the snow, dying it red. Hiruzen looked at Tonan with complex emotion. He felt that the rage in his heart had subsided. He couldn¡¯t muster the slightest amount of resentment towards Tonan.


    Instead, he called out, ¡°Tonan¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Tonan raised his head and roared. ¡°I¡¯ve nothing left. Why did you go and find the truth?¡±


    His voice was filled with endless sadness¡­ At this moment, when Tonan raised his head, Hiruzen saw that the three tomoe in Tonan¡¯s eyes had turned into the Mangekyo Sharingan. Moreover, it was spinning slowly while bleeding continuously.


    ¡°He has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan? Is it because I killed him in the illusion, hurting him¡­¡±


    Hiruzen closed his eyes and sighed, ¡°Tonan, why did you kill Shinnosuke and Asuma?¡±


    Tonan laughed desolately hearing this question. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, I know everything. As long as Shinnosuke and Asuma are around, you won¡¯t look at me. You don¡¯t even bother to look at the birthday present I bought for you after skimping and saving. Regardless of how I try, no matter how much I do for you, I can never match blood relationship.¡±

 CH 182

    ¡°So, you killed Shinnosuke and Asuma, not for clan and power but because you felt I preferred them and neglected you¡­¡± As Sarutobi Hiruzen thought this, a strong pity emerged in his heart. ¡°Tonan, you haven¡¯t realized what you have done! You are muddled by jealousy.¡±


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    Uchiha Tonan stood up and shouted, ¡°Yes! I¡¯m jealous. I¡¯ve always regarded you as a father. Even though you killed my parents, I never hated you. Why can they get your care without doing anything just because of the so-called blood relationship? Can¡¯t you see who treats you well? Who stood up when Orochimaru betrayed you? It was me! I¡¯m just a chunin but I dared to fight with a Konoha Sannin for you!¡±


    Perhaps, because of being too deep in the act, Tonan exerted too much force. As a result, veins popped out on his forehead, turning his face red. He was even panting by the end.


    Hiruzen was startled. His hands trembled slightly, and his eyes were also slightly moist. Tonan¡¯s last sentence broke his defense in an instant. The wind was blowing beside his ears, making him feel a tingling pain.


    Heavy clouds shrouded the sky, causing the entire forest to plunge into darkness. The snow was also getting thicker. A curtain of broken flowers seemed to be drawn between the two of them, making it difficult for Hiruzen to see Tonan¡¯s face.


    He could only see a strange red light in Tonan¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ the person who cares about me the most in the world seems to be just Tonan¡­¡± Hiruzen took a deep breath and calmed down, ¡°Who told you I killed your parents?¡±


    Tonan secretly absorbed Hiruzen¡¯s negative emotions and answered with a miserable smile, ¡°The Great Elder told me that you transferred my parents to Kiri¡¯s frontline. That place is foggy all year round. How can the Sharingan be effective there? How would the fire-style and lightning-style ninjutsu restrain water-style? I¡¯m not stupid, but I deliberately neglected this fact. I no longer have parents. And now, I don¡¯t even have a sensei anymore¡­ I¡¯ve nothing left¡­¡±


    The Mangekyo in Tonan¡¯s eyes spun rapidly and he emitted strong chakra fluctuations. Seeing the situation turn for the worst, Hiruzen hastily explained, ¡°Tonan¡­ I indeed have the responsibility in your parents¡¯ matter. It was my error in command. Because at that time, the village was lacking manpower.¡±


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re good to me and I also know that you¡¯ve always cared for and loved the village. We can talk about Shinnosuke and Asuma. No hatred cannot be resolved. You must remain calm and not fall into darkness.¡± Hiruzen was a little flustered, and his words almost stuttered. He didn¡¯t even realize that his revenge had no connection to Tonan¡¯s parents.


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    In fact, he had no intentions or thoughts of killing Tonan¡¯s parents. He just discussed it with Shimura Danzo. After the war, they reckoned that the Uchiha clan had contributed a bit too much to the Second Shinobi War. And he simply wanted to suppress their arrogance. They were targeting the entire Uchiha clan.


    Most of the ninjas in the villages knew about this and they tacitly approved it. But could he say this? No.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late. From the moment you killed me in the illusion, everything is too late. We¡¯ll never go back to what we used to be. Even if I don¡¯t hate you, every time you remember it, you¡¯ll hate me. I know I¡¯m inferior to Shinnosuke and Asuma. However, it doesn¡¯t matter now. Sensei, let¡¯s go to the world of the dead together and start over. When we get there, I will personally apologize to your sons.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s face was filled with indifference and he slowly spread his hands open. A pitch-black Yaksha appeared around him. It was bigger than the nearby hills. Its appearance sent out an oppressive feeling. The Yaksha had a ferocious ghost face, with a pair of horns on the head and fangs in its mouth.


    Like Tonan, it had also spread open its arms. Its ten pointed fingers were like sharp claws. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes on seeing this. Was this Uchiha Madara¡¯s rumored Susanoo? But why was it so different from what was written in the intelligence records? It was so similar to the Death God drawn on the Reaper Death Seal Scroll.


    Hiruzen became anxious. ¡°Tonan! Wake up, don¡¯t get lost in the darkness.¡±


    Tonan looked at Hiruzen dispassionately. With a grim smile on his face, he said, ¡°Sensei, I¡¯m awake like never before. I used to deceive myself. The dream of bringing peace to the world is just a dream. I can¡¯t even save myself, how can I save the world? I was a nobody and living itself was very tiring. Come down together with me. Please forgive my last selfishness.¡±


    After speaking, he waved his hand towards Hiruzen. At the same time, the Yaksha also waved its arm, ferociously sweeping it towards the Hokage. The simple swing of an arm created a deep ravine on the ground as if the sturdy ground was as soft as tofu.


    Just before the Yaksha swung its arm, Hiruzen summoned Enma and turned it into Adamantine Staff. He swung the Staff, trying to block the attack. However, it was like a chopstick facing the Demon. Just touching its sharp claws, Hiruzen felt an incomparable force, and he was sent flying back.


    This was the result when Tonan was still holding back. He wouldn¡¯t stop this until his right eye¡¯s Tamamo-no-Mae could no longer absorb Hiruzen¡¯s negative emotions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me for killing your sons? I don¡¯t need to resort to sophistry. I just need to shift the cause and effect of this incident on you and show how good I¡¯m to you. And finally, make unfounded counter-charges, saying you caused my parents¡¯ death.¡±


    ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t fuss about you killing my parents. If you still blame me for killing your sons, do you still count as a human?¡±


    After landing, the Adamantine Staff reverted to Enma. The monkey king reached out to wipe the blood from his face, and said with an ugly expression, ¡°Sarutobi, why are you fighting with Tonan? How can he summon such a monster? It even injured me.¡±


    Hiruzen solemnly replied, ¡°This is most likely the Uchiha clan¡¯s Mangekyo Sharingan. It is mentioned in the secret record that Madara had a pair of eyes just like that.¡±


    Meanwhile, Tonan controlled Yaksha to move slowly, heading towards Hiruzen. He swung his claws again and again, attacking his sensei. At the same time, he was crazily absorbing the negative emotions that Hiruzen continued to emit. This was also one of the reasons why Hiruzen couldn¡¯t hate Tonan.


    Hiruzen and Enma were temporarily powerless. They could only awkwardly dodge and run. ¡°I heard that Susanoo has unrivaled defensive power, and ordinary ninjutsu is useless against it. Enma, can the Adamantine Prison Wall trap him?¡±


    Hiruzen could see that the matter at hand wouldn¡¯t be resolved if this continued, but he was unwilling to use powerful techniques like the Five Style ¨C Continuous Great Bullet Technique, out of fear of hurting Tonan.


    Enma ran for his life while anxiously saying, ¡°This awful thing can harm me. And don¡¯t forget he also has a sharper Kusanagi Sword in his hand.¡±

 CH 183

    At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Enma ran all the way to a valley. They tried to use narrow terrain to avoid the pursuit. The cliffs on both sides were towering, and the wall surface was very smooth. There were even some flowing waters dripping to the ground, creating a dripping sound.


    Chasing after them, Uchiha Tonan shouted, ¡°Sensei, do you see these eyes? It represents endless pain and uncertainty. If possible, I¡¯d rather never wake them up. It¡¯s such a pity there are no ifs in life.¡±


    The Yaksha¡¯s right arm stuck into the cliff and shook it violently. The entire cliff collapsed and countless pieces of rubble fell towards the valley, creating a heaven-piercing sound.


    Enma instantly transformed into dozens of Adamantine Staffs, forming a cage to protect Hiruzen. Both Enma and Hiruzen were buried by broken stones.


    In the next moment¡­


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    Boom¡­ Holding the Adamantine Staff, Hiruzen rushed through the debris and jumped out. He landed on the stone pile and stared at Tonan. Seeing that the Yaksha was preparing to attack again, he helplessly shouted, ¡°Tonan! Have you forgotten the Will of Fire?¡±


    The Yaksha¡¯s movement suddenly stopped. A hint of confusion flashed through Tonan¡¯s eyes, and he dazedly repeated, ¡°Will of Fire¡­¡±


    There¡¯s hope! Hiruzen¡¯s eyes lit up. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and continued, ¡°When the leaves dance in the air, the fire also prospers continuously.¡±


    Hearing this, Tonan felt very awkward inside while pretending to be confused. These words were simply not appropriate in this situation. The illiterate Hiruzen truly took this sentence as an all-purpose remedy. Tonan even suspected that Hiruzen had never understood the plain meaning of this sentence for all these years.


    Even if he must use it, couldn¡¯t he add some context to change the meaning? Tonan was simply speechless. However, at this moment, he could feel that his ocular technique, Tamamo-no-Mae, couldn¡¯t absorb any more negative emotions.


    Therefore, he should end this farce. Everything should be done within a limit. If he continued to push, it would make Hiruzen impatient and think that he was unreasonably making trouble.


    Also, after everything was said and done, his plantation in Konoha was too important. Although there were many bloodline limits outside, there were no reincarnations of Asura and Indra. And Rinnegan was the stone to step the threshold of the Six Paths level. This was the safest path.


    If he ran away after making a mess, Hiruzen might annihilate the Uchiha clan in advance. If that happened, he would lose the chance to achieve the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, then he wouldn¡¯t even have a place to cry.


    ¡°Will of Fire¡­ Konoha¡­¡± The confusion in Tonan¡¯s eyes intensified. It seemed he had been blindfolded by gauze. He couldn¡¯t see the light but only the chaos. Tonan held his head with his hands as if he was in great pain.


    Blue veins popped on his forehead as if the blood vessels were going to burst. He also ripped his hair. At the same time, he bellowed, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of all this? I¡¯m such a selfish villain. How can I care so much?¡±


    Seeing Tonan¡¯s current appearance, Hiruzen continued to persuade, ¡°You still have me, I never thought about killing you. I was carried away by anger earlier. Can you forgive your sensei?¡±


    Once Hiruzen said this, Tonan knew that this ordeal was finally over. He immediately knelt on the ground and raised his head to look at Hiruzen. Tears streamed from his eyes, ¡°Sensei¡­¡±


    His tone was filled with sobs. He resembled a severely aggrieved child. His previous lunatic expression had disappeared, replaced by deep emotions. Tonan also controlled the Yaksha around him, making it look like he was struggling with his life on the line.


    Then, he quietly transformed it into the Great Tengu¡¯s second form ¨C the Buddha Form. The pitch-black Yaksha seemed to wail quietly and the ferocious look of the evil spirit looked unwilling. Soon after, bits of golden specks gradually covered the Yaksha. The terrifying demon disappeared without a trace and instead, a benevolent and compassionate Buddha, emitting golden light, appeared.


    Enma dispelled the Transformation Technique and stood beside Hiruzen. He said with great surprise, ¡°It changed¡­¡±


    Hiruzen looked at Tonan with a face full of relief and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not surprising. Sharingan is the eye that is known as the window of the soul.¡± At present, Hiruzen firmly believed that Tonan¡¯s Susanoo was able to turn into a compassionate Buddha from a terrifying Yaksha because of his contribution.


    ¡°This child is so attached to me and I wanted to kill him. I¡¯m inhuman. I¡¯m afraid apart from my dead father, only Tonan cares about me the most in this world.¡± Hiruzen looked at the brightening sky behind the Buddha.


    Before he knew it, the sky was showing first light and birds had already come out searching for food. The snow had also stopped and the morning rays could be seen on the horizon.


    He closed his eyes and looked at Tonan again. ¡°With a student who regards me as his life like this, what kind of a son do I need? Affection is far more precious than blood.¡± Hiruzen felt like he was enlightened. It seemed his understanding of the Will of Fire had improved to a higher level. He looked at Tonan with eyes full of love.


    Enma looked at the Buddha stretched high in the sky and said with a shocked look, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Is this the power of emotion? It¡¯s incredible.¡±


    Tonan seemed to have overcome the confusion at this moment. He stood up and stared at Hiruzen, wiping the tears off his face, ¡°Sensei, thank you¡­¡±


    Enku looked at Tonan and sighed deeply. He patted Hiruzen on the shoulder, ¡°Sarutobi, regardless of what happened between you two, just let it go. Tonan is selfless towards you and Konoha. Don¡¯t live in plenty without appreciating it. To be honest, I¡¯m a little jealous of you today.¡±


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    Hiruzen nodded, ¡°I understand, I almost made a big mistake and lost a good student.¡±


    Enku dispelled the Summoning Technique on his own, leaving behind just the sensei and the student. ¡°Tonan, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Hiruzen spoke to Tonan with a warm smile. Tonan¡¯s face was filled with affection. His Mangekyo Sharingan disappeared, reverting to his black pupils.


    The golden Buddha also disappeared. He subconsciously took a step towards Hiruzen, leaving deep imprints on the snow. After walking one-third of the distance though, Tonan collapsed. Hiruzen would have to cover the remaining distance. After all, you would cherish things only if you had to pay, even if it was a trivial thing.


    Hiruzen hastily walked over and carried Tonan on his back. He then slowly walked toward Konoha. In front of him, the red sun had jumped out from the morning mist, and a myriad of lights played on the snow, dyeing the morning fog red and creating long shadows behind the two.


    The morning breeze blew softly.


    Coo, coo¡­ In the sky above, a flock of white pigeons flew over chirping. Tonan seemed to be disturbed by the noise and his hands around Hiruzen¡¯s neck tightened slightly.


    Hiruzen smiled knowingly and glanced at the sun that had just risen from the horizon. He then bowed a little so that Tonan could sleep more comfortably.

 CH 184

    Sarutobi Hiruzen carried Uchiha Tonan on his back all the way to the Sarutobi district. After walking into the courtyard, he reached out and patted the boy¡¯s arm that was holding his neck, ¡°We¡¯re home, it¡¯s time to come down.¡±


    Tonan quietly rubbed his head against Hiruzen¡¯s back and reluctantly got down. ¡°Come in, I happen to have something to talk to you about as well.¡± Hiruzen led Tonan into the house. Tonan first carried Hatake Kotoura, who was still sleeping soundly on the sofa and sat opposite Hiruzen.


    Both of them lowered their heads in silence. Regardless of how harmonious they were earlier, that was an intense moment. Now, they needed to calm down and rationally analyze the situation. Hiruzen felt his body searching for something, and then in a moment of realization, looked at the broken smoke pipe on the ground.


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    He got up and went to the cabinet to take out a new pipe and put tobacco in it. He lit it up and after taking a deep breath, he lightly said, ¡°Let bygones be bygones. People make mistakes. I¡¯ll destroy the evidence.¡±


    Tonan, despite holding Kotoura, looked like a little child who was being scolded for misbehaving. ¡°Sensei, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Hiruzen picked up the family portrait and put it in the drawer. He sighed, ¡°You are, after all, young, and will act impulsive and reckless. I also ignored you because of them, so I¡¯m also responsible here.¡±


    Hiruzen returned and sat across Tonan again. He realized they shouldn¡¯t continue to discuss Shinnosuke and Asuma so he changed the topic, ¡°By the way, if I¡¯m not mistaken, the Mangekyo Sharingan has special ocular techniques. What are your techniques? Will you tell me?¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and replied, ¡°My Mangekyo seemed to have changed. My ability seemed to be very evil but I didn¡¯t notice it at that time. Now, my left Mangekyo¡¯s ocular technique is called Transcendence. It can lead deceased souls to a carefree paradise. As for my right Mangekyo¡¯s technique, it¡¯s called Redemption. It can extract darkness from people¡¯s hearts but it will be injected into mine and I¡¯ll bear their pain.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded, hearing Tonan¡¯s answer. He blew out a mouthful of smoke and sighed after a long time. ¡°They are great ocular techniques.¡± He narrowed his eyes and blew out smoke again before looking at the clock. ¡°However, it¡¯s better for you to use the ocular technique called Redemption less. Don¡¯t harm yourself to save others.¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°I will take care of it.¡±


    Cough, cough¡­ At this moment, Kotoura seemed to have been choked by Hiruzen¡¯s smoke and coughed. It frightened the older person so much that he immediately extinguished the smoke and with a kind smile on his face, he reached out and pinched Kotoura¡¯s plump cheeks, ¡°You don¡¯t need to go to participate in the Honorary Chunin Competition. Your strength has already surpassed the Chunin level. When I go to Hokage Residence later, I¡¯ll change your ninja rank.¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows and said with some hesitation, ¡°But¡­ my mission number is far from enough.¡± Hiruzen waved his hand, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about this. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°Thank you, sensei, if it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯ll leave now. You rest as well.¡±


    Hiruzen withdrew his hands and leaned back on the sofa. He closed his eyes and nodded lightly, ¡°Hmm¡±. At this moment, although they had dealt with past suspicions, it would take some time for the scars to heal.


    Tonan didn¡¯t have to worry about Hiruzen going back on his words for the time being. Human beings were decision-making creatures. Once they made up their minds, it was equivalent to building up a wall that would last for a while.


    He walked out of the Sarutobi district when no one was around. He looked down at Kotoura in his arms. The baby¡¯s black eyes reflected Tonan¡¯s face and he happily reached out his hands as if he wanted to grab something. He also opened and closed his mouth a few times, as if calling out to Tonan.


    Ding! Gained Hatake Kotoura¡¯s acknowledgment. The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose, revealing a warm smile. He then made a hand sign with his right hand, and placed his palm on Kotoura¡¯s head, quietly implanting the Cultivation Path Cursed Seal.


    Immediately after, the pain made Kotoura wail. Tonan continued to walk, rocking him lightly. The earlier the cursed seal was planted, the better the assimilation effect. Along the way, people looked at them and smiled knowingly. They thought that Tonan was coaxing the child but they were unaware of how much torment Kotoura was suffering at this moment.


    However, Kotoura couldn¡¯t voice his pain. He could only express his agony by crying. He also instinctively swayed his tiny body but was held down effortlessly by Tonan. His face was flushed red and tears flowed down his cheeks.


    A passer-by female ninja glanced at Kotora and asked with a worried look, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this little fellow? He¡¯s crying too miserably.¡±


    Tonan smiled slightly, ¡°I forgot to feed him milk last night, so he is crying.¡± The female ninja frowned and looked at Kotoura, ¡°What a poor child. His face is so red¡­ is he sick?¡±


    Tonan gently held Kotoura with one hand and placed the other hand on his forehead. It was burning hot. It seemed the curse triggered the immunity system. With no change in his expression, Tonan said, ¡°Fortunately, he has no fever. It might be because he¡¯s crying too hard. Be obedient, Kotoura. We¡¯ll return home immediately and drink milk.¡±


    Tonan held the baby close to his chest to prevent the woman from reaching out and touching him. He walked past her while coaxing Kotoura. Soon, the baby fainted because he was unable to bear the pain.


    Tonan placed his finger below Kotoura¡¯s nose. He was breathing, but it was very weak. ¡°It¡¯s enough as long as you don¡¯t die. If you survive this, you¡¯ll be my best ration.¡±


    Meanwhile, at the welfare institution, Yakushi Nono came to take care of Kotoura as usual. However, even after knocking at the door for a long time, no one answered.


    ¡°Did he go somewhere this early in the morning?¡± Nono inwardly thought and looked back at the ground but the snow had almost melted, covering up all traces. After thinking for a bit, she discreetly opened the locked door and walked in.


    Once inside, she closed the door to avoid being seen by Maito Dai and Gai. Nono looked around after entering the door, confirming no one was around. She immediately went to the study and began to rummage through the bookshelf.


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    She was looking for any valuable information. As a spy, when stealing non-emergency information, she always chose the safest time to act.


    She decided to act today because she realized Kotoura was away. Babies of that age cannot hide their aura. As long as Tonan took him away, even if they came back immediately, she would be able to stop in time.

 CH 185.1

    The heat stove had been burning since last evening. The charcoal inside was almost burned out. The indoor environment was warm and cozy. Yakushi Nono maintained her breathing so she could use her hearing to judge whether someone was coming outside.


    She quickly rummaged through the bookshelves. Suddenly, Nono opened a book and saw Uchiha Tonan¡¯s handwriting on it. A slight smirk formed on her face as she placed the book on the desk and opened it.


    Nono just looked at the first page, and her eyes lit up.


    His diary¡­ Nono quickly flipped through the pages and felt overwhelmed. Almost every page was filled with Tonan¡¯s handwriting. Most of the pages were either filled with the summary of the Will of Fire or praising Sarutobi Hiruzen.


    Only after calming down and looking carefully, she could see the content of the day between the lines. However, this thick diary contained just about a month¡¯s worth of content.


    No way¡­ Nono raised her head and looked at the entire bookshelf, subconsciously gulping. The top space of the bookshelf was filled with books with the same cover. The one she took out was just the first book.


    It seemed that the plan of finding key content from the diary by herself and then reporting it had failed. Nono immediately removed all the diaries from the bookshelf. She then took out a scroll from her pocket and opened it. Making hand signs, she placed her right hand on the scroll.


    Secret Art ¨C Heart Seal Technique. After using the secret art, Nono hastily opened the dairies and quickly read them. Whenever she saw something, tiny symbols appeared on the scroll. Time passed little by little. Drops of sweat dripped from her chin. This was too much work¡­


    It took Nono three full hours to record the contents of all diaries on the scroll. She then put the diaries back on the bookshelf in the same order that she remembered as before. She closed the scroll and put it back into her pocket. After carefully checking that she didn¡¯t leave any traces in the study, she wiped her sweat off her face and left the study.


    Squeak¡­ The door opened slowly. Nono¡¯s pupils instantly shrank. In the living room, she saw Tonan lying beside the cradle, gently stroking the sleeping Kotoura.


    ¡°To¡­ Tonan-kun¡­¡±


    Shush¡­ Tonan didn¡¯t look at her. He just raised his finger to his mouth and shushed. He then covered Kotoura with a quilt. Nono felt that her heart was about to jump out of her chest. Although it was said that Tonan had a gentle personality, he was someone who could kill Orochimaru.


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    Nono, who had been a spy for so long, knew that she shouldn¡¯t be fooled by appearances. Most ninjas were courteous to their people but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t be cruel when facing the enemy.


    If she let Tonan know that she was a spy sent by the Root¡­ Tonan slowly got up and walked over to Nono. He whispered in her ears, ¡°When did you arrive?¡±


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    Nono pretended to be calm and smiled, ¡°I was here but I just saw that you and Kotoura were not there, so I thought to see if there was any place to clean.¡±


    Tonan smiled and sized up Nono. At this moment, Nono felt like his gaze had turned into invisible hands that were feeling her entire body. Gradually, she noticed that Tonan¡¯s gaze moved to her pocket.


    Her heart thumped. She forcibly suppressed it from beating too loud to not reveal any flaws. Fortunately, Tonan¡¯s gaze only stopped for a moment before moving back to her face. He smiled and slowly raised his hand.


    Nono felt like her heart was tightly clenched by a pair of invisible hands. She was under incomparable pressure. She also found Tonan¡¯s smile very strange.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. You¡¯re sweating so profusely.¡± A gentle voice was heard and Nono felt Tonan¡¯s finger wiping off the sweat hanging on the tip of her chin.


    ¡°Tonan-kun, I¡¯m feeling sick today. I should go back home.¡± Nono forced a smile and left the room without waiting for Tonan¡¯s reply. The moment she walked out of the room, she was sweating profusely. She didn¡¯t dare linger any longer. She hastily left the welfare institution.


    The cold wind blew lightly, making Nono, who was drenched in sweat, feel cold. In the house, Tonan opened the study room and walked in. He looked at the bookshelf, which didn¡¯t seem to have been touched. He then looked down at the flower and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    Tonan shook his head while chuckling and walked to the window. He opened it and stretched out his hand. A white pigeon on the branch outside the window flapped its wings and landed on the back of his hand, cooing affectionately. Tonan used his other hand to lightly rub the white pigeon¡¯s head, and warmly said, ¡°She¡¯s still useful to me.¡±


    Half an hour later, at the Root headquarter, Shimura Danzo looked at the decoded diaries in front of him and felt like his head was spinning.


    Among the things written in them, seventy percent were about the Will of Fire, and the remaining thirty were about Hokage-sama.


    ¡°Is Hiruzen¡¯s brainwashing this good?¡± Danzo wanted to throw these diaries far away. The content in them was nauseating. However, he resisted the urge. Although he didn¡¯t know the specifics of the battle between Tonan and Hiruzen last night, early this morning, the Root ninja detected traces of a battle in that area.


    Judging from it, Tonan¡¯s strength had reached a height that was unimaginable for ordinary people. With such powerful strength and his invincible status under Hiruzen¡¯s protection, Danzo knew that he could no longer make a move on Tonan.


    However, he couldn¡¯t let Tonan become any bigger as well. Otherwise, it was very likely that after Hiruzen abdicates, he would leave the Hokage position to Tonan. Whether it was his own long-standing dream or Tonan¡¯s Uchiha background, Danzo couldn¡¯t allow it to happen.


    ¡°Konoha has already decayed¡­ only I can lead it to real prosperity,¡± Danzo muttered to himself. He took a deep breath and continued to read through Tonan¡¯s diaries.


    Will of Fire¡­ Hokage-sama¡­ Will of Fire¡­ Hokage-sama¡­ Will of Fire¡­ Hokage-sama¡­ parents are dead¡­ Will of Fire¡­


    Danzo spent an entire day like this and was already in a trance.

 CH 185.2

    Shimura Danzo spent an entire day reading the entries made in Uchiha Tonan¡¯s diary. He was already in a trance. Finally, he saw the notes for the last six months.


    The experience of Fire City made me discover that most people in the world live in dire straits. In contrast, Konoha is simply heaven. No wonder so many people didn¡¯t hesitate to buy an inch of land in Konoha even if they had to sell off all their assets.


    ¡­¡­


    Master Chigo died¡­ died of guilt, died of incomprehension. That¡¯s right, he indeed acted according to the rules of the Land of Fire. But this was wrong! Evil should be deterred by iron-blooded means. Blind care and education cannot save the world.


    Severe illness requires strong medicines, and in troubled times, heavy means should be used. Evil should be treated more ruthlessly. Make them afraid, and make them tremble when the slightest evil thought arises.


    When Danzo saw this, he found that he was no longer bored, and lightly said, ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Wrong, I¡¯ve always understood the Will of Fire incorrectly. Perhaps, it should be said that I missed an important point. People are divided into good and bad and villagers are also divided into enemies and allies.


    The Will of Fire should also be divided into two sides. ¡®The place where the leaves dance, the fire prospers continuously¡¯. That is the situation when treating villagers and allies. However, when dealing with bad people and enemies, tolerating them with the Will of Fire is an injustice to good people and blasphemy to dead heroes.


    The place where the leaves dance, evil has nowhere to hide. Brilliant flames will eventually dispel all darkness. And brings safety and warmth to the sprouted seeds.


    Danzo nodded in agreement, ¡°Yes, this fellow¡¯s philosophy is somewhat similar to mine.¡±


    He then continued to scroll down. The more he read, the more engrossed he was. Between the lines in the diary, there were no longer the beautiful idealisms it used to be. Instead, he was cynical and revealed deep hostility that delighted Danzo.


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    My beloved parents, clan members, and even Konoha¡¯s fellow citizens died on the battlefield of the Second Great Shinobi War. They are all heroes, who burned themselves, illuminating the village.


    But what was the result? Konoha won the war, but what did we get? For the so-called village¡¯s pride, we signed a peace treaty with enemy villages so easily. What a good heart! What magnanimity! Foolish! Ignorant!


    ¡°Well written!¡± Danzo slapped the armrest abruptly.


    It¡¯s a pity that Konoha¡¯s ideal has flaws. I understand everyone¡¯s desire for peace. But a blood debt must be repaid in blood. If they want to fight, we must fight back. Konoha¡¯s men aren¡¯t afraid of death, not afraid of battle, and also not afraid of war.


    If we lose, then it¡¯s better to die in glory than to live in dishonor. If we win, let them pay a heavy price. Unfortunately¡­ It¡¯s regrettable¡­


    Danzo sighed heavily and shook his head. His heart felt a bit heavy. He recalled the time when Hiruzen signed the peace treaty after the Second Great Shinobi War. He strongly opposed it every time but it was useless. He was weaker than Hiruzen and hence he was not the Hokage.


    ¡­¡­


    Sarutobi-sensei is a good Hokage. He has enough cohesion and appeal. He can unite all forces in the village when foreign enemies attack. But once the war is nearing victory, or in times of peace, the village will change into a mass of loose sand again.


    There is a huge chasm between ninjas and common people. Talent, resources, and connections ¡ª common people don¡¯t have these things. Apart from a small number of people, even if most civilians become ninjas, they are just expendable in the war. The ninjas also compete with each other and even this competition has reached a bad level.


    In the war, as long as the scale of victory is tilted in our favor, the ninja clans would stop doing their tasks to preserve their strength. At the same time, they expect other ninja clans to stand on the frontline and consume their strength.


    Moreover, those who are sent to the ninja academy are not the clans¡¯ strongest but the weakest. The geniuses are for increasing the clan¡¯s reputation, and the wastes are to fill the quota and to put on a show to everyone. Most of the children are hidden in the clan and taught secretly.


    ¡­¡­


    I¡¯ve been observing Orochimaru-sama recently. He¡¯s one of the Konoha Sannin whose reputation reverberated throughout the Ninja World. I think he is probably the one who can change Konoha. Sarutobi-sensei should retire.


    And the next Hokage should be Orochimaru-sama. According to rumors, Orochimaru-sama would be an iron-blooded Hokage.


    Seeing this, Danzo couldn¡¯t help snorting, ¡°You are bad at reading people. People like Orochimaru are innately cold-blooded and selfish. I¡¯m the best candidate for the Hokage.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    I thought about it for a long time and made a difficult decision. I summoned the clan members who still had Konoha in their hearts, planning to go with them to kill Orochimaru-same. He is doing human experiments, using our village¡¯s people as materials.


    This kind of person cannot be the person I¡¯m looking for. He is a devil. I must kill him. I can¡¯t let Konoha be destroyed in his hands. Even if this ends in my death¡­


    ¡­¡­


    I came back alive. Orochimaru-sama must have died. I could see that Sarutobi-sensei had plans to let Orochimaru-sama go. But cancer should be amputated from the roots. I couldn¡¯t let such a strong person who hates Konoha be released. Otherwise, there would be endless trouble.


    I don¡¯t know what will happen to Konoha in the future. Honestly speaking, I¡¯m so disappointed in Sarutobi-sensei. He¡¯s the Hokage and he should do everything from the village¡¯s perspective but he decided with an emotional perspective today.


    I wonder when we will get an iron-blooded person to lead Konoha to glory. I don¡¯t regret killing Orochimaru. Everything is for Konoha.


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    Seeing this entry, Danzo couldn¡¯t help but silently add, ¡°Am I not the iron-blooded person you are looking for?¡±


    After a long time, Danzo finally finished reading Tonan¡¯s diary. He raised his head and sighed, ¡°It seems my prejudice ran too deep. It turned out that this kid is the same as me.¡±


    He called out loudly, ¡°Ryoma!¡±


    A figure flashed and knelt in front of Danzo. Danzo said in a deep voice, ¡°Tell Nono to copy Tonan¡¯s diary when she has the chance. It¡¯s very useful to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Danzo-sama.¡±


    After Ryoma left, Danzo put down the diary and quietly said, ¡°Perhaps, we shouldn¡¯t be enemies.¡±

 CH 186

    ¡°Cheers!¡± In the barbecue restaurant, Uchiha Tonan, Namikaze Minato, and the others were dining together. Uchiha Obito took a sip of the juice and said with envy, ¡°We just went out to finish a mission but you¡¯ve become a jonin already. It¡¯s too fast.¡±


    Nohara Rin bit the straw and peeked at Tonan, ¡°Obito, how can you compare to Tonan? He even defeated Orochimaru.¡±


    Tonan squinted and said with a smile, ¡°I besieged him with other clan members and it was still a one-sided battle. If it wasn¡¯t for Sarutobi-sensei arriving in time, I¡¯m afraid I might¡¯ve lost.¡±


    Hatake Kakashi quickly pulled down the mask without anybody noticing and took a sip of juice, ¡°I never thought the gap between us would keep getting wider. It seems that I can¡¯t catch up with you.¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and said warmly, ¡°At the summit, some people arrive earlier and others later. But people on the same path end up at the same height in the end.¡± When Kakashi heard this, he nodded slightly.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Obito asked Tonan with a confused look wondering why Tonan was talking about summits and mountains. When everyone saw his silly face, they couldn¡¯t help smiling.


    Minato turned his head to look at Tonan, ¡°Now that this mission is over, I¡¯m planning to teach Obito and others well. In spring, Konoha will hold the Chunin Exam. I want to use this time to improve Obito and Rin¡¯s strengths.¡±


    ¡°It just so happens that I recently developed a new ninjutsu as well. If you¡¯re interested to take a look, come tomorrow. I¡¯d also like to hear your opinion and see if there¡¯s any need for improvement in it.¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°No problem. I¡¯ve also been idle lately. By the way, is the Chunin Exam team format or individual format?¡±


    ¡°Team format.¡±


    Tonan frowned slightly, ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t there be one person less? It¡¯s a big disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°Kakashi will also participate.¡±


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    Seeing a puzzled Tonan, Minato explained, ¡°In this Chunin Exam, Ame and Suna will also participate. And if Konoha can¡¯t seize the championship, the impact will be considerable. Besides, Kakashi isn¡¯t very old.¡±


    Only then did Tonan nod in realization. This was not just an exam for Konoha.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just focus on chatting, eat quickly. The meat will burn otherwise.¡± Uzumaki Kushina interrupted the conversation between the two and put roasted meat in each person¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start,¡± Obito began to eat frantically, ¡°Thank you, Kushina-senpai.¡± Tonan politely thanked her as well and picked up the roasted meat to eat. In his heart, however, he was busy plotting.


    ¡°Chunin Exam¡­ Perhaps, this was a good opportunity.¡±


    Obito was stealing glances at Rin while eating the meat and discovered she was doing the same to someone else. He followed her light of sight and his gaze collided with Tonan¡¯s. Obito was slightly startled, ¡°Tonan, why are you looking at me like this?¡±


    Tonan smiled, ¡°I think you¡¯ve great potential.¡± The unexpected praise embarrassed Obito. He scratched his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s for sure. I, however, am the future Hokage.¡±


    Tonan firmly replied, ¡°I believe you can do it.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The next day, in the training ground in the suburbs, Minato looked at the sky helplessly and explained to Tonan, ¡°Looks like Obito won¡¯t be here for a while. I¡¯ll show you my new ninjutsu in the meantime.¡±


    Tonan nodded calmly. Minato opened his right hand and kept gathering chakra on his palm. He rotated and compressed it and soon, a light blue rotating ball appeared on his palm. Tonan pretended to be surprised, ¡°It¡¯s a signless technique and it looks very powerful.¡±


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    A small smile formed on Minato¡¯s lips, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve named it Rasengan. It is about transforming the chakra¡¯s shape to the extreme but the main trick is compression and rotation. The more chakra is compressed, and the faster the rotation speed, the greater the power.¡±


    After speaking, Minato rushed towards a large tree next to him and hit its trunk with Rasengan.


    Bang¡­ The big tree, which would¡¯ve needed several people to hold it, collapsed. Tonan touched his chin and began to analyze, ¡°This technique¡¯s power is very good. But the disadvantage is also obvious. The tension of Rasengan¡¯s compression and rotation is too substantial. A large amount of chakra is needed to control it.¡±


    ¡°Thirty percent of the required chakra is for using this technique and the remaining for controlling it. Just this point alone will rule out ninety percent of ninjas with insufficient chakra. In addition, this kind of ninjutsu is a close-range attack. The restriction cannot be ignored.¡±


    Minato was surprised by Tonan¡¯s insight. Tonan could find Rasengan¡¯s flaws just by looking at it once. He nodded with admiration, ¡°Yes, this move has many flaws but my charka amount is sufficient, and I can use it to crush kunai.¡±


    ¡°I was able to develop this thanks to Kakashi. His Raikiri inspired the idea. In comparison to Rasengan, Raikiri is difficult and perfect in all aspects. However, I know space-time ninjutsu, which can make up for Rasengan¡¯s close-range flaw. This is more suitable for me.¡±


    Kakashi saw Tonan looking over at him. He straightened his body and looking indifferent, he asked ¡°Do you want to learn my Raikiri? I can teach you.¡±


    Tonan wouldn¡¯t be courteous with Kakashi. He gently said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take you up on the offer.¡± Although Tonan had learned a lot of ninjutsu from Sarutobi Hiruzen, he didn¡¯t know all the skills. There was a serious monopoly on ninjutsu in this world.


    Especially the chakra compression skill, which involved theoretical knowledge. As for Rasengan, as long as he mastered compression, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to learn it. At this moment, a figure appeared in the distance. Rin, who was quiet for a long time, yelled, ¡°Obito, what time is it? You¡¯re late again.¡±


    Obito ran over and said while panting, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was late because I was helping a grandma cross the road.¡±


    Minato waved his hand helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ just be careful in the future. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you and Rin for special training. By the way, Tonan, I¡¯ll trouble you to teach Obito fire-style ninjutsu when you¡¯ve time. I¡¯m not too familiar with it.¡±


    Tonan smiled, ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll teach him after his training is over.¡±


    Obito was about to agree, but when she saw Rin staring at Tonan with inexplicable eyes, he unhappily said, ¡°I don¡¯t want it. I¡¯m already good at fire-style, I don¡¯t need him to teach me.¡±


    Minato hadn¡¯t expected Obito to refuse so sternly. After a slight surprise, he gave Tonan an apologetic look. He then took Rin and Obito to start basic training not far away.


    Half an hour later, a harsh chirping sound entered Obito¡¯s ears. He glanced at Tonan, who had successfully used the Raikiri, from the corners of his eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just because your talent is better? I¡¯ll definitely beat you. And Kakashi¡­¡± Suddenly, a gust of wind blew against his face. Two kunai were about to hit him, stunning Obito.


    Minato appeared in front of him just in time and grabbed the kunai. Then, with a serious look, he said, ¡°Obito, you¡¯re distracted again.¡± Obito scratched his head and looked at Rin, who was constantly looking at Tonan. He lowered his head and said in despair, ¡°Sor¡­ sorry¡±


    Not far away, Tonan dispersed the Raikiri and glanced at Obito. ¡°A simple person should be easy to break.¡± Thinking of this, he turned to Rin. He saw her blushing as she hastily looked away.


    ¡°Sometimes, women are a hindrance. I¡¯ve to find a chance to eliminate Obito¡¯s hostility.

 CH 187

    At about noon, Uzumaki Kushina made a special trip to bring lunch for everyone. Once everyone finished eating, she bade them farewell. Soon after, Uchiha Tonan began exchanging pointers with Hatake Kakashi on sword techniques. And Namikaze Minato began teaching Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin how to release ninjutsu.


    Obito and Rin didn¡¯t have much ninjutsu proficiency. Apart from the three basic techniques, Obito had learned the Grand Fireball Technique and Rin had learned the basic medical ninjutsu, Mystical Palm Technique.


    Minato knew very little about these two techniques, so it was very difficult for him to teach them anything further or build on them.


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Grand Fireball Technique.¡± Obito made hand signs, took a deep breath, and spat out a small flame¡­


    Sigh¡­ Minato helplessly slapped his forehead. Seeing this, Tonan felt that it was almost time. So, he walked over and leisurely said, ¡°Minato-sensei, it¡¯s getting late. Why don¡¯t you all head back? Let me teach Obito and Rin.¡±


    Minato understood Tonan¡¯s implication and pretended as if he suddenly remembered something, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¡­ Kakashi and I just happen to have something to do. I¡¯ll leave these two with you, then.¡±


    Minato walked over to Kakashi and winked at him. Then, the two left the training ground together. Seeing that Tonan wanted to teach him ninjutsu, Obito folded his arms and turned his head away, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I want to train with you.¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and said without being annoyed at all, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll teach Rin alone. Obito, you can leave as well then.¡±


    Tut¡­ Obito turned around and left. But just after walking out of their sight, he couldn¡¯t help worrying about Rin. He stealthily returned and hid in the bushes to observe.


    Tonan took Rin to a large rock. ¡°Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Rin sat down quietly and watched Tonan intently. Tonan stood in front of her and began to explain, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the Mystical Palm Technique but I do know a little about medicine. I also know a little about the human body¡¯s acupoints and meridians.¡±


    Rin praised Tonan with a look of admiration hearing this, ¡°Tonan-kun knows a lot. I stay up late every night to learn all this but I still don¡¯t know much about it.¡±


    Tonan smiled, ¡°That might be because you didn¡¯t study systematically. Do you want to learn the knowledge of medicine or the human body first?¡±


    Rin tilted her head, ¡°I think either is fine.¡±


    Tonan thought for a while and said, ¡°Then, let¡¯s learn about the human body now. After all, the lethality of the Mystical Palm Technique¡¯s attack on meridians and acupoints is very potent. The knowledge of medicine won¡¯t help you much in Chunin Exam.¡±


    Tonan bent down and picked up a branch from the ground. He pointed at Rin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Remember this acupoint. Most of the fire-style ninjutsu flow through this acupoint.¡±


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    He was using a branch because Tonan knew that Obito was watching in secret. Since he was just paving the path for the subsequent acknowledgment, he needed to consider Obito¡¯s feelings.


    If he used his hands directly, that would infuriate Obito. Seeing Obito had no intention to come out, Tonan pointed at one of Rin¡¯s relatively sensitive acupoints.


    Eh¡­ Rin felt a tingling sensation at the spot where the branch was pressing, and she couldn¡¯t help moaning. Obito, who was hiding behind a bush, became upset and cursed, ¡°Damn¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s the only way to make it easier for you to understand the exact location,¡± Tonan said to Rin apologetically.


    Rin shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡±


    Tonan nodded and continued to move towards the next acupoint. ¡°And this place.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Rin¡¯s voice pierced Obito¡¯s heart but he endured it and didn¡¯t show up. Tonan frowned slightly and said, ¡°Maybe you are too sensitive because you¡¯re a woman.¡±


    With a look of guilt, Rin said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tonan-kun, I truly couldn¡¯t help it.¡±


    Tonan sighed and prepared to make another move. He threw the branch away. ¡°There¡¯s no one else but only me as the test subject here.¡± As he spoke, he took off his robe, revealing his sturdy upper body. Rin swallowed and blushed hard. Tonan pointed to the left side of his abdomen without a change in his expression and slowly said, ¡°This position along this trajectory, about two centimeters away from the skin¡­ You should feel it. It won¡¯t work if you look at it, you need to practice.¡±


    Rin felt that her mind was blank. She stood up in a daze and reached out her hand to touch Tonan¡¯s body. At exactly this moment, Obito finally jumped out. ¡°Hey!¡±


    His voice pulled Rin back to reality and she retracted her hand. She felt like she was caught cheating.


    Tonan calmly turned his head to look at Obito and asked with a puzzled look, ¡°Obito?¡±


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    ¡°You¡­¡± Obito felt like he was going to explode but he didn¡¯t know what to say. Tonan walked over to him and grabbed his wrist, ¡°You hadn¡¯t left yet. Perfect, can you be Rin¡¯s test subject?¡±


    Obito was still organizing the righteous words in his head but it was interrupted by Tonan¡¯s words. ¡°Me¡­¡± Looking at Rin who had lowered her head, Obito replied with a wretched smile, ¡°Heh heh¡­ no problem!¡±


    Tonan pulled him to the large rock and pointed at it, ¡°Take off your clothes and lie down there.¡±


    Swish¡­ Obito¡¯s hand speed was at full display at this moment. In front of the two, he showed what it meant to take off clothes in seconds. But Tonan grabbed his wrist¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t need to take off your pants. Close the zipper.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Obito was a bit embarrassed. He was too excited right now but he didn¡¯t think too much about it. He laid down on the big rock with his upper body exposed.


    Tonan had already put his shirt back on. He squatted down and gently pressed the acupoints on Obito¡¯s back with his finger while explaining to Rin. Obito complained in his heart, ¡°Why is Tonan touching me¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the neuro acupoint. Once Mystical Palm Technique hits this point, it can paralyze the body for a short time. Come and try it.¡±


    ¡°Rin is going to touch me¡­¡± Obito felt his heart thumping and he was looking forward to it. However, Rin¡¯s technique was entirely different from Tonan¡¯s. Moreover, since Obito had ruined the atmosphere right now, the little girl still held a grudge.


    Therefore, she used a bit more strength.


    ¡°It hurts¡­¡±

 CH 188

    The setting sun was holding a grand farewell ceremony in the west. The fiery red sunset dyed the entire sky in its colors. At this moment, Uchiha Tonan, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin had just completed their training and were returning to their homes.


    Obito was tormented all afternoon and was feeling extremely unhappy at the moment. But he couldn¡¯t vent his grievances on his beloved Rin. Therefore, he could only sneak behind Tonan, trying to find a small place to ask him whether or not he liked Rin.


    Tonan quietly walked towards Konoha¡¯s shopping street while Obito sneaked behind him. Tonan had noticed that Obito had taken the bait and the corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t help rising a little. He arrived at a flower store and walked in.


    Obito stuck his head out from the street¡¯s corner and watched Tonan walk into the store. He grumbled, ¡°What a disgusting person! Why¡¯s he going to a flower store?¡±


    His imagination ran wild and Obito¡¯s hostility towards Tonan rose by several levels. He began to contemplate how to mess up his plan. Soon, he saw Tonan walking out with a bouquet of roses.


    ¡°Roses¡­ he wants to confess his love!¡± Obito hastily followed but to his surprise, this pursuit brought him only to the Uchiha district gate. ¡°Is he planning to do it tomorrow?¡±


    Obito saw Tonan was about to walk into his house. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so he rushed and called out, ¡°Tonan!¡±


    Tonan, who had just opened the courtyard door, turned and gave Obito a blank look. He then forced a smile and asked, ¡°Obito, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Seeing Tonan¡¯s expression was not looking very good, Obito turned his question into a statement, ¡°I wanted to ask you something.¡± Tonan nodded, ¡°Wait for me, let¡¯s talk on the way.¡±


    Tonan walked into the courtyard. Half a minute later, he came out with a wood carving in his hand. ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± Tonan asked as he walked towards the clan¡¯s border area. Obito didn¡¯t know where Tonan was going, so he followed him, ¡°You¡­ are you interested in Rin?¡±


    Thinking about how Tonan and Rin were driving him crazy earlier, Obito¡¯s anger rose again and his words were emotional. Tonan was slightly startled and asked with a puzzled look, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Obito kept scratching his head. He didn¡¯t want to spell things clearly, lest Tonan realized he liked Rin. After all, he had maintained a secret crush for all this time and he couldn¡¯t let others know about it now.


    Tonan looked at Obito deeply, and as if he realized something, he chuckled and shook his head, ¡°You are thinking too much. I¡¯ve always regarded Rin as a younger sister.¡±


    Obito was first stunned when he heard Tonan¡¯s reply and then was pleasantly surprised. His hostility towards Tonan disappeared in a flash. ¡°Really? And here I thought¡­¡±


    As he was speaking, he noticed the wood carving in Tonan¡¯s hand. The carving looked like a girl and most likely a cute girl. Obito felt it looked familiar but he couldn¡¯t quite remember. ¡°You already have someone you like?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking that?¡± Tonan¡¯s voice was filled with reminiscence and melancholy. His pace slowed down a little and he lowered his head as if he was deeply saddened. Obito put on a face as if he could see through everything. He pointed at the bouquet in Tonan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Why else would you buy roses? Aren¡¯t they used to propose?¡±


    Tonan was silent after hearing his words and continued to walk with a deep look. The setting sun was slowly falling into the mountains but even its last sliver was releasing its light to the fullest. The horizon¡¯s afterglow shone on Tonan and Obito.


    Seeing that Tonan had such a side, Obito was very excited. With a gossipy look on his face, he poked Tonan with his elbow and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s she? I never saw you together with that girl.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice was hoarse as he replied, ¡°Mina.¡± He seemed to be filled with longing.


    ¡°Mina? Who?¡± Obito felt as if he had heard this name before and he thought about it for a long time.


    Tonan smiled bitterly and shook his head. He sighed, ¡°Sure enough, not many people remember her name anymore.¡± His words seemed to jolt Obito¡¯s memory, ¡°I remember, she was our classmate in the first grade.¡± As soon as he said this, Obito recalled that Mina was dead. He lowered his voice, ¡°Sor¡­ sorry.¡±


    ¡°Never mind, people die like a light being extinguished. It¡¯s not surprising you don¡¯t remember her.¡±


    Tonan forced a smile again and his eyes became dim, ¡°In this cold and indifferent clan, I¡¯d only seen two kind-hearted people. One of them was Mina.¡±


    Obito scratched his head and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the other one?¡±


    Tonan paused and turned his head to look at Obito meaningfully. He then continued to walk again. Obito was stunned for a moment and then pointed at himself, ¡°Me?¡±


    But Tonan seemed to be in a bad mood and didn¡¯t answer him again. Obito felt that he should find a way to comfort Tonan at this time so he looked for a topic and asked, ¡°Can I take a look at this wood carving?¡±


    Tonan quietly handed it to Obito. Obito noticed the wood carving¡¯s outlines were clear and even the expressions were very detailed. The wood was also of good quality. The edges and corners were spotless and without any flaws. It looked like it was kept very well every day.


    Obito exclaimed in admiration, ¡°It¡¯s so delicate, you carve so well.¡±


    Tonan sighed deeply, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what it is, you can do it well as long as you work hard. For many years now, her voice and smile have filled my mind, accompanying me every night. As time passed, not only did the memory not fade, but it became clearer. It just so happened that today was also a special day so I want to go to pay her a visit.¡±


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    Obito nodded quietly, recalling Mina¡¯s memories. But he couldn¡¯t remember what day it was today, so he asked, ¡°What special day is it? I remember she didn¡¯t die in this season and it seems her birthday was also not around this time. When we were in the first grade, she invited her classmates to have snacks.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t know when Mina¡¯s birthday was so he could only cook up a reason. He said with a sad look, ¡°Today is the day we met.¡±


    Obito thought for a while. This was not when school was open so he did the math in his mind and asked, ¡°So, you two knew each other before you went to the academy.¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°I met her briefly when I was a child, but at a glance, I knew I¡¯d never forget her in my life.¡±


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    At this moment, Obito felt that Tonan was like a kindred spirit. In fact, Tonan was worse off than him. Although Rin didn¡¯t quite like him, she was at least alive. But the person Tonan liked had died long ago.


    What a pity¡­ Thinking of this, Obito looked at Tonan with sympathy and said, ¡°Tonan, you miss her to this day. I think if she knew this in the nether world, she¡¯d be very happy.¡±

 CH 189.1

    Reminiscing about the deceased Uchiha Mina, Uchiha Tonan and Uchiha Obito had arrived in the cemetery outside the clan¡¯s district. The former narrowed his eyes slightly and found Mina¡¯s grave. He placed the wood carving and the bouquet of roses in front of the tombstone and knelt, ¡°Mina, I¡¯ve come to see you again.¡±


    Obito stood behind Tonan and looked at the overgrown grass on the tomb, ¡°It seems this grave hasn¡¯t been cleaned for a long time.¡±


    Having said that, he prepared to walk forward to pull out the grass. But Tonan quickly stopped him, ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Mina liked to wear flowers and plants on her head the most when she was alive.¡±


    Obito was stunned for a moment but nodded, ¡°Is that the case? I thought it was neglected for a long time.¡±


    Tonan was spouting nonsense but managed to handle the flaw and looked at the tombstone with a sad face. He said in a low voice, ¡°Mina, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m having a great time. I don¡¯t have many friends but the ones I¡¯ve are all very dear. He¡¯s also from the Uchiha clan and he¡¯s kind-hearted just like you.¡±


    He beckoned to Obito, ¡°Obito, come and say hello to Mina.¡± Obito walked over to Tonan¡¯s side and hesitated for a moment. He also knelt and awkwardly said, ¡°Uh¡­ hello, Mina.¡±


    Tonan seemed a little excited and he moved forward on his knees. ¡°Did you hear that? He¡¯s Obito¡­ you haven¡¯t forgotten him, right? He¡¯s our classmate. Like me, he used to be at the bottom of the class. He has great potential and is also a kind person. He¡¯s a worthy partner.¡±


    Obito hadn¡¯t expected that he was already a ¡®dear friend¡¯ in Tonan¡¯s heart. He couldn¡¯t help but look at him, ¡°Tonan¡­¡±


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    Immediately afterward, he looked at Mina¡¯s grave with a serious look and solemnly said, ¡°Mina, you can rest assured. I¡¯ll take good care of Tonan. And we¡¯ll always be good partners.¡±


    ¡®Ding! Gained Uchiha Obito¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡°Sure enough¡­ It was so easy after eliminating the hostility. This is really¡­ wasting my intelligence!¡± Tonan couldn¡¯t help himself from smiling subtly and then stood up and patted off the dust on his pants. ¡°Alright, we won¡¯t disturb your rest.¡±


    Obito froze for a moment and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to spend more time with Mina?¡± Is the visit already over? Isn¡¯t it too quick?


    However, for Tonan, once Obito¡¯s acknowledgment was in, the rest did not matter. The current Obito was nothing but a powerless genin. He was not worthy of Tonan¡¯s efforts. The Kamui ability was good but it was a bit troublesome to kill. So, a final step was still required.


    Tonan smiled lightly and said in an inexplicable tone, ¡°Yin and Yang are separated, it¡¯s not good to disturb her for too long¡­ Obito, do you want to become stronger?¡±


    Obito nodded, ¡°I want to.¡±


    Tonan looked around and secretly used Wind Communication to confirm there was no one else around. He then said in a bewitching tone, ¡°I have a secret technique that can open up the human body¡¯s conception vein and stimulate one¡¯s potential. But the process is very painful.¡±


    Obito¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°As long as I can become stronger, I can endure no matter how painful it is.¡±


    Tonan smiled and bent down to pat Obito¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll open up the conception vein for you so you can tap on the great potential in your body.¡±


    As the charade was nearing its end, Tonan¡¯s face turned cold. He made hand signs and placed his palm on Obito¡¯s head. This time, Tonan used more origin energy in the curse seal. As long as Obito didn¡¯t reach the level of Six Paths, his life and death were just a matter of thought for Tonan.


    Obito felt like his skull was opened by something and a cold qi rushed into his mind. Even though he had already prepared himself, he realized he had underestimated the pain. ¡°It hurts so much¡­¡± The gloomy qi continually moved around in his mind like a snake. It felt like it was gnawing his brain.


    Pain, pain, pain, heart-rendering pain. The pain was unbearable¡­ death was better than life. Obito was hovering between life and death. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± His scream could be heard throughout the cemetery.


    Tonan had experimented many times with the Cultivation Cursed Seal. He knew that this seal was not fatal. He was not worried about Obito¡¯s safety. He considerately gave him enough room to roll over and walked over to Mina¡¯s tombstone. He reached out and stroked the tombstone, saying in a low voice, ¡°Mina, thank you.¡±


    Tonan suddenly thought of the Shuten-doji ocular technique in his left eye and looked at the surrounding graves. Thinking of trying it, he turned his back to Obito and activated the kaleidoscope.


    He closed his eyes and a second later, his left eye abruptly opened, the Mangekyo spinning rapidly in it creating a suction force. Gradually, in his vision, a white soul was pulled up at the edge of the cemetery and floated towards him.


    As the soul got closer to him, the floating speed became faster and it was sucked into his left eye¡¯s space. Tonan felt a strange comfort rising from his heart, intoxicating his senses. But there was just one new soul nearby. He looked around and sighed, deactivating his Mangekyo. Such instinctual pleasure was addictive.


    In the Shuten Space, the soul of the Uchiha clan member that was absorbed right now looked at its surroundings with a baffled look. The sky was blood-red and the earth was full of lava. Everywhere was desolate and dead.


    ¡°Did I do too many bad things? There truly is hell after death,¡± the Uchiha clan member muttered and wandered. However, just after taking a few steps, he accidentally stepped on the lava that sprayed out from the ground and his feet were burned, emitting blue smoke. That blue smoke gradually floated in the blood-red sky above.


    The Uchiha clan member took a few steps back in surprise and his figure dimmed a bit. As a soul, he shouldn¡¯t feel pain but he could feel himself being swallowed by something. He raised his head and looked around seriously. A feeling of despair filled the bottom of his heart.


    At first, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the surroundings, but now that he did, he saw there were interconnected lava streams everywhere on the ground. Terrifying dark clouds with lightning flashes moved slowly in the sky and lava rain poured in torrents.


    Back in the real world, half an hour later, the sun had completely set and the cold crescent moon had risen. Obito was sweating profusely, lying on the ground, and his eyes were slightly unfocused.


    In his line of sight, a human-shaped black figure appeared, covering up the moon. Obito¡¯s eyes narrowed and some expressions returned on his lifeless face. He weakly asked, ¡°Tonan¡­ did¡­ did I succeed?¡±


    Tonan casually replied, ¡°Yes, you succeeded, your potential will awaken within a certain time. At that time, it¡¯ll be very easy to use ninjutsu.¡±


    ¡°Thank¡­ thank you¡­¡± After speaking, Obiito closed his eyes and fell asleep. Tonan quietly looked at Obito¡¯s face and a strange smile appeared on his face, ¡°No need to thank me.¡±


    Having said that, he picked up the unconscious Obito and walked toward the Uchiha district. He had spent too much life origin to implant this cursed seal. He would need some time to recuperate.


    The primordial energy could grow with strength. This was also why the average lifespan of the Ninja World was so low but many ninjas with exceptional strength could live for a long time.


    Naturally, Tonan didn¡¯t quite understand the specific details about lifespan. It seemed that it was related to the soul¡¯s origin. But given the fact that a person had a soul even after death meant that when a person¡¯s lifespan ends, the soul¡¯s source wouldn¡¯t be used up.


    In this context, Tonan boldly guessed that perhaps when everyone¡¯s primordial souls were consumed to a certain extent, a mechanism would be triggered to force people to die of old age. As for the specifics, he would take time to explore them.


    A month later, Konoha finally welcomed the New Year. Tonan stuck Spring Festival couplets at the welfare institution gate. Red lanterns were hung on the corridors as well as on the plants in the welfare institution. This style was unique to Konoha.


    To celebrate this special day, Tonan specially set up several tables in the open space of the institution. He cooked several tables full of dishes himself and invited people not only from the institution but also Namikaze Minato and his group to celebrate the New Year together.


    He also thought about it a lot and went to invite Sarutobi Hiruzen as well.

 CH 189.2

    After much consideration, Uchiha Tonan wanted to invite Sarutobi Hiruzen to celebrate New Year at the welfare institution. However, in the reception room of the Hokage Residence, the staff turned him away on the pretext that the Hokage was very busy due to the Chunin Exam.


    Tonan knew that without the Tamamo-no-Mae ocular technique to absorb Hiruzen¡¯s negative emotions, Hiruzen must have started to resent him again in his heart by now. But from his earlier experience, he figured Hiruzen had no plan to make another move against him for the time being.


    Now, the best way was to not have any contact with him and wait for the war to start.


    In the middle of the night, everyone went back to rest after eating and drinking. Tonan also returned to his room and used a toy to tease Hatake Kotoura, who was crawling on the floor.


    Kotoura had an innocent smile on his face. He reached out his chubby little hand to grab the toy. However, because he was not tall enough yet, he couldn¡¯t touch it for a long time. The baby was impatient and looked at Tonan with big round eyes as if asking for help.


    Seeing that Tonan was just looking at him with a smile and had no intention to give him the toy, Kotoura staggered a few times and finally stood up. However, the moment he did so, he fell again because he couldn¡¯t control his center of gravity.


    After repeating this over and over again, he finally stood up and grabbed the toy. He then sat on the floor with it and laughed happily. A hint of surprise flashed in Tonan¡¯s eyes. Generally, ninja offspring developed physically faster.


    They could talk and walk when they were just half a year old, and when they were about a year old, they could go to buy sauce. However, Kotoura¡¯s physique grew at an inhuman level compared to his peers. He was only three months old but he could already stand up.


    It seemed that the cursed seal¡¯s assimilation effect was very efficient. If Tonan remembered correctly, Itachi would be about the same age as Kotoura right now. However, Itachi was still an infant in swaddling clothes, unable to move.


    He had planted the cursed seal on Kotoura after he had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. If the assimilation effect reached a certain level, Kotoura might be able to awaken the Sharingan in the future.


    Kotoura played with the toy for a while and looked at Tonan who was silently sitting there. He stood up with difficulty holding the toy and staggered into his arms. He raised his beloved toy and moved his mouth a few times, making two incomprehensible sounds, ¡°Bah~ Bah~.¡±


    Tonan looked at the baby quietly and reached out to rub his head, ¡°Be obedient, it¡¯s time to go to bed. Go to bed and play.¡± Tonan picked up little Kotoura and put him into the cradle. He turned around and went to his study room, ready to finish today¡¯s diary.


    Unknowingly manipulated by him, Yakushi Nono would leak his diary to Shimura Danzo every once in a while. Danzo seemed to have become Tonan¡¯s loyal reader. He couldn¡¯t sleep at night if he didn¡¯t read that exciting diary for a day.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to lock up Tonan and make him write more. Tonan opened the diary, and without thinking about it, he picked up the pen. His speed of writing was such that his right hand was more like an afterimage.


    Generally speaking, Tonan wrote a diary of tens of thousands of words every day, but it didn¡¯t take long.


    ¡°Ba~ Ba~¡±


    ¡°Baba~¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Kotoura¡¯s calls kept coming from the living room. Tonan was not in a hurry to coax him because he wanted him to practice his language skills. When he grew up some more, Tonan also planned to teach him to write with both hands. This would benefit him in learning ninjutsu signs in the future.


    In the dark night, stars filled the sky flickering brightly and dimly like gems and pearls. Konoha was filled with bright lights on New Year¡¯s night. Especially the shopping street, where the ninjas who were on vacation got together with three to five civilian women and drank together, making the scenery look peaceful.


    Not everyone was immersed in joy though. The Hokage Building shook violently, immediately followed by two figures rushing toward the welfare institution at astonishing speed.


    Tonan, who was speed writing, suddenly paused and rushed to the living room at lightning pace. Rumble¡­ In the welfare institution, the ground around the house where he lived gave way and then the entire house collapsed.


    ¡°Tsunade, don¡¯t fight here.¡±


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    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    Besides the ruins, Senju Tsunade had smashed the ground with her fist. Her eyes were red. At the welfare institution¡¯s entrance, Jiraiya was holding Maito Dai with one hand and Maito Gai with the other.


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    Dai muttered in disbelief, ¡°Jiraiya-sama¡­ this¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother about this¡­ you shouldn¡¯t care,¡± Jiraiya interrupted Dai¡¯s question, and he raised his head to look at the figure on the Sunset Building roof of the welfare institution.


    ¡°Wa, wa¡­¡± Tonan looked down at Kotoura whose right cheek was cut by debris. He created a shadow clone and made him carry the baby and go far away. Tonan opened his eyes wide, and three tomoe Sharingan spun slowly, staring indifferently at Tsunade below.


    He slightly raised his hand and a pallid light rose from the ruins, landing in his hand. ¡°Spies these days have become too bold. They dared to break into Konoha¡¯s welfare institution to kill people, not even sparing a three-month-old baby.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice instantly spread throughout Konoha via the buff of Wind Communication. Countless Leaf ninjas rushed toward the welfare institution after hearing him.


    Tsunade clenched her fists tightly and glared at Tonan, ¡°Uchiha brat, I¡¯ll kill you and avenge Orochimaru.¡±


    Tonan sneered and shouted righteously, ¡°Oh, so you are the remnant evil of the human experiments¡­. die!¡±

 CH 190.1

    After shouting a warning at Senju Tsunade, Uchiha Tonan disappeared without a trace. Leaving a person like this alive who had such extreme hatred towards him was only a hindrance. The present-day Tsunade didn¡¯t have much ability except for The Hundred Healings.


    Since she did not have much use for him, Tonan couldn¡¯t be bothered with her. People who had no value but created trouble should be killed. And it just happened that she had provoked him first, giving him the perfect excuse. Instantly, lightning flashed around his body and he appeared right above Tsunade with the Kusanagi Sword in his hand hissing loudly.


    ¡°Such speed!¡± Tsunade¡¯s pupils shrank and she instinctively jumped back, narrowly dodging his lethal attack. She moved back in time but her necklace floated in the air due to inertia and was cut into two pieces by the Kusanagi.


    Tsunade, who was already agitated. Seeing that not only did Tonan almost kill her but even the memory Senju Hashirama left behind for her was destroyed, she lost her mind completely. The moment Tonan landed on the ground, chakra erupted from her body, and she punched the ground.


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    A huge crack spread toward him but this level of attack was simply too easy to dodge. Without batting an eyelid, he moved to one side but the crack went straight towards the Sunset Building. Amid the battle, Tonan had no interest in saving the old people there. If they died, it was fine for him. In fact, it provided him with a good cover to kill Tsunade.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Maito Dai shouted and was about to open the Eight Gates mode to save the old people in the building but Jiraiya, who was still rational, was one step ahead and had already formed hand signs.


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    ¡°Art of the Raging Lion¡¯s Mane.¡± Jiraiya¡¯s hair grew long in an instant and it extended around the building, wrapping the entire Sunset Building.


    ¡°Tsunade, are you crazy? There are people in there,¡± Jiraiya was furious and shouted at Tsunade. Although Orochimaru¡¯s death saddened him as well, it didn¡¯t mean it was a good reason to kill innocent people.


    Tsunade was startled, realizing that she was emotionally overwhelmed and was too impulsive, not caring about human lives. She began to control her strength and attack range, fighting Tonan carefully to not accidentally hurt others as much as possible.


    Tonan, wielding the Kusanagi Sword, was not afraid of Tsunade¡¯s monstrous fists. Regardless of how hard fists were, they were still made up of flesh. They were nothing in front of his sharp blade. Tsunade knew that she couldn¡¯t face the Kusanagi head-on and kept wandering around looking for opportunities to attack.


    Since they were in Konoha, the Leaf ninjas arrived quickly. At this moment, they had already made a circle but the Anbu members had blocked them. Seeing this, Tonan couldn¡¯t help narrowing his eyes. Sarutobi Hiruzen must have already heard about the situation here. It seems that Hiruzen¡¯s hatred recovered too quickly. He knew that the current Tsunade and Orochimaru had a good relationship and she would look for him to settle scores but he did not stop her.


    At this time, after receiving an order, the Anbu members detoured from the place where the two were fighting and headed to the Sunset Building to move out the elderly people there. Once that was done, Tsunade would no longer be shackled and could go all out.


    One punch after another hit the ground. There seemed to be a giant reptile under the surface, continuously breaking the ground and rising. Tsunade tried to disturb Tonan¡¯s attack by changing the terrain. As long as he would land on the ground, he would be affected by the remaining power of her fists.


    Rumble¡­ The welfare institution had a large area. It was enough for the two to fight without hassles and release wide-range ninjutsu.


    Jiraiya frowned and shouted at the crowd, ¡°It¡¯s not good here¡­ Everyone step back and move the surrounding residents away. With me here, no one will die. It¡¯ll be over as long as Tsunade¡¯s anger subsides.¡±


    At this moment, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina who were far away had also arrived. At a glance, they noticed that Tsunade and Tonan were fighting all out. So, they wanted to step forward to stop them. However, after hearing Jiraiya¡¯s order, they hesitated and backed away a little.


    ¡°Uchiha kid, apologize to Tsunade,¡± Jiraiya shouted. If this continued, the entire welfare institution might cease to exist and the nearby residents might also be implicated. It was better to stop the fight in time.


    It had just been a few years since the end of the Second Great Shinobi War. The friendship between Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru was still very strong. Tsunade was furious when she heard Tonan killed Orochimaru. However, Jiraiya was different. Perhaps, it was because he had traveled to many countries in the past few years and had seen too much human suffering. Between justice and emotion, he was more inclined towards justice.


    Kushina watched the dangerous battle between the two and she worriedly asked, ¡°Jiraiya sensei, what did Tonan do to make Tsunade-sama angry?¡±


    Jiraiya took a deep breath and solemnly replied, ¡°It¡¯s because of what happened with Orochimaru.¡±


    As soon as his words fell, the surrounding Leaf ninjas frowned. When it came to Orochimaru, everyone¡¯s feelings were complicated. Minato¡¯s face shrank. He took a step forward and lowered his head, ¡°Sensei, do you know about Orochimaru¡¯s human experiments?¡±


    Jiraiya didn¡¯t look at Minato and sighed, ¡°I know¡­ this is not this brat¡¯s fault but Orochimaru was Tsunade and my partner after all. You know her temper. Sometimes, she doesn¡¯t care about right and wrong and needs to vent the sadness in her heart. Rest assured, if she had truly wanted to kill, she wouldn¡¯t have taken the initiative to reveal her aura.¡±


    Minato looked at Tonan who seemed to be forced to run all around the battlefield and shook his head, ¡°Sorry, sensei, Tonan used to be my student. He has already endured too much injustice and grievance. I can¡¯t let Tsunade-sama attack him like this.¡±


    Kushina was already furious when she heard Jiraiya¡¯s absurd words. She shouted, ¡°Minato, why are you wasting time talking to this old man? I¡¯ll stop him, you go save Tonan.¡±


    Minato nodded and took out his kunai, preparing to enter the battlefield. Jiraiya sighed and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with me here, that kid will be fine. Besides, if my judgment isn¡¯t incorrect, he is no weaker than Tsunade. Consider this your sensei begging you. I¡¯ll stop them myself in five minutes.¡±


    ¡°F¡­ Fine¡­¡± Minato hesitated after hearing Jiraiya¡¯s plea. He slowly lowered his hand and gently pulled Kushina¡¯s arm. Jiraiya was Minato¡¯s sensei and since he had promised that Tonan wouldn¡¯t be harmed, Minato pulled Kushina to stop as well.


    Only the jonin levels could watch this battle. The chunin and genin had been blocked by the Anbu members and were persuaded to retreat far away. Tsunade¡¯s identity was special and today¡¯s incident was unreasonable. It would create a problem if this matter spread.


    At some point, an Uchiha clan jonin in the crowd began to cheer, and the other Uchihas followed.


    ¡°You can do it, Tonan!¡±


    ¡°Long live Uchiha!¡±


    ¡°Long live Uchiha!¡±

 CH 190.2

    Although Senju Tsunade had a special status and the title of the first medical ninja in Konoha who was widely respected among the people and the higher-ups, the Uchihas didn¡¯t care much about this. As long as their clan member could defeat a sannin in front of everyone, they would be extremely proud. Nothing could stop them at this moment from cheering for Uchiha Tonan.


    As for the other Leaf jonin, while they were inclined toward Tonan, Tsunade¡¯s prestige was deeply rooted in their minds and hearts. It was not easy for them to side him openly. They instead chose to remain silent. The result was the one-sided cheer for Tonan.


    Tsunade¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with rage by now. The blue veins on her forehead were almost bursting out due to the repeated use of excessive force. Her chest heaved violently and she wanted to vent all her anger on Tonan. At this point in time, nothing was going in her favor.


    Different positions represented the different views of right and wrong. For Tsunade, Orochimaru had sacrificed too much and made a significant contribution toward Konoha¡¯s victory in the Second Great Shinobi war. While she too believed it was wrong of him to conduct human experiments, he shouldn¡¯t have been killed in the way he was.


    At the very least, he should have been caught and handed over to the village to judge what to do with him. Her belief was solidified when at the Hokage Residence earlier in the day, their sensei Sarutobi Hiruzen told her that he was planning to let Orochimaru go at that time, but it was Tonan to insisted to chase after him and even took the chance to sneak attack and seriously injure him, which then resulted in his death.


    Tsunade¡¯s primary intention today was to come here and beat Tonan to a half death condition. But now, because of the Uchiha clan¡¯s applauds and shouts, emotions eroded her rationality completely.


    ¡°Sure enough, Second Grandpa was right¡­ Uchiha is the most evil clan.¡± ¡°So detestable!¡± Tsunade angrily yelled looking for a chance to get back at Tonan. She dodged his sword attack and turned sideways. Raising her leg high, she hammered it down towards his head.


    A fierce force blew against his face but Tonan was undaunted and the three tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly. The Mangekyo-leveled ocular power gave him a super dynamic vision that was making this fight all too simple for him. He easily dodged her lethal attack using the Lighting Spirit Wind Flash.


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    Bang! With a stomp, the ground of the entire welfare institution turned into a deep crater. Large amounts of smoke and dust rose, shrouding the two people in their scope, making it difficult for others to see what was actually going on inside.


    Jiraiya frowned thinking that high-leveled or even lethal and forbidden ninjutsu could be used at any time. He was worried there would be a casualty among the two. However, in the next moment, his eyes widened, and he angrily shouted, ¡°How dare you!¡± His hair grew wildly in an instant and shot straight into the smoke cloud. The speed of his move was swift and as it penetrated the smoke cloud, it cleared up enough to reveal the situation inside.


    At this moment, in the middle of the battlefield, Tonan had appeared in front of Tsunade wearing a smirk on his face. Tsunade was about to throw a fist but he sprayed a mouthful of blood on her face. Regardless of how despicable the trick was, as long as it was effective, he didn¡¯t care about it at all. He really wanted to kill her.


    The moment the blood was sprayed on her, Tsunade became weak and powerless. She couldn¡¯t even stand steadily. Puchi¡­ And at this time, Tonan¡¯s Kusanagi ruthlessly stabbed her abdomen. The hit was made but just as the sword pierced her body, Jiraiya¡¯s hair had dragged her out of the smoke not allowing any critical damage.


    Tonan didn¡¯t have the option to chase after his prey either because at exactly this time, a big stick dropped from the sky and stuck on the ground in front of him. As a result, he couldn¡¯t deliver the fatal blow. ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­ had almost killed her.¡±


    Tsunade¡¯s situation was precarious. She was in Konoha and had blatantly attacked Tonan, the newly rising village hero. Since she had shredded all pretense of cordiality, there was no leeway to turn back.


    ¡°Tsunade!¡±


    ¡°Tsunade-sama!¡±


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    Jiraiya was distressed as held an unconscious Tsunade whose stomach was dyed red with blood. His face was very unsightly. Tsunade¡¯s apprentice Shizune, who was also a medical-nin and was in the distance, hastily ran over and began to treat her master¡¯s injuries at this time as well.


    Step, step, step¡­ Steady sounds of footsteps came from the smoke cloud. In combat readiness, Jiraiya stood in front of Tsunade and stared at the person who was leisurely walking out of the haze.


    Tonan¡¯s eyes were scarlet and the tip of his Kusanagi Sword was still dripping with Tsunade¡¯s blood cutting a strong image in people¡¯s minds.

 CH 190.3

    ¡°Tonan, are you alright?¡± Seeing him finally walk out from the mess, Uzumaki Kushina rushed over and sized Uchiha Tonan up. Namikaze Minato looked at Jiraiya who was glaring at Tonan like a tiger eyeing its prey. He hesitated for a while and then walked over to Tonan¡¯s side, making his position clear.


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and turned his head to look into the distance, ¡°Sensei, why did you stop me from killing the evil remnants of the human experiment? She destroyed the Konoha Welfare Institution and nearly killed the baby and the elderly people inside.¡±


    A breeze blew and Hiruzen appeared beside Jiraiya along with a group of Anbu members. Hiruzen lowered his head and looked at Tsunade¡¯s injury, subconsciously sighing in relief. He looked at Tonan with a complicated gaze, ¡°Do you know her?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. She said she came to avenge that scum Orochimaru who captured innocent villagers to perform human experiments. She must¡¯ve something to do with it as well.¡±


    Tonan looked at Tsunade, who was on the verge of death, with deep seeded hatred in his eyes. After a pause, he stared at Hiruzen in disbelief, ¡°Could it be that she has an important background and you want to let her go sensei? Have you forgotten about the dead villagers?¡±


    Hiruzen answered with a gloomy look, ¡°She is Tsunade. And don¡¯t say that you didn¡¯t hear how others were addressing her when you were fighting?¡±


    At this moment, a figure walked out from the dark corner of the street. ¡°What if she is Tsunade? Hiruzen, you are the Hokage. Orochimaru should die because he performed human experiments. Tonan is a hero who upheld Konoha¡¯s justice. But Tsunade attacked him to avenge a criminal. And you¡­ not only did you not denounce her but you are questioning Tonan? What if Tonan knew Tsunade¡¯s identity from the beginning? Could it be that because of her noble status, she can do whatever she pleases in Konoha?¡±


    Hiruzen looked at Shimura Danzo, who was walking over and coldly said, ¡°Danzo, that¡¯s not what I meant. And this has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Danzo snorted and asked, ¡°How does this have nothing to do with me? I¡¯m also a part of Konoha. When someone is using status to take revenge on a Leaf hero, if I don¡¯t come out to help, then who¡¯ll speak out for me when someone treats me in the same way, someday?¡±


    Danzo walked over to Tonan¡¯s side and stood beside him. He looked straight at Hiruzen and said, ¡°Justice is in people¡¯s hearts and it isn¡¯t afraid of status.¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I had written this in my diary recently. I would¡¯ve never imagined Danzo¡¯s comprehension was so much higher than Hiruzen¡¯s. He can use such a sentence flexibly already!¡±


    He turned to Danzo and solemnly said, ¡°Danzo-sama, thank you for speaking out for justice.¡±


    Hiruzen looked at the two people who seemed to be singing a duet. He narrowed his eyes lightly and leisurely said, ¡°This is surprising. I never thought you would stand on Tonan¡¯s side one day, Danzo.¡±


    Danzo raised his head high and looked straight at Hiruzen, speaking without the slightest fear, ¡°I stand on the side of justice.¡±


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    For a moment, everyone present could sense that the two people seemed to be repelling each other. In the next moment, all the Uchiha jonin looked at each other and began to stand behind Tonan.


    The Leaf ninjas were indecisive. Hiruzen had been the Hokage for so many years and his prestige had been deeply rooted in people¡¯s hearts for a long time. Even though they knew that this was Tsunade¡¯s fault, they didn¡¯t dare to oppose Hiruzen. But they couldn¡¯t hide their dissatisfaction while looking at him either.


    At this moment, an angry shout came from the security line made by Anbu members.


    ¡°Catch him.¡± Crackle, crackle¡­ A lightning flash broke through the Anbu members¡¯ defense line and appeared beside Tonan. The dissipating lightning revealed Kakashi, who was panting, ¡°Tonan, I¡¯m late.¡±


    Tonan supported Kakashi and said with a grateful look, ¡°Kakashi, thank you.¡±


    Seeing this, Danzo said, ¡°Hiruzen, why did you make the Anbu seal this place? How about we take this opportunity to let the villagers judge this matter together?¡±


    Hiruzen knew that he was in the wrong. If the villagers were involved, his authority as a Hokage would plummet. Even now, it seemed that the Leaf ninjas present were unhappy with him.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Tsunade didn¡¯t want to do anything to Tonan. It was just that when she returned to Konoha, she heard of Orochimaru¡¯s death and couldn¡¯t control her emotions. She just wanted to find someone to vent. I understand Tonan¡¯s ability and knew that he wouldn¡¯t have a mishap. So, I let him become her sparring partner. I didn¡¯t expect it would escalate so much. This was my carelessness.¡±


    Hiruzen opened his mouth and in a second turned the revenge target into a sparring partner, making a big fiasco into a small misunderstanding. Jiraiya reacted immediately as well and chimed in, ¡°Yes, sensei specially exhorted me before we set off, instructing me to watch over them so that no one gets injured.¡±


    The trick worked. Much of the dissatisfaction of the Leaf jonin decreased with Hiruzen and Jiraiya¡¯s explanation.


    Hiruzen sighed and hastily changed the subject, asking Shizune, ¡°Shizune, how is Tsunade doing?¡± At this moment, Shizune had stopped the treatment and the wound on Tsunade¡¯s abdomen had almost healed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big problem.¡±


    Hiruzen nodded, ¡°Take her to the hospital to recuperate for a while. I¡¯ll properly straighten her out after she wakes up.¡± After speaking, he turned to the protagonist of the ordeal, Tonan, and said in an inexplicable tone, ¡°Tonan, I¡¯ve already explained the misunderstanding. Do you understand?¡±


    Tonan and Hiruzen looked at each other for a long time. Finally, Tonan adjusted his glasses and replied with a gentle smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Tsunade-sama to be so affectionate and righteous. I can understand her sentiment about losing a partner. As long as you don¡¯t vent your anger on me because I accidentally injured her, it¡¯s all good, sensei.¡±


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    Hiruzen paused after hearing Tonan¡¯s words and took a deep look at him. Immediately afterward, a kind smile appeared on his face, and he softly replied, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    He waved his hand and sighed, ¡°The misunderstanding has been resolved. Everyone be on your way now.

 CH 191.1

    Once the showdown between Uchiha Tonan and Senju Tsunade was over, with the Hokage turning an act of revenge into a misunderstood sparring battle between his old and new student, the ninjas left one after another under Anbu¡¯s guidance.


    Namikaze Minato and the others had much to say to Tonan but Shimura Danzo glanced at them and solemnly asked, ¡°Why are you all not leaving? I want to speak to Tonan on behalf of Konoha about the funding for rebuilding the welfare institution. Do you think I¡¯ll make things difficult for the Konoha hero?¡±


    Tonan smiled at everyone, ¡°You all go back and rest. I¡¯m fine.¡± Minato patted Tonan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to reach out to us if you need anything. Don¡¯t endure it alone.¡±


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    Late at night, the crescent moon was like a lone boat in a sea of clouds. It passed through the gaps from time to time, sprinkling a touch of silver light. At the Hokage Rock terrace, the cold wind whistled, blowing dead grass blades and leaves all over the sky.


    Tonan and Danzo stood at the edge, staring at the village, where the lights of thousands of houses were lit up. The previous battle hadn¡¯t affected most villagers¡¯ enthusiasm in welcoming the New Year.


    Danzo squinted as he leisurely looked at the Konoha landscape, ¡°I¡¯m very curious about something. Why did Hiruzen and you suddenly fall out?¡±


    Tonan raised his hand and caught a leaf flying in front of him, calmly replying, ¡°Because I killed Shinnosuke and Asuma.¡± Danzo was startled and looked at him once more. He thought of a possibility in his heart but he discarded it and commented with a puzzled look, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Tonan chuckled and let go of the leaf. Just like this, he quietly watched the swirling leaf, slowly float down. Only after the fallen leaf had disappeared did he turn his head and lightly said, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Abe Seimei.¡±


    There was no change in his expression when he said this. He revealed such an important secret so casually. Danzo¡¯s surprise reached another level now. He took a deep breath and stared at Tonan in silence for a long time, not knowing what to say.


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    Since the incident in the Fire Capital, everyone was secretly investigating Abe Seimei¡¯s true identity. Let alone finding a clue, no one would have thought that this person could be Tonan, who right now was standing in front of him.


    Danzo gradually frowned, unable to figure out the meaning behind Tonan¡¯s action. He asked, ¡°Why¡¯re you telling me this secret so easily? Are you not afraid I¡¯ll reveal it?¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and shook his head. He chuckled, ¡°Secrets, the fewer people know them, the more valuable they are.¡± He then pointed at Konoha below and looked at Danzo, ¡°Danzo-sama, if the people below learned this secret, what do you think they¡¯d do? They¡¯ll just have one more topic to talk about after dinner, nothing more.¡±


    The reason Tonan revealed the secret was to be on the offensive. Now that Sarutobi Hiruzen knew it and already had a falling out with him, it was destined that it wouldn¡¯t be hidden for too long. As long as more than one person knew a secret, it was no longer a secret.


    Taking advantage of the fact that Danzo had yet to know it, he took the initiative to lower Danzo¡¯s vigilance against him and trust him more. In a way, this was also making the most out of this secret. Tonan had already calculated that he would need to join forces with Danzo for a while. At that time, if Danzo suddenly learned about this, there might be friction between them.


    Danzo narrowed his eyes and thought for a while, ¡°Since you¡¯ve fallen out with Hiruzen because of this, I can¡¯t figure out why he didn¡¯t call the Leaf ninjas to kill you.¡±


    Tonan looked at the crescent moon in the sky, ¡°You must already know I fought against Sarutobi-sensei not long ago. In that fight, he was unable to do anything to me. What¡¯s more, I¡¯ve killed Orochimaru and almost killed Tsunade today, which can be considered as killing one and a half of the Konoha Sannin. Once he sheds all pretense and attacks me in Konoha, I don¡¯t need to win. As long as I survive for just half an hour, do you think the Uchihas won¡¯t get involved?¡±


    When it came to the Uchiha clan, Danzo¡¯s expression became fierce. ¡°What is it that you want to do?¡±


    Tonan glanced at Danzo without any fear and shook his head, ¡°In fact, at first, I thought that Sarutobi-sensei was the kind of person who was just and fair for the village. It can be said that his Will of Fire enlightened me. But later I noticed many deviations. I found he was not as loving and selfless as he seemed to be. His selfishness was higher than anyone else¡¯s and his desires were never satisfied. The Fire Capital trip in particular practically collapsed my faith.¡±


    Danzo raised his eyebrows, ¡°What happened in the Fire Capital back then?¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes lightly, and said with a look of reminiscence, ¡°I served as the temporary captain of the City Guards in the Capital. I abided by my duties to punish the criminals and eliminate evil in the area under my jurisdiction. I killed one batch after another of criminals and rescued hundreds of orphans from human traffickers. To not delay the orphans¡¯ growth, I disguised myself as Abe Seimei and taught them. But for some unknown reason, I caught the Daimyo¡¯s attention and was invited to teach the two princes. After I entered the Daimyo Residence, I discovered Shinnosuke¡¯s true face.¡±


    Danzo became interested and asked, ¡°Could it be that Shinnosuke was not only serving as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas but was also carrying out secret missions?¡±


    Tonan nodded gravely, ¡°When I was teaching the two princes, I accidentally learned that Shinnosuke instilled the might of the Leaf ninja in the First Highness. He made insinuations about abolishing the other eleven ninjas after the First Highness succeeded the throne and replacing them with Leaf ninjas. I think you can imagine what the consequences of doing this could be, Danzo-sama.¡±


    Danzo was silent when he heard Tonan¡¯s words. The consequences of such a situation were obvious. With the life and death of the Daimyo in the Hokage¡¯s hands, the so-called one village, one country system would be useless. This system had taken root in the hearts of the Ninja World¡¯s people for several thousand years.


    No one had dared to scheme something like this, even during the Warring States Period. Danzo had been plotting for the Hokage seat for so long but even he didn¡¯t think to dip his finger in the Daimyo Residence. ¡°Hiruzen, I never realized your ambitions are so lofty.¡±

 CH 191.2

    After revealing his secret, Uchiha Tonan continued the storytelling session with Shimura Danzo. ¡°The First Highness was ignorant of worldly affairs at that time and didn¡¯t know the stakes involved. Although I¡¯m a Leaf ninja, I know that the ninja village¡¯s hand cannot extend to the Daimyo Residence. To do so is the worst offense. Sarutobi-sensei is no longer satisfied with just controlling the village. He wants the entire Land of Fire. Under my persuasion, the First Highness seemed to have sternly rejected Shinnosuke¡¯s proposal and he became even more vigilant towards Konoha.¡±


    ¡°As a result, Shinnosuke became furious and assassinated the Daimyo, trying to frame the First Highness. Fortunately, his method was sloppy and was exposed by the other eleven guardian ninjas. They had a massive battle, destroying almost one-third of the Fire Capital. After hesitating for a long time, I finally decided to kill this unstable factor in the Ninja World with my own hands. Like this, the assassin died and Sarutobi-sensei¡¯s scheme failed. And the Daimyo Residence continued to maintain its cooperation with Konoha.¡±


    After listening, Danzo subconsciously nodded but he was reminded of something and asked, ¡°If it was like what you said, why did you kill Asuma?¡±


    Tonan raised his head and looked into the distance. ¡°To eliminate Sarutobi-sensei¡¯s selfishness. Only by doing this, he would govern Konoha wholeheartedly. Of course, I know this is unfair to sensei but I could think of ways to make up for him. I am even willing to show filial respect to him in place of Shinnosuke and Asuma as a son. Everything is for Konoha.¡±


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    A strange look flashed through Danzo¡¯s eyes. He felt this kid¡¯s mental circuit was hugely different from ordinary people. However, such a paranoid and powerful person might be the most suitable one for partnership. He coughed lightly and asked, ¡°In your opinion, what kind of a person am I?¡±


    Tonan glanced at Danzo and bluntly answered, ¡°Shady, sinister and ruthless. You do things by fair or foul means. You also sent your subordinates to look for trouble with me again and again.¡±


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    Immediately after Tonan spoke, Danzo clenched his fists, thinking that Tonan was going to fall out with him as well. However, Tonan dispelled his misgivings in the next moment. ¡°But a single general¡¯s reputation is made out of ten thousand corpses. Those who want to achieve great things won¡¯t bother about trifles. If it was before, I would¡¯ve thought you are a great out-and-out villain, Danzo-sama.¡±


    ¡°But after returning from the Fire Capital, I¡¯ve secretly observed you. Especially when I was being treated unfairly today, you were willing to step forward bravely and stand on the side of justice. I realized my views on you were biased. If I¡¯m not wrong, you¡¯re interested in the Hokage position. That¡¯s why you used various kinds of means to cut off Sarutobi-sensei¡¯s wings. For example, White Fang-sama and me.¡±


    Danzo straightforwardly admitted, ¡°Yes, I did all that. Konoha has decayed under Hiruzen¡¯s leadership. Only I can lead it back to prosperity. Tonan, if you support me in becoming Hokage, I guarantee that Konoha will become a thousand times better than what it is now.¡±


    Tonan stared at Danzo with a solemn expression, ¡°This matter is of great importance. Can I hear your ruling policies?¡±


    Danzo knew that the critical moment had come. As long as he was able to persuade Tonan, he would get a follower comparable to sannin for free. He immediately took a deep breath and solemnly said, ¡°As long as I take the stage, the first thing I¡¯ll do is¡­¡±


    Danzo launched into a presidential candidate speech. Tonan would frown and fall into thoughts sometimes and sometimes he was amazed. In the end, he looked at Danzo with deep admiration. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Danzo-sama¡¯s understanding of the Will of Fire would be so profound. Many thoughts even coincide with mine. When the war is over, I¡¯ll do my best to support you as Hokage.¡±


    ¡°War?¡± Danzo frowned when he heard this. Tonan nodded and said, ¡°I feel like a war will break out soon. During this time, I don¡¯t want Konoha to experience too much civil strife.¡±


    As the leader of Konoha¡¯s Root, Danzo received various news about every country daily. He wasn¡¯t surprised when Tonan mentioned war. From all perspectives, there was a high chance that a war would break out. The only thing uncertain was when.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll remember what you said today. I guess Hiruzen will not give you funds for the welfare institution. But it doesn¡¯t matter, I can allocate the money to you.¡±


    A look of joy appeared on Tonan¡¯s face. He placed his hands on his knees and bowed deeply to Danzo, ¡°Thank you, Danzo-sama.¡±


    Danzo looked at Tonan¡¯s attitude and nodded with satisfaction. People like Tonan would be able to provide great help in the Hokage competition. It shouldn¡¯t be rushed when recruiting talent. Today was just foreplay. Danzo patted Tonan on his shoulder and left.


    After walking a few steps, Danzo seemed to have thought of something. He looked back and said, ¡°By the way, Hiruzen demoted you from Jonin to Chunin a few days ago. He used insufficient completed missions as the reason. The participant for the Honorary Chunin Competition has been replaced by you again. I can¡¯t change this. You¡¯ve to be more careful.¡±


    After Danzo left, Tonan straightened up and narrowed his eyes slightly, ¡°It seems you want me to die in the Fire Capital.¡± He turned around and looked at the brightly lit Konoha Hospital.


    ¡°After this incident, that old woman Tsunade is unlikely to look for trouble with me for a while. I¡¯ll no longer have a legitimate reason to kill her.¡± Tonan pondered for a while and the corners of his mouth rose slightly. ¡°If there¡¯s no reason, it¡¯s better to make one myself. And it must not only make Tsunade appear unreasonable but also be able to stimulate her.¡±


    As the saying goes, when a gentleman takes a hit, he will seek to even the score. Tonan was a gentleman who sought revenge just for an angry look.


    A leaf fluttered and fell toward his head but before it could touch him, Tonan had disappeared from the terrace.


    At this time, in the Konoha Hospital, Tsunade was lying unconscious on the bed. It was unknown how serious her injuries were but the aftereffect of hematophobia was too significant, making her unable to wake up. Hiruzen, Jiraiya and Shizune were all guarding her ward.


    Tsunade¡¯s identity was too important. In case an expert like Tonan sneaked in and killed her, it would be a grave matter. In the ward, Hiruzen was carving tobacco. He took out the smoke pipe and walked to the window. He put his head out and lit the pipe to smoke, ¡°Jiraiya, when Tsunade wakes up, you must stop her. Don¡¯t let her look for trouble with Tonan.¡±


    Jiraiya nodded, ¡°I know, I¡¯m not an unreasonable person.¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and narrowed his eyes slightly. The scenes of him getting along with Tonan appeared in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong but he couldn¡¯t tell what it was. So he had to exhort, ¡°You¡¯ve to be careful of Tonan in the future. He might not be as simple as you all think.¡±


    Hearing Hiruzen¡¯s words, Jiraiya took a bite of fruit, ¡°Old man, can you explain a bit more clearly?¡±


    Hiruzen blew out a mouthful of smoke and shook his head slowly, ¡°There are some things I can¡¯t tell you right now. You just have to remember to keep your distance from him. In addition, he is an Uchiha who has a good reputation among the villagers. If Tsunade goes out to look for trouble with him again, it¡¯ll be difficult for me to deal with it.¡±


    Jiraiya shrugged indifferently, ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t want to tell it. Shizune, you can go back and rest now. The old man and I are guarding here. If Tsunade doesn¡¯t wake up tomorrow, you have to continue treating her. You must have enough energy to do that.¡±


    Shizune glanced at the unconscious Tsunade and nodded, ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll leave it to Hokage-sama and Jiraiya-sama for now.¡±

 CH 192.1

    At two or three in the morning, Konoha¡¯s bustle gradually calmed down. It was very late and the forest in the distance was shrouded by a layer of darkness that was spreading toward the village.


    The lights went out one by one and the entire village became quiet. There was no one on the street. Only a few pigeons cooed under the eaves. The entire world had fallen into a somber silence.


    Dragging her tired body, Shizune returned to the empty ancestral house in the Senju clan district. ¡°Tonton, Tonton¡­¡± In the dark corridor on the second floor of the house, the cold night breeze was blowing, making her shiver. Shizune looked around for a while and cautiously called out a few times but heard no response.


    In the entire hallway, there were no sounds other than the echoes of her voice and her footsteps. She guardedly walked through the darkness. Her surroundings felt so eerie she could hear her heart pounding. Shizune was not a very courageous woman. She was timid in the dark and wanted to turn on the lights in the hallway, but she also didn¡¯t want to get up and turn off the lights later.


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    Due to Senju Tsunade¡¯s gambling habit, their pockets were never deep and Shizune had formed frugal habits over time.


    Coo, coo¡­ A few bird shadows suddenly flew past the corridor from outside, startling her. A bad premonition formed in her heart. Her heartbeat became faster. ¡°Tonton¡­ Tonton¡­¡± Sweat appeared on her forehead and she became anxious. She called out all the way, arriving at her bedroom.


    She fumbled around for the light switch on the wall and soon turned it on. The light brightened the empty room, which was slightly warmer than outside. Shizune sighed in relief when she saw the familiar decorations in the room and the brightness loosened her tense nerves a little.


    ¡°This fellow, I wonder where it went to play again?¡± She complained and closed the bedroom door. She walked over to the window and closed it tightly along with the curtains. Finally, she looked around the room. For some reason, she still had a lingering fear in her heart. Perhaps, it was because she was inherently faint-hearted.


    Shizune didn¡¯t dare to turn off the lights. She just laid on the soft bed and began to rest.


    Coo coo¡­ coo coo¡­ whoosh¡­ A gust of wind blew outside the window, blowing the trees in the courtyard and disturbing the birds resting on the trees. Perhaps because she was too worried about Tsunade, Shizune tossed and turned but couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Eventually, she just lay on the bed and stared at the chandelier on the ceiling, counting sheep.


    ¡°One sheep, two sheep, three sheep¡­¡± The bright light was a bit dazzling. She closed her eyes and wanted to look elsewhere but she was still a little fearful. Although she was in her room, her heart was restless.


    She began to think that although there was no one else in the room, there might be evil spirits invisible to the naked eyes. She kept thinking about various scenarios and the more she thought, the more she panicked.


    After a while, she decided to keep staring at the chandelier. At least, that made her feel more secure.


    Whoosh¡­ whoosh¡­ The wind blew again and it seemed that someone was pushing the window hard, making rattling sounds. Because the ancestral house was too old, many places had decayed. With the wind blowing like this, there were creaking sounds everywhere.


    Crack, crack, crack¡­ The light flickered a few times like there was an electric circuit problem and finally went out completely. The entire room fell into deadly darkness. Only the window was still dimly lit. Shizune subconsciously swallowed and retracted her feet into the quilt, letting the warmth stabilize her mood. At some point, the wind outside seemed to have quietened down as well, no longer as noisy as before.


    Shizune yawned and slowly fell asleep. Soon after though, she was awakened by a strange sound. As a ninja, she could judge that the sound came from downstairs but was a bit weak. It couldn¡¯t be heard without listening attentively. She got up and knelt beside the bed. Lowering her head slowly, she placed her ear on the floor and listened to the sound below.


    Swish¡­ Swish¡­ ¡°This is¡­ It sounds like the sounds of kunai clashing. Did someone break in?¡± Shizune narrowed her eyes and got up quickly. She was ready to go to the first floor to investigate but when she was just about to move, a scene flashed in her mind and she was dumbfounded.


    She slowly leaned down and looked under the bed. Her pupils shrank and her body became mechanical. She saw a string of pearl necklace quietly lying under the bed. Shizune grabbed it and abruptly got up. She pushed open the door and ran towards the first floor.


    Their pet pig Tonton wore this pearl necklace. She had never seen it without it. But now that she found it under her bed, it was very likely that someone had entered her room and captured Tonton hiding under the bed.


    The pearl necklace must have fallen when Tonton was struggling. The electric circuits of the entire ancestral house seemed to be malfunctioning. Shizune turned on the switches in the hallway but the lights wouldn¡¯t turn on.


    Fumbling around, she soon reached the dim corridor of the first floor. But strangely, the room across the corridor was lit. This room was directly below her bedroom. That¡¯s the¡­ kitchen. Shizune took out a kunai and cautiously walked to the kitchen door. She held her breath and slowly opened the door a little.


    She quietly moved her head over, wanting to observe the situation inside through the crack of the door. However, just when her eyes got close to the crack, the lights in the kitchen went out, making her unable to see anything.


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    Chomp, chomp, chomp¡­ Eerie chewing sounds came from inside. Shizune was preparing to push open the door.


    Suddenly!


    A bloodshot eyeball appeared on the other side of the door, staring straight at Shizune. Her mind blanked for a moment. Her kunai and the necklace fell to the ground. She wanted to scream but something was blocking her throat, and she couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± With a shrill scream, Shizune suddenly got up on the bed.


    Coo coo¡­ coo coo¡­ Rattle, rattle¡­ The sounds of birds chirping and the wind blowing kept coming from outside the window.

 CH 192.2

    Shizune was drenched in sweat at this moment and was gasping for breath. She turned her head and looked at the curtain that reflected the window¡¯s frame. She sighed subconsciously and laughed at herself with a weak smile, ¡°It was just a nightmare. It scared me to death.¡±


    Trying to calm her mind, she relaxed and closed her eyes, lying down on the bed. At this moment, she, who had been in a tense state, felt comfortable and rolled over, turning her back toward the window.


    Suddenly! Her eyes widened. She saw a figure standing beside her bed. And that figure was holding a long blade, looking at her quietly. Through the dim light coming in from the window, she recognized the person at once.


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    It was Uchiha Tonan!


    Tonan¡¯s face was deathly pale as if there was no blood at all. His twisted expression seemed to have a weird smile as he slowly raised the blade. She felt her blood turn cold and lost control over her body. She could only watch the blade pierce through her abdomen, then slowly slide down¡­


    This feeling¡­ It¡¯s like a specimen on the operating table being dissected.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    Crack, crack, crack¡­ Dong, dong, dong¡­ In the kitchen on the first floor, Tonan ignored the violent vibration coming from the ceiling above him. He concentrated on pouring boiled wine on the golden crispy headless roasted pig.


    He tied a white napkin around his neck and picked up a knife and fork to enjoy the meal. He cut off a small piece of meat and put it in his mouth. But he frowned slightly and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s better than before but the ingredient is too greasy.¡±


    Although the taste was not the finest, it, after all, was a rare ingredient. Tonan devoured the roasted pig bit by bit until there was nothing left. Once he was done with his meal, instead of feeling greasy or disgusted, he felt a lingering taste on his tongue.


    ¡°High-end ingredient¡­¡± Tonan sighed and took off the napkin, wiping the oil stains from his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, there was just wine and no green tea. I can¡¯t scrape off the oil after cooking.¡±


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    At this moment, the vibration on the ceiling gradually subsided. Tonan smiled gently and chuckled. He shook his head and started to clean the dining table. He had after all come uninvited to someone else¡¯s home and had a complete meal, he must clean up and depart without leaving any traces.


    Tonan dumped the leftovers into the trash can and carefully wiped every corner of the kitchen with a tissue. He made sure no traces were left. After cleaning up, he picked up the garbage in the trash and turned off the kitchen light.


    All his actions were so smooth as if he were at his own home. When he arrived at the main electrical switch, he took out various tools from his bag and began to repair the previously short-circuited line. At this moment, he didn¡¯t look anything like a ninja but more like a professional electrician. His hand movements were fast and practiced.


    Others would be dazed just looking at the different wires and some wouldn¡¯t even be able to tell the difference between the head or the tail, but Tonan was like a fish in the river. Everything was smooth and easy. All lines were restored to their original state. Once he was done, he put away the tools and left after picking up the garbage.


    In a quiet alley, a group of stray dogs huddled around the trash can to stay warm. They were hungry and cold and were whimpering. According to the survival law, as long as they could stay up until morning, someone would throw garbage here and they would be able to scrape some food to fill their stomachs.


    Suddenly, the dogs¡¯ noses twitched slightly as if they smelled something, and they stood up in unison. At this moment, a figure appeared in the alley. The moment this person came, the stray dogs fled into the alley, hiding at the other end, watching him from a distance.


    Tonan glanced at the poor stray dogs and then at the trash can in the alley. Gently flinging over, he threw the bag accurately into the garbage bin. An aroma floated and saliva overflowed from the dogs¡¯ mouths, dripping to the ground. They were unable to resist the temptation and ran to the trash can and dived into it.


    The next moment, the sounds of tearing and chewing echoed in the narrow alley. Seeing this, Tonan smiled gently and softly said, ¡°Happy New Year.¡± He then tightened his windbreaker and strode towards the Uchiha clan district.


    The next day, the sunlight sprinkled through the curtain gaps, lighting up the room, and Shizune rolled over on the bed. She subconsciously used her hand to block the light and opened her hazy eyes with a frown.


    Her mind was blank for two seconds and then she felt that her entire body was screaming in pain. ¡°What happened?¡± Enduring the pain, she sat up and pressed her temple with her hand. She shook her head, trying to shake off the pain but it didn¡¯t help. It got worse instead.


    Memories of last night flashed in her mind. ¡°What a horrible nightmare.¡± She looked at the sunlight in her room and felt like she was in a different world. Looking at her clothes drenched with sweat, she muttered, ¡°Is it because of a long nightmare that caused my body to be tense for a long time?¡±


    Recalling that she had to take care of Senju Tsunade, Shizune planned to change into clean clothes before going to the Konoha Hospital. However, when she walked over to the cupboard and was about to open it, the man who stood beside her with a weird smile in her dream last night suddenly appeared in her mind.


    A chill ran down her back. Her hands trembled slightly, and she didn¡¯t dare to open the cupboard. In her heart, she felt like the man would be standing there when she opened the cupboard just like in her dream.


    Shizune exhaled and shook her head to get rid of the random thoughts. ¡°How could that be? It¡¯s just a nightmare, not real, don¡¯t think about it.¡± After comforting herself inwardly, she regained her courage.


    She pulled open the cupboard and a row of neatly hung clothes appeared before her eyes. There was no monster in the closet like she imagined. She sighed in relief and finally let go of the worries in her heart.


    She laughed at herself, ¡°Am I really such a coward without Tsunade-sama!?¡± After a while, she changed and was about to take away the sweaty clothes. However, for some unknown reason, her eyes moved to the place below the bed.

 CH 193.1

    Shizune felt uncomfortable and hesitated for a moment, but curiosity got the better of her. As she knelt, her heartbeat seemed to stop for a few seconds. Holding her breath, she slowly moved her head to check under the bed.


    However, there was nothing there. ¡°What am I even thinking about!?¡± Sitting on the ground, Shizune irritably scratched her head. She blamed herself for being too sensitive and suspicious which made her so restless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s look again.¡± Discovering nothing was wrong, she wanted to completely satisfy her curiosity. She bent over and carefully observed once again. This time though she noticed something strange and her face gradually turned pale. Extending her trembling hand, she touched the floor.


    No dust¡­ An ominous premonition rose from the bottom of her heart. He extended her other hand again and touched the other side of the floor under the bed.


    Dusty¡­ Bang! Shizune hastily leaned on the cupboard and her mind was clogged with guesses. The floor under the bed should be evenly covered with dust. But why was there a section with no dust? Even if Tonton had walked under the bed, the places without dust should just be like paw prints and not an entirely clean spot.


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    Even if Tonton was under the bed, it would have lied down. But judging from the shape of the clean area, it was very likely that someone dragged the pig out resulting in a large dust-free area under the bed.


    ¡°Tonton¡­¡± Shizune remembered last night¡¯s nightmare. Her face was filled with panic. She staggered and pushed open the bedroom door, rushing towards the first floor. She ran downstairs at her fastest speed. She didn¡¯t even care that her arm collided against the wall time and again.


    Soon, she arrived at the kitchen door. The nightmare had happened in the kitchen. If the kitchen had no problem, it meant Tonton didn¡¯t meet with the mishap as in her nightmare. Or else¡­


    Shizune shook her head, trying her best to drive out the terrifying images burning her mind. She took a deep breath and pushed open the kitchen door. The kitchen was as clean as new with no traces of any mess. Everything was neat and the same as in the past.


    Shizune sighed in relief. Tonton must be playing around with her. She turned around, and shouted at the empty courtyard with her hands on her hips, ¡°Tonton, come out for me!¡± But it was like she was shouting at a void.


    The trees, flowers, and plants in the courtyard swayed along with the wind, but nothing responded to her.


    ¡°Where did it run off to?¡± Shizune muttered, thinking Tonton had just run out to play around and would return when it was time. She touched her stomach. After a bad dream lasting an entire night, she felt hungry. She went to the kitchen, ready to grab something to eat. She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled open the door.


    !!!


    The sight inside scared her silly, making her fall to the ground. She covered her mouth with her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. There was a pig head on a white plate in the refrigerator. The terrified look before its death was frozen on its face. Blood had spilled from the plate, dying the fridge compartments red.


    It dripped from the refrigerator to the floor and gradually spread toward Shizune. Looking at the blood, the person who was by her bed last night appeared in her mind. The person¡¯s face became bigger in her head and by the end, only a pair of the scarlet Sharingan remained.


    Suddenly, Shizune found herself in another place. It was pitch black all around. Her body seemed to be fixed by something and she was laying flat on the ground.


    What is this¡­ Shizune struggled to break free for a long time and finally discovered that she could move her neck. She turned her head to one side. The dim moonlight fell on the ground not far from her, reflecting a window outline.


    She was¡­ under the bed! Suddenly, a running sound came from outside. The bedroom door was pushed open and closed and a dark shadow rushed to her side. Shizune turned her head and saw Tonton¡¯s shadow.


    She wanted to call it out but she couldn¡¯t make any sound. She could only stare at a very terrified Tonton and her heart also became tense. She saw Tonton lying beside her, holding its head with its two hands. Its eyes were tightly closed and its entire body was trembling as if it was afraid of something.


    Not long after, heavy footsteps came from the corridor. Step, step, step¡­ The footsteps were steady and rhythmic. Shizune¡¯s breathing sped up but she forced herself to calm down and turned her head to the window side.


    Because of the bed¡¯s obstruction, she couldn¡¯t see the window but she could see the moonlight shining through the window on the floor.


    Step, step, step¡­ The footsteps were getting closer. Even though she wasn¡¯t looking at Tonton, she knew that the little pig was scared at this moment. Suddenly! Her pupils shrank as she saw a human-shaped shadow on the ground. She instinctively held her breath.


    The shadow was standing outside the window, staring at everything in the room. Not long after, it moved. Shortly afterward, the sound of the bedroom door opening was heard.


    Step, step, step¡­ The shadow wandered around the room looking for something. It was not in a hurry. All his movements were very leisurely as if he was playing a hunting game. Not long after, a pair of legs appeared in Shizune¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t squat, don¡¯t squat!¡± Shizune stared at the shoes, not daring to blink and prayed frantically in her heart. Fortunately, the legs just paused for a moment before moving again. She also turned her head, continuously observing the movement. Soon, the legs stopped at the cupboard side.


    It¡¯s over¡­ Shizune had this thought. Sure enough, the legs bent a little and a pale arm reached under the bed grabbing Tonton¡¯s tail. Tonton began to struggle hard while screaming but it was still slowly dragged out.


    Shizune wanted to reach out and grab it but she couldn¡¯t move her body at all. She could only watch Tonton being pulled out of the bed.

 CH 193.2

    Shizune couldn¡¯t see what that person did to Tonton but she knew that its situation was anything but reassuring. Her eyes were wide open but she couldn¡¯t make a sound. Tears flowed down her eyes without any sign of stopping.


    After the shadow grabbed Tonton, she didn¡¯t know what he did but after hearing it yelp once, everything became quiet except for footsteps.


    Step, step, step¡­ The shadow left the bedroom with Tonton in his hand. At this moment, Shizune¡¯s eyes were brimming with tears and her spirit was on the verge of collapse. After an unknown time, she found she could move her body again.


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    She started to try, wanting to go and see if she still had a chance to save Tonton. ¡°A little more, a little more.¡± Gradually, she arrived at the bedside and she moved her head out first¡­


    Suddenly, her hands and legs straightened. ¡°Hoho¡­ ha¡­ ah¡­¡± Her entire body began to twitch and a nervous smile appeared on her face. At some point, a shadow was standing outside the window. With a strange and cold smile on his deathly pale face, he was quietly watching Shizune who had poked out her head from under the bed.


    The scene changed. Back in the kitchen, Shizune lifelessly stood up and turned around, going outside like a walking corpse. At this moment, there was just one voice in her mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s safe with Tsunade¡­ It¡¯s safe with Tsunade¡­¡±


    At the Konoha Hospital, Senju Tsunade had woken up from the coma and was sitting on the bed in silence. Jiraiya sat on the windowsill, looking into the distance. ¡°Honestly speaking, I¡¯m also as sad as you are but we can¡¯t confuse right and wrong just because we¡¯re sad.¡±


    Tsunade lowered her head and said in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°But Orochimaru contributed so much to Konoha. If the three of us hadn¡¯t risked our life to stop Hanzo, I wonder how many more people would¡¯ve been sacrificed then.¡±


    Hearing this, Jiraiya sighed and turned his head to look at Tsunade, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean Orochimaru can kill villagers. Wrong is wrong. Sometimes, the method to distinguish wrong from right is very simple, which is whether it can be made known to people or not.¡±


    After a long time, Tsunade nodded, ¡°I know, I just couldn¡¯t accept it for a moment. Why did Orochimaru become like this? He was not like this when we parted a few years ago.¡±


    Jiraiya looked a little downcast as the bits and pieces of the past when they used to get together appeared in his mind, and he said, ¡°Perhaps, he was always like this but we just didn¡¯t notice it.¡±


    Just then, the ward¡¯s door opened and a lifeless Shizune walked in. Seeing her like this, Tsunade was concerned, ¡°Shizune, why are you looking like this? Did you not sleep well last night?¡±


    ¡°Last night¡­¡± Shizune absentmindedly said and her entire body trembled. Tsunade felt that something was wrong. ¡°What happened?¡± Shizune¡¯s eyes gradually turned red and tears flowed down her cheeks, ¡°Tsunade-sama, Tonton¡­ died¡­¡±


    Tsunade was stunned for a moment. She jumped off the hospital bed and walked over to Shizune. She grabbed her shoulders and asked with a look of disbelief, ¡°What did you say?¡±


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    With tears flowing down her cheeks and a miserable smile, Shizune replied, ¡°Tonton died¡­ killed¡­ by¡­ him¡­ Yes, definitely killed by him¡­ He¡¯s a devil¡­ devil¡­¡±


    Tsunade said with an unsightly look, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Calm down, tell me who it is.¡± Shizune opened her trembling lips and replied, ¡°Uchiha Tonan.¡±


    Jiraiya also jumped off the windowsill and solemnly said, ¡°Explain the entire process clearly.¡±


    Tsunade gritted her teeth and asked, ¡°Did you see with your own eyes?¡±


    Shizune seemed to be confused and after a few breaths, a look of terror appeared on her face, and replied while nodding, ¡°I saw it¡­ I saw it¡­¡±


    Immediately afterward, she grabbed Tsunade¡¯s sleeve. She was unable to control her emotion, and tears continued to flow down. Jiraiya also asked with a solemn look, ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    Tsunade took a deep breath, ¡°This is a severe mental breakdown state. She has suffered a very powerful attack-type genjutsu.¡±


    Jiraiya immediately said with a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go to find sensei and ask him to send an Anbu member to investigate.¡± Jiraiya prepared to leave.


    ¡°Jiraiya, you don¡¯t need to intervene in this,¡± Tsunade grabbed his arm with a gloomy look. How could Jiraiya not know what Tsunade was thinking at the moment? He seriously replied, ¡°Sensei has instructed you to not go and trouble Tonan and if something happens, you should ask him to deal with it.¡±


    Tsunade trembled as if she was entangled. After a long time, she sighed heavily and nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Hearing her, Jiraiya also relaxed. Fortunately, Tsunade maintained her rationality and considered the overall situation.


    Bang! Jiraiya felt pain in the back of his neck and collapsed to the ground. Tsunade was a medical ninja proficient in medical treatment. With her knife-hand strike, Jiraiya wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up for a long time. She wiped Shizune¡¯s tears and instructed, ¡°Stay here and rest. I¡¯m going to avenge Tonton.¡±


    Shizune was startled hearing her words. She shook her head in fear and said in a pleading tone, ¡°Tsunade-sama, don¡¯t leave me¡­ I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    Tsunade hesitated for a moment and nodded, ¡°Alright, you can follow me. But you have to stay away during the fight.¡±


    Konoha was very busy today. Many ninjas who had gone out for missions had returned apart from a few guards. The shopping street was crowded. There were long queues outside many shops.


    Tonan had asked Kakashi, who was also an orphan, to hang out in the shopping street together. Although they didn¡¯t have much interest in eating, drinking, and having fun, just participation was also important in events like New Year. It was also better than staying home alone.


    Tonan glanced at Hatake Kotoura who was looking all around in Kakashi¡¯s arms, and warmly said, ¡°Kakashi, if you¡¯re tired, you can give him to me.¡± Kakashi shook the baby in his arms and indifferently said, ¡°He¡¯s so light. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Ya~ ya~¡± Little Kotoura looked at the children gathered around the toy store and happily waved his chubby hands as if he wanted to join in. Just then, Tonan¡¯s ears twitched slightly and he immediately stopped. He turned his head to Kakashi, ¡°It seems Kotoura likes the toys very much. Take him to play there and I¡¯ll go to other places to take a look.¡±


    Kakashi nodded quietly and walked towards the toy store with Kotoura in his arms. The moment Kakashi turned around, the smile on Tonan¡¯s face disappeared and a hint of coldness flashed through his eyes. With quick steps, he entered a large arcade at the crossroads.


    It was crowded with people and almost 90 percent of them were children. Usually, these children were prevented from coming here to play even if they wanted. But since it was New Year, the adults in the family let them indulge. Tonan stood in the middle of the arcade and nodded in satisfaction.


    After a while, a small smile formed on his lips and he turned to look at the arcade¡¯s door. Tsunade was standing there looking at him through countless people. Tonan saw her clenched fists and the smile broadened on his face. ¡°Not bad, you are still sensible.¡±


    Tsunade was dying to punch Tonan at this moment, but there were too many children around. If she attacked here, she would injure innocent people. Suddenly, Tsunade saw Tonan raising a string of pearl necklace with one hand as he gestured to her with his other hand to come over.


    His lips also moved, very clearly forming the words¡­ ¡°Come, hit me if you can.¡±

 CH 194.1

    Senju Tsunade¡¯s face twitched instinctively and her teeth were gnashing, reflecting the rage inside her. At this moment, they had shed all pretext of cordiality¡­ Uchiha Tonan wanted to kill Tsunade.


    Especially when Sarutobi Hiruzen was turned against Tonan. Tsunade and Jiraiya returned to the village at this time. Hiruzen had the Anbu, Tsunade, Jiraiya, two Hokage advisors, and many ninja clans to support him.


    On Tonan¡¯s side, there was only Shimura Danzo, the Root, and the Uchiha clan. Even in the best-case scenario, his force was several levels lower than Hiruzen¡¯s. As for Namikaze Minato and others, even if their strength was great, they didn¡¯t have enough reputation and prestige.


    If Hiruzen¡¯s hatred accumulates to a certain extent, it would be a big pain for Tonan. If this divide continued, internal strife might erupt in Konoha, and it would have to surrender in the Third Great Shinobi War without even bothering to fight.


    Tonan had to cut off Hiruzen¡¯s wings and balance the forces of both sides so that no matter how much hatred Hiruzen had, he could only suppress it just like hesitating to pelt a rat for the fear of breaking the dishes.


    After Tsunade¡¯s death, even if Hiruzen helped Jiraiya, they wouldn¡¯t dare to easily challenge Tonan, who had the Mangekyo Sharingan. Victory or defeat didn¡¯t matter. Once the fight begins in Konoha, both sides would quickly gather a lot of people. At that time, it would turn into civil strife in the village.


    For ordinary combat power, the Uchiha clan was enough to deal with them. Besides, many civilians supported Tonan. In short, Tsunade, who possessed special prestige, must die. If he could, adding Jiraiya would be even better.


    Bang! Tsunade stomped her right leg gently. Immediately, spider web-like cracks spread on the ground. The entire arcade shook and countless pieces of debris fell from the ceiling.


    Tsunade angrily shouted, ¡°Everyone, get lost for me!¡± When the children in the arcade saw this, they were frightened for a moment, and then all fled outside.


    ¡°Tsunade-sama, why are you so angry today? Did the doctor in Konoha Hospital give you the wrong medicine?¡± Tonan opened his eyes and the three tomoe slowly spun.


    He kept fiddling with the string of pearl necklaces in his hands, breaking one bead after another. At the same time, the children who passed by Tonan were affected by genjutsu and passed out on the ground.


    Soon, more than a dozen unlucky children laid down around him. Tsunade noticed Tonan using genjutsu on the children and angrily shouted, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Tonan threw away the bare necklace string and spread out his hands innocently, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are saying. I would like to ask Tsunade-sama. Why did you yell so loudly as soon as you came in, frightening these children so much that they fainted? Don¡¯t you know any etiquette?¡±


    After facing Tonan¡¯s back-to-back provocations, Tsunade couldn¡¯t care less at this time, and immediately shouted, ¡°Die!¡±


    Rumble¡­ Earth shaking explosion sounds filled the arcade. At the same time, the ninjas around also noticed the movement.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening there?¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s fighting.¡±


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    ¡°Damn it, there are children over there.¡±


    ¡°Quickly go and support.¡±


    ¡°Tonan¡­¡± Kakashi in the toy store raised his head abruptly and looked in the arcade¡¯s direction. Tonan used the Flicker Clone Technique, creating two clones and attacking Tsunade together.


    Puff~ The moment he was near Tsunade, he immediately opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Regardless of whether it was despicable or not, anything should be used in a battle between ninjas. However, just before Tonan spat out blood, Tsunade closed her eyes.


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    Swish¡­ Bang, bang¡­ A pallid light flashed and Tonan¡¯s main body stood with his back facing Tsunade. He then picked up a strand of golden hair and blew it lightly. As for his two clones, one was punched and the other was kicked flying by Tsunade, and they collided against the arcade¡¯s wall, creating a dent in the wall.


    This was the result when Tsunade was controlling her power because she feared that the arcade would be destroyed and the fainted children on the ground would be harmed.


    Otherwise, Tsunade would have gone all out, and her punch wouldn¡¯t have just dented the wall. Tonan immediately dispelled the two clones as they split the main body¡¯s strength, resulting in insufficient strength.


    Tonan looked sideways at Tsunade, who had her eyes closed and was in an attacking stance, and said with a chuckle, ¡°You are listening to my movements.¡±


    Tsunade closed her eyes tightly and gnashed her teeth, ¡°If you have got the ability, come out and fight me.¡±


    Tonan glanced at the unconscious children on the ground, and said warmly with a smile, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    After speaking, he used Lightning Spirit Wind Flash and suddenly disappeared without a trace. Tsunade frowned, and her ears stood erect.


    ¡°This guy¡­ he¡¯s moving around me at high speed. Humph! Too na?ve.¡±


    ¡°Last night¡¯s roasted pig was delicious. It¡¯s just that it was a bit greasy. I¡¯ve to ask you, Tsunade-sama. How on earth did you raise such a fat pig? By the way, your subordinate is too timid. She¡¯s afraid of everything. I guess the severe mental breakdown should be difficult to treat. It, however, is psychological trauma. It¡¯s a pity, as the saying goes, heart disease has to be treated with heart medicine.¡±


    ¡°Tsunade-sama, if you¡¯re powerless, I can help. I¡¯m very good at this kind of operation. Why don¡¯t I cast another genjutsu on her and turn her into a puppet? You can rest assured she will be very obedient in the future, just like a puppet doll. In any case, she¡¯s just a subordinate, let me practice with her.¡±


    Tonan used Wind Communication, continuously stimulating Tsunade. Coming from all directions, Tsunade felt the enraging words desperately pouring into her brain. The method of listening to his movements was useless.


    ¡°If he attacks me now, it¡¯ll be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Finally, Tsunade couldn¡¯t endure anymore. At this moment, she only had one thought in her mind: kill Uchiha Tonan.

 CH 194.2

    With the single-minded thought of killing Uchiha Tonan, Senju Tsunade made hand signs and slammed her hands on the ground.


    ¡°Summoning Technique ¨C Katsuyu.¡± At this moment, the ninjas had already arrived outside the arcade. At a glance, they saw her using Summoning Technique and more than ten children lying on the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± A group of ninjas recognized Tsunade¡¯s technique and shouted immediately.


    Bang!


    Rumble~


    Smoke and dust rose and countless rubbles flew all around. The moment the huge slug appeared, the arcade was destroyed. Tsunade, on the other hand, stood on top of Katsuyu¡¯s head, and her face was filled with ice-cold hatred.


    Damn it! Only a few ninjas could resist being pressed down by such a heavy thing. In the distance, a group of civilians rushed over the arcade as if they had gone crazy. But they were stopped by the ninjas around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come here, there¡¯s a fight here.¡±


    ¡°Ninja-sama, my child had just come to the arcade, I¡¯m looking for my child.¡±


    ¡°Have you seen my child?¡±


    Several mothers shouted at Tsunade in a pleading tone, ¡°Tsunade-sama, where is my child?¡±


    Tsunade was startled hearing this and her anger dissipated a little. She sighed and said after a moment of silence, ¡°I¡¯m killing a Konoha criminal. I¡¯m very sorry about your children.¡±


    Immediately after she spoke, the parents understood. They collapsed on the ground and cried, one by one. Suddenly, Tsunade noticed that something was wrong with Katsuyu. It was like something was trying to push Katsuyu upward.


    At the same time, Tonan¡¯s miserable laughter came from the ruins below Katsuyu.


    ¡°Haha¡­ haha¡­ Princess Tsunade¡­ Tsunade-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Still not dead?¡±


    Tsunade frowned, but she didn¡¯t dare to open her eyes, for fear of triggering hematophobia. Everyone saw a dazzling golden light emitting from below Katsuyu, and a pair of huge palms lifted the huge Katsuyu.


    Tsunade stabilized her body and exclaimed, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Tonan!¡± At this moment, Hatake Kakashi came to the roof not far away with Hatake Kotoura in his arms and stared at the golden buddha below Katsuyu with wide eyes. But with Kotoutra in his arms, he could not take any action. He could only nervously watch the scene unfold.


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    However, the ninjas around noticed a pair of Tonan¡¯s unique Sharingan for the first time, and they immediately trembled with excitement. ¡°Those eyes¡­ Quickly go and inform Patriarch Fugaku and also the clan members. The Uchiha clan is about to rise. Go fast!¡±


    ¡°Wait, we have to go protect Tonan if a battle starts.¡±


    ¡°The second asura of the Ninja World is born¡­ No, he is stronger than the previous asura. He has awakened even earlier¡­¡±


    Seeing the person underneath was Tonan, several Leaf ninjas thought of what Tsunade said before and exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°What, the criminal of Konoha is Tonan.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    The Leaf ninjas who had seen the previous battle at the welfare institution guessed something and they signaled their friends to not talk. They all looked at Tsunade with inexplicable eyes.


    Seeing the puddles of meat pulp in the ruins, the people who had collapsed on the ground immediately shouted hysterically, ¡°My child!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go there, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± The ninjas held the parents tightly. They were also very angry. However, they were aware that they couldn¡¯t participate in this battle with their trivial strength. They could just wait for the Hokage.


    Tonan knelt on the ruins and held the puddle of meat pulp in front of him with his trembling hands, and with tears of blood flowing down from his eyes, he said in despair, ¡°Was I wrong? Was I wrong! Was I wrong to kill Orochimaru! I had always thought that Konoha¡¯s Sannin were heroes who protected Konoha. But what¡¯s the result¡­ One person used villagers for human experiments and the other doesn¡¯t attach any importance to their lives. You are all the same, all are the same!¡±


    Tonan shouted hoarsely and made the buddha throw off Katsuyu. Katsuyu collided with a residential building and a few unlucky onlookers were killed. Tonan looked at the puddle of blood and flesh around him with a sad look, and said in tears, ¡°Children¡­ children¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ it¡¯s me who implicated you all¡­¡±


    Tsunade was half-kneeling on top of Katsuyu. When she heard Tonan¡¯s words, she angrily shouted, ¡°Stop showing your disgusting attitude, where was your kind heart when you killed Tonton?¡±


    Tonan was startled upon hearing those words. He then looked up at Tsunade and asked with a confused look, ¡°Tonton? Who is Tonton¡­¡±


    Over time, more Leaf ninjas gathered. This place was relatively close to the Uchiha district. Uchiha Fugaku had already arrived with a group of Uchiha members. Arriving at the scene, the first thing they did was look at Tonan¡¯s eyes.


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    ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s Mangekyo of the records. It seems that the Great Elder¡¯s judgment was correct.¡± Fugaku stopped the Uchiha clan members who wanted to intervene. He wanted to listen to what had happened first. After all, judging from the current situation, Tonan wouldn¡¯t be in danger.


    The Leaf ninjas who were at the scene began to question Tsunade¡­


    ¡°Tsunade-sama, you have to explain things clearly today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you said that Tonan killed a person named Tonton, who is he? Do you have any hard evidence?¡±


    ¡°I know! That¡¯s a pet pig raised by Tsunade-sama. I¡¯ve seen Shizune-sama come to the casino with that pig in her arms before.¡±


    Tonan suddenly exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°What! A pig?¡± Immediately, with a forced smile on his face, he pointed at Tsunade with his trembling finger and said, ¡°Ridiculous, ridiculous. It turns out that I, a member of the grand Uchiha clan, am inferior to a pig in the eyes of Konoha¡¯s Sannin. Even if I¡¯m petty and low, an orphan whose parents are dead and has no one who cares about him, what about these children? They are Konoha¡¯s future. More than a dozen human lives are inferior to a pig? Do you, higher-ups, regard the lives of us, villagers, as nothing?¡±


    Tsunade clenched her fists tightly but she knew she could no longer take action in this situation, and immediately explained, ¡°What do you know? Tonan has accompanied me for many years, furthermore, Shizune was also scared by you to that state.¡±


    Tonan sat on the ruins and looked at the Leaf ninjas around him with a miserable smile. He then turned to Tsunade and asked with a mocking smile, ¡°Did you see me doing it with your own eyes? Do you have any evidence?¡±


    Tsunade snorted coldly and said solemnly, ¡°Shizune said that she saw it with her own eyes.¡±


    Tonan turned to look at Shizune who was hiding in a distant corner and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Shizune-sama, when did you see me?¡±


    Shizune subconsciously swallowed and upon seeing all the Leaf ninjas looking at her, she forcibly stepped forward and took a deep breath, ¡°Yesterday¡­¡±


    ¡°Yesterday at what time?¡± Tonan asked with a blank face.


    ¡°At night.¡± Shizune¡¯s answer didn¡¯t satisfy the Leaf ninjas. At this time, Fugaku, who believed that he had understood the situation, stepped forward and asked Shizune, ¡°Shizune-sama, please tell us the specifics of what happened .¡±


    Hearing Fugaku¡¯s words, Tsunade coldly shouted, ¡°Does your Uchiha clan not believe us?¡±


    Fugaku took a deep breath, ¡°We just want to know the truth, moreover, we want an explanation.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Shizune suddenly recalled the specific process but she didn¡¯t know how to explain it for a while. Tsunade frowned and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking, Shizune?¡±


    Shizune, who was in a daze, was sweating profusely at this moment, and she stuttered under the gaze of everyone: ¡°I¡­ I saw it in a dream¡­¡±


    Just after she spoke, Tonan became hysterical. He controlled the Buddha to swat Katsuyu and roared, ¡°Die!¡±

 CH 195.1

    Uchiha Tonan¡¯s growl was followed by two powerful commands at the same time. The voices of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jiraiya came from a distance.


    ¡°Summoning Technique ¨C Bunta.¡±


    ¡°Summoning technique ¨C Enma.¡±


    The sky darkened and the huge Gamabunta fell from the sky and sat down on the Buddha, pressing it to the ground. Immediately afterward, dozens of Adamantine Staffs heavily stuck around the Buddha, restricting it tightly.


    At this moment, Tonan was like an angry lion, continuously making the Buddha struggle desperately. But it seemed that his strength was insufficient and his efforts were useless.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, you beast!¡± Tonan¡¯s bellow entered the ears of the ninjas around, increasing their anger. All the ninjas present spoke out¡­


    ¡°Hokage-sama, Tsunade killed more than a dozen children just now. Our Uchiha clan wants an explanation.¡±


    ¡°We want an explanation.¡±


    ¡°We want an explanation.¡±


    ¡°My child¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Jiraiya, what the hell is this thing, why¡¯s it so powerful?¡± The way Bunta was continuously swaying, it appeared like it was sitting on a rocking chair. Both its hands were resting on the Adamantine Staff to maintain its balance.


    Hiruzen and Jiraiya appeared near Senju Tsunade, followed by a group of Anbu members. Hiruzen was so late to arrive because it took time to wake up the unconscious Jiraiya. At this moment, an Anbu walked over and whispered what had happened to Hiruzen.


    Hiruzen was startled hearing the report and had one thought in his mind, ¡°what a disaster¡­¡± Tsunade who was standing atop Katsuyu took advantage of the moment when everyone was relieved after seeing Hiruzen. Her face became cold and she decided to act first and report later. She jumped over and raised her fist, punching Tonan in the Adamantine Prison Wall.


    ¡°Stop!¡± The Uchiha clan and Kakashi roared simultaneously and rushed towards Tonan, trying to stop Tsunade. But due to speed and distance, they were too late. Tsunade¡¯s fist became bigger in Tonan¡¯s frantic eyes. But he didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°Adamantine Sealing Chains,¡± at the critical moment, a tender voice was heard. Countless golden chains appeared between the two, entangling into a thick golden whip that swung towards Tsunade.


    Bang! Tsunade¡¯s fist and the golden whip struck each other heavily. Huge shockwaves spread around from the point of their contact. The golden whip shattered into countless golden chains and Tsunade was knocked back by the extreme repulsive force.


    Two people appeared in front of the Adamantine Prison Wall. They were Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. The latter¡¯s face was filled with anger and countless adamantine chains were dancing behind her like tails.


    ¡°Kushina, she is Tsunade-senpai after all. Weren¡¯t you a little heavy-handed?¡± Minato asked in a low voice. Kushina simply snorted in reply. She no longer had any respect for Tsunade on her face.


    The angry Kushina drew a large amount of the Kyubi¡¯s chakra, making everyone around her feel a kind of suppression. In the next instant, the countless adamantine chains spread out and wrapped around Bunta and the Adamantine Staffs.


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    ¡°Rise for me,¡± Kushina¡¯s furious voice was heard. In front of everyone, Bunta and the Adamantine Staffs were tossed into the distance. After Tonan was saved, he didn¡¯t deactivate the Buddha state. He just sadly stared at the blood and flesh on the ground.


    Failing to achieve her objective, Tsunade returned on top of Katsuyu. She was so angry she was trembling and breathing heavily. Hiruzen knew that he couldn¡¯t let this situation continue to escalate. While the situation hadn¡¯t yet reached the point of no return, he hastily coughed, ¡°This matter is of grave importance, so take Tsunade and Tonan to the interrogation room for investigation.¡±


    Just then, Shimura Danzo appeared in front of Tonan along with a group of Root ninjas, and together with Minato and Kushina, he blocked the Anbu that were preparing to capture Tonan.


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    Although Danzo feigned indifference on the surface, he was very excited in his heart. ¡°This situation is very beneficial to me. He is worthy of a person who can pretend to be Abe Seimei.¡± Danzo quietly glanced at Tonan who was in a daze and then raised his arm and shouted, ¡°Hiruzen, do you want to bend the law to help your associates, or do you want to obtain confessions under torture? In this incident, there¡¯s no reason to arrest Tonan.¡±


    After he spoke, the Uchiha clan stood behind Danzo¡¯s group under patriarch Uchiha Fugaku¡¯s lead, followed by Leaf ninjas and the onlooking villagers. All of them took the initiative to stand behind Danzo and formed a human wall to protect Tonan.


    Along with time, Danzo¡¯s side grew larger and larger. Hiruzen was very anxious in his heart and solemnly said, ¡°He¡¯s an involved party in this incident. He can also be regarded as a witness.¡±


    Danzo snorted coldly and pointed at the crowd behind him, ¡°If the information I received is current, the people here should be the witnesses.¡± Danzo¡¯s sentence was followed by earth-shaking shouts from the crowd.


    ¡°We can testify that it¡¯s Tsunade-sama¡¯s summoning beast that crushed the children to death.¡±


    ¡°I can also testify.¡±


    ¡°The Uchiha clan can also testify.¡±


    ¡°We all can testify to this.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    By now Tsunade couldn¡¯t endure anymore. She opened her eyes, wanting to explain. However, the moment she opened her eyes, she saw Tonan secretly smiling provocatively at her. Moreover, he intentionally made his eyes bleed.


    Tsunade took a deep breath and pointed at Tonan with a trembling hand. Then, she fainted. Danzo glanced at the unconscious Tsunade and loudly said, ¡°Hiruzen, as a Hokage, shouldn¡¯t you give everyone an explanation?¡±


    Hiruzen replied in a solemn tone, ¡°Danzo, what do you mean?¡±


    Danzo pointed at the ground and said, ¡°If you have any issue, just settle it here. As a member of Konoha¡¯s higher-ups, I¡¯ll not allow any injustice to happen in the village. Even if you dismiss me from my position after returning today, the Will of Fire burning in my heart doesn¡¯t allow me to bow to power.¡±


    Danzo had borrowed these words from Tonan¡¯s diary and said it very grandly. The people behind him couldn¡¯t help being moved.


    ¡°Danzo-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this lord?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? He is the Shimura clan¡¯s patriarch, and he used to command the wind and the clouds during the first ninja world war.¡±


    ¡°I never knew that there was such an upright and selfless senior in the village.¡±

 CH 195.2

    Jiraiya could see the situation turning for the worst. If this truly went down as per the normal rules, Senju Tsunade would be executed. He whispered to Sarutobi Hiruzen with an ugly look, ¡°Sensei¡­¡±


    Hiruzen didn¡¯t answer but looked straight at Danzo and solemnly asked, ¡°How do you think we should deal with this matter?¡±


    Danzo realized that Hiruzen was throwing this burden over to him. This time, he was in trouble. He didn¡¯t know how to deal with Tsunade. If he said that Tsunade should be executed but she was not, then he would have to bear her irrecoverable hatred. But if he didn¡¯t say so, then the prestige he just established might disappear.


    At this moment, Tonan¡¯s sad roar resounded throughout Konoha. ¡°A life for a life!¡± This was equivalent to setting a dynamite barrel on fire. The parents of the dead children chimed at the same time¡­


    ¡°A life for a life!¡±


    ¡°A life for a life!¡±


    Jiraiya couldn¡¯t hold it back any longer and wanted to plead for Tsunade. ¡°Tsunade has contributed so much to Konoha and she has saved the lives of so many ninjas. Today, she acted on a momentary impulse. I believe this was not her intention.¡±


    Tonan¡¯s voice resounded from behind everyone. ¡°Momentary impulse¡­ hahaha¡­ is this momentary impulse?¡±


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    Hiruzen noticed that everyone was looking at him with a disappointed gaze. Some even looked at him with hostility. Even the Anbu members behind him seemed to be enveloped in the subtle atmosphere. His heart skipped a beat. ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ people¡¯s hearts are lost¡­¡±


    Jiraiya also noticed the situation had already developed beyond his control. He made a difficult decision and whispered to Hiruzen, ¡°Sensei, just issue a wanted circular later.¡±


    Hiruzen remained silent for a long time, then nodded. Although Jiraiya and Tsunade would become Leaf rogue ninjas like this, as long as the war begins, Konoha could hire them back. Under external pressure, this could be resolved easily.


    Hiruzen coughed loudly, ¡°Everyone, rest assured, as Konoha¡¯s Hokage, I¡¯ll not tolerate anyone killing the people of our village. In this incident, it doesn¡¯t matter whether Tonan killed Tsunade¡¯s pet or not. Tsunade shouldn¡¯t have involved innocent people and killed dozens of children. Since everyone had witnessed it, the evidence is solid. I¡¯ve decided to execute Tsunade to give justice to the children.¡±


    Immediately after he spoke, Jiraiya kicked Hiruzen in the back, sending him flying to the crowd. ¡°What are you doing, Jiraiya?¡± Hiruzen pretended to be angry. Jiraiya¡¯s hair grew wildly and pulled the unconscious Tsunade and Shizune over to his side.


    At the same time, he made hand signs, and slammed his hands on the ground, ¡°Summoning Technique ¨C Toad Mouth Trap Technique!¡± A huge stomach sac appeared on the ground. Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune were all wrapped in it.


    Bang¡­ Along with a rise of smoke, the stomach sac disappeared before everyone¡¯s eyes. Jiraiya had dispelled Summoning Technique, transporting them to Mount Myoboku together with the stomach sac of a giant toad.


    Looking enraged, Hiruzen shouted, ¡°Immediately issue a wanted circular, classifying Jiraiya and Tsunade as Konoha¡¯s S-class rogue-nin. The entire Ninja World is to hunt them.¡±


    Most of the ninjas and civilians believed their Hokage-sama was telling the truth and they too became angry. As for the others, even though they had seen through the trick, they could only pretend they didn¡¯t know. After all¡­ it wasn¡¯t their children who had died.


    Also, it wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for them if they were too obstinate. All they wanted was a sense of security to prevent facing the same treatment in the future. It was not that they cared about justice.


    Just at that moment, a surprised voice came from amid the crowd. ¡°Look, what is Tonan doing?¡± Everyone looked over. Tonan was on his knees. With his hands clasped together, he chanted something looking sympathetic. The golden Buddha around him had also clasped its hands together.


    ¡°He seems to be chanting scriptures.¡±


    ¡°It must be the Buddhist monk¡¯s ritual to release the souls of the deceased from suffering.¡±


    ¡°Where did Tonan learn this?¡±


    Tonan¡¯s left Mangekyo spun slowly, activating the Shuten-doji Technique. He also used Wind Communication to transmit his sound in all directions. The soothing sound of chanting sutras reverberated throughout Konoha like the evening drum and the morning bell.


    ¡°Bow down to every place and respect the three realms, change the surroundings to Buddha-realm. I now make the great vow and chant Vajracchedika-sutra. Publish quadruple kindness and aid three sufferings. If you¡¯re a witness, learn to show the bodi heart. Do this and report, be reborn in the land of bliss.¡±


    Tonan thought for a long time before saying these words. It was a piece of scripture, and even he didn¡¯t know what it meant. He just included the word bliss in the end. None of the surrounding ninjas and civilians disturbed him. They just curiously watched.


    Hiruzen stared at Tonan¡¯s slowly spinning left eye and his eyes condensed. ¡°Is this Tonan¡¯s Transcendence Ocular Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°What is this chant?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but it sounds very powerful.¡±


    ¡°It must be some kind of spell.¡±


    Suddenly, someone in the crowd exclaimed, ¡°That is¡­ soul¡­¡± Everyone looked and took a deep breath. On the ruins, the spirit bodies of the dead children slowly drifted towards Tonan with a blank look. As a soul ocular technique, Shuten-doji Ocular Technique could easily manifest the soul.


    Naturally, it was just for others to see. It didn¡¯t give these souls the ability to communicate with living beings.


    ¡°My child¡­¡±


    ¡°Am I in genjutsu?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not genjutsu, this is not genjutsu¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s truly a soul¡­¡±


    After the children¡¯s souls floated over to Tonan, he stood up and opened his hands, saying with a look of pity, ¡°Children, the Land of Bliss welcomes you all.¡±


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    Immediately afterward, Tonan no longer suppressed the Shuten-doji Ocular Technique. Instantly, the spiritual bodies of the children were sucked into Tonan¡¯s left eye space.


    ¡®Ding! Gained Mikami Yuko¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Sarutobi Sumiko¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Matsui Kei¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Nara Yoko¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Hisami Eda¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Uchiha Kiyomi¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    ¡®Ding! Gained Yamanaka Uno¡¯s acknowledgment.¡¯


    Great harvest¡­ But since this was within Tonan¡¯s calculation, he was not too surprised. The only unexpected thing was that Jiraiya was forced to become a Leaf rogue-nin. As for Tsunade who he planned to kill anyway¡­


    Uchiha Fugaku looked at Tonan¡¯s Mangekyo with excitement and he finally couldn¡¯t help asking out loud, ¡°Tonan, what kind of ninjutsu did you just use?¡±


    Tonan released the Buddha form and sighed as if to suppress the sadness in his heart. After a long time, he looked straight at Fukagu and said, ¡°This is my Mangekyo¡¯s special dojutsu called Transcendence. It can lead the soul of the deceased to the land of bliss.¡±

 CH 196

    When everyone heard this, their eyes lit up.


    The young people still didn¡¯t feel anything, but the old people were excited and looked at Uchiha Tunan in a different way.


    Paradise¡­ This name sounded like a good place.


    However, the brain circuits of the Uchiha clan were a little different.


    On the contrary, each and every one of them seemed a little disappointed.


    After all, in their opinion, the rumored Mangekyou should be paired with a very powerful killing eye technique.


    As for the so-called salvation or the paradise.


    They did not feel too much about it.


    Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed to himself and gestured to the surrounding Anbu,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Then, he led the Anbu away.


    Uchiha Tunan and Danzo looked at each other quietly.


    In order to prevent Hiruzen Sarutobi from secretly attacking Danzo.


    ¡°Lord Danzo, thank you for standing up for justice today.¡± Uchiha Tunan immediately said in a clear voice.


    ¡°Although I, Uchiha Tunan, am young, I also know the principle of repaying a debt of gratitude.


    In the future, if you have any orders, i will go through fire and water without hesitation.¡±


    In front of everyone, Danzo¡¯s face showed a rare kind look, and it looked a bit strange.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, this is what I should do.


    You are the future of Konoha. ¡°


    After that, Danzo led Root to leave.


    Today¡¯s matter was not completely over, but the follow-up political struggle had to be carried out privately, and it was not suitable for the villagers to know.


    In the distance, when Hiruzen Sarutobi heard Uchiha Tunan¡¯s words, his footsteps slightly paused, and the expression on his face became even uglier.


    If he had known earlier, he should not have allowed Tsunade to find trouble with Uchiha Tunan from the beginning.


    But now, he had lost two generals, not to mention.


    Even Uchiha Tunan, who had always followed his lead, seemed to be biased towards Danzo.


    At this moment, a deep sense of regret rose in Hiruzen Sarutobi¡¯s heart.


    After Root and the Anbu left, the civilians and ninjas seemed to be a little restless.


    They wanted to make friends with Uchiha Tunan and get a good place for themselves or their relatives after they died.


    However, they were blocked by the people of the Uchiha clan.


    Seeing this, Uchiha Tunan looked at Minato and the others with gratitude:


    ¡°Minato Sensei, Kushina senpai, thank you for saving me.


    Kakashi, take care of Yan Bo first.


    I need to have a good talk with my clansmen and seek shelter.¡±


    Kakashi patted Little Yan Bo in his arms and nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Tunan, don¡¯t worry. You still have us.¡±


    At this time, Kushina had returned to her usual cheerful and gentle self, completely different from her previous fearless image of a demoness.


    Uchiha Tunan smiled, looked around, and bowed deeply to everyone with his hands on his knees,


    ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡±


    Then he looked at Uchiha Fuyue and said, ¡°Patriarch.¡±


    Uchiha, Fuyue, nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll talk about it when we return to the clan.¡±


    Just like that, Uchiha Tunan walked towards the clan grounds under the protection of a group of Uchiha clansmen.


    At the same time.


    Mount Myoboku.


    Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune appeared on a patch of grass.


    Jiraiya looked at the pale and haggard Shizune, and then at Tsunade who was lying unconscious on the ground. His heart was heavy.


    ¡°Little Jiraiya, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Little Tsunade? Why did she faint?¡±


    Fukasaku and Shima jumped onto his shoulder.


    Jiraiya sighed and said, ¡°Tsunade and I have become Konoha¡¯s rebels.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? You and Tsunade are Konoha¡¯s Sannin. What happened?¡± Shima was confused.


    Jiraiya said with a heavy face: ¡°Tsunade fought with others and killed more than a dozen children.¡±


    Fukasaku and Shima looked at each other. They didn¡¯t expect this to be the reason.


    This kind of thing was neither big nor small.


    In a war, the lives of more than a dozen children would not be cared much.


    But now was a peaceful era, and the one who died was a child from the same village, so it was hard to say.


    Jiraiya looked at Shizune, who was still in a trance, with a haggard face, and asked,


    ¡°Shizune. Tsunade will probably wake up in a while.¡±


    Shizune was startled awake from his daze. He lowered his head and looked at Tsunade, and his eyes were lifeless.


    ¡°It should take two days to recover. If I use the Palm Immortal Technique to nourish my body, it should be faster.¡±


    Jiraiya nodded: ¡°Can you help Tsunade now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡± Shizune was like a walking corpse, squatting down beside Tsunade, her hands covering her heart.


    Jiraiya also felt a little tired these days, sitting on the ground, staring at the ground in a daze.


    Suddenly, Jiraiya frowned, touched his chin and said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I have a bad feeling all day, and now this feeling has become stronger.


    Could it be that something happened to Konoha? Could it be that this matter can¡¯t be settled?¡±


    Jiraiya shook his head and stopped thinking about it. He looked up at Tsunade and Shizune.


    He saw that her eyes were unfocused and her whole body was trembling, as if she had seen something terrifying.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Shizune?¡± Jiraiya said with concern.


    ¡°Pfft!¡±


    Tsunade spat out a mouthful of blood, her eyes wide open as she stared at Shizune.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Tsunade¡¯s body trembled, and then her head tilted.


    Jiraiya also rushed over and pushed Shizune away violently. He grabbed Tsunade¡¯s shoulder and shook it desperately, ¡°Tsunade! Tsunade!¡±


    Shima and Fukasaku jumped down from his shoulder.


    Shima made a seal and pressed his hands on Tsunade¡¯s body to sense it. Then he said with a shocked face,


    ¡°Her heart was cut off by the scalpels.¡±


    Hearing this, Jiraiya was stunned and reached out his hand to touch Tsunade¡¯s nose.


    Breathing heavily, his eyes were bloodshot and his other hand grabbed five finger marks on the grass.


    He turned his head and looked at Shizune, who was sitting on the ground, with a look of disbelief on his face.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The furious Jiraiya also grabbed onto Shizune¡¯s throat and pressed her down on the ground.


    With a look of wanting to devour someone, he roared, ¡°Who the hell are you!¡±


    Suddenly, Jiraiya was stunned, and he saw that Shizune pupils gradually enlarged.


    A pair of strangely shaped Sharingan was slowly rotating in her pupils.


    Jiraiya growled, ¡°Mangekyo Sharingan¡­ Uchiha Tunan¡­¡±


    At this moment, the revolving seal that Uchiha Tunan had stored in her eyes was activated.


    Shizune suddenly screamed in horror. Then, she bled from his seven orifices and lost her breath.


    ¡°Dead¡­¡±


    Jiraiya put away the hand that locked his throat and sat down on the ground, completely dumbfounded.


    Shima quickly came to Shizune and felt it again. Her face was ugly as she said, ¡°Her brain has been destroyed.¡±


    Hearing this, his eyes were filled with hatred. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°The seal of the root of the tongue¡­ Danzo.¡±


    Fukasaku and Shima looked at each other. They didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen.


    Looking at the abnormal appearance of the usually jumping Jiraiya, he immediately said with a worried face,


    ¡°Little Jiraiya, are you okay?¡±


    A hint of a bitter smile flashed across Jiraiya¡¯s face. He shook his head, put his hand on his forehead, and closed his eyes.


    Two streams of tears rolled down from the corner of his eyes, and with a hoarse voice, he said,


    ¡°I thought that one day, the two of them might leave me.


    But I didn¡¯t expect that they didn¡¯t die in war, but in the hands of Konoha Ninjas.


    In fact, I knew that the deepest reason behind this was the power struggle in the village.


    So Tsunade and I left Konoha when the war was about to end.


    I didn¡¯t expect that this time, Orochimaru was dead, and Tsunade was dead.


    I was the only one left in Konoha.¡±


    Jiraiya wiped his tears and said:


    ¡°Konoha has been rotten to the root.


    At this time, someone has to step up and remove the broken place.


    Fukasaku, Shima, please take me to Konoha.¡±


    Hearing this, Fukasaku took a deep breath and said with a serious face, ¡°Little Jiraiya, I can understand that you want to avenge your companion.


    But I¡¯m afraid your current strength is not enough. I suggest you ask the Toad Immortal first.¡±


    ¡°The Toad Immortal¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, maybe the Toad Immortal has a way.¡±


    Jiraiya¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had grasped a chance of survival. He suddenly stood up, grabbed Tsunade and Shizune¡¯s bodies, and ran towards the temple at the top of Mount Myoboku.


    At the same time.


    In the living room of Uchiha Fuyue¡¯s home.


    Uchiha Tunan, who had just sat down, suddenly raised his eyebrows.


    All kinds of mantra seals contain their own origins of life, and there will be a special induction in the moment when the mantra seals dissipate.


    Uchiha Tunan narrowed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth were slightly outlined.


    He had spent so much effort last night, and it was scary to kill pigs, but it was not just to anger Tsunade.


    Killing pigs was a special way to anger Tsunade.


    As for the Shizune, Uchiha Tunan wanted to plant a type of curse seal on her body, hypnosis eye, and turn seal on her.


    Turning seal was the special eye technique of Uchiha¡¯s clan.


    However, it consumed a lot of eye power, and the effect was relatively short.


    Even the three tomoe Sharingan could only release it on ordinary people or Genin who had just graduated.


    It had always been relatively weak.


    However, Uchiha Tunan had opened the Mangekyou after all, and even among the same level of Mangekyous, this eye power could be considered top-notch.


    Hypnosis was used on Shizune.


    First, it was to make her instinctively stick to it.


    The second was that when she used her palm technique, she would subconsciously use it as a Chakra scalpel.


    When Tsunade successfully died, she would trigger the conditions to change the seal and detonate the curse.


    Of course, Shizune was still quite powerful.


    In order to ensure that the hypnosis eye and the spinning seal would not be detected, or lose its effect.


    That was why Uchiha Tunan had worked so hard to injure her spirit, making her unable to resist at all.


    Originally, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s plan was to let Tsunade make a mistake, then beat Tsunade in battle and trigger her phobia of blood.


    At this time, it would definitely be Shizune to treat Tsunade.


    In the end, it was Shizune to kill Tsunade in front of everyone and then be detonated to die.


    At that time, even if someone suspected him, it would be useless.


    There was no evidence of death.


    Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi sent people to investigate the memory of Shizune, they would only find that Shizune was planted with a similar curse seal.


    At that time, everyone only suspected that Shizune was the root ninja, and the person carrying the blame was naturally Danzo.


    Of course, it could only be limited to suspicion.


    No matter if it were for Uchiha Tunan or Danzo, they were no longer ordinary ninjas in Konoha.


    Suspicion could never be fixed.


    Even in order to maintain the stability of the village, the various forces had to help keep the secret.


    The current situation was even better.


    Tsunade and Shizune had both died outside, so it had nothing to do with Uchiha Tunan.


    The only one who was at the scene of death was Jiraiya.


    Who was Jiraiya?


    Konoha¡¯s S class traitor.


    Now that Jiraiya had just become a traitor, there was still a bit of prestige left in everyone¡¯s hearts.


    It was estimated that Jiraiya would appear in Konoha after a period of time.


    Uchiha Tunan didn¡¯t need to talk nonsense with him, just kill him directly.


    Whoever dared to help Jiraiya would be a traitor.


    At that time, the whole village would probably applaud him.


    Even Hiruzen Sarutobi had to force a smile in front of the big picture.


    He added a sum of S-rank mission on Uchiha Tunan¡¯s ninja calendar.


    Uchiha Tunan believed that he was a person who knew how to think from another¡¯s perspective and understand the difficulties of others.


    He immediately stood in his place and thought for a while.


    To be honest, it seemed a little helpless¡­


    ¡°Tunan, are you worried about something? Why are you shaking your head and sighing?¡± Uchiha Fuyue, said with concern.


    Uchiha Tunan was a little lonely:


    ¡°I was just thinking that I was too naive and thought that Konoha¡¯s higher-ups were good people.


    I never expected¡­ ¡°


    Uchiha, Fuyue, agreed and sighed. He said earnestly,


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you can see it clearly.


    In this world, only the family will treat every family sincerely. ¡°


    Uchiha Tunan nodded and said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve always known about this.¡±


    ¡°The Great Elder really didn¡¯t misjudge you.


    However, you were able to activate the Mangekyou because of the death of those unfamiliar children.


    This is enough to show that you are too kind.


    If you don¡¯t change your personality, you will suffer a great loss. ¡°


    Hearing this, Uchiha Tunan pursed his lips and nodded.


    Seeing this, Uchiha Fuyue felt a little helpless.


    It seemed that this child could not change his character for a while.


    At this time, Uchiha Mikoto carried a half-year-old baby in one hand and a steaming teapot in the other.


    ¡°Mikoto, you¡¯re here.¡± Uchiha Fuyue took the teapot and filled the cup for Uchiha Tunan.


    Uchiha Mikoto knelt down next to Uchiha Fuyue and smiled.


    ¡°I heard that Tunan woke up the Mangekyou. I came here to take a look.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Uchiha Tunan looked straight at the baby in Uchiha¡¯s arms.


    Uchiha smiled gently and said, ¡°This is my child. He is called Itachi.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. He smiled and said, ¡°This child is very cute. Can I hug him?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Uchiha Mikoto handed the Meerkat over.


    Uchiha Tunan quickly put down his teacup and carefully took Itachi. He held it in his arms and coaxed it.


    With his experience of using small words, Uchiha Tunan quickly teased Itachi in the swaddle and laughed non-stop.


    Uchiha Fuyue looked at this scene and an inexplicable look flashed across his eyes. He then smiled and said, ¡°I can see that Itachi likes Tunan very much.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan nodded. ¡°I adopted a child called Hatake Yanbo, the same age as Itachi.¡±


    Hearing Uchiha Tunan say this, Uchiha Fuyue and Uchiha Mikoto exchanged glances.


    Uchiha Mikoto quickly picked up the teapot and bowed down to Uchiha Tunan. ¡°Tunan-Kun, if you like it, why don¡¯t you let Itachi be your disciple?¡±


    ¡°I have no problem with that.¡± Uchiha Tunan casually replied, as if he did not know the significance of becoming a disciple.


    A hint of joy flashed through the eyes of the couple. Mikoto said happily, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Then we thank you on behalf of Itachi.¡± Fuyue said this, which was equivalent to finalizing the matter.


    Unless Uchiha Tunan was willing to offend him, he could only accept Itachi.


    However, how could Uchiha Tunan not know what they were thinking?


    After all, from Uchiha Tunan¡¯s accomplishments and the awakening of the Mangekyou, he would definitely be the strongest person in the future.


    As a parent, he naturally wanted his child to have a good teacher and a good backer.


    Uchiha Tunan made a funny face at Itachi in his arms and said without looking up,


    ¡°There is nothing to thank me for. I can see that you are very talented.¡±


    Uchiha Fuyue coughed lightly and took a sip of tea. ¡°Then, Tunan-Kun feels that it is better to hold the apprenticeship ceremony. We can prepare for it.¡±


    Hearing this, Uchiha Tunan raised his head, frowned and thought for a moment,


    ¡°I have to go out for a mission in a while.


    How about this, wait until Itachi is one year old and then hold the apprenticeship ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, okay. No rush¡­ no rush¡­¡± Uchiha Fuyue was much more polite to Uchiha Tunan than before.


    ¡°You guys talk first, I won¡¯t disturb you guys.¡±


    Uchiha Mikoto left the living room as if she had forgotten about skunk.


    After 10 minutes, Uchiha and Fuyue saw that Uchiha Tunan had been teasing skunk and had no choice but to start talking about the important matters.


    Tunan-Kun, your previous plan, the Great Elder actually revealed a little to me.


    But looking at today¡¯s situation, it seems that the plan has changed.


    Uchiha Tunan held a Meerkat, raised his head and said with a serious face:


    ¡°My relationship with Hiruzen Sarutobi has deteriorated. I guess he will not be willing to pass the position of Hokage to me.¡±


    Uchiha Fuyue leaned forward slightly and whispered, ¡°Then what are your plans in the future? Do you want to take the path of martial arts?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan thought for a moment and shook his head, ¡°I am still young and not qualified enough.


    There is still a lot of room for improvement in strength. Everything can be considered later.


    After all, Lord Danzo is on my side now.


    I¡¯m not in any danger for the time being.¡±


    Uchiha Fuyue picked up the teapot on the table and carefully held up a cup.


    ¡°Then do you want me to tell the people about your past?


    After all, there are still many people who don¡¯t really understand you.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan smiled and said, ¡°There is no need. Unless it is time to use force.


    Letting them know too much is not good for me to act.


    Besides, peace has been so long, maybe there will be a war at any time.


    At that time, as long as I have enough battle achievements, the position of Hokage will be easy to obtain.¡±


    Uchiha Fuyue¡¯s eyes lit up. He picked up the teacup and said, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. It¡¯s best if we don¡¯t use force to harm the foundation of the village.¡±


    After all, Uchiha Fuyue himself was not willing to use force to seize power.


    In his eyes, the series of actions of the Great Elder were quite radical.


    He did not expect that Uchiha Tunan, who was secretly cultivated by the Great Elder, would actually think the same as him. He could not help but feel relieved.

 CH 197

    In the Temple of Mount Myoboku.


    Jiraiya was sitting cross-legged next to Tsunade who was lying down. He was worried about his gains and losses. He said worriedly,


    ¡°It has been a day.


    She has already recovered her breath. Why is he still not awake?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little Jiraiya. The immortal talisman is a treasure passed down from ancient times by the Toad Kingdom.


    As long as the damage isn¡¯t that serious, it can be revived¡±


    Immortal Shima comforted.


    Hearing this, Jiraiya rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. ¡°In ancient times¡­ will it expire?¡±


    Suddenly, Jiraiya noticed that Tsunade¡¯s eyelashes moved, and he immediately said with joy, ¡°You¡¯re awake¡­¡±


    ¡°Where am I¡­¡±


    Tsunade sat up in a daze and rubbed her head.


    Unexpectedly, Jiraiya also hugged her tightly and said with a trembling voice, ¡°That¡¯s great! Tsunade, you are alive!¡±


    ¡°Duang!¡±


    Fukasaku and Shima saw a black shadow flash in front of them.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Jiraiya was smashed into the wall, and his whole body was deeply embedded in the wall.


    Two streams of blood flowed down, and his face began to swell.


    Fukasaku and Shima quickly ran over and pulled Jiraiya out of the wall.


    Jiraiya who successfully got out immediately covered his red and swollen face, took a deep breath and shouted, ¡°It hurts! It hurts!¡±


    ¡°How dare you take advantage of me!¡±


    At this time, Tsunade had already stood up. She looked around with her hands on her hips and said with a puzzled face,


    ¡°But¡­


    Where is this?


    Where is Shizune?¡±


    Jiraiya heard Tsunade mention Shizune.


    The joy of Tsunade¡¯s resurrection disappeared in an instant.


    He immediately covered his face and walked to Tsunade and said in a low voice,


    ¡°Shizune is dead.


    Died from a special control seal.


    She must have been controlled by the illusion to kill you.


    After killing you, Shizune¡¯s brain was destroyed by the curse seal.


    ¡°I buried her in Mount Myoboku.¡±


    Tsunade was stunned when she heard this, and the moment she was killed by Shizune appeared in her mind.


    Then, she lowered her hands weakly and lowered her head deeply. After a long silence, she said in a low voice,


    ¡°The curse that destroyed the brain? It seems to be the seal of the root¡­¡±


    Jiraiya sighed heavily and nodded:


    ¡°Thanks to the Great Toad Immortal giving me an immortal talisman, I was able to save you.


    The immortal talisman was the treasure of the Toad Country and could help people recover from their near-death state.


    This thing was too precious and rare, and only one remained.¡±


    Tsunade silently nodded, and after a long time, she whispered: ¡°I want to go back to Konoha.¡±


    Jiraiya said with a serious face:


    ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive, the two of us are already traitors of Konoha. If we go back now, we will only be besieged.¡±


    ¡°What!¡±


    Tsunade raised her head and looked straight into Jiraiya¡¯s eyes, her face full of disbelief.


    Who was she? She was the Sannin of Konoha.


    She was the Princess of the Senju Clan.


    He was actually regarded as a traitor because of this matter.


    Jiraiya knew that Tsunade could not accept this fact for a moment, so he explained in a low voice,


    ¡°After you fainted that day, the whole village shouted for you to pay with your life.


    The old man could not protect you.


    I can only take you away from Konoha to make plans.


    Let¡¯s put the revenge for a while.


    That little brat Uchiha is no weaker than you and me.


    Moreover, you have a phobia of blood, which severely binds your strength.


    Let¡¯s ask the Great Toad Immortal first. The Great Toad Immortal is an all-knowing existence.


    Perhaps he can give us some hints.¡±


    Tsunade nodded and then pointed to the deepest part of the right. The behemoth sitting on the chair said,


    ¡°Are you talking about this Great Toad that is snoring?¡±


    Jiraiya was stunned and scratched his head awkwardly.


    ¡°After all, the Great Toad Immortal is old and sleepy.


    In addition, he had been waiting for you to wake up for too long¡­ ¡°


    At this time, Fukasaku and Shima had already jumped onto the armrests of the Great Toad Immortal.


    The two immortals shouted a few times before waking the big toad immortal up from his sleep.


    The big toad immortal trembled slightly and immediately opened his turbid eyes. He said in a hoarse voice,


    ¡°Ah! Thank you. I was having a nightmare just now. Thank you for waking me up.¡±


    Jiraiya was puzzled.


    ¡°Nightmare?¡±


    Great Sage Toad, isn¡¯t your dream a prophecy?


    Deep Immortal said with a solemn expression, ¡°Could it be that something has happened in the future and is heading in the wrong direction?¡±


    The Great Toad Immortal felt like he was about to die in the next second. He said weakly,


    ¡°I¡­ I saw in my dream that this world was being toyed with by demons.¡±


    Jiraiya frowned and asked,


    ¡°Who is the demon?¡±


    Is it the person that the prophet wants to defeat?


    ¡°The prophesied child¡­ the son¡­ the son of the demon¡­¡±


    As the Great Toad Immortal spoke, he closed his eyes and fell asleep again.


    When he heard that it was a critical moment, Jiraiya couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and shouted, ¡°Great Toad Immortal, Great Toad Immortal!¡±


    Great Toad Immortal slowly opened his eyes and said slowly,


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I fell asleep again just now.


    When did you come, little Jiraiya?


    I saw you in my dream, and your companions.


    I saw you two returning to Konoha.


    After returning to Konoha¡­


    After returning¡­


    Dead¡­¡±


    After saying that, the snoring of the Great Toad returned to sleep.


    When Jiraiya and Tsunade heard the last words of the Great Toad Immortal, they were stunned.


    Shima and Fukasaku continued to call, but they couldn¡¯t wake up the Great Toad Immortal. They could only look at Jiraiya seriously,


    ¡°Looks like I won¡¯t be able to wake him up.¡±


    Tsunade clenched her fists and took a deep breath. She said in a deep voice,


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t wake him.


    In the end, it¡¯s because we are not strong enough.


    As long as we are strong enough, we can go back to Konoha and get rid of those scourges.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Jiraiya frowned.


    Tsunade thought for a moment, and her eyes lit up with fighting spirit.


    ¡°I want to go to the Shikkotsu forest to cultivate with the Slug Immortal. When the time is right, I will go back to Konoha to take revenge.¡±


    Jiraiya nodded:


    ¡°Well, if you want to go to Konoha, let me know.


    I will go with you. ¡°


    As soon as he finished speaking, Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at each other and nodded in agreement.


    Fukasaku thought for a moment and said to Jiraiya,


    ¡°Since you two have decided, you can stay in Mount Myoboku and cultivate.¡±


    Jiraiya, you can stay in Mount Myoboku and cultivate.


    Jiraiya hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°But what about the prophesied child?¡±


    ¡°Some things are fated.¡± Immortal Shima explained.


    ¡°Perhaps you have found the prophesied child and completed your mission.


    Or perhaps he will only meet you after your cultivation ends.


    Hearing this, two figures, one red and one yellow, flashed through her mind. She immediately nodded and said,


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    At this time, Tsunade had already turned around and walked out of the temple.


    ¡°I will go to the temple first to pray for Shizune.¡±

 CH 198

    The next day.


    Konoha, the land of Uchiha.


    The sky was blue and blue, and the fine wind of spring was a little chilly, sending wisps of peace and freshness.


    Uchiha Tunan got up and made himself a pot of green tea, rinsed his mouth with.


    He saw that the wooden sculptures on the altar had already been covered in dust.


    He took out some cloth and carefully wiped the wooden sculptures one by one.


    While wiping, he said with a regretful expression,


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you didn¡¯t make it in time.


    Otherwise, you can go to my Paradise to be my companions.¡±


    After wiping the wood carvings, Uchiha Tunan lit three sticks of incense for the wood carvings.


    He packed his things and left home.


    Now that there was no Jiraya and Tsunade, Uchiha Tunan could safely farm in Konoha.


    It was just that previously, Uchiha Tunan had relied on Hiruzen Sarutobi to go against Danzo.


    Now that the situation had changed, it had turned into relying on Danzo.


    The reconstruction of the welfare institute was going to start today.


    Uchiha Tunan naturally had to go take a look and be the supervisor.


    After all, with Hiruzen Sarutobi taking care of them in the past, no one dared to stop them on the surface.


    But now it was different. The reconstruction work was arranged by Danzo.


    What if one of Hiruzen Sarutobi¡¯s subordinates ran over without any eyes?


    It was also possible to use the excuse that the materials were not qualified and the house design was not suitable for the wood and leaf rules.


    As for the people from the orphanage.


    Those old people were temporarily placed in the orphanage.


    Uchiha Tunan had to take some time every day to comfort and put on a show.


    It was only limited to putting on a show,


    Because these old people had basically gotten their approval.


    Matt and his father had also gotten their approval.


    So there was no need to care about them.


    As a person, one still had to be realistic, otherwise, it would be too tiring.


    Little Yanbo was entrusted to Kakashi by Uchiha Tunan.


    For a while, he had no plans to take it home and raise it himself.


    Anyway, Kakashi seemed to like Little Yanbo very much.


    At this time, what Uchiha Tunan hoped most was for the war to come soon.


    A good harvest.


    As he was thinking, Uchiha Tunan had just closed the door.


    Suddenly, his ear moved and he heard a sobbing sound not far away.


    Yoho ¡ª


    It seemed that there was a confused little lamb in the land of Uchiha.


    Wasn¡¯t this a good opportunity to take advantage of the weakness?


    Uchiha Tunan looked in the direction of the voice.


    Uh¡­


    Wasn¡¯t this home of the previous Great Elder?


    Shishui came to reminisce about his grandfather?


    Regarding Shishui, Uchiha Tunan was still a little concerned.


    After all, Kotoamatsukami was a very useful skill. He might even be able to use it to attack some troublesome and delicious prey.


    With this thought in mind, Uchiha Tunan tidied up his attire. With a refined and easy-going expression on his face, he walked towards the Great Elder¡¯s home.


    Pretending to pass by the Great Elder¡¯s home by accident, he glanced sideways at the courtyard, sitting under the eaves, hugging three wooden sculptures and crying.


    ¡°Shishui, why are you crying here alone?¡± Uchiha Tunan pushed open the half-closed courtyard door and walked in with a face of concern.


    Shishui raised her head pitifully and said with a sobbing tone, ¡°Tunan, I miss my grandfather. I miss my father and mother.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan sat down beside Shishui and reached out to rub his hair. He said gently, ¡°Can you let me see them?¡±


    ¡°En ¡ª¡°


    Shishui nodded and gave the three wooden sculptures to Uchiha Tunan.


    Uchiha Tunan first placed the first elder¡¯s wooden sculptures to the side and picked up the wooden sculptures of Shishui¡¯s parents.


    Although this carving was slightly rough, it had a hint of charm. It could be seen how diligent it was when carving.


    However, were these two Shishui¡¯s father and mother?


    Why did they look so familiar?


    Uchiha Tunan narrowed his eyes and suddenly remembered.


    During the battle with Orochimaru, Shishui¡¯s parents seemed to have participated.


    Of course, the two of them didn¡¯t seem to be very strong. They were swallowed by the eight-headed great snake from the very beginning.


    Uchiha Tunan naturally couldn¡¯t remember such little cannon fodder.


    That was also true. At that time, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s secret was very important to the Great Elder.


    Naturally, he would first tell his son and daughter-in-law.


    Hiss ¡ª


    Not good.


    In the original plot, the Great Elder and Shishui¡¯s parents did not die so early.


    After changing so much, it was unknown if Shishui would successfully awaken the other gods.


    No, he had to brainwash Shishui when he was still young.


    He didn¡¯t want to hate Konoha because of the death of his relatives.


    After all, Shishui¡¯s grandfather was forced to death by the village, and his parents were killed by Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.


    Except for Naruto, who could always maintain his original heart, normal people would fall into hatred.


    After thinking about it, Uchiha Tunan began to brainwash.


    This time, it was not to gain recognition.


    It was just to plant the love of the village in Shishui¡¯s heart.


    It was still the same old routine, the first step of brainwashing, and he felt it.


    Uchiha Tunan gently placed the wooden sculpture on the floor next to him and sighed deeply. He looked up at the sky at a forty-five degree angle and said,


    ¡°Shishui, I didn¡¯t expect you to suffer such great pain when you were a child like me.¡±


    Shishui stopped sobbing and looked at the side of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s face with tears on his face.


    ¡°Tunan San, did your father, mother, and grandfather also die?¡±


    A look of reminiscence appeared on Uchiha Tunan¡¯s face as he slowly said,


    ¡°When I was six, my father and mother went to the battlefield and never returned.


    As for grandfather, I don¡¯t even know his name.


    I heard that he died many years ago. ¡°


    When Shishui heard this, he suddenly found that Uchiha Tunan was even more pitiful than him.


    Compared to Uchiha Tunan, he had at least one more grandfather.


    He immediately reached out his small hand and pulled Uchiha Tunan¡¯s arm. ¡°Tunan, don¡¯t be sad.¡±


    What a silly child. When he was sad, the first thing he thought of was to comfort others.


    Uchiha Tunan chuckled and took the opportunity to pull Shishui into his arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.


    The death of my father and mother did not break me.


    Brother, classmate, the death of my lover did not break me.


    In this world, there is no pain that can break me. ¡°


    Shishui listened to Uchiha Tunan while counting with his fingers.


    ¡°Tunan, have you lost so many people you care about?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan pinched Shishui¡¯s face with his other hand and said with a relaxed expression, ¡°Have you forgotten about the wood carvings in my house?¡±


    Hearing this, Shishui recalled the rows of wood carvings that he had seen at Uchiha Tunan¡¯s house.


    He was secretly speechless and felt that Uchiha Tunan was much worse than him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Tunan. You still have Shishui and your clansmen.¡±


    He took the bait.


    The corners of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mouth curled up slightly as he began the second step of brainwashing.


    Showing off the results.


    Uchiha Tunan smiled gently at Shishui and said,


    ¡°After the storm, there will finally be a rainbow.


    After losing the people I cherish, I finally have the power to protect others.


    In the future, I will not let this tragedy happen again. ¡°


    After saying that, Uchiha Tunan opened his Mangekyo and pointed at his eyes:


    ¡°Do you see this pair of eyes?¡±


    After awakening this pair of eyes, I can already defeat the three Konoha Ninjas.


    No one can take the life of the person I cherish.¡±


    Shishui stretched his head and curiously looked at Uchiha Tunan¡¯s Mangekyo Sharingan.


    Then, he closed his eyes and opened them, revealing his scarlet three tomoe Sharingan.


    He also pointed at his eyes and said,


    ¡°Tunan, your eyes are different from mine.¡±


    ¡°How can I awaken your eyes?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan stared at Shishui¡¯s three tomoe Sharingan, slightly surprised in his heart.


    He had evolved to three tomoe so quickly.


    Was it because his parents died?


    Shishui was only four years old.


    What was a genius? This was a genius.


    Uchiha Tunan took a deep breath and decided not to simply brainwash Shishui.


    He had to nurture him well.


    After all, it was already a prey that had been hooked, the more fat it was, the better.


    The third step of the brainwashing technique.


    What¡¯s the use of being envious? If you want to act, listen to me obediently and do it according to my method, you will succeed.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s words suddenly became deep, and he said slowly, ¡°Shishui, do you know what the strongest power of Uchiha clan is?¡±


    Shishui was slightly stunned. He tilted his head and thought, ¡°Sharingan?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan shook his head and said,


    The Sharingan is just an appearance.


    The real power is love.


    Especially the Mangekyo Sharingan, you need to understand what great love is to awaken.


    ¡°Great love¡­¡± Shishui clearly did not quite understand what great love meant.


    Uchiha Tunan patiently explained,


    ¡°The Uchiha clan is the clan of love.


    The power of love is the greatest power in this world.


    People who have love will want to protect them.


    But when our strength is not enough to protect the people we love.


    Then the bloodline of Uchiha will grant us power and help us awaken higher level eyes to protect the people we love.


    The blood love from instinct can only awaken to three tomoe Sharingan.


    Only by understanding what great love is, can you awaken Mangekyo Sharingan.


    Possess the power to rival everything. ¡°


    After hearing this, Shishui had a face full of yearning.


    However, after a moment, a distressed expression appeared on Shishui¡¯s face:


    ¡°But what exactly is great love? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan patted Shishui¡¯s shoulder lightly.


    ¡°In the past, I only loved my relatives, friends, and clansmen.


    But later on, I understood the true meaning of the will of fire.


    From then on, I gradually fell in love with everyone, and I fell in love with the entire Konoha.


    The village is the love in my heart.


    This is great love. ¡°


    After hearing this, Shishui was completely stunned. He said with a blank face, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan pulled his hand back and gently rubbed Shishui¡¯s head. ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    After that, Uchiha Tunan quickly went to his home.


    Soon, Uchiha Tunan took the book he had written before and sat down next to Shishui.


    ¡°Here, this is a small gift for you. I will open the door of love for you.¡±


    Shishui took the book from Uchiha Tunan and read it on the cover. ¡°The summary of the will of fire.¡±


    Under the trend of curiosity, Shishui opened the front of the first page and read it word by word.


    ¡°Perseverance, resolutely carry out the will of fire with the 3rd Hokage as the center.


    Follow the footsteps of the 3rd Hokage sama¡­ ¡°


    Uchiha Tunan saw that although Shishui recognized the words on it, because of his age and knowledge, he could not understand the meaning of the words.


    He immediately interrupted Shishui and took out two scrolls from his storage bag. He handed them to Shishui and said,


    ¡°When you finish chewing this book, you will definitely understand what great love is.


    In addition, these two scrolls are for you. ¡°


    Shishui took the scrolls and said with a puzzled face, ¡°And what is this?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan faintly smiled and said,


    ¡°One of these two scrolls contains records of all kinds of ninjutsu and illusions of the Uchiha clan.


    The other one contains the profound mysteries of the Uchiha clan that Great Elder passed to me.


    Now that the item is returned to its original owner, I will pass it to you.¡±


    When Shishui heard this, her small mouth slightly deflated. She looked at Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes with a touched face and said, ¡°Tunan, you are so good to me¡­¡±


    Uchiha Tunan smiled gently and said, ¡°Remember, no matter what you do, it is important to persevere.


    This is especially the summary of the will of fire. Take a look every day if you have nothing to do. ¡°


    Shishui nodded heavily and said, ¡°I will remember. I will read it every day.¡±


    ¡°I still have something to do. Then I will go first. Good luck.¡±


    After Uchiha Tunan finished speaking, he gently flicked Shishui¡¯s forehead with his finger.


    Shishui immediately covered his forehead with both hands, and his narrowed eyes were full of smiles as he said, ¡°It hurts so much ¡ª¡°


    After Uchiha Tunan¡¯s figure disappeared completely from Shishui¡¯s sight.


    Shishui silently held the book and scroll in his arms, staring blankly at the courtyard gate.


    After a long time, Shishui came back to his senses, opened the book, and started studying seriously.


    ¡°Perseverance, determination to carry it out¡­


    With love in your heart, Konoha is heaven.


    The secret to grasping happiness is to use other people¡¯s happiness as happiness, and other people¡¯s joy as joy¡­


    The seed does not fall in the fertile soil and falls in the rubble. The seeds with vitality will never be pessimistic and sigh, because there is resistance to temper¡­¡±

 CH 199

    After leaving Uchiha¡¯s land, Uchiha Tunan came to the old site of the orphanage.


    The war had destroyed this originally warm and loving family, and the people inside could only move to the orphanage and live there temporarily.


    The construction efficiency of Konoha was quite high.


    Only a day had passed since the orphanage was destroyed, and the ruins were almost cleaned up.


    What was left was to build after laying the foundation.


    At this time, the construction class did not have such a wood element ninja like Yamato, so it could only be built according to the rules.


    Speaking of Yamato, he should have been cultivated long ago.


    When he found that the cells of the Senju could be fused with the child, Orochimaru began to experiment with the Sharingan and the cells of the Senju clan.


    In other words, Yamato should be at least the same age as Shishui now.


    But Yamato was not in the orphanage, so he should have been transferred to a special department.


    In a few years, he might be transferred to the Dark Group.


    Thinking of this, Uchiha Tunan snorted in his heart.


    Such an early human experiment, but it did not enter the roots but entered the Dark Group.


    It would be weird to say that Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know about Orochimaru at the beginning.


    ¡°Hey, you are the contestants of the Hidden Rain Village this time, right?¡±


    Not far away, there was an arrogant shout.


    Uchiha Tunan glanced sideways, and it turned out that it was Ebisu and Morino Ibiki¡¯s team members who had bumped into Amegakure Genin, who was participating in Chuunin¡¯s competition.


    ¡°Yes, we are Amegakure Genin, hello.¡±


    The Amegakure Genin was a little cautious in the face of Morino Ibiki¡¯s questioning, which meant that he was terrified.


    Morino Ibikii, coughed lightly, ¡°Uh¡­ Ahem¡­ hello.¡±


    In this case, as long as one side admits defeat, there will be no conflict.


    Especially since the other side is a Ninja from the small village,


    Konoha can not lose face.


    It seemed that other than a few famous Konoha Ninjas, the rest of the Ninjas had died in the Three Battles.


    That¡¯s right, the war was about to begin.


    Which village would dare send a true genius to participate?


    If the war really started, who knew how many years the war would last.


    Then a true genius could quickly grow up in the war.


    The leaders of the villages could also distinguish between the light and the competition.


    This time, Uchiha Tunan was completely uninterested in this Chuunin exam.


    Originally, Uchiha Tunan was going to look for a few special outer village blood limit realms to try to establish a non-country friendship.


    But looking at it now, it was just a pile of dregs, and there was no value in harvesting them alone.


    It was a waste of time to spend time on them.


    At this moment, an assassination unit came to Uchiha Tunan and said in a regular tone, ¡°Picture.¡±


    At this time, Uchiha Tunan had one hand behind his back and one hand on his chest. He looked over slightly.


    This Dark Group was obviously not strong enough. It was probably just a Chuunin.


    Seeing Uchiha look over, the Dark Group thought of the battle between Uchiha Tunan and Tsunade.


    Especially next to the two of them was the orphanage that had been destroyed in the first battle.


    At that time, everyone saw the situation, and Uchiha Tunan¡¯s strength made people have to be shocked.


    Thinking of this, the Anbu immediately stopped talking, subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and couldn¡¯t help but weaken a bit. He lowered his head and said,


    ¡°Lord Tunan, the Hokage Sama has invited you.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan smiled faintly and said, ¡°I got it. Sorry to trouble you.¡±


    He stretched out his hand and patted the man on the shoulder.


    In the next moment, he used the Body Blink skill and disappeared from where he was.


    The moment Uchiha Tunan disappeared, the three teenagers from the Amegakure who were walking in this direction were stunned.


    ¡°How did that guy disappear?¡±


    ¡°It should be the instant movement technique that only Jounin can use.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? He looks about the same age as us.¡±


    ¡°I guess he is a genius of Konoha. If we meet him in the exam just surrender.¡±


    The few little guys looked at each other, and a sense of frustration arose in their hearts.


    ¡°Is this strength of a big village?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The Hokage building.


    This time, when Uchiha Tunan came in, the receptionist did not say anything to stop him. She did not even dare to ask, and just smiled at him.


    Uchiha Tunan directly went to the office and pushed the door open.


    As soon as he entered, Uchiha Tunan saw Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting at his desk smoking, and in front of him stood a familiar and strange figure.


    ¡°Teacher Yuan Fei called me here so early. Is there a mission?¡± Uchiha Tunan walked in and said indifferently.


    ¡°Tunan, long time no see.¡± The figure turned around and said excitedly.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and then the corners of his mouth curled up. He smiled and said, ¡°So it¡¯s Teacher Naoto. It¡¯s really been a long time.¡±


    A kind smile appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi¡¯s face as he said, Today is the day that the Shang people advance to Jounin.


    I was thinking of calling you over to take advantage of this great day to let you catch up.


    Oh right, the Shang people are the main examiners of this Chuunin exam.


    When Uchiha Tunan heard this, he gently nodded at Naoto Umino and said, ¡°Congratulations, Teacher Naoto.¡±


    Naoto Umino narrowed his eyes and smiled. He subconsciously reached out to rub Uchiha Tunan¡¯s hair.


    In his eyes, the Uchiha Tunan in front of him was still the little boy from back then.


    However, Uchiha Tunan tilted his head slightly and dodged Naoto Umino¡¯s hand.


    Naoto Umino¡¯s hand was suspended in the air, and the atmosphere was awkward.


    Uchiha Tunan smiled and looked straight at Hiruzen Sarutobi. He said in an inexplicable tone, ¡°Teacher Naoto, I am no longer a child.¡±


    Seeing that Uchiha Tunan did not even look at him, Naoto Umino could only take back his hand. He scratched his head and said with a forced smile,


    ¡°Uh¡­ haha¡­ you¡¯re right. I forgot about it.¡±


    Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his cigarette. His deep eyes looked at Uchiha Tunan for a long time before he exhaled heavily.


    ¡°Naoto, you should go back and prepare.


    I still have something to discuss with Tunan. ¡°


    ¡°Okay, Hokage Sama.¡±


    Naoto Umino bowed to Hiruzen Sarutobi and left with his tail between his legs.


    In fact, the strength of Naoto Umino had not reached Jounin.


    However, Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to use this opportunity to show his goodwill to Uchiha Tunan.


    At the same time, using the relationship between Naoto Umino and Uchiha Tunan was equivalent to being a middleman to help him negotiate with Uchiha Tunan.


    Unfortunately, Uchiha Tunan did not care about trash like Naoto Umino at all.


    From beginning to end, Uchiha Tunan had always looked down on your attitude.


    Naoto Umino might feel sad.


    But in this regard, Uchiha Tunan said one sentence.


    Sorry, I am such a powerful person.


    In the empty office, the atmosphere was silent, and neither of them spoke.


    After a long time, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and broke the silence.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop Tsunade either.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan quietly looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi and didn¡¯t reply. The expression on his face didn¡¯t change at all.


    Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment. He was slightly angry with Uchiha Tunan¡¯s attitude today.


    But now, if Uchiha Tunan stood on Danzo¡¯s side, he would be evenly matched with Danzo.


    The feeling of having power held back was worse than having his son killed.


    Especially with the large amount of funds from the famous government, Danzo could slowly eat up the ninjas who were on the fence.


    The only thing he could do was the will of fire.


    Hiruzen Sarutobi had to admit that in the face of practical benefits, the will of fire could not withstand a single blow.


    At this time, Hiruzen Sarutobi realized that Uchiha Tunan was so important.


    Not to mention that he had the strength to fight against the three Ninjas.


    Behind him stood Konoha¡¯s number one clan.


    Moreover, Uchiha Tunan was still young and had an unfathomable space to grow.


    Hiruzen Sarutobi suppressed the hatred and anger in his heart and continued to try to repair his relationship with Uchiha Tunan.


    ¡°You may not know much about Danzo. He is not what you see.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan said indifferently, ¡°I believe that seeing is believing.¡±


    Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and took out a scroll from the drawer. He placed it on the table and said, ¡°Take a look at these things.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan lowered his eyes slightly and roughly guessed the contents of the scroll.


    It must be something that Danzo had been hiding for years.


    It seemed that Hiruzen Sarutobi found that he could not redeem himself with old feelings, and wanted to use the so-called justice to get him out of Danzo.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    At this moment, the door of the office was violently pushed open.


    Uchiha Tunan turned around and saw Danzo staring at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a gloomy face. He said word by word,


    ¡°What do you mean, Hiruzen?¡±


    Seeing that his little trick was caught by the real person, Hiruzen Sarutobi silently put away the scroll.


    Then, he smoked his cigarette.


    He wanted to use this as an excuse to cover up the embarrassment that he had just done.


    After all, no matter how intense the struggle between the higher-ups was, he and Danzo had never exposed each other.


    Because they were not clean, once they exposed each other, it meant that both of them were finished.


    The atmosphere in the office was a little depressing.


    After a long time, Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair and ignored Danzo¡¯s angry eyes. He said to Uchiha Tunan,


    ¡°Tunan, last time I promoted you to Jounin.


    However, the competition for honor Chuunin is very important, and there is only one person in each village.


    The victorious village can be rewarded with high value.


    So this time, we can not afford to lose. I have already reduced your ninja rank to Chuunin.


    In two months, you will have to go to the capital of fire to participate.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan reached out and adjusted his glasses. He said lightly, ¡°I have no problem. If there is nothing else, I will go first.¡±


    After saying that, he decisively turned around and walked out.


    Just as Uchiha Tunan walked in front of Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi coldly said,


    ¡°Tunan, if you have any problems in these two months, you can come to me anytime.¡±


    This sentence was equivalent to an ultimatum.


    Just like a husband and wife in a quarrel, one of them slammed the door and left, and the other was unwilling to give in, so he could only say, ¡°If you don¡¯t come back tonight, don¡¯t come back in the future.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan paused slightly, then nodded to Danzo.


    The two left the Hokage building together.


    In the empty office, Hiruzen Sarutobi¡¯s anger had reached the limit.


    ¡°Ka ¡ª¡°


    The pipe in his hand was pinched into several pieces and then fell to the ground.


    After a long time, Hiruzen Sarutobi¡¯s gloomy voice sounded in the office.


    ¡°Someone come¡­¡±

 CH 200

    On the rooftop of the Hokage Rock Cliff.


    Danzo and Uchiha Tunan stood by the fence, looking at Konoha.


    Uchiha Tunan liked to stand on such a high place, as if he was looking down on all living things.


    Looking at Konoha from here, there were many pedestrians walking around like ants on the street. It was a prosperous scene.


    Today¡¯s weather was exceptionally good. In the blue sky, a few clouds were like a flock of sheep slowly moving with the wind, and the sun shone warmly on their bodies.


    The cool, sweet, and moist breath sent by the spring breeze made people feel refreshed.


    The sunlight shone on the rooftop, reflecting the cluster of flowers in the corner, which looked particularly bright in the green background.


    Danzo seemed to dislike the place that Uchiha Tunan chose. He frowned, ¡°It seems that you like to talk about things here.¡±


    The warm sunlight shone on Uchiha Tunan and Danzo.


    The scene was beautiful, but both of them had plans in their hearts.


    Uchiha Tunan opened his hands and squinted as he enjoyed the spring sunshine. He said, ¡°I like to stand under the sun.¡±


    What a joke, a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.


    How could Uchiha Tunan go to Root to talk to Danzo?


    What if he was ambushed?


    Even if he had enough confidence in his own strength, Uchiha Tunan knew that he should not be arrogant.


    Not to mention anything else, just Konoha¡¯s sealing class alone was enough for him to drink.


    As long as he was prepared enough, even the Kyubi could be sealed, let alone him.


    Danzo looked up at the rising sun, his eyes slightly narrowed, feeling a bit dazzling, and said in a deep voice:


    ¡°I can¡¯t help you refuse the honorary Chuunin competition.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan chuckled and shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s just a small matter.¡±


    Danzo shook his head and looked at Uchiha Tunan with a serious expression.


    ¡°The Daimyo is very strange,¡±


    The day after you broke up with Tsunade.


    The funds that were originally promised to me suddenly disappeared. ¡°


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Uchiha Tunan paused and said.


    Danzo took a deep breath, hesitated, and said in a low voice:


    ¡°There are some things you don¡¯t know.


    Since last year, the Daimyo has often sent ninjas to wander outside the village. It seems to be monitoring something. ¡°


    Uchiha Tunan narrowed his eyes and remembered the two unmarked trash Ninjas he killed when he asked for leave last time.


    Tunan said: ¡°Konoha doesn¡¯t care?¡±


    Danzo shook his head and said, ¡°What should we do? That¡¯s the Diamyo.


    Some things can only be done secretly.


    Those ninjas came with the certificate of the Daimyo.


    Konoha can¡¯t move.


    If you move, if you don¡¯t hand over the murderer, the funds will be cut down next time. ¡°


    Uchiha Tunan reached out and adjusted his glasses. He was slightly puzzled and said,


    ¡°In the past, The Daimyo wasn¡¯t so great.


    What the hell did that fellow Naraku do to make Danzo-sama feel so terrified of him.¡±


    Danzo looked around and said seriously, ¡°You might not have imagined that he killed all the clansmen after he ascended.¡±


    This information really surprised Uchiha Tunan. After a long silence, he spat out four words.


    ¡°Cruel and merciless.¡±


    Danzo nodded and said, ¡°No one in the whole world dares to touch him.


    Once he died, the orthodoxy of the Fire Country would be cut off.


    In short, you have to be careful in the honor of the Fire Capital¡¯s Chuunin Competition.


    The strength of the famous mansion is getting more and more unfathomable.


    Not long ago, all the spies in Konoha were caught.


    However, the Daimyo did not kill them, but they were completely turned into a messenger, and their every move was under surveillance.


    The corners of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mouth flashed with a hint of playfulness. He said slowly, ¡°It seems that this honorary Chuunin competition is very likely to be a dragon¡¯s lair or tiger¡¯s den. I can¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°No, you must go.¡± Danzo said with a serious face.


    Uchiha Tunan was a little confused. ¡°Why?¡±


    Danzo sighed heavily.


    ¡°The list has been submitted, and the Daimyo government has also announced the list of people to the Ninja World through various channels.


    The Daimyo also specifically said that unless it was an accidental death, the people on the list would cut off their economic contact with the village.


    Of course, for Konoha, that was to cut the funds.


    Now the price has risen to a terrifying level.


    If you go back on your word now, the villagers will all punish you once they get the news.


    Consequences¡­


    I¡¯m afraid no one can bear the consequences.¡±


    Hearing this, Uchiha Tunan chuckled and looked down at the prosperous Konoha below. He said in an inexplicable tone, ¡°Then when the time comes, won¡¯t my fate be worse than White Fang?¡±


    Could it be that Hiruzen Sarutobi had communicated with The Daimyo and told him his secret?


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t rule out the guy beside him.


    It seemed that Naraku had forgotten about the pain and missed her favorite whip.


    A cool breeze blew, rolling up dandelions all over the sky and scattering down.


    Uchiha Tunan blew at the dandelions floating in front of him and broke the silence,


    ¡°Then, I must go.


    I haven¡¯t seen this good disciple of mine in a long time. ¡°


    Danzo frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid.


    Without its Daimyo, the Fire Country would collapse, and the meaning of Konoha would be gone.


    In addition to the families with special blood restrictions, which family did not have a large number of civilians living around the Fire Country?


    At that time, at least half of the people below would have to leave.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan shrugged and smiled. ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Seeing Uchiha Tunan make a promise, Danzo breathed a sigh of relief and said in a low voice, ¡°When the time comes, I can send a team of Root Guards to protect you.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan waved his hand, turned around, and walked towards the stairs.


    ¡°No need. With my own people here.¡±


    Suddenly, Uchiha Tunan seemed to have thought of something. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Danzo with a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°You said that the claws of the ferocious beasts have fallen. Does he still dare to continue to be fierce?¡±


    When Danzo heard this, his pupils suddenly shrank as he guessed what Uchiha Tunan wanted to do.


    A warm smile appeared on Uchiha Tunan¡¯s face as he turned to leave.


    After a long time, Danzo leaned against the railing and looked down at the village below, muttering, ¡°Your future is limitless, and there will be endless troubles in the future.¡±


    After leaving the rooftop, Uchiha Tunan went straight to the wooden house.


    It was not convenient to do things without power sometimes. After the war, the new generation would gradually replace the old generation.


    Uchiha Tunan naturally would not forget Kakashi, his brother.


    After all, after the Ninja War, Konoha¡¯s strength would be washed once.


    At that time, only Minato, Kakashi, and Kushina, who had a good relationship with him, would be more powerful.


    At the end of the three battles, Minato and Kushina would also die because of the chaos of the Kyubi.


    Then there was only Kakashi left.


    Therefore, he had to train Kakashi well and let him become his right-hand man.


    Soon, Uchiha Tunan arrived at the door of Hatake Clan House.


    Through the wind, Uchiha Tunan heard the happy laughter of Little Yanbo in the courtyard.

 CH 201

    Uchiha Tunan knocked on the door.


    After a while, there was the sound of footsteps, and the door was opened by Kakashi.


    He saw Little Yan Bo sitting on Kakashi¡¯s shoulder, holding Kakashi¡¯s hair with both hands.


    Seeing Uchiha Tunan arrive, Little Yan Bo happily opened his mouth and screamed.


    Her hands were also carelessly hitting Kakashi¡¯s head. Her small feet that were floating in the air fluttered on the ground, looking very happy.


    Kakashi stroked Little Yan and grabbed his feet with his hands to prevent him from falling down. Then he said with a helpless face, ¡°Tunan, you are here.¡±


    After that, he led Uchiha Tunan to the courtyard.


    Uchiha Tunan looked at Little Yan Bo, who was stubbornly clinging to Kakashi, and smiled.


    ¡°Yan Bo seems to have caused you a lot of trouble.¡±


    Kakashi said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    When the two of them arrived at the main hall in the front yard, Uchiha Tunan was slightly stunned.


    He saw that the living room was full of toys, like an amusement park.


    All kinds of things that children liked were placed all over the room, and the ground was covered with soft blankets to prevent children from getting hurt.


    The snacks in the corner were also full.


    Even the portrait of Sakumo hanging on the wall of the living room was tilted a little.


    It was hard to tell that Kakashi was actually quite fond of children.


    Kakashi skillfully took down Little Yan Bo and put it on the wooden horse in the living room.


    Little Yan Bo immediately shook it excitedly.


    Because there was not much room to stand in the living room, the two had to sit on the floor under the eaves.


    Uchiha Tunan looked at the courtyard and said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s almost time for Chuunin to take the exam. Do you have the confidence to take first place?¡±


    Kakashi nodded silently.


    Obviously, he did not take Chuunin¡¯s examination to heart.


    ¡°There is one thing I want to tell you.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan turned to look at Kakashi, and his tone gradually became a little serious.


    ¡°There is about a year left before the war.¡±


    Kakashi was obviously stunned. He frowned and said, ¡°So fast.¡±


    Naturally, Uchiha Tunan could not say that Sasori would kill the Sandaime Kazekage in a year, causing the third battle to erupt.


    He could only sigh and say, ¡°After all, it has been peaceful for so many years.¡±


    Kakashi frowned and looked down at his hands. He murmured,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the war would come soon. With my current strength, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t reach the level of my father.¡±


    ¡°Kakashi.¡± Uchiha Tunan said coldly.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan said with a serious face, ¡°Senior White Fang told me to urge you to become an existence that surpasses him.¡±


    Kakashi¡¯s expression also became serious, and he said solemnly, ¡°I will reach it sooner or later.¡±


    As he spoke, his gaze towards Uchiha Tunan became more resolute, and his face burst with determination to win.


    Uchiha Tunan nodded and continued to pave the way, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die in war.¡±


    Kakashi nodded heavily. ¡°I know.¡±


    He knew that war was extremely cruel.


    On the battlefield, you can only be cannon fodder and lose your life.


    Uchiha Tunan pondered for a moment and said slowly, ¡°When I was traveling outside, I learned a secret technique.


    It can help people open up the Ren and Du meridians, penetrate the bridge of heaven and earth, and stimulate their potential.


    But the process of opening it will be very painful.


    A few days ago, I activated Obito¡¯s potential.¡±


    Kakashi raised his eyebrows slightly and immediately became interested.


    ¡°Can I give it a try?¡±


    The corners of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed, and he quickly made a series of hand seals. Then, he stretched out his chakra palm and gently pressed on the top of Kakashi¡¯s head.


    This time, Uchiha Tunan had prepared an unprecedented life source, and he wanted to give Kakashi a fierce fight.


    After all, he had coveted Obito¡¯s kamui Sharingan for a long time, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t let Kakashi take one.


    However, considering that Kakashi was strong enough to become his right-hand man, he naturally had to improve his strength as much as possible.


    In any case, Kakashi had already acknowledged him. The stronger the strength, the better.


    The system¡¯s ability was no different from a loan shark. When it was still there, it would pay with its life.


    Kakashi felt as if the bones above his head had been lifted, exposing his brain to the air.


    A cold and deep aura was poured into his brain.


    Even though Kakashi was already prepared for pain, he realized that he had still underestimated the pain that Uchiha Tunan was talking about.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Kakashi grunted and his entire body trembled crazily. All the hair on his body stood on end, and sweat kept pouring out.


    In just a moment, Kakashi¡¯s entire body was soaked.


    A cold and gloomy aura stirred in his mind like a swimming snake, as if it were forgreedily devouring his own brain.


    Kakashi¡¯s facial expression gradually became ferocious, and the veins on his neck and the forehead above his mask bulged.


    His fists were clenched tightly together, and his nails were even embedded in his palms, squeezing out blood.


    Finally, Kakashi could no longer hold it in.


    He fell to the ground in the courtyard and rolled crazily.


    Little Yan Bo, who was sitting on a wooden horse in the room, saw Kakashi¡¯s appearance and immediately frowned, crying out loud.


    Then, he staggered out his hands and shook them at Kakashi.


    On the floor under the eaves, Uchiha Tunan sat cross-legged and stared coldly at Kakashi. He casually stretched out his right hand and lifted up the back collar of Little Yan Bo.


    Little Yan Bu¡¯s legs constantly staring at Kakashi¡¯s pitiful state, crying so hard that it seemed like his throat was going to break.


    The entire courtyard was filled with Kakashi¡¯s screams and Little Yan Bo¡¯s cries.


    Gradually, Uchiha Tunan frowned slightly.


    It seems that the amount of life essence is too large, Kakashi seems to be unable to bear it ah.


    After thinking, Uchiha Tunan opened his right eye and opened his Mangekyo Sharingan, and began to crazily absorb the negative emotions emitted by Kakashi due to pain.


    But the negative emotions did not represent pain.


    Uchiha Tunan only did this to prevent Kakashi from losing his mind due to the intense pain, which was about to drive him crazy.


    With the help of Uchiha Tunan, Kakashi regained his rationality.


    However, the more rational this situation was, the more he could clearly feel the inhuman pain.


    Gradually, Kakashi¡¯s breath became weaker and weaker, as if he was going to die in the next second.


    In this situation, was Kakashi going to die?


    If he had known earlier, he would not have taken such a risk. Wasn¡¯t this a huge loss?


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s expression became uglier and uglier, more and more thinking that his thoughts this time were a bit too extreme.


    As he tumbled, Kakashi saw Little Yan who was crying endlessly, thinking that he had been in danger and wanted to help.


    As well as Uchiha Tunan, who was frowning and had an ugly expression on his face.


    A huge desire to survive rose in his heart.


    I want to surpass my father and revive my family.


    I still have so many friends I care about.


    Tunan, Obito, Minato Sensei, Kushina, Rin¡­


    Finally, under the strong desire to survive, Kakashi passed the most dangerous period.


    The moment the pain disappeared, Kakashi fainted from exhaustion.


    Immediately, the heart-wrenching screams in the courtyard disappeared, leaving only Little Yan Bo crying non-stop.


    Looking at Kakashi who had lost consciousness and fainted on the ground.


    Uchiha Tunan could not help but heave a sigh of relief.

 CH 202

    Late at night, in the dim yellow room.


    Kakashi slowly opened his eyes and felt something moving under his armpit.


    He immediately tilted his head and looked towards his armpit.


    He saw Little Yan Bo facing his butt and sleeping soundly beside him.


    The corners of Kakashi¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. He quietly got up and walked out of the room.


    He saw that the warm orange chandelier was lit in the living room.


    Uchiha Tunan was wearing an apron and walking out of the kitchen with rice.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. Come and eat.


    I made two side dishes in a hurry.¡±


    Kakashi nodded blankly and sat down at the table.


    There were already four dishes and a soup on the table. The aroma was overflowing, and the dishes made one¡¯s appetite increase.


    Kakashi picked up the chopsticks and hesitated for a moment. ¡°I¡­ did I succeed?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan nodded and said, ¡°The effect is very good.¡±


    Only then did Kakashi notice that Uchiha Tunan¡¯s face was deathly pale. He could not help but frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan was silent for a moment and then said in a relaxed tone, ¡°This secret technique will extract my origin and pour it into your body, so¡­¡±


    Kakashi understood in a flash.


    Sure enough, this secret technique that can stimulate the potential of the human body is not without a price.


    The origin that Tunan mentioned should be very important to the human body.


    The reason why Tunan did not say it before was that he was afraid that he would not accept it after he said it.


    Thinking of this, Kakashi looked at Uchiha Tunan with a touched face and said in a deep voice, ¡°Tunan, thank you.¡±


    A trace of a smile appeared on Uchiha Tunan¡¯s pale face. ¡°No need to thank me. The side effects of this secret technique are not particularly serious. I will be fine after a while.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    At this moment,


    Little Yan¡¯s cries rang out in the bedroom.


    Uchiha Tunan quickly put down his chopsticks and wiped his hands on the apron.


    He untied the apron and put it aside as he walked quickly into the bedroom.


    Soon, Little Yan Bo¡¯s cheerful laughter rang out in the bedroom.


    Uchiha Tunan carried Little Yan Bo out of the bedroom and sat down at the dining table. He said to Kakashi,


    ¡°You have to prepare for Chuunin¡¯s exam in the next few days. Leave Yan Bo to me.


    ¡°I will be going out to carry out a mission in a while. When the time comes, You can leave him to me.¡±


    Kakashi nodded heavily and said, ¡°No problem. Right, what mission are you going to carry out? Is it dangerous?¡±


    After the secret technique just now, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s face was already ugly to look at. His body must have suffered a great injury.


    In such a situation, he still had to carry out a mission. Kakashi was afraid that Uchiha Tunan would not be able to handle it.


    Uchiha Tunan shook his head with a smile and said, ¡°There is no danger. It is just a competition held by the Daimyo.¡±


    When Kakashi heard this, he immediately felt relieved.


    He picked up a mouthful of food with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.


    ¡°Woo!¡±


    Kakashi¡¯s eyes widened and the expression on his face gradually became exaggerated.


    It was too delicious¡­


    Late at night.


    Uchiha Tunan carried the sleeping Little Yan and left the Hatake Family house, walking towards Uchiha¡¯s home.


    Because only a few days had passed since the new year, and Chuunin¡¯s competition was about to begin.


    The commercial street was still bustling with people and lights.


    Uchiha Tunan had just arrived at the commercial street.


    At the end of the street, Jounin Tadou, the leader of Sunagakure who came out by himself, was stunned.


    He quickly ate the last bit of ramen in his bowl, got up, and left.


    After walking out of the noodle house, Tadou stretched and looked at the calm and composed Uchiha Tunan from the corner of his eye.


    Is this Uchiha Tunan who is going to participate in the honorary Chuunin competition? He looks ordinary, isn¡¯t he just an ordinary teenager?


    Those ignorant villagers also boasted that he had the power to surpass the three ninjas.


    Tadou was recalling the information he had heard about Uchiha Tunan from those villagers during the day.


    Kindhearted, brave, fearless of power, loyal and righteous.


    Strange shaped eyes, can summon a huge Buddha, can chant the scripture to transcend the souls of the dead.


    What kind of strange information is this? Those villagers must have been hit by an illusion.


    But at this moment, Uchiha Tunan was already approaching. Tadou and no longer stayed, turning around and walking slowly into the distance.


    This direction was the direction of Uchiha¡¯s clan, and it was also the residence that Konoha had arranged for the participating teams of Sunagakure.


    Tadou¡¯s footsteps were very slow, as if he was waiting for Uchiha Tunan behind him.


    The Anbu, who was secretly monitoring the the complex, also saw Uchiha Tunan.


    But there was no reaction.


    After all, Uchiha Tunan was much stronger than them.


    Even if Tadou wanted to harm Uchiha Tunan in the Sand Village, he could only say that he was courting death.


    With his hands in his pockets, he walked slowly, and even hummed a song.


    Gradually, Tadou walked to a fork in the road.


    A road led to the residence of Tadou, and a road led to Uchiha¡¯s clan.


    The shops near the fork were all breakfast shops, so the door was closed at this time, and there were no pedestrians nearby.


    Tadou did not go to the road where he lived, but kept walking straight to the direction of Uchiha¡¯s clan.


    Seeing this, the dark operation in the dark perked up.


    After Tadou took a few steps, he suddenly stopped in place and exclaimed with a face full of regret,


    ¡°Oh no, I went the wrong way.


    I still have to explain the tactics to them.¡±


    After saying that, Tadou turned around and took out his hands from his pockets. He turned around and ran to another road.


    The moment Tadou took out his hands, he took out a metal necklace and dropped it on the ground.


    However, as if he did not know anything, Tadou hurriedly brushed past Uchiha Tunan who was walking towards him.


    After Uchiha Tunan ran past Tadou, a scarlet light flashed in his eyes. Then, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.


    He carried the sleeping Little Yanbo to the metal necklace and stepped on it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan pretended to be surprised, moved his feet away, and then bent over to pick up the necklace.


    He saw that this necklace was extremely exquisite, and it was suffused with a shiny metallic luster.


    Uchiha Tunan pinched it slightly, and he could even feel that the texture of this metal was a little soft.


    Of course, the most eye-catching thing about this necklace was the sky-blue gem in the middle. It was obvious at a glance that it was priceless.


    ¡°Finders keepers, I guess.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan chuckled, put the necklace into the ninja bag, and continued to walk towards Uchiha¡¯s territory.


    Seeing that Uchiha Tunan had accepted the necklace, the Dark Group, who had been secretly staying here, no longer had the mood to stay, and quietly left.


    After all, this was the remnant of an international friend in Konoha.


    If not for a heavyweight like Uchiha Tunan who picked it up.


    The Anbu would definitely give it to Hiruzen Sarutobi.


    At this time, Tadou was running towards the residence under the eyes of the Anbu.


    However, he was secretly proud of himself.


    As expected of Lord Kazekage, he could actually think of such a powerful assassination technique.


    Even if this little brat Uchiha really had the strength to rival the three ninjas, he probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to get out of bed in two months.


    Little brat, let Sunagakure teach you a lesson and let you understand what a ninja is.

 CH 203

    When Uchiha Tunan returned home, he put the sleeping Little Yan Bo on the bedroom bed to rest.


    Then he went to the living room alone and made himself a pot of tea.


    While drinking tea, he took out the necklace in the ninja backpack and looked at it.


    It¡¯s so beautiful.


    The gems produced from Suna were worth two million.


    No, it should be ten million now.


    For ordinary Chuunin, it was indeed a great temptation.


    Uchiha Tunan murmured. He casually pulled off the gems on the necklace and threw it aside with a look of disgust.


    Immediately, he opened his Sharingan and observed the metal necklace.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s Sharingan had fused with the ability of Byakugan, and the range of the light was even wider.


    In the eyes of Uchiha Tunan, this necklace was simply like the sun in the sky, emitting a blazing white light.


    ¡°The technology of the Ninja Realm can already refine such a strong radiation metal?


    It seems that this radiation is very targeted.


    It can even cause the cells in my body to overload and extract Chakra.


    I feel that if this goes on, with my physique, I will be squeezed dry in half a year.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan was not an ignorant ordinary ninja.


    Every once in a while in the Fire City, several civilians who were ignorant die.


    The civilians who could live in the Fire Capital were all elites from all walks of life.


    This also caused Uchiha Tunan to unknowingly become more and more knowledgeable.


    Uchiha Tunan picked up the cup and leisurely took a sip of tea, muttering,


    Because the strength of the cells is limited, it only has an hour of effective time to extract chakra every day.


    Over this time, under the effect of the self-protection mechanism, the cells will instinctively rest.


    If you forcibly break this self-protection mechanism with a secret technique,


    People will rapidly age.


    However, the radiation effect of this necklace was actually able to shield a person¡¯s own protective mechanism.


    Moreover, it allowed the cells to refine their own Chakra at all times.


    What a good thing.


    In fact, the metal used by this necklace was refined by the 3rd Raikage using a lot of resources and time to refine it.


    At first, the third Kazekage discovered that this necklace could allow people to quickly refine and inspect their carats. He thought it was a treasure.


    But later, he found that ordinary people would age and die after wearing this necklace for about a week.


    People with strong strength could only resist for a period of time.


    Although there was more Chakra, the body was rapidly aging and dying every day. It was really not worth it.


    This time, the Honorary Chuunin event was of great importance. The 3rd Kazekage targeted Konoha¡¯s participant Uchiha Tunan.


    In order to prevent Uchiha Tunan from picking up the necklace and handing it over to the village, the 3rd Kazekage thought that everyone was greedy and specially decorated a priceless gem on the necklace.


    As long as Uchiha Tunan picked up the necklace, he would find that it could increase his Chakra.


    He believed that no ninja could refuse such a fatal temptation.


    However, the only miscalculationof the third generation Kazekage was that not only did Uchiha Tunan see the essence of the necklace at a glance, but his body had also been modified by soft body, and his cell activity was far better than that of ordinary people.


    Even if Uchiha Tunan did not see that there was a problem with the necklace, he would not die even if he wore it for half a year.


    And now, Uchiha Tunan naturally would not let go of such a good thing.


    Although he checked the amount of chakra he had, it was comparable to a shadow level expert, but chakra would never be too much.


    In the quiet living room, Uchiha Tunan finished the tea in one gulp and gently put down the teacup.


    He could start eating now.


    Then, he quickly made a series of hand seals and slapped the ground.


    Saruten, who was covered in golden hair, stood in front of Uchiha Tunan. He looked around and asked in confusion, ¡°Tunan, why are you looking for me?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan smiled gently and pointed to the opposite side. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time. Today, I will ask about your cultivation. Sit down.¡±


    Saruten nodded and sat opposite Uchiha Tunan.


    Uchiha Tunan picked up a new teacup and poured tea into it. He asked, ¡°Is there any problem with your cultivation recently? Does the transformation of the soft body affect you?¡±


    ¡°Tunan, the secret technique you taught me is so compatible with the Unbreakable Diamond.¡± Saruten suddenly said with an excited face.


    ¡°Do you know that although my body is not as tough as my fellow clansmen, every time I practice it to the end, it is always them who can¡¯t hold on.


    Lord Enma asked me several questions about secret arts, but I didn¡¯t tell him.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan sipped his tea and said slowly, ¡°Did Lord Enma say bad things about me in front of you?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Saruten, this honest child, was suddenly speechless.


    How could Uchiha Tunan not know what Hiruzen Sarutobi must have said to the Enma?


    He immediately said with a casual face, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I just asked casually.¡±


    After saying that, Uchiha Tunan put down the teapot and gently placed his hands on his knees. He did not look at Saruten and just quietly watched his teacup.


    The power of silence was strong.


    Especially for people who lacked patience, it was simply unbearable.


    Saruten kept scratching his ears and cheeks. His emotions were flying. He hesitated for a long time before he said with a troubled expression,


    ¡°During this period of time, Lord Enma said a lot of strange things.


    He also asked me to protect myself more when I help you fight. Don¡¯t foolishly rush to the front. ¡°


    Uchiha Tunan lowered his eyes and chuckled. He said slowly, ¡°It seems that the misunderstanding between me and Teacher Yuan Fei has already involved the ape clan.¡±


    Saruten pursed his lips and said, ¡°Lord Enma also told me that it is possible that he will smear your name on the spirit contract.


    I asked Lord Enma the reason, but he did not say it.


    Tunan, what kind of misunderstanding do you have with Lord Yuan Fei?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan raised his eyes to look at Saruten, who was worried, and changed the topic. ¡°Do you still need to borrow external items to cultivate your Unbreakable Diamond?¡±


    Saruten was stunned for a moment. He did not expect Uchiha Tunan to change the topic so quickly. He scratched the back of his head and said,


    ¡°Ah?


    No need. I only need to sit there and cultivate every day.


    It¡¯s just that my talent is indeed a bit lacking. Even with the secret technique you taught me, my cultivation speed can only be considered average.


    Oh right, you still haven¡¯t told me what the misunderstanding between you and Lord Yuan Fei is.


    Let me help you think about how to resolve the misunderstanding.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan sized up Saruten from head to toe for a long time. He then picked up the tea cup on the table and said,


    ¡°You can¡¯t help this misunderstanding, but there are some places where you and I can help each other.¡±


    Saruten was puzzled. ¡°What place?¡±


    ¡°You said that your talent is poor, so your cultivation speed is not good.


    It just so happens that my talent is not bad. In the future, I will help you cultivate.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan looked calm, lowering his head and blowing the tea leaves floating in the tea.


    Saruten was a little confused and did not quite understand what Uchiha Tunan meant.


    The only thing he understood was that Uchiha Tunan seemed to want to help him.


    He was immediately moved and said, ¡°Thank you so much, Tunan. You treat me so well that I don¡¯t know how to repay you.¡±

 CH 204

    Uchiha Tunan lowered his head and gently blew on the tea, but the teacup reflected Uchiha Tunan¡¯s slowly spinning Mangekyou.


    In the empty living room, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s low voice sounded.


    ¡°You are the best repayment to me.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Uchiha Tunan secretly detonated the curse seal in Saruten¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The sound of a heavy object falling to the ground rang out.


    At the same time, in Uchiha Tunan¡¯s special senses.


    On Saruten¡¯s corpse, a pure white soul was pulled up by a great force.


    ¡°What is going on, Tunan!


    What exactly happened? It hurts so much. ¡°


    The tearing sensation of the soul could not be compared to physical pain.


    It was mainly because Saruten¡¯s body was too strong, and he had just died. His body activity had not disappeared, and he still had a strong binding force on the soul.


    Uchiha Tunan glanced indifferently at the struggling Saruten Soul. He sipped his tea and said with great interest,


    ¡°The stronger the body, the stronger the binding force on the soul.¡±


    I¡¯ve gained a lot of knowledge.


    ¡°Ah¡­ it hurts¡­ save me!¡±


    ¡°Tunan, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Quickly¡­ quickly please take me back!¡±


    ¡°I beg you, let me go!¡±


    ¡°I am very obedient!¡±


    Uchiha Tunan took a sip of tea and said with a sad face,


    ¡°I am so good to you. But you always answer my questions in a secretive manner.


    You make me feel that my kindness is not good.


    I am really disappointed.


    I am very disappointed¡­¡±


    It was as if Uchiha Tunan was the victim.


    ¡°Tunan!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Kii¡­ kiiiii..¡±


    Saruten even let out a monkey-like scream, and his soul was completely pulled out.


    In the end, under the effect of the Shuten Dojutsu, Saruten¡¯s soul was sucked into Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes.


    Uchiha Tunan only felt a sense of comfort emerge from the depths of his soul, and his eyes couldn¡¯t help but narrow.


    A moment later, the sense of comfort disappeared, and only then did Uchiha Tunan gently put down the teacup and let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Who told you to hesitate just now?¡±


    At this time, Uchiha Tunan suddenly felt a strange change in his body. It was as if there was a muffled thunder in his body, and his entire body crackled non-stop.


    A look of satisfaction appeared on Uchiha Tunan¡¯s face as he quietly waited for his body to transform on its own.


    After five minutes, Uchiha Tunan opened his eyes, and his entire body seemed to have become stiff and motionless.


    ¡°Ka¡­¡±


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s body seemed to have turned into porcelain, and cracks spread from the top of his head to his entire body.


    Gradually, more and more cracks appeared, becoming denser and denser. The entire surface of his body was like a spider web.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A huge wave of air exploded, and the furniture in the room was instantly overturned by the strong airflow.


    Pieces of debris shot out from Uchiha Tunan¡¯s body.


    These pieces were harder than the Kunai and instantly smashed the furniture that was sent flying into pieces.


    The remaining pieces were deeply inserted into the walls, the ground, the ceiling, and the pillars.


    ¡°Waaaaa ¡ª¡°


    In the bedroom in the front yard, Little Yan¡¯s crying sounded.


    It was obvious that he had been woken up by the commotion just now.


    But at this time, Uchiha Tunan was too lazy to care about Little Yan Bo¡¯s crying.


    Uchiha Tunan could feel that there was a huge change in his body. The feeling this body gave him was very different from before.


    ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡±


    The naked Uchiha Tunan twisted his neck and muttered.


    Then, he stretched out his right hand and looked at his palm with a look of infatuation.


    His skin was as smooth as jade, his palm was as solid as jade, and his fingers were as fine as spring onion.


    After the process of ¡°shedding skin¡±, the skin on his entire body seemed to be broken by a breeze, like a newborn baby.


    At this time, four words appeared in Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mind: Reborn.


    Originally, after Uchiha Tunan learned the transformation of the soft body, his skin color was a bit abnormal.


    However, he did not expect that after combining the Unbreakable Diamond, it became so natural.


    After admiring it for a moment, Uchiha Tunan suddenly clenched his right hand.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A deafening sonic boom rang out.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s pupils constricted, and a look of great surprise appeared on his face.


    What a strong body, and this was not the limit.


    After obtaining Saruten¡¯s inheritance, it naturally included the cultivation method of Unbreakable Diamond.


    The current Uchiha Tunan could completely absorb the power of nature on his own to temper his body.


    If he continued to cultivate, then the strength of this body would reach a terrifying level.


    At that time, perhaps nothing would be able to hurt him.


    Uchiha Tunan, who was naked, reached out to pick up the necklace on the table and put it on his neck.


    Now his body was already strong to an inhuman level.


    The cells in the body are refining Chakra day and night, and it may take twenty or thirty years for Uchiha Tunan to age and die.


    But don¡¯t forget, Uchiha Tunan himself also cultivated the Unbreakable Diamond, thus increasing his body strength.


    At that time, the time would be extended. It would not take long, as long as there were no problems with the body for twenty years.


    At that time, when the war began, Uchiha Tunan probably already possessed the power of six paths.


    A mere radiation would not be of any use in front of the power of six paths.


    After thinking about it, Uchiha Tunan got up and walked towards the bedroom.


    He went to the bedroom and did not hug Little Yan Bo who was crying.


    When Little Yan Bo saw Uchiha Tunan, he stopped crying for a while and then started crying again.


    But Uchiha Tunan ignored this and went straight to the wardrobe.


    He first changed into a new set of clothes and looked at it in front of the mirror.


    In the mirror, the outline of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s appearance did not change, but his skin was like an egg that had just been peeled off. It was smooth, white, and very elastic.


    Together with the silvery-white radiation necklace hanging around his neck.


    His entire temperament seemed to have undergone an unknown change.


    ¡°It¡¯s very cool, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The corners of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mouth curled up slightly. He was very satisfied with the current state of his body.


    However, the sound of Little Yan Bo¡¯s crying echoed beside his ears. He turned around to look at Little Yan Bo and raised his eyebrows slightly.


    Little Yan Bo¡¯s eyelids immediately rolled up and he fell asleep.


    Immediately, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s low voice sounded in the bedroom.


    ¡°Really, a mere pet dares to behave atrociously in my head.


    But, still, I have to thank you properly.¡±


    With that, the lights in the bedroom went out.


    Dark clouds covered the sky, and there was no moonlight or starlight.


    The sky was thick black, almost a color of despair.


    The street lamps could only illuminate a small area below.


    The street lamps broke the darkness into several pieces.


    Outside the residence that Konoha had specifically arranged for the Sand Village, several Anbu were hiding in the shade of trees, constantly monitoring them.


    ¡°Step, step, step¡­¡±


    The crisp and rhythmic footsteps came from the darkness at the end of the street.


    The Anbu raised their guard and looked over.

 CH 205

    Soon, Uchiha Tunan, who was wearing a black trench coat, walked into the illumination range of the street lamps from the darkness.


    Uchiha Tunan ignored the gazes in the dark and went straight to the residence of the Sunagakure team.


    Shua ¡ª


    A Dark Group member used the Instant Movement Technique to block Uchiha Tunan¡¯s path.


    ¡°This is the resting place of the team from the Sunagalure. No random people are allowed in.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan raised his eyes slightly and looked at him indifferently.


    For some reason, the Dark Group felt a chill run up its spine, and all the hair on its body trembled as if it was being stared at by some kind of danger.


    For a moment, it subconsciously held its breath.


    The corners of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mouth slowly curved into a gentle smile. He reached out and patted the shoulders of the Dark Group, saying,


    ¡°I picked up the valuable items that they dropped and specially came to return them.


    I won¡¯t make it difficult for you and only go in for a while, ok? ¡°


    After saying that, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s smile did not diminish as he brushed past the Dark Group.


    As for the Dark Group member, he was already sweating profusely and could not move his legs. How could he stop Uchiha Tunan?


    When the other Dark Group members saw Uchiha Tunan speak to his partner humbly, they let him go.


    Naturally, they would not go forward to ask more questions.


    However, they kept their eyes on Uchiha Tunan to prevent anything from happening.


    It was not until Uchiha Tunan almost reached the building where Sunagakure was resting.


    The other members of the Dark Group realized that something was wrong with their companions.


    A member of the Dark Group came out from the darkness and brought his companion into the shade of the tree. He asked,


    ¡°What happened to you? Did you fall for that guy¡¯s illusion?¡±


    The companion squatted and took a few deep breaths, shaking his head and saying, ¡°It¡¯s not an illusion, it¡¯s a very strange feeling.


    Just like¡­ when I was facing Orochimaru sama before.¡±


    The house of the Sunagakure was a two-story hotel.


    It was temporarily reserved by Konoha.


    Uchiha Tunan seemed to be very familiar with this place and went straight to the second floor.


    ¡°Step, step, step¡­¡±


    There were terrifying footsteps in the corridor.


    The members of the Suna ninja in the hotel were awakened by the footsteps.


    The three participating Genins hid under the window and were on guard.


    Uchiha Tunan went straight to the room of Tadou and knocked on the door.


    Tadou was much more courageous than the three Genins.


    Knowing that this was Konoha, no one would attack him at night.


    He opened the door naturally.


    However, when the door was opened, Tadou, who was drunk, was slightly stunned. He pretended to be calm and said, ¡°May I know who you are?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan smiled and reached out to shake the radiation chain around his neck. At the same time, he took out the sky blue gem from his ninja bag and said,


    ¡°Sure enough, I didn¡¯t remember wrongly. This necklace was dropped by you, right?


    It was just that I was a little careless when I took it and took the gemstone off.


    This thing looks quite precious. You must be very anxious.¡±


    Tadou never expected that Uchiha Tunan would actually be able to resist his greed and return the necklace.


    Damn it¡­


    How could this guy have such a good character?


    Was he going to fail?


    Tadou forced a smile and suddenly noticed that Uchiha Tunan had put the necklace around his neck.


    Then it meant that he had probably discovered that the necklace could help him extract chakra.


    He immediately said with a grateful face, ¡°Oh, I was saying that I couldn¡¯t find it after searching for half a day. It turned out that it fell on the road.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I picked it up on the road.¡± Uchiha Tunan said with a blank face, like a silly boy who knew nothing about the world.


    Tadou, who was drunk, was stunned for a moment and said with an embarrassed smile,


    ¡°Uh¡­ haha¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s not like we will drop into a noodle restaurant on the way.


    I really appreciate it very much.


    This gem is very precious. I spent a lot of money to buy it.


    In order to thank you, this necklace is for you.


    I will only take back the gem.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan narrowed his eyes and stared into the eyes of Tadou, ¡°How can I accept this?¡±


    Although he spoke politely, his hands did not move at all.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Tadou was slightly stunned. He shook his head and said with a smile,


    ¡°Of course. You should be rewarded for your actions. Please don¡¯t decline, or I will feel uneasy.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan said reluctantly, ¡°Well then, I won¡¯t disturb your rest.¡±


    After that, he turned around and left the room of Tadou.


    On the corridor, the three Suna Genins heard the conversation and knew that there was no danger, so they gathered together.


    When they saw Uchiha Tunan, who was about the same age as them, walking towards them, they all stared at him.


    Uchiha Tunan nodded calmly at the three of them and smiled. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Then, he passed through them.


    After a few breaths, the three of them came back to their senses and came to the room where Tadou was.


    ¡°Teacher Tadou, what is that guy doing here?¡±


    ¡°He is here to return the gemstone.¡±


    He saw Tadou, who was sitting in front of the table, staring at the gem in his hand in a daze.


    ¡°What gem? Teacher Tadou, you still have this?¡±


    The three of them surrounded him in unison. Their faces revealed an infatuated expression as they said,


    ¡°Let me see. It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it. Be careful, don¡¯t break it.¡±


    ¡°So beautiful¡­¡±


    At some point in time, the gem in his hand had been taken by his subordinates and they were admiring it together.


    At this time, Tadou seemed to be in a trance. He gradually shifted his gaze to the gem and muttered,


    ¡°Gem¡­ Give me back my gem.¡±


    A Genin immediately held the gem in his arms, muttering, ¡°No, the gem is mine.¡±


    ¡°The gem is mine. I just touched it.¡± The other Genin quickly went to snatch it.


    ¡°Pa!¡±


    Someone slipped his hand, and when the gemstone was being snatched, it fell to the ground and broke into several pieces.


    Tadou, who was like a mad demon, roared, ¡°My gem is worth tens of millions!¡±


    The Dark Group outside the residence naturally heard the voice coming from inside and could not help but frown.


    ¡°Pu ¡ª¡°


    A blood stain was splashed on the window.


    ¡°Oh no, something has happened.¡±


    The Dark Group moved out one after another and rushed to the room.


    At this time, Uchiha Tunan had already walked under the street lamp. After hearing the movement behind him, he looked back indifferently and shook his head with a chuckle.


    ¡°People die for money and birds die for food.¡±


    At this moment, the Dark Group that blocked Uchiha Tunan appeared again, blocking in front of Uchiha Tunan, and said in a low voice,


    ¡°Lord Tunan, you can¡¯t leave yet.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan raised his eyebrows, a little speechless at this young man, and said slowly,


    ¡°If there is anything, you can ask the Hokage sama to come to me and learn to be smart.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s figure disappeared without a trace.


    So fast!


    The pupils of the Dark Group contracted, and they looked around, but they could not even see the shadow of Uchiha Tunan.


    In the end, they could only bite the bullet and go to the Sarutobi Clan to report the situation here to Hiruzen Sarutobi.


    Uchiha Tunan believed himself to be a gentleman and had a standard conduct of conduct.


    As the saying goes, return good for evil and repay good for good.


    Uchiha Tunan wasn¡¯t someone who was tricked and didn¡¯t even dare to fart.


    Of course, everything had to have a double standard.


    If it were forthe kind of enemy with value and strength, then it would be like taking a step back to the wide open sky.


    Since the war was about to start anyway, so what if Sunagakure knew that he was the one who did it?


    At most, he would put pressure on Konoha.


    And Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn¡¯t move him.


    He had endured humiliation and suffering for so long, and finally obtained enough strength.


    It wasn¡¯t to let the trash Ninja with low strength ride on his head and act like he was a tyrant.

 CH 206

    After returning home, Uchiha Tunan tidied up the living room and put Saruten¡¯s corpse into the storage scroll, hiding it in the basement.


    There was no other way. After all, Saruten¡¯s body was too hard, and ordinary methods of dealing with corpses were completely useless.


    The following days were peaceful.


    There was no news from Hiruzen Sarutobi.


    He seemed to have suppressed the matter of the Sunagakure team.


    He didn¡¯t even ask about Saruten.


    Uchiha Tunan was also happy and idle. He went to see the reconstruction of the welfare home every day and went to the orphanage to comfort the lonely old man.


    Other times, he basically stayed at home alone to absorb the Force of Nature.


    When the emotional power in his body was insufficient to absorb more of the natural power.


    Uchiha Tunan would then open the Mangekyou and use the Tamamo Eye Technique to secretly absorb the negative emotions of those clansmen in Uchiha¡¯s clan territory.


    Part of the natural power was stored in his body and fused with his own chakra to become immortal chakra.


    Part of it would spread throughout his body to strengthen the cells of his body, and the cultivation of Unbreakable Diamond wouldn¡¯t be bad.


    It had to be said that Uchiha Tunan felt that he seemed to have become a cultivator.


    In the finals of Chuunin¡¯s exam, Uchiha Tunan did not go, but stayed at home alone to accumulate strength.


    In the end, Minato and others came to Uchiha¡¯s territory and pulled Uchiha Tunan out to celebrate Kakashi and Obito becoming Chuunin.


    As expected, Kakashi won the championship.


    After being planted with the Curse Mark, Obito¡¯s talent increased, and he made it all the way to the top twelve. In the end, he was defeated by Ibiki.


    From everyone¡¯s discussion, Uchiha Tunan heard that Obito lost in his mind, and was defeated by Ibiki.


    For those who have already gained recognition, Uchiha Tunan does not need to deliberately disguise to gain their trust and affection.


    After possessing the Unbreakable Diamond Physique, Uchiha Tunan knew how to proceed.


    He no longer needed to act carefully.


    As long as the human setting does not collapse on a large scale, he can completely release his nature and push it all the way to the start of the fourth battle.


    Of course, at the critical moment, he still needed to plan a little more.


    While ensuring that he would profit, he also needed to ensure that the plot could develop smoothly and not leave his control.


    After the dinner, Uchiha Tunan handed over the small talk to Kakashi.


    He also told them that he was going to participate in the honorary Chuunin competition next month and that he needed to prepare well.


    In the following period of time.


    The closer it was to the day of departure, the more Uchiha Tunan felt that the atmosphere in Konoha had become more and more depressing.


    It was as if something had reached a critical point and was about to explode.


    Boom ¡ª


    In the early morning, the sky was covered in dense clouds, and lightning was like a poisonous snake sticking out its tongue, cutting through the haze in the sky.


    The rain turned into threads, and they flowed down like a white silk.


    The rustling of leaves in the wind and rain matched the rhythm of the rain, sometimes heavy and sometimes soothing.


    Uchiha Tunan woke up from his meditation, unhurriedly put tea in the teapot, and then put it on the stove to cook.


    He went to the bedroom and changed into a brand new loose shirt, and hung Kusanagi Sword diagonally behind his waist.


    He took off his glasses, wiped them with a sigh, and put them back on.


    Then, he began to tidy up the ninja bags and put the things that could be used into the storage scroll. He stuffed them into the ninja bags.


    After he was done, Uchiha Tunan lit three incense sticks for the wooden sculptures on the altar.


    Finally, he picked up the teapot, and sat down under the eaves.


    While drinking tea, he quietly watched the rain fall from the sky.


    Half an hour later, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s ears twitched slightly and he slowly opened his eyes.


    After several seconds, there was a knock on the door of the courtyard.


    Uchiha Tunan took a sip of tea and put down the teacup. ¡°Please come in.¡±


    A member of the Dark Group braved the heavy rain, stood in front of the eaves, and said in a deep voice, ¡°Lord Tunan, the Hokage Sama has invited you.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan nodded slightly, got up, and went back to his room to take out an umbrella.


    Just like this, he held the umbrella and walked toward the Hokage building.


    An hour later, Uchiha Tunan walked into the office with an umbrella.


    As soon as he entered, he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting in front of the table, looking at him with cold eyes.


    Uchiha Tunan walked to Hiruzen Sarutobi without looking at him.


    The two of them looked at each other, and the atmosphere gradually became serious.


    After a long time, Uchiha Tunan lowered his eyes slightly and saw the task certificate that had already been stamped on the table.


    He reached out to take the task certificate without hesitation.


    However, just as Uchiha Tunan¡¯s hand touched the task certificate, Hiruzen Sarutobi reached out and pressed Uchiha Tunan¡¯s hand down.


    ¡°I admit that there were some things that I didn¡¯t do before, so it chilled your heart.


    The matter of Saruten, the matter of Suna Village, and even many things that I do not know, I can let bygones be bygones.


    If you still recognize me as your teacher, then leave the team of Danzo as soon as possible.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t care what struggles the higher-ups have, I only firmly stand on the side of justice.


    Hokage sama, I personally think that Danzo san knows more about the will of fire than you do.¡±


    Hiruzen Sarutobi coldly snorted and said with deep eyes, ¡°At this time, are you still pretending to be confused?


    I admit that there are many ugly things in the depths of Konoha, but this is unavoidable.


    You also know that you are involved. ¡°


    ¡°I have always been very clear. I also know what I want.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan struggled to free his hand and put the task certificate into his ninja bag. Then, he turned around and left.


    Behind him, Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the pipe, lit the cigarette and took a puff. He narrowed his eyes and said,


    ¡°Do I still have a chance?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan paused for a moment and strode out of the office.


    At the boundary of the village entrance, Danzo had been waiting there for a long time.


    ¡°Step, step, step¡­¡±


    Footsteps came from the streets.


    Danzo¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Soon, Uchiha Tunan appeared on the street and walked to Danzo.


    Danzo looked Uchiha Tunan up and down and said with a serious face:


    ¡°You can not go. Now Fire Capital is more dangerous than before.


    As long as you can resist the gossip for a period of time, with my protection, Hiruzen Sarutobi can¡¯t do anything to you.


    After all, Konoha can¡¯t afford to lose any high-end forces.¡±


    The corners of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mouth slightly curved, and he chuckled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go because I was arrogant.


    It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t like to break the rules.


    There are some things that have to be solved sooner or later, right?¡±


    After saying that, he walked past Danzo and walked towards the entrance of the barrier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive. Once you do something, the whole world will be your enemy.¡±


    Danzo warned from behind.


    Uchiha Tunan stopped and said in a low voice:


    ¡°I said, I don¡¯t like to break the rules.¡±


    With that, Uchiha Tunan stepped out of the Konoha barrier.

 CH 207

    Two days later, on the plains near the capital of fire.


    The white clouds in the sky were like sails that floated in the sky.


    The warm south wind blew over slowly, bringing with it the fresh smell of spring soil.


    The pitch-black steam train slowly drove through the wild.


    Uchiha Tunan sat in the carriage, wearing a cap, writing and drawing on the drawing board.


    Opposite them sat a couple and a little girl. It was obviously a family of three.


    The little girl had a face stuffed with candy and was standing on the seat. Her hands were on the table and she looked curiously at the drawing board in front of Uchiha Tunan.


    In the deafening roar of the train, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s painting was finally completed.


    ¡°This is for you.¡± Uchiha Tunan smiled gently at the little girl, took off the painting paper, and handed it over.


    The little girl did not recognize strangers. Her pink little hand grabbed the painting paper and sat back in her seat. Her eyes were curved with a smile.


    The woman beside him said softly, ¡°Hurry up and thank uncle.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, uncle.¡± The little girl called out sweetly. Then, she pointed at the person in the painting and said, ¡°This is me.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan did not take offense at the little girl¡¯s address. After all, his body had developed a little earlier than his peers.


    In addition, his physique had recently been greatly enhanced, causing his height to rise sharply. He looked a little older than he truly is.


    The middle-aged man who was leaning against the aisle opened his eyes and looked sideways at the drawing paper in the little girl¡¯s hand.


    He saw that the drawing on this drawing was the appearance of a little girl holding the table and looking around curiously. The drawing was so vivid that it was like taking a photo.


    The middle-aged man could not help but praise, ¡°The drawing is really good. Are you a painter?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan leaned back in his seat, holding the drawing board in one hand and turning the pen in the other. He shook his head and said,


    ¡°No, I am a Konoha Ninja who protects the country. Drawing is just an amateur hobby. I just started to learn it.¡±


    The man heard this,


    Immediately, a respectful expression appeared on his face, ¡°So you¡¯re lord Ninja.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan chuckled and said lightly, ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that. Class doesn¡¯t distinguish between high and low.¡±


    But when he heard that Uchiha Tunan was a Ninja, the man obviously wanted to curry favor with him and coughed lightly,


    ¡°Actually, I also wanted to make Keiko a Ninja, but unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have the talent.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan looked at the scenery outside the window, and the pen in his hand began to move on the drawing board. He said slowly,


    ¡°In order to achieve the leap of class, unless the talent and effort are far beyond that of ordinary people, most of them still need generations of accumulation.


    There are so many Genin in Konoha, and it is difficult for many Genin to even raise their families in order to carry out missions.


    Why are they still unwilling to give up their identity as Ninjas?


    Many still wanted to pave the way for the next generation.


    There were too many benefits in connections, resources, and knowledge.


    In some small families, every Genin was the hope of the family.


    They were all children, and the children in Konoha, from medicinal baths to food, were different from the children outside.


    They were even able to learn basic chakra training from their parents when they were very young. They were ahead of ordinary people from the starting line.¡±


    The man sighed and touched the little girl¡¯s head.


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know about these things? But it is too difficult to settle down in Konoha. It is not something that ordinary families like us can afford.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan narrowed his eyes and said slowly,


    ¡°The future will change. In the end, no talent will be buried in this world.¡±


    The man naturally did not believe Uchiha Tunan¡¯s words, but he still nodded and said,


    ¡°I wonder if you are Konoha¡¯s Genin or Chuunin?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan lowered his head and carefully outlined the lines on the painting. He said lightly,


    ¡°Those things does not have much meaning to me.


    Because that is not my goal.¡±


    The man had already reached into his pocket and seemed to be groping for something.


    ¡°Then what is your goal? Can we talk?¡±


    Hearing this, Uchiha Tunan frowned slightly and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. If you think about it carefully, there are many goals.


    If you really want to talk about a final goal.


    That is¡­ ¡°


    As he spoke, Uchiha Tunan turned his head to look at the sky outside the window and slowly said,


    ¡°I want only the sky above my head.¡±


    The man was slightly stunned. He smiled and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to understand when big shots like you speak.¡±


    Then, he took out a business card from his pocket and respectfully handed it to Uchiha Tunan.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the business of medicinal herbs. The origin is directly in the Fire Capital.


    If your family needs it, you can send someone to take a look. The price is negotiable.¡±


    Although this person basically wouldn¡¯t have any dealings with him in the future, he still had to have at least respect.


    Uchiha Tunan nodded slightly and took the business card out of courtesy. After glancing at it, he put the business card into the ninja bag.


    The speed of the steam train was very slow, not much faster than a normal person walking.


    Uchiha Tunan only saw it by chance and came up to take a look.


    The train in the ninja world had been developed long ago, but it had always been relatively slow and not popular.


    But from the looks of it now, Naraku seemed to be a good student who concentrated on listening.


    He had always remembered Uchiha Tunan¡¯s teachings of wanting to become rich and build roads first.


    There were not many passengers in the steam train, and 99 of them were merchants and accompanying guards.


    Their goods were in the carriages behind.


    The only advantage of the steam train was that the transport was large, and it was better than the traditional horse transportation.


    Of course, it was useless for ninjas.


    A Genin carrying a storage scroll was faster than any other way of transportation.


    Suddenly, a white pigeon flew in from outside the window and landed on Uchiha Tunan¡¯s drawing board. ¡°Coo!¡±


    Uchiha Tunan reached out and patted the white pigeon gently. He smiled and said, ¡°There is no need to remind me of such a small matter.¡±


    The white pigeon flapped its wings as if it was protesting that Uchiha Tunan was not treat it well.


    Finally, it turned its head and jumped onto the table. It picked up a candy from a little girl and flew out of the window.


    Uchiha Tunan saw the little girl looking at him with innocent big eyes, looking like she wanted to cry but did not dare to.


    He immediately gave the little girl an apologetic look.


    Then he activated the wind whisper.


    He heard the roar of the train, the conversation of the passengers, the sound of the wind, the sound of insects crawling, a series of running sounds.


    ¡°It seems that there is a little trouble.¡± Uchiha Tunan gently put down the drawing board and shook his head with a smile.


    At this moment, the iron gate in front of the carriage was opened, and the conductor, who was wearing special clothes, said with a serious face,


    ¡°All alert, there is suspected to be a wandering ninja blocking the way.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan raised his eyebrows slightly. He had never thought that this guy would actually come to open the train.


    ¡°Damn it! How did I encounter such a thing?¡±


    ¡°What should I do? Can we defeat them?¡±


    ¡°This batch of goods, I bet everything on it.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Uchiha Tunan looked at the panic-stricken faces of the passengers and could not help but rub his chin.


    He had always maintained a clear sense of self-positioning.


    He was definitely not the protagonist. If he was right, he should be the biggest villain boss in the whole world in the future.


    If the whole car knew that there was such a big villain sitting in the car, would they feel safer or more dangerous?

 CH 208

    At this time, the train gradually moved to the foot of a hill.


    The hill was green and full of colorful plants, which was pleasing to the eyes.


    On the rocks and trunks of the railway, a group of wandering Ninjas stood on it and watched the train slowly approaching with a sneer.


    They were not afraid that someone would jump off the train and escape.


    After all, people died for money and birds died for food. There were a lot of supplies in the car.


    Most people would probably think that they were lucky and think that they could pass as long as they handed over the cash.


    As long as the goods were kept, they would not lose anything this time.


    As for life.


    That thing was not expensive.


    When the train arrived in front of the wandering Ninja, a group of wandering Ninjas jumped up and landed on the top of the train carriage.


    ¡°Act according to the plan.¡± The leader of the Wandering Ninjas ordered.


    The group of wandering ninjas nodded their heads, and one by one, they stretched out their hands to the roof of the car and jumped in through the window.


    However, there were a few guards who were slightly clever and stabbed at the wandering ninjas when they were about to come in.


    However, after all, the guards were only slightly stronger ordinary people. In terms of strength and dexterity, they were not comparable to ninjas who had chakra buffs.


    This was like an ordinary person meeting Spiderman, and they were completely not a match for him.


    The wandering Ninja who came in naturally would not be polite, and the guard who had resisted just now casually dealt with it.


    After killing just two or three people, the people in the carriage were shocked and did not dare to breathe.


    Uchiha Tunan looked at the wandering Ninja who jumped into the carriage one after another, and did not seem to have any thoughts of stepping forward.


    He casually closed the window beside him and happened to block a wandering Ninja who was about to jump in.


    The vagrant Ninja fell into the bottom of the car and was immediately swept into the wheel, crushed into blood.


    Blood splashed and some blood splashed on the window.


    ¡°Stop the car.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You dare to refuse? I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    A series of punches and kicks came from the driver¡¯s seat of the train.


    Two wandering Ninjas dragged the badly battered conductor to the carriage where Uchiha Tunan was.


    ¡°Boss, this guy doesn¡¯t want to stop the train at all.¡±


    At this time, the wandering ninjas had already controlled the passengers in the carriage.


    Seeing the passengers in the carriage obediently sitting in their seats without moving, their faces were full of horror, afraid that they would lose their lives in the next second.


    The scar-faced ninja turned his head and said in a deep voice, ¡°None of us know how to drive this thing. We will deal with him later.¡±


    He then said to the passengers in the carriage, ¡°All of you, don¡¯t move. Whoever moves will die.


    Now, hand over all the valuables you have on you.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, most of the passengers heaved a sigh of relief.


    It was not a big deal just to get the money on them.


    The two wandering ninjas began to search for the money and valuables of the travelers.


    At this time, the middle-aged man in front of him was holding the frightened little girl. He lowered his head and whispered,


    ¡°Ninja, can you beat them?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan was watching this scene with great interest. When he heard the middle-aged man ask him, he immediately said meaningfully,


    ¡°Sure, do you want to see me uphold justice?¡±


    The middle-aged man seemed to heave a sigh of relief and continued to whisper, ¡°Just treat it as me entrusting Sir ninja to take action.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan spread out his hands, and the smile on his face became even wider. He immediately whistled.


    ¡°Yo ¡ªWho is it that is still in the mood to whistle under the eyes of us brothers?¡±


    A wandering Ninja had just finished teasing when he heard a bird cry from outside. This voice seemed to contain an impatient mood.


    ¡°Coo ¡ª¡°


    The densely packed black birds rushed into the carriage like a flood, directly pouncing on the wandering ninjas.


    ¡°What is this thing?¡±


    In the blink of an eye, an unsuspecting wandering ninja was drowned by the black birds.


    The other wandering ninja reacted a bit faster and raised his long knife to cut the incoming birds.


    He wanted to try and kill these fierce birds, but it was of no use.


    ¡°Ding!¡±


    The sound of metal colliding was heard, and the wandering Ninja¡¯s palm was immediately numb.


    The scar-faced Ninja quickly reminded,


    ¡°Be careful! This is a ninja beast, there are ninjas in the carriage.¡±


    However, despite the reminder, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s ninja beast had been transformed by Uchiha Tunan¡¯s chakra all year round.


    In an instant, those wandering ninjas were thrown to the ground by the raptors.


    There was a terrifying tearing sound and wailing sound in the carriage.


    The Ninja who had been standing in the carriage arrogantly just now was now lying in a pool of blood, surrounded by black feathers.


    ¡°Boss, save me!¡±


    ¡°Spare me ¡ª¡°


    ¡­..


    The scar-faced Ninja raised his long knife and used all his strength to pull at the back of the raptor that was tearing its partner a few times, but the raptor did not even bother to look back at him.


    In an instant, the black torrent dispersed, and not a single bone was left on the ground, leaving only a few bloodstains that were almost licked.


    At this moment, Uchiha Tunan stuck his head out of the aisle and called out,


    ¡°Friend, please come over.


    If you come over, I won¡¯t kill you. ¡°


    ¡°Gulp ¡ª¡°


    The scar-faced Ninja swallowed his saliva and nodded subconsciously. He walked shakily towards Uchiha Tunan.


    At this time, the conductor finally discovered Uchiha Tunan. His face revealed a pleasantly surprised expression as he muttered, ¡°Lord Tunan¡­¡±


    When the scar-faced Ninja arrived in front of Uchiha Tunan, his entire body was already drenched in sweat. His face was deathly pale as he said, ¡°Sir, what instructions do you have?¡±


    How could the scar-faced Ninja not know that this time, he had met a ruthless person and was extremely afraid.


    Uchiha Tunan pointed at the family of three opposite him and said, ¡°Do you know them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The scar-faced man glanced at the trembling family of three and shook his head.


    Uchiha Tunan nodded thoughtfully and said, ¡°Well, if you kill them, I will let you go.¡±


    For some reason, the scar-faced Ninja hesitated and forced a smile. ¡°My lord, we only rob money and not kill people.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan chuckled and his expression instantly became cold.


    ¡°Why are you pretending in front of me?¡±


    With a flick of his finger, an air pill pierced through the forehead of the scar-faced ninja.


    ¡°Uh ¡ª¡°


    The scar-faced ninja¡¯s corpse fell straight onto the table in front of Uchiha Tunan.


    The woman and the little girl screamed in fear.


    The middle-aged man said with an ugly expression, ¡°Sir Ninja, how did our family offend you? Please forgive us.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan leaned forward slightly, rested his elbows on the table, looked directly at the middle-aged man and said, ¡°When you gave me a business card before, why were you grabbing it in your pocket?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a business card.¡±


    ¡°So long?¡±


    ¡°My thigh is itchy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that most of the herbs in this season haven¡¯t been harvested yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot of profit.¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t do anything to you.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan smiled and shook his head. Then, he reached out and pinched the little girl¡¯s face. Then, he flicked his finger.


    ¡°Ding¡­¡±


    A small hole popped up on the little girl¡¯s face, revealing the metal inside.


    The atmosphere in the carriage suddenly fell silent.


    The couple in front of them were obviously tense and ready to attack at any time, but they were afraid of something.


    Uchiha Tunan pointed at the little girl in surprise and said,


    ¡°You are so good at making up stories. Do you want to say that this thing is a Kugutsu doll that you imported from the Wind Country?¡±


    ¡°Puchi ¡ª¡°


    As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a blade piercing through the woman¡¯s heart from behind the seat.


    The person who had attacked was the conductor, the one who had been advised by Uchiha Tunan at the Fire Temple: Guan Gu Yifeng.


    After Guan Gu made a move, the middle-aged man acted like a frightened bird and moved his hand towards Uchiha Tunan.


    The middle-aged man clenched his left hand.


    The little girl¡¯s mouth suddenly split open, and a dense amount of bitterness shot out from her mouth, attacking Uchiha Tunan¡¯s face.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s expression did not change. He gently pinched the first kunai with his two fingers and then pushed the follow-up kunai away precisely.


    ¡°Ding ding ding¡­¡±


    Finally, he flicked his wrist, and the kunai instantly penetrated the little girl¡¯s head and nailed her to the seat.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    At this moment, the middle-aged man¡¯s right fist was less than an inch away from Uchiha Tunan¡¯s face.


    Uchiha Tunan raised his arm slightly and opened his five fingers.


    ¡°Pa!¡±


    The man¡¯s right fist landed firmly in Uchiha Tunan¡¯s palm.


    Uchiha Tunan slightly raised his eyebrows and murmured, ¡°This is¡­ Immortal Arts¡­¡±


    Then he slowly increased the strength of his five fingers, and with a ¡°bang¡± sound, the man¡¯s right fist was pinched into a lump of meat.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Ah!¡±


    Obviously, this man was not a tough man. He had lost the ability to resist in the intense pain.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes slightly widened, revealing three tomoe Sharingan. He cast a Hell¡¯s Eye on the middle-aged man.


    After a moment, the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes widened, his breath cut off, and he fell on the ground.


    From the illusion just now, Uchiha Tunan had already obtained the information he wanted.


    This middle-aged man was Chuunin from the Fire Capital, mainly doing spy missions like spying and assassination.


    Uchiha Tunan immediately got up and took out a note from the middle-aged man¡¯s pocket.


    There was nothing written on the note.


    Uchiha Tunan searched the note and found the sticky part smoothly. He tore the note into two pieces.


    It was this note that was made of two sticky notes. The side of the sticky note had a special rune drawn on it.


    On this note, if you use your fingers to write, it will be displayed on a scroll in another place.


    There is a certain distance limit, about several hundred miles.


    Obviously, this man came to spy on Uchiha Tunan.


    And those wandering Ninjas were just the victims behind the scenes who used them to test Uchiha Tunan¡¯s strength.


    Uchiha Tunan put the note into his storage bag with a clear conscience.


    Things like rune arrays were related to rare knowledge and could be studied when there was nothing to do.


    Guan Gu Yifeng came to Uchiha Tunan¡¯s side and said respectfully, ¡°Lord Tunan, I didn¡¯t think that I would be able to see you here.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan turned around and observed the passengers in the carriage. Through the ability of rolling his eyes, he confirmed that there was no chakra flowing in their bodies.


    Then he patted Guan Gu Yifeng on the shoulder and said,


    ¡°You are very good. I didn¡¯t expect that the once down and out man became a machinist now.¡±


    Guan Gu Yifeng was flattered and said, ¡°Do you need me to help you deal with it?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan nodded and returned to his seat. He said,


    ¡°Sorry to trouble you.¡±


    If there was a cup of hot tea, then it would be even better.


    ¡°There is, there is.¡±


    Guan Gu Yifeng swiftly carried the corpse to the connecting point of the carriage and threw it away. He did not know where he got a pot of tea for Uchiha Tunan.


    After respectfully greeting him, he tactfully did not disturb him and went to the driver¡¯s seat to control the train.


    A seemingly dangerous hijacking had ended just like that.


    The passengers in the carriage were all ordinary people. After seeing Uchiha Tunan¡¯s ruthlessness, they did not even dare to breathe loudly. How could they dare to approach him?


    Uchiha Tunan was naturally happy to be idle. Looking at the scenery outside the window, he took a sip of tea and picked up the drawing board to start writing again.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a dragon¡¯s lair or a tiger¡¯s den. Aren¡¯t you afraid of scaring me away?¡±

 CH 209

    At this time, in the underground palace under the Daimyo mansion of the Fire Capital.


    The underground palace was like a football field with three floors.


    The lowest floor was full of various instruments of torture, and there was a round table in the middle with a chair in the middle.


    Naraku sat on this chair, with the head of the Guard Mansion in his right hand, and Yamamoto Takao in his left.


    At the edge of the stage, the 12 guardians sat cross-legged, facing the prisoner, protecting Naraku in the middle.


    On the second floor of the stands, the guards of the Daimyo mansion and the death warriors trained by the famous mansion were all sitting cross-legged.


    On the third floor of the stands, there were numerous guards under the jurisdiction of the Guard mansion.


    On the lowest floor of the stage, the Disciplinary Minister Yamamoto read in the book,


    ¡°Nobuo Uro, who accepted bribes from the enemy country, sold contraband in private, committed a crime against the country, and was punished with thousands of cuts according to the new law.¡±


    A middle-aged man knelt down below the stage. After hearing Yamamoto Takao¡¯s judgment of him, he immediately pleaded like a mad demon,


    ¡°My lord! I only sold some food, I did not commit treason.¡±


    The man¡¯s hand trembled crazily, and he could not control his voice.


    His eyes were wide open. His eyeballs were covered in red blood, and there was a circle of gray marks around his eyes. It looked like he had not had a good rest for a long time.


    However, Naraku, who was closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep, waved her hand impatiently.


    The next moment, the middle-aged man was dragged to the torture device and tied up.


    ¡°You are so brutal. You will die a horrible death. The Kingdom of Fire will be buried in your hands by late!¡±


    As soon as the words fell, the middle-aged man was skillfully used iron pliers to pull out his tongue, so as not to harass the Daimyo.


    The people above had long been accustomed to this, and there was no sympathy in their eyes, all of them looking at each other coldly.


    Naraku slowly opened his eyes and sat cross-legged. His hands made a special gesture, and he said to Yamamoto Takao,


    ¡°This is the last one, right?¡±


    Yamamoto Takao immediately kneeled respectfully on the ground.


    He bowed his head and said,


    ¡°Reporting to my lord, there are only eighty-six criminals in this batch.¡±


    Naraku chuckled and nodded. ¡°It seems that the new law has been implemented well. Carry on with the execution.¡±


    Yamamoto Takao immediately stood up and ordered the executioner, ¡°Carry on with the execution.¡±


    Because it was underground, the temperature in the underground palace was lower than the ground. It was unknown where the cold wind came from, but it made many people shiver.


    As Yamamoto Takao finished speaking, the prisoners under the stage began to suffer the inhumane torture.


    There were cannon marks, snake bites, oil pots, and tens of thousands of knives.


    There was a drop of water torture in the gentler part, and there was also an additional torture(pasted on the face with wet paper, one by one, it was suffocating.)


    ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    Without exception, all the prisoners had their tongues pulled out, and they could only wail and struggle in pain.


    Only the tears of unwillingness fell from the corners of their eyes and fell on the cold ground.


    Under the torture, the emotions of the prisoners reached the peak of their lives.


    But as the torture continued, the prisoners breathed their last one after another.


    The moment they died, their spirits went from high to deathly silent, and a great power of emotion surged out from them.


    This power of emotion would be first absorbed by Naraku and the others.


    Those that could not be absorbed in a short period of time would be absorbed by the people on the second and third levels.


    It was obvious that after Naraku sent people to ask for the cultivation method of the celestial clan of the Fire Temple, she thought of this kind of unorthodox method to cultivate immortal arts.


    After tasting the taste of power, the new law that Naraku executed became more and more harsh.


    There was almost no punishment like detaining, only judging the severity of the crime to what degree of torture the prisoner had to suffer.


    Half an hour later, Naraku felt that the surrounding emotional force was gone, and then he reluctantly opened his hands.


    He clenched her fists, and a look of infatuation appeared on his face as she muttered, ¡°Strength always makes people lose themselves in it.¡±


    ¡°Ookawa.¡±


    ¡°Your subordinate is here.¡±


    ¡°Who hasn¡¯t arrived yet?¡±


    ¡°My lord, only Konoha¡¯s players are not here.¡±


    When Naraku heard this, a cold light flashed in his eyes. He said slowly, ¡°Still on my train?¡±


    Ookawa said in a deep voice, ¡°Yes, he will probably arrive at noon tomorrow.¡±


    A malicious smile flashed across Naraku¡¯s lips.


    ¡°No matter what, he is representing our country of fire. Go welcome him on my behalf.


    Don¡¯t lose my face.¡±


    With that, he stared at the people under the stage and narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    After going up to the river, Naraku placed his hands on the armrest and slowly stood up. ¡°Talang.¡±


    Yamamoto Takao immediately knelt on the ground and bowed his head. ¡°What instructions does the Lord have?¡±


    Naraku tapped his finger on the armrest and said, ¡°Add another rule on the new law, the crime of deceiving the Lord.¡±


    Yamamoto Takao said in a deep voice, ¡°I wonder what kind of punishment the Lord is going to arrange for this crime.¡±


    Naraku frowned slightly when he heard this. He reached out and rubbed her temples. After thinking for a long time, he sneered and said,


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of any more interesting torture at the moment. Just write an unpardonable crime.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The next day, at noon.


    ¡°Clang, clang, clang¡­¡±


    In the station of Fire Capital, a group of bare-armed workers was holding a shovel and opening up a new line.


    ¡°Dirty ¡ª¡°


    A worker straightened up and looked in the direction of the whistling sound.


    He saw a black steam train slowly approaching the station. At a rough glance, the front of the train seemed to give people a ferocious feeling, like a beast.


    The sky was originally clear, but behind the train, endless dark clouds appeared, like a dark gray curtain, spreading towards the capital of fire.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s going to rain.¡±


    The worker couldn¡¯t help but mutter.


    ¡°All of you, go back and rest. The station is temporarily under martial law.¡±


    Along with a dignified and deep shout, a group of city guards dressed in standard clothing and carrying long sabers drove the workers away, guarding every corner of the station.


    At this time, a middle-aged man with white hair rode a brown horse and arrived at the platform under the lead of several attendants.


    The middle-aged man was Uchiha Tunan¡¯s immediate superior when he was working in the Fire Capital, the head of the Guard Mansion, Ookawa.


    Ookawa narrowed his eyes and stared at the train coming towards him with a malicious gaze. No one knew what he was thinking in his heart.


    When the train arrived at the station and had not completely stopped, Ookawa spoke loudly,


    ¡°Welcome to Konoha¡¯s Chuunin, Uchiha Tunan, to participate in the five countries¡¯ honor. Fight for the honor of the Fire Country.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of guards in the station straightened their chests and shouted in unison, ¡°To fight for the honor of the country of fire.¡±


    ¡°To fight for the honor of the country of fire.¡±


    ¡°To fight for the honor of the country of fire.¡±


    ¡­¡­.


    In the carriage, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s ears moved slightly, his eyes turned scarlet, and the three jade hooks slowly circulated.


    His line of sight passed through the drawing board, the seat in the carriage, and the driver¡¯s seat in front of him, and he saw the scene at the station.


    Uchiha Tunan subconsciously narrowed his eyes, and the picture was gradually enlarged. His pupils reflected the figure of Ookawa.


    Then, the corners of his mouth curved slightly, and he slapped the drawing board on the table. He picked up the tea that was still warm and took a sip, muttering, ¡°Awesome.¡±

 CH 210

    As soon as the train arrived at the station, Uchiha Tunan took off his cap and threw it on the table.


    He took out the Konoha forehead guard from his ninja backpack and put it on his forehead. He stood up and stood in front of the carriage door.


    Guan Gu Yifeng opened the door to the driver¡¯s seat. He looked at Uchiha Tunan and said, ¡°Lord Tunan, be careful. I will pick you up when the time comes.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan nodded slightly.


    ¡°Chi ¡ª¡°


    Thick steam suddenly came out from the top of the train. The whole car seemed to be discouraged and stopped by the platform.


    Uchiha Tunan got off the car with an indifferent face and stood in front of the river.


    On his horse, Ookawa looked down at Uchiha Tunan with no intention of getting off his horse to greet him.


    ¡°How have you been, the first genius of Konoha?¡±


    Because of the height, if Uchiha Tunan wanted to talk to him, he had to look up at him.


    This was the effect that Ookawa wanted.


    He did this to let the Daimyo behind him know, and he would feel better.


    Making Uchiha Tunan embarrassed was equivalent to making him famous, and being famous was equivalent to being valued.


    Uchiha Tunan did not raise his head, but looked at the brown horse in front of him with a calm expression.


    The next moment, the pupils of the horse shrank, and it immediately foamed at the mouth and fell to the ground.


    The moment before the horse fell to the ground, Ookawa rolled over and landed firmly on the ground. He glared at Uchiha Tunan and said, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes were slightly strange, as if he was looking at a fool.


    ¡°I am a Ninja, not an official. Don¡¯t mess with me.


    Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will turn around and go back to Konoha?


    I can go back alive.


    But if you go back,


    Can you still be alive?¡±


    When Ookawa heard this, it choked up. Although the anger in his heart rose, he had to admit that what Uchiha Tunan said was right.


    With the people he brought now, if Uchiha Tunan turned around and left, they really couldn¡¯t stop him.


    When he returned to report, he might really lose his life.


    He immediately suppressed the anger in his heart and took a deep breath. ¡°My Lord has already prepared a residence for you. Please follow me.¡±


    After saying that, he turned around and left.


    Uchiha Tunan chuckled. He was too lazy to argue with this reckless man who controlled the violence of the capital all year round. He immediately followed.


    It had been three years since he left Fire Capital last time.


    This time, when he stepped into Fire Capital again, he found that Fire Capital had changed greatly.


    The entire city was expanded.


    With the city walls as the boundary, the former capital city was the inner city.


    A new city wall was built on the edge of the town outside the city, and it was divided into the outer city.


    The road was several times wider, and pine trees were planted on both sides, as the boundary between the pedestrians and the carriages.


    Many strange shops appeared in the capital of fire.


    This also proved that the people here lived much richer than before.


    After all, they were full of thoughts.


    Looking at this group of city guards, each of them was full of energy, and their military discipline was strict.


    The city guards that Uchiha Tunan took over were completely incomparable.


    At that time, the city guards were all walking casually, no different from ghosts entering the village.


    After Ookawa was defeated at the platform, he no longer had the mood to talk to Uchiha Tunan.


    Soon, under the surveillance of a group of city guards, Uchiha Tunan arrived at a large house.


    Ookawa said with a cold face, ¡°The day after tomorrow, we will go to the arena to start the competition. Don¡¯t run around for the next two days.


    The capital of fire is not too peaceful, don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan smiled and said softly, ¡°Naturally, I won¡¯t cause any trouble for Master Ookawa.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Ookawa extended his hand and gestured.


    The two city guards immediately ran to the front door of the house and opened it.


    Uchiha Tunan walked in expressionlessly.


    Ookawa looked at Uchiha Tunan¡¯s back as he walked into the house and narrowed his eyes.


    Let¡¯s see how long you can be arrogant.


    The two city guards closed the door again and stood on both sides.


    Ookawa looked around and ordered in a low voice, ¡°You guys stay here and guard. No one is allowed to enter or leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The city guards immediately shouted and surrounded the mansion.


    Ookawa turned around and walked towards the mansion.


    In the mansion.


    Naraku was soaked in a dark green potion, and his face trembled from time to time. It seemed that she was not feeling good.


    The maids beside him brought over a bowl of soup and offered it with both hands. ¡°My lord, the medicine has been prepared. Do you want to add some honey?¡±


    Naraku raised his head and closed his eyes as she muttered,


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a bitter medicine. The bitter medicine is the best.


    Besides, this medicine is not as bitter as the pain in my heart.¡±


    After saying that, he reached out to take the medicine and drank it all in one gulp.


    The moment he took the medicine, Naraku¡¯s face became extremely ugly, and the sweat on his forehead gurgled out.


    But he forced himself not to say a word.


    At this time, Ookawa arrived outside the curtain and did not speak. He just quietly knelt down on one knee.


    After a long time, Naraku let out a long sigh of relief. He raised his hands and slightly clenched them. A satisfied expression appeared on her face as she said,


    ¡°Have you arranged it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uchiha Tunan has already moved in.¡±Ookawa said in a deep voice.


    ¡°Very good, regardless of whether the information is accurate or not, regardless of whether he is the person I am looking for.


    At the very least, he can fight against the Three Ninjas, and he is now the strongest in Konoha.¡±


    Suddenly, Naraku raised his eyebrows and asked,


    ¡°This season, is it already over the time to grow seedlings?¡±


    ¡°How is our planting this year?¡±


    ¡°Yes, according to the information,¡± Ookawa said in a low voice.


    ¡°The crop farming area of the four countries this year is less than half of the previous year.


    Almost all of them planted cash crops under the lure of sky-high profits. ¡°


    Naraku chuckled. ¡°How much food have we accumulated? It¡¯s enough for the Fire Country to eat for a few years.¡±


    Ookawa counted in his heart and replied, ¡°At least twenty years.¡±


    Naraku twisted his neck and opened his mouth to eat a grape that the maid had fed him. As he chewed, he said,


    ¡°Enough, it¡¯s completely enough.


    In twenty years, the entire Ninja Realm is already mine.


    Da Kong, there¡¯s a thorn stuck in my throat. I can¡¯t swallow it, I can¡¯t spit it out.


    What do you think I should do? ¡°


    Ookawa was slightly stunned. He thought seriously and said, ¡°This¡­ If this subordinate encounters this kind of situation, I¡¯d swallow it by force.¡±


    Naraku took a deep breath and shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already advised you to read more books.


    Being uncultured is a more terrifying thing than having no strength.


    This is a metaphor, not a thorn, but Konoha.


    Ookawa immediately understood and said, ¡°This subordinate understands. The wooden leaf is stuck in the Lord¡¯s throat. We have to pull it out.¡±


    Naraku sighed and said slowly,


    ¡°Ninja Village should never exist.


    Now that everything is ready, we can start the war.


    Konoha has no White Fang, no Three Ninjas, as long as we get rid of Uchiha Tunan.


    Konoha basically has no high-end fighting force.


    When the war begins, we will sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight.


    Even if a skinny camel is bigger than a horse, Konoha will still be greatly injured.


    When the time comes, we will take the opportunity to take over Konoha, and then slowly annex the other big countries.


    Ookawa suddenly lowered his head and shouted: ¡°Lord is wise.¡±


    Naraku waved his hand and said, ¡°Go, pass my orders to the finance minister.


    Immediately push out new currency, the exchange ratio is one to ten thousand.


    The strategic resources of the famous mansion can only be purchased with new currency.


    Stop purchasing the economic crops of other countries.


    In addition, inform the guards to prepare for the battle. ¡°


    ¡°This subordinate obeys.¡± Ookawa responded in a low voice, then got up and walked outside.


    After a long time, Naraku¡¯s low voice sounded from the curtain.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know how long Konoha can last.¡±


    If the ninjas of the four countries can push the battle line to the vicinity of Konoha, that would be great.


    When the Fire Capital sends out their 20,000 troops, they might even be killed.


    In this case, in less than five years, the Ninja Realm will be mine.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Ah¡­ Ha¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is it!¡±


    Naraku, who was laughing wildly, suddenly closed his hands without hesitation.


    ¡°Immortal Technique ¨C Rock Dragon Technique.¡±


    Rumble!


    In the Daimyo mansion, a stone dragon soared into the sky and rushed into the dark clouds, swallowing a white pigeon hiding in the dark clouds.


    Shua, shua, shua.


    In an instant, six guardians appeared outside the curtain, all kneeling on one knee with fear on their faces. ¡°Lord, please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°In this critical period, you need to be more alert. There will be no next time.¡±


    In the dark curtain, the cold voice of Naraku sounded.


    The six guardians heaved a sigh of relief.


    At this time, Uchiha Tunan, who was drinking tea in the courtyard, suddenly raised his eyebrows, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.


    He could even detect a peep from thousands of meters up in the sky.


    Moreover, he could kill his own white pigeon in an instant.


    One had to know that his white pigeon had long been like metal, and was invulnerable.


    But in a moment, he was crushed into meat paste by the enormous pressure.


    Moreover, he had yet to control the white pigeon to open the White Eye Insight, yet he was actually able to be detected.


    This strength and alertness¡­


    An expert.

 CH 211

    He thought that there were experts guarding The Daimyo mansion.


    Therefore, Uchiha Tunan gave up on using white doves and Byakugan to spy for information.


    The eyes were very strange. There was clearly no chakra fluctuation.


    But for experts, they would always have an instinctive sense of vigilance.


    Perhaps¡­ it was because the level of the supercilious look was too low.


    Thinking of this, Uchiha Tunan immediately took a sip of tea, lay on the rocking chair, and closed his eyes to rest.


    It seemed that he was basking in the sun, but in fact, he was secretly launching a rumor to inquire about the nearby intelligence.


    However, there was no harvest after a whole day.


    It was as if all the residents nearby had been moved away.


    The next day.


    Early in the morning, Uchiha Tunan came to the courtyard and lay on the rocking chair, continuing to listen.


    At the same time, the house of Ueda Nobutake, the contestant from Hidden Cloud Village.


    Ueda Nobutake was sixteen years old this year. He was Chuunin of Hidden Cloud Village, but his strength had already reached Jounin¡¯s level.


    The only thing lacking was that his mission volume had not met the requirements.


    It just so happened that this honorary Chuunin competition was of great importance to all countries.


    Because Naraku had promised that the champion reward was a large amount of resources for free.


    At this time, however, Ueda Nobutake was frowning and writing information on the scroll. He muttered,


    ¡°No matter how I look at it, this place feels strange. It is clearly just an ordinary city guard, but it can make me feel some pressure.¡±


    After writing, he closed the scroll and then used the Summoning Spell to summon a lizard.


    ¡°Give the scroll to the village.¡±


    Tunan saw Ueda Nobutake put the scroll into the lizard¡¯s open mouth.


    At this moment, somewhere in the underground palace.


    Two Guardian Ninjas sitting cross-legged on the huge formation opened their eyes at the same time.


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    ¡°You go, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    The next moment, one of the Guardian Ninjas used the Instant Movement Technique and disappeared.


    At this time, Ueda Nobutake had just removed the Summoning Technique and came to the window to take a look outside.


    From time to time, he saw city guards patrolling the nearby roofs.


    Ueda Nobutake frowned and thought to himself, Looks like I have to go out and take a look.


    After thinking about it, Ueda Nobutake pushed open the door and walked out of the courtyard.


    ¡°Squeak ¡ª¡°


    The moment the courtyard door opened.


    The city guards stationed at the entrance all looked over.


    Two of the city guards stood in front of Ueda Nobutake. One of them said in a deep voice,


    ¡°The Daimyo has given orders to ensure the safety of the participants.


    The participants are not allowed to go out before the competition.


    If you need anything, you can tell us. ¡°


    ¡°I came all the way here to see the glory of Fire Capital.


    If you don¡¯t trust me, you can send more people to follow me.¡± Ueda Nobutake said.


    The city guard said with a firm expression, ¡°No.¡±


    Seeing that he had already said this, however, he was still rejected by a small city guard.


    Immediately, a look of annoyance appeared on his face, ¡°I am here on behalf of the Kingdom of Thunder, not a criminal. You do not have the right to imprison me.¡±


    The city guard continued to act impartially, ¡°Please go back, do not make things difficult for us.¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    Ueda Nobutake took a step forward, grabbed the guard¡¯s shoulder, and pushed him away.


    ¡°Stop him.¡± A city guard shouted.


    In the next moment, all the city guards rushed towards him.


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Ueda Nobutake coldly snorted and threw a punch at a city guard in front of him.


    After all, these city guards looked like ordinary people. If they had a carat, it was very likely that they would die.


    This was the capital of fire, and Ueda Nobutake was still a lot more restrained.


    Seeing this, the city guard on the opposite side also punched out.


    However, the city guard used all of his strength in this punch, and his fist still contained a thin Immortal Technique Chakra.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    After the two people¡¯s fists collided, they actually retreated a similar distance.


    Tanaka believed that his physical skills were far superior to that of ordinary people. He didn¡¯t expect that he would be able to compete with an ordinary city guard today. He immediately said with a face of disbelief, ¡°Damn it.¡±


    Seeing more and more city guards gathered around him, his expression immediately became serious. He jumped high into the air, and his body burst out with dazzling lightning.


    ¡°Get out of the way! Lightning Style ¨C Heavy Stream.¡±


    ¡°Impudent!¡±


    A loud shout suddenly rang out from the distance.


    Suddenly, a huge splash of water bloomed on the ground below Ueda Nobutake.


    The splash was like a man-eating flower that swallowed Ueda Nobutake in one gulp.


    The knowledge of water being able to conduct electricity was something that Ueda Nobutake was still able to understand.


    The instant he was swallowed by the water, he removed his ninjutsu.


    The next moment, the water flower turned into a water ball. No matter how Ueda Nobutake struggled or released his chakra, he was trapped inside.


    At this time, all the city guards made way.


    They saw a man with black hair and white eyebrows pass through the crowd and come to the front of the water ball. He crossed his arms and said,


    ¡°This is the capital of fire. If you come here, you have to follow the rules.


    If you still dare to send information privately in the capital of fire, or disturb the order.


    Then I will follow my lord¡¯s orders and execute you on the spot.


    If you understand, blink.


    If you don¡¯t understand.


    I will kill you right now.¡±


    If it was just an ordinary water prison technique, he only needed to release his chakra before the water prison was completely formed.


    But this water prison seemed a bit strange, the water inside actually contained a special kind of toughness.


    This was something that he had never seen before.


    Ueda Nobutake who was about to suffocate, crazily blinked his eyes.


    ¡°Humph!¡± The black haired, white browed man coldly snorted, then snapped his fingers and released the ninjutsu.


    The water prison dispersed.


    The moment the water came into contact with the ground, it sank into the ground.


    It was as if the ground was not paved with bricks but a piece of sponge.


    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡±


    Ueda Nobutake knelt on the ground with his hands on the ground and greedily breathed in the air. His eyes were full of anger.


    ¡°You have violated the diplomatic principle by doing this.¡±


    The black-haired, white-browed man lowered his eyes and said slowly,


    ¡°You are free to report this to your Raikage.


    In addition, I will tell you clearly.


    Even if you are in the room.


    Your every move is under our watch.


    Don¡¯t try to play any tricks.


    Now, get back.¡±


    Hearing this, Ueda Nobutake only felt anger stuck in his chest. He said angrily, ¡°You¡­ Okay, I will remember it.¡±


    After that, he stood up unsteadily and turned to walk toward the house.


    At the same time, Uchiha Tunan, who was resting in the courtyard, slowly opened his eyes. He touched his chin and muttered,


    ¡°That¡¯s not right. The conflict hasn¡¯t even happened yet. Why has this guy already set off?


    He should have known the news beforehand. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have arrived so quickly.


    What exactly is hidden in The Daimyo mansion?¡±


    In the next moment, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes turned three times, and he raised his head to look at the sky.


    Suddenly, Uchiha Tunan narrowed his eyes and found that the entire sky above the Fire Capital was filled with thin and special Chakra.


    This kind of Chakra was extremely familiar to Uchiha Tunan.


    ¡°This is¡­ Konoha¡¯s barrier¡­¡±


    This is the highest secret of Konoha, where did Naraku get it from?


    Suddenly, two figures flashed in Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mind: Orochimaru and Danzo.


    It seems that I underestimated the temptation of money.


    Things are getting more and more interesting.


    Honorary Chuunin competition, showing off the strength of the country?


    What kind of joke was this? Naraku was not such a person.


    At this time, in the deepest part of the underground palace.


    This place was like an underground city. The edge of the city was a steel wall.


    The walls were covered in seal runes to isolate the aura and sound.


    The people living here were not commoners, but soldiers that Naraku had privately nurtured.


    Naraku followed the group of guardians down to a stand above the underground city.


    He looked down at the densely packed soldiers who were sitting cross-legged in the middle of the underground city square and practicing hand seals.


    He narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°How long will it take to develop the improved version of the Chakra Potion?¡±


    A Guardian Ninja behind him bowed and said, ¡°My Lord, ever since Orochimaru died, our progress has almost stopped.¡±


    Naraku touched her chin and said slowly,


    ¡°The Chakra Potion is too precious.


    If we don¡¯t develop a modified product.


    Even if we control most of the wealth in the world, we can¡¯t popularize it.


    I have to find a way to speed up the progress. After tomorrow, you guys will secretly search for researchers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°How many people have reached the level of Genin now?¡±


    ¡°Just a little over two thousand.¡±


    Naraku placed both of her hands on the railing and crush it with his bare hand.


    The iron railing was instantly deformed.


    ¡°2,000¡­


    50,000 people cultivated day and night.


    There were 30,000 people who could cultivate chakra.


    However, only 2,000 people had the strength of Genin after such a long time.


    This is the result of me overdrawing the world¡¯s wealth for dozens of years in advance in exchange for a huge amount of resources.


    It seems that the gap in bloodline talent is more difficult to break through than I imagined.


    Tomorrow, bring these two thousand people around the arena, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

 CH 212

    The next day.


    Early in the morning, Uchiha Tunan went to the arena under the protection of a group of city guards.


    At this time, Uchiha Tunan learned that the venue of the honorary Chuunin competition was not in the city but outside the city.


    Coincidentally, the address was in Mount Zhifu.


    In the past few days, Fire Capital had always been cloudy.


    At this time, dark clouds were pressing down on the top of the sky, and the sky was gray, giving people an extremely oppressive feeling.


    Soon, Uchiha Tunan arrived outside the arena.


    The cliff that Abe Akira once lived on had been transformed into a tilted step, and the arena was at the top of the step.


    There were soldiers standing on both sides of the steps and around the stands, all of them in high spirits and motionless.


    The valley had been transformed into a huge venue for the competition. It was completely surrounded by tall walls, like a city wall. There were soldiers with long sabers hanging from their waists.


    Perhaps it was because Uchiha Tunan did not know much about the aesthetics of the people of the Fire Capital.


    There were dozens of meters tall stone pillars standing all over Mount Zhifu.


    Each stone sculpture seemed to have been crafted by a craftsman, and the patterns were different.


    Under the arrangements of the city guards, Uchiha Tunan walked through the small door at the bottom of the arena.


    After passing through the dark passage, he successfully arrived at the arena.


    At this time, the other four contestants were already standing in the other four directions of the arena.


    When the four of them saw Uchiha Tunan arrive, their eyes were filled with hostility.


    However, Uchiha Tunan was not interested in them at all. He turned his gaze to the top of the stairs.


    Gradually, the figure of Ookawa appeared above the stairs.


    Ookawa took a deep breath and knelt on one knee on the ground. He said in a clear voice, ¡°The contestants are already in position. Welcome, Your Highness.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, a group of dancers began to dance on the square above the steps. The musicians also began to beat and play instruments, and the sound of music rang out.


    And all the soldiers present were on one knee.


    With a fanatical look in their eyes, they shouted in unison,


    ¡°Welcome, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Welcome, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Welcome, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡­¡­.


    The voices were loud and uniform.


    Fanatical shouts resounded throughout Mount Zhifu.


    At this time, Naraku was followed by the twelve guardians and walked up the steps step by step.


    After 10 minutes, Naraku stood in the square and slowly turned around. Her malicious eyes stared at Uchiha Tunan below.


    The two looked at each other for several seconds.


    At this time, the shouts and music stopped.


    A meaningful smile flashed across Naraku¡¯s lips. She raised her left hand and pointed a few times, ¡°Don¡¯t stop, continue playing, continue dancing.¡±


    The music sounded again.


    Naraku also turned around and went to the highest seat in the stands to sit down.


    The twelve guardians, on the other hand, protected Naraku in a semi-circle.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but he was secretly calculating in his heart.


    It seemed that something was going to happen today.


    It was a grand and glorious Chuunin competition, but there was not a single outsider watching it.


    Moreover, after Uchiha Tunan left the city, he found that the enchantment of the Fire Capital had been completely activated, and the scope had expanded, covering the outer city.


    If he guessed correctly, even if there was a landslide outside the enchantment.


    The residents of the Fire Capital could not detect it at all.


    What are you trying to do? If you want to kill me, do you need to take so many detours?


    Even if you are worried that you will hurt the innocent residents in the Fire Capital.


    You can kill me halfway when I am still on the train.


    At this time, Uchiha Tunan also could not figure out what Naraku was going to do.


    In public, it was not good to observe directly.


    Naer sat in his seat with a strange smile on his face. He said slowly,


    ¡°Today is a big day.


    This weather makes me dislike it. It¡¯s too stuffy.¡±


    ¡°This subordinate understands.¡± The two Guardian Ninjas behind him immediately bowed their heads and answered, then came to the side of Naraku.


    The three of them quietly looked at each other and nodded in tacit understanding.


    The same frequency was to form seals.


    Immortal Technique ¨C Air Blast Spell.


    The three of them raised their heads and simultaneously shot three air bombs into the sky, shooting into the dark clouds.


    A moment later, the dark clouds in the sky suddenly surged.


    The gray sky was like a stone that fell into a calm lake, causing ripples in the air.


    Suddenly, the dark clouds seemed to be frightened and scattered in all directions, revealing the vast blue sky.


    Rumble!


    At this time, everyone present heard a shocking explosion.


    After the explosion, a fierce wind whistled over, raising dust and dust, flying sand and stones, and the mountain forest roaring.


    The strong wind blew the big tree to the side, and the leaves struggled and rolled in the wind.


    Naraku¡¯s long hair flew up, and she stretched out her hand to stop the guardian Ninja who wanted to release Ninjutsu to block the wind, and a carefree smile appeared on her face.


    Her eyes once again moved to Uchiha Tunan.


    A moment later, the wind stopped.


    Naraku opened her hands and stared at the arena below. ¡°You are all the top players of various countries, Chuunin. I welcome you to participate in the honorary Chuunin competition held by the Fire Country.¡±


    The players from Hidden Sand Village had a strange expression on their faces. ¡°The Daimyo name of the Fire Country is too strange.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± A white-haired Guardian shouted angrily and immediately formed a seal.


    The next moment, a tilted stone stick suddenly appeared in front of the Sand Hidden Village player and slammed him into the wall of the arena.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Puff ¡ª¡± The Sand Village player had a shocked expression on his face as he spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Scarlet blood flowed onto the stone rod and spread out.


    Naraku didn¡¯t even look at the Sand Village player as he leisurely said,


    ¡°When I speak, I don¡¯t like others interrupting.


    Since you are not a member of the Fire Country, I will spare your life.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the old guardian released the Ninjutsu and put the Sand Hidden Village player down.


    Naraku slowly got up and walked forward with her hands behind her back. As she walked, she said loudly,


    ¡°My Fire Country has a lot of land and is prosperous and rich.


    Konoha is the leader of the five big countries.


    Konoha is the strongest village in the world.


    And him!¡±


    Suddenly, Naraku pointed at Uchiha Tunan, and everyone¡¯s eyes moved to him.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s expression did not change as he quietly looked at Naraku.


    ¡°Konoha¡¯s number one genius, Uchiha Tunan.


    However, I don¡¯t think this title is worthy of him.


    He personally killed Orochimaru and defeated Tsunade.¡±


    The pupils of the four contestants shrank when they heard this, and they stared at Uchiha Tunan in disbelief.


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what kind of Chuunin is this guy?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    A meaningful smile appeared on Nara¡¯s face as he continued:


    ¡°Konoha¡¯s Sannin, he defeated two.


    I think he can be called the number one genius in the world of Jounin.


    So to be fair.


    Today¡¯s game was divided into two camps.


    One was Konoha, and the other was other.


    Which camp¡¯s players died first means that the other camp won.¡±


    As soon as his voice fell, the four countries on the field slowly moved their feet and gradually approached each other. At the same time, they were on guard against Uchiha Tunan, looking as if they were facing a great enemy.

 CH 213

    Seeing this, a satisfied smile appeared on Naraku¡¯s face. He turned around and sat down in his seat, gently waving his hand.


    The maids carried a short table full of fruits and wine to Naraku and put it down.


    Naraku picked up the wine glass on the table, put it to his mouth, and said slowly, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    With that, he finished the wine in one gulp.


    As the wine entered his throat, Naraku¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed.


    At this moment, a Guardian Ninja beside him lowered his head and whispered, ¡°My Lord, it¡¯s over.¡±


    Naraku put down the wine glass with an unhappy expression.


    In the arena, the four players surrounded Uchiha Tunan and he was slowly putting Kusanagi Sword back into the sheath.


    Naraku tapped his finger on the table and gestured for the maid beside him to pour wine. He muttered,


    ¡°What a disappointment, what a disappointment.¡±


    The Guardian Ninja beside him whispered, ¡°My Lord, shall we¡­¡±


    Naraku reached out and interrupted the Guardian Ninja. She said slowly,


    ¡°Take your time. I have waited for this day for a long time. Don¡¯t let my entertainment be too short.¡±


    After saying that, Naraku took a deep breath, sat up straight, raised her hand and pointed straight at Uchiha Tunan, and said in a clear voice,


    ¡°Uchiha Tunan, you are very good, very good¡­¡±


    Please take a seat, I want to drink with the champion of the competition.


    Soon, more than a dozen children of six or seven years old carried tables and chairs and wine to Uchiha Tunan.


    Uchiha Tunan sat down calmly.


    At this time, a few children winked at Uchiha Tunan crazily and whispered with surprise,


    ¡°Tunan, it¡¯s us.¡±


    ¡°Tunan, I miss you so much.¡±


    ¡­¡­.


    Uchiha Tunan glanced at them.


    He nodded slightly without leaving a trace.


    Then, he lowered his eyes and looked at a child pouring wine for his wine glass.


    However, while pouring wine, the child whispered with a worried face,


    ¡°Tunan, don¡¯t drink it.¡±


    The wine was pure amber in color, but when it was poured into the cup, there was a bluish-green bubble.


    Everyone could see that there was a big problem with the wine.


    At this time, Naraku picked up the glass, and a meaningful smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°Uchiha Tunan, do you remember these children?


    They are the children you adopted before.


    I guess you must miss them very much, so I asked them to pour you wine.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan lowered his eyes and did not look at Naraku. He bowed honestly and said, ¡°Thank you very much, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I propose a toast to you.¡±


    Naraku raised her head and drank all the wine. She did not put down the empty glass and just stared at Uchiha Tunan.


    After a few seconds, he saw that Uchiha Tunan had not raised his glass.


    Naraku had a look of realization on his face, and he said considerately,


    ¡°I forgot that the three taboos of the Ninja are not allowed to drink.


    If you don¡¯t want to drink, I won¡¯t force you.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Ookawa shout,


    ¡°Drink.¡±


    Then, the soldiers around the arena shouted in unison,


    ¡°Drink.¡±


    ¡°Drink.¡±


    ¡°Drink.¡±


    ¡­¡­.


    Naraku smiled even more.


    Uchiha Tunan seemed to be in a dilemma. His face was extremely ugly and his body was trembling slightly.


    However, it was unknown whether it was because of anger or fear.


    After a long time, Uchiha Tunan took a deep breath, picked up the wine glass, closed his eyes, and drank it.


    Seeing Uchiha Tunan drink the wine, the soldiers stopped shouting.


    Naraku¡¯s expression also instantly became cold.


    After a long time, Uchiha Tunan finally opened his eyes. With a face full of surprise, he reached out his hands and touched his body, as if he was surprised that he was not poisoned.


    Then, he let out a long sigh of relief and bowed with a face full of surprise.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness, for the wine.¡±


    Naraku snorted coldly and threw the wine glass to the ground.


    ¡°Pa!¡±


    The moment the wine cup fell, the children around Uchiha Tunan attacked at the same time.


    The child who poured the wine condensed an icicle in his palm and stabbed it at Uchiha Tunan¡¯s heart.


    The child who was closer took out the Kunai hidden in his sleeve and attacked Uchiha Tunan.


    The one who was further away took out several swords in his hand.


    All of this happened in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Ding ding ding¡­¡±


    In an instant, the sound of metal clashing rang out.


    Everyone felt their vision blur. In the blink of an eye, they saw that Uchiha Tunan was still sitting in his seat.


    He was slowly sheathing his sword, but his expression did not change at all.


    In the next moment, no matter how close the children were, they all clutched their necks and fell to the ground.


    Naraku stood up and said in a low voice,


    ¡°You really are Abe Akira.¡±


    When Uchiha Tunan heard this, his slightly angry face immediately turned into a confused expression.


    Puzzled, he asked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Your Highness is talking about.¡±


    The corners of Naraku¡¯s mouth curled into a sinister smile. He slowly sat down and leisurely said,


    ¡°I have read your information.


    You were born in the Uchiha clan, and your parents were ordinary Chuunin.


    However, after your parents died, you showed great talent.


    In just a few years, you were able to fight against Sannin.


    Uchiha Tunan nodded and said, ¡°This is the result of my hard work.¡±


    Naraku seemed to have heard a big joke. He immediately sneered and said,


    ¡°Hard work?


    One person only had that much energy.


    I found several top doctors, and after a few rounds of research, they managed to combine more than ten types of poison into one.


    Moreover, these ten types of poison are mutually restraining each other, so there won¡¯t be any toxicity after drinking it.


    I order someone to put the medicine into your wine.


    This cup of wine, anyone can see that it is poisonous.


    If you are not proficient in pharmacology, how can you dare to drink it?


    The pharmacology is not something that can be learned overnight. The only thing I can think of is my teacher, Abe Akira.


    Don¡¯t say that you, a person who was born in Konoha since childhood, will give up your heart and obey every word.


    Of course, if you insist on saying this, I will order you to commit suicide on the spot to prove it. ¡°


    Hearing this, Uchiha Tunan was silent for a moment, then sighed,


    ¡°I used to study under Mr. Abe Akira for a period of time.


    He taught me a lot of knowledge, including pharmacology.


    Your Highness, you also know that Ninjas often carry out assassination missions.


    So in terms of pharmacology, I put in a lot of effort.


    Moreover, although I am a ninja, in terms of knowledge, my talent in learning is very high.


    I have been number one since I was young.¡±


    When Naraku heard this, he did not believe Uchiha Tunan¡¯s words at all. He said slowly,


    ¡°I can say that you are talented.


    Someone come, it¡¯s evidence.


    At this time, a maid walked into the arena with a stack of clothes, placed the clothes on Uchiha Tunan¡¯s table, and then left.


    Uchiha Tunan touched the clothes and narrowed his eyes.


    Then, he raised his head and looked at Naraku with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Naraku leaned forward slightly. He looked down at Uchiha Tunan and said in a deep tone,


    ¡°This is something that was found in the place where they believed to be the house of Abe Akira.


    An¡­ ordinary outer garment.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Your Highness means.¡±


    A hint of ridicule flashed in Naraku¡¯s eyes. He reached out and stroked his chin.


    ¡°Everything seems to be reasonable there.


    The clothes were all neatly stacked in the wardrobe.


    But there was only one coat that was not in the wardrobe but in the mud.¡±

 CH 214

    Seeing that Uchiha Tunan was still confused, Naraku paused and continued,


    ¡°When Teacher Abe Akira appeared in Fire Capital, it was midsummer.


    I made a bold guess.


    You killed the original Abe Akira.


    The corpse and the clothes on the body were all cleaned up.


    Before leaving, you transformed into Abe Akira.


    In order to be safe, you took the clothes from the wardrobe and put them on yourself.


    Right?


    Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    The more Naraku spoke, the more excited he became. His face was also filled with the joy of a victor as he continued,


    ¡°But you forgot one thing.


    In the hot summer, not only would one not cover themselves with a blanket, one would also not wear a coat to sleep.


    Therefore, Abe Akira¡¯s coat was hung on the door.


    But you didn¡¯t notice it.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s expression did not change. He quickly calculated in his heart and said lightly, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s dirty and not wahed.¡±


    When Naraku heard this, he looked up at the sky and laughed a few times. He clapped and said, ¡°I like to see you being stubborn.¡±


    After saying that, he stared into Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes. Her excited expression was not concealed at all, and he felt a sense of superiority.


    After several second, Naraku realized that he had lost her composure, so he straightened her expression and said,


    ¡°In fact, you should know that your Hokage sama has already told me your identity.¡±


    Hearing this, Uchiha Tunan was suddenly startled, his face was full of disbelief, and gradually his expression fell. He sighed and said:


    ¡°Ah ¡ª


    Because I killed the favorite disciple of teacher Sarutobi, Orochimaru Sensei.


    He even exposed Tsunade senpai¡¯s unfair behavior, forcing Tsunade senpai and Jiraya senpai out of the village.


    Because of this, Teacher Sarutobi has a grudge against me.


    I have already broken up with him.


    Now I follow Danzo san.


    I really didn¡¯t think that Teacher Sarutobi would use such a ridiculous thing to slander me. ¡°


    As Uchiha Tunan spoke, he made a very pained expression.


    Naraku frowned and thought for a moment. He nodded and said,


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.


    I only said that you are Abe Akira.


    He is my teacher.


    Even if I mistook you for someone else, how can it be considered slander?


    Do you know something?¡±


    At this point, Naraku¡¯s eyes were full of ridicule as he stared at Uchiha Tunan, trying to observe the subtle expression on his face.


    Before Uchiha Tunan could reply, he continued,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let me help you think about how to quibble.¡±


    ¡°You can say that you found out from various sources that Abe Akira was probably a spy from the enemy country, and that he was trying to sow discord between The Daimyo and Konoha, right?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan lowered his head and took a deep breath. He nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Naraku sneered. The expression on his  face was completely restrained. He regained his usual viciousness and said word by word,


    ¡°What a pity¡­


    I was just interested and wanted to see your reaction.


    In fact, I already knew the truth three days after you left.


    I sent people to capture all the animals in Mount Zhifu and searched their memories one by one.


    You thought that your actions were flawless and you wanted to deceive me with lies.


    Looking at how you were full of lies just now, in my eyes, you are just a joke.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan chuckled and could not be bothered to continue pretending. He slowly stood up.


    With his hands behind his back, he looked at Naraku indifferently and said,


    ¡°Naraku, playing with people isn¡¯t like this.


    Taking such a big detour, isn¡¯t the final goal of forcing me to show myself?


    You, it seems that you are not mature enough.


    Naughty.¡±


    As he spoke, Uchiha Tunan quickly formed a seal with his hands behind his back and activated the Transformation Spell.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s appearance was changing at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    His black hair began to turn white from the roots until it turned into strands of silver.


    His skin gradually became wrinkled, and even old age spots appeared.


    On his aged face, the cheekbones on both sides of his face protruded out.


    The withered and wrinkled triangular face coupled with Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes, which were as deep as an ancient lake, made him look like an eagle looking at a wolf.


    Just this appearance alone made many soldiers with poor temperament feel a strong sense of oppression.


    ¡°Now that your master has appeared, you can start your performance.¡±


    Naraku looked at the figure who he was thinking day and night, gasping for breath a few times, and a look of desire appeared on his face.


    ¡°Teacher, do you know why I put in so much effort and made such a big scene to say these words to you?


    I not only want to avenge my father.


    I also want you to see if I am stronger than you. ¡°


    The corners of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mouth curled up slightly, and he formed a seal with one hand.


    The next moment, a stone pillar protruded out from the ground beneath Uchiha Tunan¡¯s feet and propped him up to the same height as Naraku.


    The Twelve Guardian Ninjas raised their eyebrows and subconsciously stood in front of Naraku, shouting, ¡°Protect the Lord!¡±


    The surrounding soldiers all drew their long sabers, ready for battle.


    ¡°Move!¡±


    Naraku shouted, pushing away the Guardian Ninja in front of him. He took a few steps forward, stared at Uchiha Tunan, and gnahed his teeth,


    ¡°Controlling the human heart, I am stronger than you.


    Look at the orphans you saved. In the end, they still surrendered to me.


    Do you feel the taste of betrayal?


    In fact, I have another guess, but I have never been sure.


    Teacher¡­ can you tell me the truth?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan looked at Naraku indifferently and said, ¡°You ask.¡±


    Naraku took a deep breath and said slowly,


    ¡°Although it is incredible, I still feel that a few years old person can not understand so much knowledge.


    Without the accumulation of huge resources, no matter how talented you are, it is impossible for you to transform into strength so quickly.


    I have read through all the documents in recent decades and found that there is a person who is extremely consistent with you.


    You¡­ are you Uchiha Madara?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s pupils suddenly shrank, as if he had been stepped on by a painful foot. He immediately shouted angrily, ¡°Courting death!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, he activated the Lightning Escape Secret Technique ¨C Thunder God Soul, communicating with the lightning ions in nature and condensing them together.


    Instantly, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s silver hair danced in the air, lightning arcs surrounding his body, and his demonic might was brilliant.


    When the soldiers saw this scene, they all widened their eyes and nervously grasped the hilt of their swords.


    Seeing Uchiha Tunan like this, a look of ecstasy appeared on Naraku¡¯s face. He looked up at the sky and laughed,


    ¡°Ha ha ha¡­


    Sure enough, I am the smartest one. ¡°


    At this moment, Uchiha Tunan was covered in lightning, and his eyes seemed to be burning with anger. He said with a gloomy face,


    ¡°My good disciple, don¡¯t you understand?


    The smarter a person is, the faster they die. ¡°


    The dark clouds in the sky seemed to be summoned, like a galloping army of thousands of men and horses rushing towards the top of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s head.


    Looking at it now, Naraku had asked the Guardian and Ookawa to attack the dark clouds in order to affect Uchiha Tunan¡¯s use of the Thunder Escape Technique.


    Right at this moment, Ookawa and the two Guardian Ninjas stood together once again. At the same time, they formed a seal and said in a low voice,


    ¡°Immortal Technique ¨C Void Explosion Technique.¡±


    Dense explosions shot into the sky above them.


    It exploded in the sky, creating a powerful airflow.


    For a moment, Dark Cloud was forced into a corner.


    ¡°I know your moves, how could I not be prepared for you to jump over the wall in desperation?


    Uchiha Madara, today is the day you die.


    I will let you feel what is called despair.


    Music, dance, wine! ¡°


    Naraku was extremely happy. He turned around and returned to his seat, watching this spectacular show.


    Uchiha Tunan raised his eyes and looked at the dark clouds that were unable to gather. With a thought, he used Immortal Technique Chakra.


    Immortal Technique ¨C Thunder God Soul.


    The dark clouds in the sky seemed to have been injected with chicken blood. They gathered together against the strong airflow.


    As if they had been soaked in ink, the black mass sank down.


    The muffled thunder was like a furious wave in the sky, rolling from far to near, from weak to strong.


    Rays of blue lightning stretched in all directions in the shape of strange branches, cutting the entire sky into pieces.


    Lightning flahed continuously, as if it were forgoing to strike down in the next second.


    No matter how Ookawa and the others released the explosive hells below, the thunderclouds only rolled about for a few symbolic moments.


    Seeing this, Ookawa said with a serious face, ¡°It can¡¯t be scattered at all.¡±


    Naraku, on the other hand, had a confident look on his face as he said without the slightest bit of panic,


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Let¡¯s drink first. What harm is there in letting this old fellow do something?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes were already completely indifferent, and there was no emotion related to humans.


    The five fingers of his right hand were bent into a claw shape, and he raised it high.


    In the next moment, the lightning around Uchiha Tunan condensed in the heart of his claws and turned into a blazing white thunder ball.


    In an instant, the thunder ball burst out with dazzling white light.


    The white light suddenly shot through the clouds, and suddenly, the dark clouds in the sky seemed to be enraged, and the whole place lit up with dazzling blue light.


    Immortal magic ¨C Myriad Thunder Celestial Prison.


    Rumble!


    Countless thunder dragons that were as mighty as hell poked their heads out from the clouds and descended towards the earth.


    A Guardian Ninja couldn¡¯t help but want to use Ninjutsu, but he was stopped by Naraku.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, believe in science.¡±


    In the time it took for a spark to fly, the lightning dragon struck the entire mountain.


    The entire world was filled with blinding white light, making it impossible for people to see what was happening on Mount Zhifu.


    Most of the soldiers only heard a world-shaking boom in their ears before they temporarily lost their hearing.


    As for Naraku, he closed his eyes and listened to the continuous rumbling.


    His hands actually followed the rhythm of the sound and began to move gracefully.


    It was as if this world-destroying sound was nothing more than the music played by nature.


    After the time it took to make a cup of tea, the dark clouds in the sky seemed to have poured out all of their energy and dissipated.


    The world regained its clarity.


    Uchiha Tunan withdrew from the state of Thunder God Soul and looked at the scene in front of him with a surprised expression.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    He saw that the surface of the thousands of stone sculptures that stood on Mount Zhifu had already been shattered by the lightning, revealing the metal inside.


    These metals had already been suffused with red light under the effects of the lightning, and the heat waves were surging.


    Naraku shook his head playfully.


    ¡°Teacher, this thing is called a lightning rod. What you see is only a small section.


    Below¡­ it is connected to the underground river.


    Your lightning technique is useless¡­ ¡°

 CH 215

    Half an hour ago, in the Fire Capital.


    In the house that Uchiha Tunan had arranged before.


    ¡°The enchantment has been activated for so long, and the instant-clone is still alive.


    It seems that it is not as dangerous as I thought. ¡°


    Uchiha Tunan sat cross-legged in front of the short table in the room, took a sip of tea, and slowly put down the teacup.


    Then he got up and went to the window to look around.


    He heard the bustling sounds of the streets outside.


    Obviously, the martial law had ended, and the surrounding soldiers had been transferred away.


    In this situation, the experts of The Daimyo Mansion would definitely follow Naraku.


    As for those ordinary guards, in Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes, they were no different from defenseless guards.


    Uchiha Tunan looked in the direction of the Daimyo Mansion, and the corners of his mouth slightly curved.


    ¡°Let me see what good things you have found over the years.¡±


    In the next moment, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes turned jade white, and he activated the ability of Byakugan.


    The world in his eyes became red, and his sight penetrated layers of walls, looking through the entire Daimyo mansion.


    Uchiha Tunan frowned.


    There was actually nothing strange about it, how could it be?


    Following that, Uchiha Tunan shifted his gaze downwards.


    Suddenly, Uchiha Tunan raised his eyebrows, only to find that his vision was blocked by complicated sealing techniques.


    ¡°So it¡¯s underground. It¡¯s hidden quite deep.¡±


    In the next moment, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s figure disappeared.


    Knowing that Naraku would attack him, Uchiha Tunan naturally wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to go and kill him.


    After all, the entire Konoha knew that he defeated Orochimaru and Tsunade.


    There was no reason that Naraku didn¡¯t know.


    Since Naraku knew about his general fighting strength,


    He even dared to set up such a formation to welcome him.


    Then he must be prepared.


    This was a real world, not a hot-blooded anime that revolved around the protagonist¡¯s perspective.


    Uchiha Tunan would not underestimate anyone, especially someone who could control Konoha¡¯s forces from a distance in the Fire Capital.


    During this trip to Fire Capital, Uchiha Tunan had seen too many strange things.


    In particular, the Temple of Fire¡¯s immortal arts seemed to have been popularized in the army.


    This was extremely outrageous.


    One had to know that he had the assistance of the Jade Algae;


    As long as the living beings in this world were endless, he would be able to absorb enough emotional force to cultivate immortal arts.


    However, only a few people in the Temple of Fire had successfully cultivated immortal arts.


    In order to cultivate immortal arts, they had to enlighten their believers day and night to obtain a pitiful amount of emotional force.


    The emotional force was the greatest threshold of immortal arts cultivation.


    What method did Naraku use to break this threshold? This piqued Uchiha Tunan¡¯s interest.


    There was one more thing.


    The feeling he got from Ookawa was very strange.


    When they met in Fire Temple two years ago, Uchiha Tunan had felt this strange.


    Now Uchiha Tunan knew that this was a situation where the body was passively refining chakra.


    It was the same as wearing a radiation necklace.


    The problem was that there was no sign of aging or death in Ookawa.


    This was terrifying.


    The strongest clan with the best chakra talent were Uchiha, Senju, Uzumaki, and Hyuga.


    These Ninja Clan were all related to the Otsutsuki.


    It must be known that the average time for Ninjas to refine Chakra every day was around an hour, and the efficiency was about the same.


    The amount of chakra extracted by the Uchiha Clan for an hour was about three times that of ordinary Ninjas.


    The Senju and the Uzumaki Clan might be even stronger.


    It had been more than three years since he left the Fire Capital last time.


    If Naraku and the others could continuously refine Chakra 24 hours a day.


    Then these three years would be equivalent to 72 years of cultivation for ordinary ninjas.


    It was equivalent to a normal member of the Uchiha Clan cultivating for twenty-four years.


    Ten minutes later.


    At the entrance of the treasure vault in the depths of the underground palace.


    Six soldiers with the strength of Genin stood motionless at the entrance.


    All of a sudden, the pupils of the six soldiers dilated, as if they had lost their consciousness.


    They saw white pigeons appear in the air at the entrance, and it was unknown where they had flown in from.


    These white pigeons gathered together and turned into Uchiha Tunan.


    ¡°Open the door.¡± Uchiha Tunan said lightly.


    The six soldiers shook their heads and pointed at a mural next to the gate.


    Uchiha Tunan looked to the side and saw that the mural was painted with a complex sealing spell.


    Do I need to use a special method to open it?


    Uchiha Tunan reached out and touched his chin.


    Unfortunately, other than the general public seal tactics like the storage scroll, Uchiha Tunan did not have any other seal tactics.


    He immediately gave up on breaking the seal, pulled out Kusanagi Sword from his back, and stabbed it into the tall stone door.


    Surprisingly, the thickness of the stone door seemed to be a bit beyond imagination, and Kusanagi Sword did not pierce through.


    However, Uchiha Tunan was not in a hurry. He used Kusanagi Sword to open a big hole in the gate.


    The big hole was glowing with a special metallic luster. Obviously, this was not just a simple stone door.


    Instead, it was a compound gate made of many layers of hard metal.


    Uchiha Tunan repeated the same trick.


    This time, the door was completely opened.


    Walking into the treasury, even Uchiha Tunan, who considered himself to be experienced and knowledgeable, could not help but be stunned on the spot.


    The treasury was tens of meters tall, and the rock layers above were inlaid with shiny gems, illuminating the entire treasury.


    Uchiha Tunan could even see that there were all sorts of sealing techniques drawn on the rock layers above.


    These seal tactics not only had the effect of isolating aura and spying, but they also had the ability to automatically trigger basic water escape and earth escape tactics.


    Presumably, these tactics were to prevent disaster like fire.


    Other than the gemstones on the top of his head, there was no other luxury goods in the treasury, nor was there a single banknote.


    All kinds of food piled up into a mountain, the Kunai, the sword in his hand, the long saber, and other weapons were piled up in a corner.


    There were also all kinds of medicinal herbs placed together in a bundle.


    Uchiha Tunan took a deep breath and walked inside.


    Cloth, finished products of clothing, coal, salt, rubber, gold, silver, copper, and other metals.


    These things were all piled up on both sides of the road, and this road was beyond sight.


    After walking for a long time, Uchiha Tunan finally reached the end of the treasure vault.


    This was another door.


    There was no seal spell pattern beside the door, but an ordinary keyhole.


    Uchiha Tunan made a seal and pressed his finger against the keyhole.


    Small streams of water gushed out from his fingers and poured into the keyhole.


    A moment later, the keyhole seemed to be filled with water. Under the water pressure, the lock was successfully lifted.


    In the next moment, Uchiha Tunan activated the ice escape he had just obtained and condensed the water into hard ice.


    Then, he gently turned his fingers.


    ¡°Ka¡­¡±


    The door was opened by Uchiha Tunan.


    Inside the door was an antique room. There were many bookshelves filled with all kinds of scrolls.


    In the innermost part of the room stood a huge scroll that was half the height of a person.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes narrowed and his figure flashed. He appeared next to the scroll.


    ¡°This¡­ Could it be a scroll of the Senju?¡±

 CH 216

    Facing the scroll of the legendary God of Ninjas, Uchiha Tunan couldn¡¯t help but feel a little tempted.


    He immediately sat down cross-legged on the ground and slowly opened the scroll.


    As the scroll rolled, secret techniques were displayed in front of Uchiha Tunan.


    The beginning was some basic ninjutsu, but it was not very valuable.


    But gradually, many of the precious secret arts made Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes light up.


    ¡°The Immortal Race is actually also here.¡± Uchiha Tunan¡¯s hands paused and he saw this familiar secret art.


    It was not difficult to guess that the Naraku sent Ookawa to Fire Temple to ask for the scroll of the Senju.


    To be honest, the disappearance of the Senju clan was very strange, and there was only one Tsunade left in the huge clan.


    However, the villagers didn¡¯t even notice it.


    Uchiha Tunan remembered that in his previous life, someone had guessed that the Senju clan should have dissolved on their own and integrated into the villagers of Konoha.


    In this regard, Uchiha Tunan felt that it was not completely correct.


    It was very likely that the Thousand Hand race was not only integrated into the villagers, but also integrated into the various levels of the Kingdom of Fire.


    Suddenly, Uchiha Tunan thought of the last time he saw Ookawa in the Fire Temple.


    Combined with the fact that the Earth Temple knew both immortal arts and the secret arts of the Senju.


    Perhaps the Earth Temple was the clansmen left by the Senju clan to guard the scroll in the Fire Temple.


    Uchiha Tunan boldly guessed that the Senju Clan must have stored the scroll of the Senju in the Fire Temple.


    And this scroll was taken back by Naraku.


    Then¡­


    Naraku might be related to the Senju Clan.


    Naraku¡­ Senju¡­


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes gradually narrowed as he recalled the time he spent with Naraku.


    Finally, Uchiha Tunan discovered that something was wrong.


    Naraku¡¯s physique was too good.


    When he was whipped and trained like that, he onlu had to apply some medicine and rest for a few hours to completely recover.


    Moreover, he had given him a chakra test paper and a few basic ninjutsu.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to release ninjutsu to kill his father.


    This kind of innate physique, wasn¡¯t it the Senju clan?


    Naraku must have a mixed Senju bloodline.


    Perhaps a certain generation of the Senju clan had a marriage alliance with the current generation.


    Thinking of this, Uchiha Tunan had opened the scroll completely.


    After roughly looking through the follow-up secret technique, Uchiha Tunan immediately found a special secret technique.


    It was inappropriate to call it a secret technique, but it was a high-level method of using chakra.


    As everyone knows, the usage of chakra is basically divided into shape changes and nature changes.


    This secret technique is similar to the Sand Control technique of Gaara.


    It could change the shape of the chakra according to the mind of the user, and it could affect the corresponding matter.


    Of course, this technique had a very high requirement for the control and quantity of chakra.


    Uchiha Tunan calmed down and repeatedly watched it several times, memorizing this secret technique in his mind.


    As for the other secret techniques, most of them were ordinary, not worthy of a high quality ninja like Uchiha Tunan.


    After reading the secret technique, it was time to take the treasure.


    This scroll was equivalent to a super-sized storage scroll, so there was naturally no need to mention the good things inside.


    In the original work, during the battle between Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara in the Final Valley, he also summoned a large blade from this scroll.


    Uchiha Tunan quickly made a series of hand seals and then pressed his right hand on the scroll.


    Strangely, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s right hand seemed to touch the calm surface of the water, and the scroll rippled.


    And Uchiha Tunan¡¯s right hand gradually sank in.


    A moment later, Uchiha Tunan pulled out his right hand from the scroll, holding a potion in his palm.


    ¡°What is this thing¡­¡±


    Uchiha Tunan pulled out the stopperand sniffed it. A nauseating stench entered his nose.


    It was a little intoxicating.


    Uchiha Tunan quickly stuffed the potion into his mouth. He endured the nausea and carefully recalled the contents he had just smelled.


    The images of all sorts of medicinal herbs flashed through Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mind.


    Almost every one of them was extremely precious, and there was no market for them.


    There were the special products of the Ghost Kingdom, the eggs of the Illusory Wing Insect, and the black armor bamboo oil.


    The Winter Lotus of the Snow Kingdom, etc..


    But there were still some things that Uchiha Tunan couldn¡¯t remember for a moment.


    After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Uchiha Tunan no longer thought about it and put the medicine back into the scroll.


    He then closed the scroll, got up, went to the bookshelf, and flipped through the records on the bookshelf.


    Soon, Uchiha Tunan found the records of the medicine from before.


    When he saw the effectiveness of the Chakra Potion, Uchiha Tunan was truly shocked.


    But when he saw the method of making it, Uchiha Tunan had to admit that Naraku was a ruthless person.


    Chakra Potion: After consuming it, it can increase the amount of chakra that an ordinary person can cultivate for an entire day. Moreover, the matter of refining a chakra is purely provided by medicine, not harming the body.


    Just looking at the effect, it was indeed a good thing.


    However, the cost of making it required extremely expensive and rare medicinal herbs.


    Not only that.


    The main ingredient of the Chakra Potion was a certain amount of Heart Marrow.


    Heart Marrow was formed from the blood and brain of the human body that had been extracted countless times.


    To make a Chakra Potion, one needed to refine at least a hundred people.


    What kind of concept was this?


    If Naraku took this potion every day, he would need more than 100,000 lives in three years.


    This was the amount he needed alone.


    Looking at it like this, he seemed to be much kinder than Naraku.


    Moreover, if Uchiha Tunan¡¯s judgement was correct, Naraku really possessed the bloodline of the Senju race, then his chakra was too astonishing.


    In addition to the secret technique left behind on the Senju Hashirama scroll.


    Uchiha Tunan couldn¡¯t help but take in a cold breath.


    Hiss, this was a bit terrifying¡­


    However, it was only limited to a little.


    After all, even he didn¡¯t know the exact amount of chakra Uchiha Tunan had.


    As long as he had enough chakra, it wouldn¡¯t have much meaning after reaching a certain level.


    After all, he hadn¡¯t seen anyone with insufficient chakra in the later six levels of battle.


    After thinking about it, Uchiha Tunan put down the item.


    He walked out of the secret room and closed the door of the secret room.


    After all, there were so many treasures inside. It was not a good thing for him to spread it out now.


    The scroll of the Senju Hashirama was too big and it was really inconvenient to carry it.


    It was better to settle the matter of Naraku first.


    At the same time, at Mount Zhifu battlefield.


    Naraku, who was drinking wine and watching the battle, suddenly frowned and muttered, ¡°Why do I have a bad feeling?¡±


    Then, he shook his head and said,


    ¡°Uchiha Madara, don¡¯t let me down.


    I will let you have a good look at what a new generation of Ninja God is.¡±


    At this time, in the arena, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s Instant Clone was calmly looking around at the thirteen people who surrounded him.


    He saw Ookawa and Twelve Guardian Ninjas make a familiar hand gesture and shout,


    ¡°Thousand Hand Kill.¡±

 CH 217

    Behind these thirteen people, pure white Thousand-Hand Buddha Statue appeared.


    However, these thirteen people¡¯s Buddha Statue was slightly smaller than Jigo¡¯s.


    Uchiha Tunan had an indifferent expression as he lightly said, ¡°Bunch of clowns.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡±


    In an instant, the pure white Thousand-Armed Buddha Statue behind everyone instantly transformed into a golden-red glaring Vajra.


    Its entire body emitted a golden light, and the red that it emitted gave off a great deterrent force.


    Everyone formed hand seals, and they were still chanting something.


    One by one, fists were like missiles, attacking Uchiha Tunan.


    Uchiha Tunan¡¯s eyes were like jade, spinning rapidly.


    The whole world seemed to have been pressed by a slow release button, and these fists became slow.


    Taking advantage of the moment before the fists reached him, Uchiha Tunan reached out and touched his chin, looking up at the sky.


    After dragging this out for so long, the main body should have investigated thoroughly.


    Then, the next step was to test out all of Naraku¡¯s trump cards.


    Rumble!


    In the blink of an eye, the overwhelming golden-red fists completely buried Uchiha Tunan.


    The smoke formed by the dust covered the entire arena.


    Countless pieces of stone were shot in all directions.


    The surrounding trees were all bounced up and down, and large trees were turned into sieves.


    The leaves all fell to the ground and spread all over the ground. The thick trees could not stand such an attack, so they were broken in the middle and fell to the ground heavily.


    The collapse of the trees around the arena was too loud, causing the dust on the ground to rise. Immediately, the entire environment was shrouded in dust.


    It was hard to see clearly.


    Naraku, who was sitting on the seat, frowned and stared at the dust.


    He muttered, ¡°How could it be so simple?¡±


    Suddenly, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s low voice rang out from within the smoke and dust.


    ¡°Immortal arts aren¡¯t used like this.¡±


    ¡°If it really is a thousand hands. It can transform.¡±


    Suddenly, huge arms sprang out of the smoke and dust, firmly holding the thirteen people, and in an instant, the Buddha Statue behind them was broken.


    Those Buddha Statues were directly crushed into pieces, and in the next second, they turned into pieces and disappeared into the air.


    An Buddha Statue the size of a mountain rose from the smoke and dust.


    The Buddha Statue was golden, and half fell on the golden lotus platform, thousands of hands on three sides.


    On the left was a merciful face, on the right was an angry face, and on the front was an image of Rulai.


    The densely packed and stretched arms were like a peacock spreading its tail, making people feel dizzy just looking at them.


    Niluo stood up with a whoosh and frowned. ¡°Damn it, where did he learn this move? Could it be that the fool Hashirama Senju passed this move to him?¡±


    Uchiha Tunan opened his arms and a strange smile appeared on his face. He looked straight at Naraku and said slowly,


    ¡°Amitabha.¡±


    In the next moment, Uchiha Tunan clasped his hands in the middle.


    At the same time, the summoned Buddha Statue threw the thirteen people in his hands into the sky.


    Immediately, the densely packed arms closed in the middle at the same time, ready to slap the thirteen people to death.


    The palms quickly closed, raising the yellow sand on the ground.


    At this moment, the thirteen people finally saw the gap between them and Uchiha Tunan, and were scared to death.


    ¡°My Lord, save me!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Naraku snorted coldly. His eyes narrowed, and he slammed his hands on the ground.


    A palm made of countless rocks suddenly sprang out from the ground. Layer after layer, the thirteen people were gathered in the palm of their hands in advance, forming a rock ball to protect them.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Thousands of hands joined together, turning the rock ball into a big pancake.


    At the same time, the ground beside Naraku rolled over and over.


    Ookawa and Twelve Guardian Ninjas spat out the earth that had been turned over.


    It was Naraku who controlled the earth movement technique to move the thirteen people over.


    Naraku waved away the thirteen people who had lost most of their combat strength and slowly walked forward.


    ¡°Uchiha Madara, you are known as the Shura of the Ninja Realm.


    You once only lost to the god of the Ninja Realm, Senju Hasirama.


    Everything I have today is all thanks to you.


    I will let you experience the power of three hundred thousand living beings.¡±


    The corner of Naraku¡¯s mouth curled into a sinister smile. He stopped in his tracks, and his entire body erupted with an intense amount of Chakra.


    His long black hair danced in the air, and the surrounding ground cracked open like a spider web. Countless small stones even broke free from gravity and floated on the ground.


    Naraku¡¯s eyes were filled with madness as he shouted,


    ¡°Thousands hands, Huahong!¡±


    The next moment, the entire Mountain shook.


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡­¡±


    Thick rock arms emerged from the ground around them.


    The ground under Naraku¡¯s feet began to rise rapidly.


    The first thing that was revealed was the three heads of Buddha.


    The soil and rocks of Mount Zhifu seemed to have been removed by half, and the entire Mount Zhifu was falling at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    The difference between Naraku¡¯s thousands of hands and Uchiha Tunan was that.


    Uchiha Tunan was purely condensed from immortal chakra.


    And Na Luo¡¯s thousands of hands were formed by controlling the soil and rocks, and its size was even larger than the one that Uchiha Tunan had summoned.


    Just like Hashirama Senju, the wood style was changed to earth style.


    ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha¡­


    Tremble, Asura!¡±


    As The Buddha Statue completely revealed his true appearance, Naraku, who was standing on the top of The Buddha Statue, laughed wildly.


    Mount Zhifu also changed from mountain peak to flat ground.


    Uchiha Tunan frowned, his eyes closed and opened, revealing his Mangekyo Sharingan.


    He cast an illusion on Naraku.


    However, Naraku was only stunned for a moment before she woke up. A playful smile appeared on her face as she said,


    ¡°A very strong illusion.


    Unfortunately, it¡¯s useless against me¡­


    In order to temper my will.


    Every day, the twelve guardians will take turns to release the illusion.


    I struggle in pain and suffering every day for today.


    With the body of a mortal, I can compare with the gods.


    I am the god of the new generation!¡±


    However, at this moment, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mind was no longer on Naraku. Instead, it was around him.


    In Uchiha Tunan¡¯s line of sight, the soul that covered the sky surrounded Naraku.


    The faces of each soul were extremely ferocious and terrifying.


    They screamed at the top of their lungs, and their faces were twisted to the point of disbelief.


    The screams of the souls seemed to be bearing great pain.


    The whole scene was creepy.


    ¡°These¡­ are all resentful spirits¡­¡±


    If the soul suffered a great torture before death, there would be resentment.


    The greater the resentment, the longer it would stay in the human world.


    After the resentment dissipated, these souls would not be able to withstand the attraction force of the pure land and would be sucked into the pure land.


    Uchiha Tunan only took a rough look and saw that the number of wraiths here was no less than two hundred thousand.


    Naraku, this guy, in order to get strength, is a bit ruthless.


    However, it is me who benefited.


    I didn¡¯t expect to have a full meal before the war.


    The corners of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mouth curved into a strange smile.


    ¡°Your smile makes me very unhappy.¡±


    When Naraku saw that Uchiha Tunan did not show the serious expression he had expected, he was a little unhappy.


    ¡°Hashirama Senju can defeat everyone in the world with Wood Release.


    My Earth Release can do the same!¡±


    After saying that, he suddenly clasped his hands together and shouted angrily,


    ¡°Immortal Technique ¨C Stone Dragon Technique.¡±


    ¡°Roar!¡±


    A dragon roar rang out. A stone dragon emerged from the ground and coiled around the Earth Escape Great Buddha. Finally, the dragon head appeared above the Great Buddha and pounced towards Uchiha Tunan.


    At the same time, Naraku also controlled the Earth Buddha to move towards Uchiha Tunan.


    At this critical moment, Uchiha Tunan couldn¡¯t control the Buddha to extend his dozens of arms to capture the incoming Stone Dragon.


    At the same time, he opened his left eye and the kaleidoscope started to spin rapidly.


    Shuten!


    There was a great suction force.


    This suction force could not affect the real world, but to the soul, it was completely unable to resist.


    The wraiths surrounding Naraku quickly floated towards Uchiha Tunan¡¯s left eye under the great suction force.


    No matter how the souls struggled or screamed, it was useless.


    ¡°What is this? I don¡¯t want to leave. I want revenge.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t accept this. I can¡¯t accept this.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him die with my own eyes. I want to wait for him to die with me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­.


    In an instant, all these souls were devoured by Uchiha Tunan.


    Even in battle, Uchiha Tunan could not help but show a comfortable expression.


    It was really too satisfying¡­


    However, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s annoying expression was simply a naked provocation in Naraku¡¯s eyes.


    He actually didn¡¯t take him seriously.


    Damn it¡­


    When Naraku got close to Uchiha Tunan, a sharp light flashed in his eyes. He pushed forward with her hands folded and shouted, ¡°Immortal magic ¨C cloth bag technique.¡±

 CH 218

    All of a sudden, a palm formed from countless rocks gushed out from the ground around Uchiha Tunan, and it firmly grabbed onto Uchiha Tunan¡¯s Buddha Statue.


    Naraku laughed wildly,


    ¡°Do you feel that these ninjutsu are very familiar? You won¡¯t have a chance.¡±


    In the next moment, the Buddha Statue formed from rocks under Naraku clenched its thousands of fists and attacked towards Uchiha Tunan.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!¡±


    In an instant, Uchiha Tunan¡¯s Dharma Idol was shattered, and the remaining rocks and heavy punches covered up Uchiha Tunan¡¯s small and weak figure.


    ¡°Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraora!¡±


    When Naraku saw this, his face was filled with a carefree expression. It was as if he was trying to vent his anger. He controlled the earth to continuously bombard the Buddha Statue.


    His mouth continued to clamor.


    ¡°Under the accumulation of absolute resources, all talent can not withstand a single blow.


    Moreover, I still have the bloodline of the Senju. What can you use to fight me?


    In the future, who would dare to use me as a puppet?


    Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo?


    Are they even worthy to fight me?!


    When I kill you, Konoha will surely be destroyed.


    I will lead the army to sweep the four countries and become the Lord of the Ninja Realm!¡±


    After a long time, Naraku finished venting.


    The place where Uchiha Tunan was had been smashed into a circular pit.


    The soil that should have been loose had been smashed into a hard rock wall.


    And Uchiha Tunan¡¯s figure had completely disappeared, not even a strand of hair remained.


    The emotions that had been suppressed for so long were completely vented out. On the contrary, Naraku felt a little dull. He removed his ninjutsu with waning interest, turned around, and walked towards the crowd.


    The original Mount Zhifu had become a flat ground at this time.


    The Buddha Statue formed from rocks melted into the soil.


    It raised the ground a lot.


    Seeing that Uchiha Tunan, who was so powerful, was killed by the mighty Naraku in one fell swoop.


    The two thousand Genin brought along by Ookawa, Twelve Guardian Ninjas, and the two thousand Genin alls knelt down on one knee, their eyes full of fanaticism as they looked at Naraku and shouted,


    ¡°The Daimyo is invincible.¡±


    ¡°The Daimyo is invincible.¡±


    ¡°All hail The Daimyo.¡±


    ¡­


    Suddenly, Naraku stopped halfway and turned around. He stared at the huge pit in disbelief and said,


    ¡°Impossible! Why isn¡¯t he dead?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, everyone fell silent, holding their breath as they focused on the deep pit.


    At the center of the deep pit, the hard rock wall suddenly exploded, revealing Uchiha Tunan who had changed into Abe Akira inside.


    He saw that Uchiha Tunan¡¯s entire body was only stained with some dirt, and he looked completely unharmed.


    What was puzzling was that after Uchiha Tunan escaped, he did not attack, but stood there with a calm face.


    At this moment, a figure appeared in the direction of the Fire Capital.


    ¡°Step, step, step¡­¡±


    The crisp and rhythmic footsteps seemed to step on the hearts of everyone present.


    Naraku¡¯s eyes were wide open, his gaze wandering back and forth between the figure and the deep pit.


    After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Uchiha Tunan came to the battlefield and apologized to Naraku,


    ¡°Sorry, my clone is too strong for you it seems like.¡±


    The veins on Naraku¡¯s forehead bulged and he clenched his fists tightly. He gritted his teeth and said,


    ¡°Clone¡­?!¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Smoke rose from the deep pit, as if confirming Uchiha Tunan¡¯s words.


    Naraku took a deep breath, clapped his hands once more, and shouted,


    ¡°So what? I don¡¯t believe that I can¡¯t kill you.


    Thousand Palms!¡±


    The earth shook and sank again, and the Buddha Statue formed of rocks gradually rose.


    In order to be safe, Naraku even took out a small scroll from her bosom and opened it in front of her.


    When Ookawa saw this, he immediately took out a large scroll from his ninja bag and opened it. He shouted,


    ¡°Quick! Give the Chakra to the Lord.¡±


    After saying that, the two thousand Genins knelt down in a square formation and placed their palms behind the person in front of them, sending pitiful amount of Immortal Chakra.


    These two thousand Genin¡¯s Immortal Technique Chakra was sent to the body of the Twelve Guardian Ninjas, and then sent by the Twelve Guardian to Ookawa.


    Ookawa pressed his hands on the scroll.


    At the same time, Naraku controlled The Buddha statue which was composed of rocks, while pressing on the scroll in front of him with one hand, he absorbed the immortal chakra of everyone to replenish his own consumption.


    What made Naraku surprised was that Uchiha Tunan did not stop him, but walked towards him leisurely.


    Naraku felt a burst of anger in his heart, and said fiercely, ¡°You are looking down on me.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan narrowed his eyes and smiled. He said gently,


    ¡°No, I admire you very much.


    You have superior talent and temperament.


    Your knowledge is far beyond that of ordinary people.


    The most important point is that you are ruthless enough.


    This point is quite good as a leader.¡±


    Naraku sneered,


    ¡°Hehe¡­ As expected of Uchiha, he is even more arrogant than I thought.¡±


    Uchiha Tunan smiled and shook his head,


    ¡°You can¡¯t even imagine how strong I am.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Naraku shouted. He used all his strength to stimulate the Immortal Chakra in his body, and the Buddha Statue¡¯s body grew even larger.


    ¡°Ah ¡ª¡°


    Naraku shouted, using all his strength to control The Buddha Statue to reach out hundreds of arms and punch towards Uchiha Tunan.


    Uchiha Tunan had an indifferent expression on his face, and his eyes quickly changed into a Mangekyou, and the two Mangekyou started to spin rapidly.


    ¡°Today, I will let you experience what true strength is.¡±


    In the next moment, hundreds of huge rock fists struck Uchiha Tunan¡¯s body, but they were blocked by the golden barrier.


    The golden samurai Gundam appeared around Uchiha Tunan.


    This was the fourth form of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s Mangekyo, Heavenly Hound form.


    Uchiha Tunan himself had forgotten when he could use the fourth form.


    It could only be said that as one¡¯s strength increased, everything would go smoothly.


    Seeing that the attack was ineffective, Naraku wanted to first restrain Uchiha Tunan before making a plan.


    He immediately controlled The Buddha Statue to extend his arm again, grabbing the huge golden warrior in front of him.


    Needless to say, Naraku¡¯s tactics were no problem.


    The Buddha Statue which had fused with the earth escape was extremely strong in terms of strength, and he really managed to block Uchiha Tunan.


    However, the corners of Uchiha Tunan¡¯s mouth curled up slightly, and there seemed to be a trace of mockery in his smile.


    In the next moment, the golden warrior¡¯s right hand grasped at his waist.


    A golden scabbard appeared at the waist of the warrior.


    This blade was precisely the spirit artifact awakened in the fourth form of the Great Heavenly Hound.


    Its name was Demon Sword Muramasa.


    The Sharingan was worthy of being called the eye that portrays its user¡¯s soul. Not only did it give Uchiha Tunan all kinds of demonic skills, even his spirit weapons were evil.


    The special effect of Muramasa was very straightforward and simple.


    Omni-Attack type.


    Whether it is space, soul, chakra, seal, force of nature, or even thought¡­


    As long as Uchiha Tunan could see it, the moment Muramasa attacked, it would automatically turn into one.


    Using the power of space to cut through space, using the power of the soul to cut off the soul.


    None will survive its attack.

 CH 219

    The golden samurai slowly drew out the Demon Sword Muramasa. The moment Muramasa was pulled out, its body burned with a seven-colored flame as if it contained a myriad of things. Naraku¡¯s pupils shrank seeing this, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    The golden samurai raised Muramasa and immediately swung it down, severing the countless arms of rock Kannon. The arms disintegrated into soil and fell to the ground, creating a cloud of dust.


    Naraku felt that a portion of senjutsu chakra within his body had been cut off and fear finally appeared on his face. ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    Tonan made the golden samurai walk leisurely towards Naraku and indifferently said, ¡°You know nothing about power.¡± Naraku was sweating profusely by now as he felt he was at the end of his rope.


    He put his palm together and shouted, ¡°Senjutsu ¨C Clay Figure Technique.¡±


    A rock grew from under and the originally flat ground rose by dozens of meters and turned into a giant that stood between Naraku and Tonan. Tonan shook his head slightly. Then, the golden samurai held the Demon Sword with both hands and disappeared. When it reappeared, it was already behind the rock Kannon.


    At this moment, the world seemed to lose its sound. Rumble¡­ Both the clay figure and the rock Kannon were cut off in the middle. The clay figure exploded into pieces and rubbles flew everywhere, the dust blurring people¡¯s vision.


    The lower part of the rock Kannon also broke into huge pieces. Naraku knelt on the top of the remaining part of the rock Kannon with a very ugly expression. At that time, the golden samurai dissipated and revealed Tonan¡¯s back. He slowly turned around and said, ¡°Victory or defeat was already decided.¡±


    In the next moment, his scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan spun rapidly. Naraku felt red light shooting out from Tonan¡¯s eyes and his entire world seemed to turn blood red. The surrounding environment had also become abnormal. The light cast in the sky was like scarlet blood.


    The trees and plants not far away were also dyed in blood. The vibrant environment had become horrifying. The entire world seemed to be nearing its end. At this time, Tonan faintly said, ¡°Your so-called willpower is simply a joke in front of these eyes.¡±


    Tonan had used the Mangekyo level Hell Viewing Technique on Naraku. ¡°Ah!¡± Naraku shouted and soon afterward, the rock Kannon disintegrated. He fell to the ground, trembling and sweating profusely.


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    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± At this moment, the people who were watching the battle from the sidelines didn¡¯t even have the strength to get up because they had transferred their chakra to Naraku. All of them knelt on the ground, panting.


    Tonan slowly walked toward Naraku and tested the secret technique he had just memorized from Hashirama¡¯s scroll. The ground protruded and a throne made up of condensed rocks emerged from the soil. Although it seemed a little rough because this was the first time he used this technique, the general form was still complete. ¡°It¡¯s really convenient,¡± Tonan nodded with satisfaction.


    He sat on the throne and quietly looked down on Naraku in front of him. The Hell Viewing Technique was an attack-type genjutsu and its effect was instantaneous. At this moment, Naraku had suffered the attack. His face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot. He raised his head to look at Tonan.


    A hint of surprise flashed through Tonan¡¯s eyes, and he said with admiration, ¡°I take back what I just said, your willpower is truly good. After suffering my genjutsu, you didn¡¯t go mad or faint.¡±


    Tonan thought that Naraku would curse. But beyond his expectation, after a few breaths, Naraku said with deep worship on his face, ¡°Sensei¡­ Sensei, you¡¯re too powerful, I, your student, am convinced now.¡±


    This response surprised Tonan. Naraku shamelessly knelt in front of him and with tears and snots all over his face, said, ¡°Sensei, do you know that ever since you left, I¡¯ve been thinking about you day and night? Every day I dreamed of the days when you earnestly taught me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m innately dull and ignorant. Encountering a big incident, I was extremely impulsive. Without you by my side to guide me, I stupidly made a gross error. I killed countless people and I regret it now. Sensei, thank you for waking me up today and letting me understand that there are people more talented than oneself in the wide world.¡±


    Tonan felt a chill run down his spine. He was not sure whether Naraku was begging for mercy or had gone insane after suffering his genjutsu. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Weren¡¯t you trying to kill me just a moment ago? Since you¡¯ve lost, are you admitting your mistakes?¡±


    Naraku said with a firm face, ¡°No, I swear! I swear! I never wanted to kill you.¡±


    Tonan scanned Naraku seriously and nodded his head.¡°Alright, then swear it.¡± Naraku was stunned. He slowly raised his palm and his eyes became even redder as he said with difficulty, ¡°As a Daimyo, I swear that if I¡¯ve any thoughts of killing sensei, the entire Land of Fire will suffer complete destruction and become barren.¡±


    Tonan smiled. He reached out his palm and slapped Naraku¡¯s face hard, ¡°Hahaha¡­ You¡¯re truly smart.¡±


    Naraku¡¯s face was red and swollen from the slap but there was no anger on it. Instead, he put on an ingratiating smile and said, ¡°Sensei, you must have a lofty ambition. Isn¡¯t it better for me to serve you for life? It¡¯s fine even if you want me to abdicate, I¡¯m willing to give up the Daimyo position to you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± Tonan¡¯s eyes turned cold. Naraku seemed to sense the danger and carefully replied, ¡°It is a bit inappropriate and not in line with the ancestral system. But I guess, sensei, you¡¯re aiming for the Hokage position. As long as I¡¯m here, the entire Land of Fire will be Konoha¡¯s pasture and the people will be the sheep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to be sensei¡¯s most loyal dog. Yes, what am I? Shepherd, sheepdog¡­ Woof, woof, woof¡­¡± As he said this, Naraku actually got on all fours and barked like a dog in front of Tonan.


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    Seeing this scene, everyone who was lying on the ground not far away felt like the sky was falling.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±


    ¡°How can His Majesty be like this¡­¡±


    ¡°This is not His Majesty I know¡­¡±


    The more Naraku barked, the more vigorous he became. He even shook his butt in front of Tonan. ¡°Woof, woof, woof¡­ sensei, look¡­ I¡¯m wagging my tail.¡±


    Tonan tapped on the armrest with his finger and remained silent for a long time, looking at Naraku¡¯s twinkling eyes.

 CH 220

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    Uchiha Tonan wanted to control Naraku. He wanted to make him do several things such as create a religious sect, use monarchical power and gauge whether he could gain his acknowledgment through faith. Then, he would repeat his usual ways to nurture the believers whose acknowledgment he had gained.


    But Naraku¡¯s current performance made him unsure whether to kill him or not. Seeing that Tonan was hesitant for a long time, Naraku¡¯s begging for mercy intensified. He put his head close to Tonan¡¯s feet and stuck out his tongue to lick his shoes. All along, he had a loyal and sincere look.


    Tonan narrowed his eyes and he coldly said, ¡°Tell me your worth.¡± Naraku sat like a dog and said, ¡°I found a miraculous potion. After taking a dose, you can refine chakra for a whole day without any side effects. It¡¯s just that this potion needs people and many have to be killed. But don¡¯t worry sensei, I can do it for you. In the past three years, whether they were innocent or guilty, I¡¯ve killed at least three hundred thousand people. As long as you say the word, I can kill a million.¡±


    ¡°Sensei, I guess you¡¯ve also cultivated senjutsu. You must know it requires absorbing emotional powers. I¡¯ve got a complete set of torture methods, tools, and a place to torture ten thousand people at a time. Like many little drops that make an ocean, you can cultivate senjutsu quickly. I¡¯ve also plundered various kinds of prescriptions that can improve one¡¯s physique in all aspects.¡±


    Tonan replied indifferently, ¡°These are useless to me.¡± Hearing this, cold sweat flowed down Naraku¡¯s cheek and his eyes spun. He realized he absolutely couldn¡¯t make Tonan feel that he was worthless. Or else he would be buried here. So, he hastily said, ¡°I also have used various methods to seize the secret techniques of various ninja organizations all over the Land of Fire. Even the inheritance treasure of the Senju clan, Senju Hashirama¡¯s scroll, is with me. I¡¯ll hand it over to you.¡±


    Having tossed out his clan heirloom but seeing Tonan was still unmoved, Naraku became very anxious. He hugged Tonan¡¯s thigh and wailed, ¡°Boo, hoo¡­ I know I was wrong but I¡¯ve always regarded you as my second parent, sensei. Who told you to abandon me? My hatred toward you was born out of love. The more intimate love, the more poignant hate. Now, the hatred is vented and only the indestructible sensei-student relationship remains. I regret it very much. I shouldn¡¯t have taken action against you. I was truly inhuman.¡±


    Naraku slapped his already red and swollen cheeks fiercely. This slap was very hard, leaving behind five bluish fingerprints on his already red and swollen face. Slap¡­ ¡°Truly inhuman¡­¡± Slap¡­ ¡°Worse than beasts¡­¡± Slap¡­


    Tonan kicked Naraku to the ground and said, ¡°Stop acting, don¡¯t you hate me for lying to you and killing your father?¡± A hint of joy flashed through Naraku¡¯s eyes. He was not afraid of Tonan asking questions, but afraid of him not asking anything. For people such as these, if they were still willing to talk nonsense, it meant there was still a chance for salvation.


    Naraku shook his head like a rattle drum. ¡°No hate, not even a shred. You misunderstood me, sensei. Do you not know what kind of person I am? I¡¯m a cold-blooded villain who is selfish with no feelings. What father-son relationship?¡±


    ¡°Besides, that old man was overbearingly taking the Daimyo throne. I wanted to kill him a long time ago. I just never had the guts. Fortunately, you gave me the chance, sensei. And you also found that scapegoat Shinnosuke. I¡¯ve been grateful for your return, how can I hate you? How can I return kindness with enmity?¡±


    Seeing that Naraku¡¯s words were completely incoherent, Tonan sighed, ¡°It has been hard on you.¡± After speaking, he began to make hand seals in front of him and then slowly moved his palm toward his head.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Uekawa Ozora shouted from the distance. His faith had collapsed and his values were shattered. But as a loyal minister, he was concerned about his monarch¡¯s current plight. Naraku nervously looked at the palm that was about to touch his head. Then, he angrily yelled, ¡°Why are you shouting? Sensei is sharing meager resources. He loves me like a father, he¡¯ll never harm me. What are you all worried about?¡±


    Tonan pressed his palm on Naraku¡¯s head, but he didn¡¯t release the curse. He could feel that Naraku was trembling. ¡°Sensei, if you abandon me, I¡¯ll be lonely. All my relatives are dead, not a single one left. If I die, Daimyo¡¯s bloodline will be cut off.¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose a little. He looked at the trembling Naraku and leisurely said, ¡°You¡¯re afraid.¡± Naraku¡¯s eyes were filled with blood but he forced himself to smile and replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°Sensei¡¯s palm is still so warm. I¡¯m happy now, it¡¯s just that my body trembles when I am happy¡­¡±


    Tonan sneered. Then putting on a gentle smile, he said, ¡°Open your heart and don¡¯t resist.¡± After speaking, Tonan violently injected the curse into Naraku¡¯s mind. The latter¡¯s eyes were wide open and his body twitched on the ground like he was having an epileptic attack but his eyes didn¡¯t lose their spirit.


    ¡°Uh¡­ uh¡­¡± Honestly speaking, Naraku¡¯s response was much better than any other person who received his curse seal before. Tonan suddenly thought of something. ¡°The student surpasses the teacher.¡± If he was truly a native of this world, then Naraku might be regarded as his successor.


    Naraku¡¯s character was even better than his. Downwind Nobleman, Headwind Villain. A grand Daimyo and he could bark like a dog just to survive. When taking the oath, he didn¡¯t say a word about himself but staked the whole country. Tonan knew he couldn¡¯t do such things.


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    After fifteen minutes, Naraku was drenched like he was pulled out of water. When he realized he was not dead, he had an ecstatic look. At that time, Tonan leaned forward and whispered, ¡°Looking at how obedient you are, as your sensei, I¡¯m a bit reluctant to kill you. But to prevent you from being disobedient in the future, I put a little toy in your brain. You don¡¯t mind, right?¡±


    Naraku¡¯s eyes shrank instinctively and then with a flattering smile, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m fine with whatever you do.¡± Tonan nodded and looked back at the people lying on the ground. He said, ¡°I suddenly remember you seem to have guessed my true identity. This, however, is my biggest secret that only I know in this entire Ninja World. Since you¡¯re my student, it¡¯s fine if you know. But they¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Naraku secretly took a deep breath and lowered his head quickly. He gnashed his teeth and said, ¡°I understand.¡± His movement was slightly slow this time as he made a hand seal. When the last hand sign was completed, he shouted, ¡°Senjustu¡­ Advent¡­ of¡­ Stone World.¡± Rumble¡­ The ground trembled violently as if a large amount of pent-up energy was about to be released.


    Puff, puff, puff¡­ A series of something piercing through flesh could be heard. In the entire Zhifu Mountain, countless stone spears protruded from the ground, penetrating all of Naraku¡¯s subordinates. Their corpses hung on the stone spears, eyes wide open. They died with terrified looks on their faces.


    This move reminded Tonan of Kimimaro¡¯s Dance of the Seedling Fern. Satisfied with Naraku, he nodded and slowly stood up. He turned to walk toward the Fire Capital and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to a more private place. There¡¯s a mission I want to give you.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­,¡± Naraku got up and glanced at Tonan¡¯s back. He wiped the corners of his eyes and put on a flattering smile on his face, following with small steps. Tonan suddenly stopped and turned his head back to look at Naraku.


    Naraku subconsciously gulped and with a humble expression on his face, he asked, ¡°Is there something you want me to deal with?¡± Looking concerned, Tonan replied, ¡°I forced you to kill your trusted subordinates. I hope that you don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Naraku cupped his hands and bowed slightly. He nodded and said, ¡°Of course not, sensei. I¡¯m the grand Daimyo. It¡¯s nothing more than killing a few dogs. This doesn¡¯t impact me at all. Besides, they had seen me just a moment ago. They already lost their respect for this me in their hearts. I too had to keep this a secret. Otherwise, how could I control my subordinates in the future?¡±


    Tonan nodded with satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ very good¡­ However, I still liked your rebellious look at that time.¡± When Naraku heard Tonan¡¯s words, he straightened up and restrained the smile on his face. Tonan had a small smile on his face. He glanced quietly into the distance and turned his head back, walking towards the Fire Capital.

 CH 221

    At the Daimyo Residence in the Fire Capital, Uchiha Tonan sat on Naraku¡¯s seat, while the Daimyo himself knelt at one side and did the maid¡¯s work of preparing tea. In the Ninja World, both Tonan¡¯s and Naraku¡¯s strengths had already reached the ceiling during the time without Six Paths.


    From now until the start of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Tonan needed to step behind the scenes and lay down the pieces to finally win the fruits of victory in one fell swoop. In addition, Konoha, after all, was a ninja village. It didn¡¯t lack any bloodline limit or ninjutsu. But a person¡¯s strength has many aspects. While it depended on chakra, physical strength, speed, and so on, the more important thing was to have insight and knowledge. This was also the reason why Tonan spared Naraku.


    More importantly, a person¡¯s energy was limited, and only by controlling authority, he could seize more things. Just like Naraku, who became a kage-level powerhouse from an ordinary person by killing chickens and stealing eggs. ¡°Sensei, please drink the tea,¡± Naraku respectfully offered the teacup with both hands. Tonan nodded slightly and took it. After a sip, he said, ¡°Tell me about your next plan. As your sensei, I can evaluate it for you.¡±


    With an innocent smile on his face, Naraku said, ¡°You are making fun of me, sensei. My little tricks are not worth talking about in front of you. Whatever you say, I¡¯ll do.¡± Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, ¡°Do you know why I didn¡¯t kill you?¡± Naraku immediately bowed his head and replied, ¡°You are benevolent, sensei.¡±


    Tonan chuckled and shook his head, ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to act anymore. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t see through you.¡± Naraku suddenly looked anxious as if he had been greatly wronged, ¡°Sensei, you¡¯ve truly misunderstood me. I just wanted to demonstrate my sincerity, and prove¡­¡±


    Tonan impatiently stretched out his hand to signal him to shut up and then lightly said, ¡°Do you still recall the fortune I divined for you back then?¡± Naraku frowned and thought carefully. After a long time, seeing that couldn¡¯t remember, Tonan picked up the cup again.


    Taking a sip of the tea, he said, ¡°I possess the qi reading technique and all creations in this world have qi. And you, you¡¯ve got the qi of a purple star on your forehead. This is the most central star in the starry sky and it¡¯s surrounded by many stars. It¡¯s the so-called emperor star. If no extraordinary external force blocked your path, you¡¯ll be able to sweep across the eight wastelands and unify the world.¡±


    Naraku finally remembered. Tonan did say this to him before but ever since he realized Tonan¡¯s real identity, he thought this was his way of fooling him and had long forgotten these words. Now that Tonan mentioned it again, Naraku felt that he was trying to deceive him again but he didn¡¯t know how to answer for a while.


    As he hesitated, Tonan snorted and put down the teacup heavily on the table. ¡°Do you think that you were worthy of this malevolent spirit of the Ninja World lying to you back then?¡±


    Naraku smiled, ¡°Sensei, I¡¯m not interested in power or anything else now. All I want is to accompany you and serve you well.¡± Tonan gently turned the teacup with his finger and asked, ¡°Do you know what my goal is?¡±


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    ¡°Konoha? Ninja World?¡± With Naraku¡¯s knowledge, he could only think so far. Tonan shook his head with disdain and stared straight into Naraku¡¯s eyes, ¡°Beyond the Six Path Sage, becoming a true God.¡±


    Naraku was dumbfounded but he didn¡¯t take Tonan¡¯s words seriously. He felt that Tonan was talking big in front of him, filled with an old man¡¯s nonsense. But now that his life was under his control, regardless of how nonsensical Tonan¡¯s words were, Naraku could only pretend to believe it was true and nod repeatedly.


    He had a look of amazement to satisfy the old man¡¯s vanity. Tonan tapped on the table with his finger and continued, ¡°But the gods can¡¯t interfere with the affairs of the human world, which is not beneficial to the Ninja World¡¯s development. Therefore, I need someone to take charge of this world for me and I just happened to have met you at the right time.¡±


    The look of amazement on Naraku¡¯s face was replaced with one of pleasant surprise and his entire body trembled. ¡°In any case, this old man cannot live in the Fire Capital all the time. As long as I serve him properly now¡­ after he left, I could find a way to remove the curse seal in my mind. Then, I can secretly accumulate strength and make a counterattack.¡±


    In Tonan¡¯s eyes, Naraku¡¯s exaggerated expression was very fake. ¡°This guy seems to be much smarter than before. It¡¯s not easy to deceive him.¡± Tonan took a breath and said in a deep voice, ¡°I already told you not to act again. When people hear such good news, they don¡¯t smile and tremble. Most become dumbfounded. Therefore, I know that in your heart you think that I¡¯m lying.¡±


    Naraku¡¯s smile stiffened. ¡°It¡¯s quite difficult to curse him even in my heart.¡± But he smiled brightly again, ¡°No, I thought it was a bit weird but since it¡¯s your dream, as long as I can help, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Tonan nodded slightly and said, ¡°You need to understand only two things. First is the divine right of the monarch. And second is that gods bless common people and they should be pious in return.¡±


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    After explaining, Tonan stretched out his finger and pointed at the ground, ¡°Carve a good image according to my mold. Then, let your soldiers believe in worshipping this image. If you find talent in any trades and professions, or people with special strength, you can accept them as well. Then, use resources to cultivate these pious people. Remember, you must not spread this without my consent.¡±


    Naraku hadn¡¯t expected that Tonan would be doing this for real. He nodded repeatedly and asked, ¡°Then, what should be the god¡¯s name? Which one of your names should I use?¡± After all, for Naraku, the current Tonan was Uchiha Madara. He was still wondering how Madara was reborn.


    Tonan touched his chin and began to think carefully. It was unknown whether this would work or not to gain acknowledgment through faith. But there was a foundation for this approach. That was the so-called belief acknowledgment. And the most extreme way of belief acknowledgment was faith. Faith was not just believing in Tonan himself but acknowledging his ideology.


    If possible, he would prefer to use Abe Seimei¡¯s image but for insurance, Tonan asked Naraku to carve a statue in his image. ¡°First, call it the Great Virtuous Sage Master. I¡¯ll write a book with many of my ideologies and thoughts in it. At that time, let these people recite it day and night, i.e. brainwashing. I¡¯m sure you understood what I mean.¡±


    Naraku nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±

 CH 222

    Uchiha Tonan nodded with satisfaction and drank tea from his cup. He suddenly asked, ¡°Is there a war soon?¡± Naraku straightened up and picked up the teapot on the table, carefully refilling Tonan¡¯s teacup, as he replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been preparing for a long time but I wonder if you have any specific thoughts, sensei. If you want a war to happen, it can be done right away. If you are unwilling, I can suppress the early signs.¡±


    Tonan tapped his finger on the table repeatedly and said with an inexplicable look, ¡°The sooner the better. Without me, you¡¯ll not be able to unify the Ninja World no matter how hard you try. In this world, many experts are lurking in the dark. You do your work first and I¡¯ll make some notes for you tonight. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll return to Konoha.¡±


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    Hearing Tonan¡¯s words, a hint of happiness flashed through Naraku¡¯s eyes, who had his head lowered. He put down the teapot and respectfully picked up the teacup for Tonan, ¡°I¡¯ll immediately ensure the work is done as per your instructions. Please have some tea, sensei.¡±


    A quarter of an hour later, the Daimyo Residence made two announcements to the outside world via all kinds of channels.


    The first was about the Honorary Chunin Competition.


    The participants from the four great ninja villages joined hands with Fire Capital¡¯s rebel officials and tried to take the Daimyo hostage. Their nefarious plan was thwarted though because Konoha¡¯s participant Uchiha Tonan and Daimyo¡¯s trusted subordinates killed them all.


    The Daimyo was infuriated and declared that the Land of Fire would stop trading with the other four great countries.


    The second announcement was that the Daimyo Residence issued a new currency. The ratio of the new currency and old currency was one to ten thousand. And only the new currency could purchase food, salt, and other important materials through official channels. The currency exchange channels in the other four great countries were also closed.


    Daimyo¡¯s first announcement was primarily to give a legitimate reason for the second one. Once this was in effect, the four great countries wouldn¡¯t be able to survive without starting a war.


    Summer just began. Because of the Daimyo Residence¡¯s previous economic warfare, a large part of the food supply and other necessities of the other four great nations was already purchased. The inflation had induced them to plant cash crops.


    Now, the fields were full of inedible crops and the money they had couldn¡¯t purchase food and other necessities. They were not left with many options. The countries might be able to last only till autumn next year if they were to rely on the stored grains of the Daimyo Residences and ninja villages. The conservative estimate would be eighteen months.


    In such a situation, launching a war was the only way. They would likely join hands to defeat Konoha, forcing Naraku to withdraw the new currency policy and compensate with food and other materials. Naturally, if the higher-ups of the countries had water in their brains and chose to endure it, that would be even better for Naraku and Tonan¡¯s scheme.


    At that time, the entire country would suffer from poverty, and Naraku¡¯s great cause of unifying the Ninja World would be one step closer. In fact, in Naraku¡¯s original plan, Tonan and the participants of the other four great nations should have all died. Then, there would be an announcement that Tonan died in action to protect His Majesty, the Daimyo.


    Unfortunately, Naraku severely miscalculated Tonan¡¯s strength. Just like Yakushi Kabuto in the original work who underestimated Uchiha Madara¡¯s strength during his peak. He could only blame his inexperience for this.


    Late at night, the Zhifu Mountain battlefield was cleared of the corpses that the Daimyo Residence¡¯s soldiers had buried. Only a tall stone spear was left standing on the flat ground. The moon was almost as round as a silver plate shining bright in the clear sky.


    Moonlight sprinkled on the ground, reflecting the stone spear with a dull shimmering light. There were still some trees at the edge of the battlefield though a large tree¡¯s trunk appeared slightly twisted. When a curtain moved, it revealed a deep hole in the trunk.


    Someone had used a curtain to conceal the tree hole and hide in it. A ninja wearing a cat-faced mask cautiously came out and glanced around. He turned into a black shadow and ran toward the center of the forest. This cat-faced masked ninja was an Anbu member under Sarutobi Hiruzen.


    In recent days, the Daimyo Residence had caught both Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo¡¯s Anbu and Root members. Once they were exposed, they were useless and became mere messengers between Konoha and the Daimyo Residence.


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    In this regard, Hiruzen and Danzo had no choice but to suffer in silence. After all, the Daimyo was the legitimate ruler and it was Konoha that made the mistake of planting spies. Fortunately, Naraku pretended to be magnanimous and didn¡¯t punish Konoha.


    But was magnanimous a word to describe Naraku? He was preparing to launch a war and make Konoha go to fight with the other four great ninja villages. The lives of these spies were mere pawns, not worthy of his time.


    Only this spy who was hiding deep in the mountain forest was not discovered by the Daimyo Residence yet. When Naraku and Tonan were fighting, he hid in the tree hole and watched the entire process. At that time, his shock was indescribable because the battle between the two had surpassed his knowledge of a ninja¡¯s strengths.


    In particular, Naraku revealed Tonan¡¯s ¡®true¡¯ identity, which he said was Madara. This was a big secret, and as an Anbu spy, he must pass this information back to Konoha. To avoid being discovered, he waited until late at night to come out of the tree hole.


    Suddenly, the fleeing spy stopped and dodged behind a tree. Coo coo¡­ In the sky, a large flock of white pigeons whistled through. The spy held his breath completely. At this time, he would even avoid ordinary animals if he could. After the white pigeons flew far away, he stuck his head out and looked over.


    He saw that the forest ahead was cut off by the railway. In other words, the entire railway was not covered by trees, and it was completely exposed to the cold moonlight. This made him instinctively feel insecure.


    ¡°Should I write the information and make a summoning beast carry it back?¡± The spy thought this but immediately rejected the idea. It was still too close to the Fire Capital and hence dangerous to stay for even one more second.


    After taking a deep breath, he accelerated his pace, turning into a black shadow, and quickly crossed the railway. However, just after crossing the railway and entering the dense forest, he frowned.


    Just now¡­ it looked like there was a white figure on the railway line. The spy subconsciously gulped and looked back through the gap between the trees. In his sight, the railway was cut into dozens of sections.


    ¡°No¡­ No¡­ No¡­ It seems I was scaring myself,¡± the spy sighed in relief and prepared to continue running into the distance. He turned around but was startled silly. He saw Tonan in a white robe standing in front of him. Tonan didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry and was leisurely tying the belt of his night robe as quietly said, ¡°You are in such a hurry. Do you want me to give you a ride?¡±


    The spy replied in a relaxed tone, ¡°Tonan-sama, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here. I just came from Konoha. I¡¯m going to the enemy country to carry out a mission.¡±


    Tonan chuckled and patted the spy¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ve quite a stable mentality as an Anbu. But if you¡¯re exposed, you¡¯re exposed, it¡¯s not such a big deal. In the next life, opt for a better career.¡±


    Immediately after Tonan spoke, the Anbu thrust his kunai toward Tonan¡¯s chest. Ding! The sound of metal colliding was heard and not even a scratch was seen on Tonan, who flicked his right hand toward his rear.


    Puff¡­ Bang¡­ Tonan¡¯s air bullet shot through a tree in the rear. And a corpse fell straight to the ground. At the same time, the spy in front of him turned into a cloud of white smoke. It was just a shadow clone.


    Tonan made a hand seal and used Dark Swamp Technique, swallowing the spy¡¯s corpse. Then his body also turned into white smoke and disappeared as well.


    Tonan, who was wielding his brush furiously at the Daimyo Residence, paused slightly and put down the brush in his hand. He looked down at the loose belt on his night robe. ¡°It seems it was just a small fry.¡±


    He reached out his hands to fasten his belt and then picked up the pen to continue to write.

 CH 223

    Early the next morning, the red sun jumped out of the morning fog and myriads of sunlight lit up the river flowing in the distance of the Fire Capital. It also dyed the fog scarlet as it gradually dissipated and the world became clearer.


    In the Fire Capital, numerous city guards were dispatched to close the path from the Daimyo Residence to the railway station. Accompanied by Naraku, Uchiha Tonan arrived at the railway station. Under the Daimyo¡¯s signal, a group of city guards barricaded the railway station, setting aside a separate space for the two of them.


    Both sensei and student walked onto the platform and stopped simultaneously in a tacit understanding. Tonan took Naraku¡¯s hand and placed it in his. He patted the back of Naraku¡¯s hand and earnestly said, ¡°Naraku, for your and my great cause, you must work hard for a while. If you face any trouble, feel free to tell me.¡±


    Naraku placed his hand on the back of Tonan¡¯s and replied looking reluctant, ¡°Sensei, you and I just reunited but I never thought our time to part will come so soon. I am very reluctant. I can¡¯t wait to pass down the Daimyo position and go to Konoha to be filial to you. Alas, one can only say that gods play with people, and people don¡¯t have the freedom to act independently.¡±


    Naraku took out two small scrolls from his bosom and added, ¡°Sensei, there was not much time and this is a small token of respect from your student. Please accept it. I hope you won¡¯t dislike it.¡±


    Tonan glanced at the scrolls and asked with a confused look, ¡°What is this?¡± Naraku held one scroll in each hand and raised the one in his left hand. ¡°There are five hundred chakra potions in this scroll. During this time, the Daimyo Residence¡¯s resources are exhausted by seventy to eighty percent. I could only gather enough to make five hundred pieces.¡±


    He then raised the scroll in his right hand and said, ¡°This scroll records the Senju clan¡¯s secret technique. According to legend, Nidaime Hokage created this during the Warring States Period. It¡¯s called strength nin-taijutsu. It can control and concentrate the chakra in the body to greatly improve physical strength and power. The technique on Senju Hashirama¡¯s scroll is passed down from the ninja sect era and there is no other record of it.¡±


    Naraku handed over these two scrolls to Tonan. He took them and weighed them in his hand, nodding in satisfaction, ¡°You are rarely so considerate. Since you have given me these gifts, I must reciprocate. Although the curse mark in your mind has certain restraints on you, it can greatly improve your talent. It¡¯s my first gift to you.¡±


    Hearing this, crystal-clear tears flowed from Naraku¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°So that¡¯s the case¡­ I¡¯m so grateful, sensei.¡±


    Tonan stuffed the scrolls into the ninja bag and smiled lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be moved so quickly, there¡¯s a second gift.¡± As he spoke, a white pigeon landed on his shoulder. Tonan gently stroked its soft feathers. ¡°I can¡¯t always accompany you but I¡¯m worried to leave you alone. I¡¯ve raised this pet for many years. It¡¯s well-behaved and understands human nature. Today, I¡¯ll give it to you and it will accompany you day and night in my place.¡±


    As if to prove a point, the white pigeon flew over from Tonan and landed on Naraku¡¯s shoulder. Naraku looked at it and said with admiration, ¡°Anyone can see at a glance that this is an awesome pigeon, it¡¯s extraordinary. It is too precious. I¡¯m unworthy of this gift.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s getting late. I must go now. Take good care of yourself. Also, take good care of this little fellow. If something happens to it, I¡¯ll be very angry.¡± Tonan smiled gently as he patted Naraku¡¯s shoulder and then turned and walked towards the end of the railway station.


    Naraku stood there and looked at his back with tears in his eyes. ¡°Sensei, if you miss me, come and visit the Fire Capital often. If you are short on money, send me a letter and I¡¯ll collect enough for you. The battlefields are dangerous, don¡¯t go if you don¡¯t want to. If Hiruzen pushes you, don¡¯t hold back and tell me. Even if I¡¯m not a good Daimyo, I¡¯ll fight to the end for you. Take care, sensei!¡±


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    After a while, Tonan boarded the train carriage. Sekiya Ichikaze had been waiting in the driver¡¯s cabin for a long time. He placed his hands on his knees and bowed deeply, ¡°Tonan-sama, are you leaving?¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time to depart.¡± He went inside to randomly pick a window seat and sat down. Choo-choo, wu wu¡­ Thick white smoke rose from the roof of the train as it slowly drove out of the station.


    Naraku stood on the platform, watching it go away. After it was completely out of sight, his face returned to a cold expression and he narrowed his eyes a little, looking gloomy.


    Half an hour later at the Daimyo Residence, Naraku sat upright, and his only remaining confidant, Punishment Minister Yamamoto Takuro, was kneeling in front of him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this is the list of ninja organizations from all over the Land of Fire. Do you want to choose the new twelve guardian ninjas?¡±


    Naraku waved his hand indifferently and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll nurture them myself. Leave the information and you all can go out.¡±


    Takuro quickly got up and made all the maids and guards leave the hall, closing the door behind him. Only the hall was empty, the pent-up anger in Naraku¡¯s heart exploded. He clenched his fists tightly and punched the table in front of him a few times. ¡°Old bastard! I¡¯ll kill you sooner or later!¡±


    Naraku¡¯s forehead was full of blue veins and his eyes were bloodshot, looking very scary. Suddenly, he felt like someone was watching him and from the corner of his eyes, he caught the white pigeon standing on the beam, staring at him curiously.


    To his despair, the pigeon¡¯s eyes were scarlet. Moreover, the familiar three tomoe were spinning slowly. Naraku took a deep breath. Trembling all over, he smashed the armrest with a slap and gritted his teeth. ¡°Sarutobi Hiruzen, if you dare to go against my sensei, I¡¯ll chop you and feed you to the dogs!¡±


    Immediately afterward, he shouted with a hoarse voice, ¡°Guards¡­ guards!¡± The door was pushed open and Takuro hastily rushed in and knelt on the ground in panic. ¡°Your Majesty, what are your instructions?¡±


    Naraku swallowed a mouthful of saliva and saw that the three tomoe had disappeared from the pigeon¡¯s eyes. His lips had become a little pale as he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I want to read a book. Go and fetch the scrolls and books of fire style, earth style, water style, lightning style, sealing, and body techniques.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Takuro staggered on his feet and ran outside.


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    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Naraku suddenly stopped Takuro, who was about to run outside, and said with a stiff smile on his face, ¡°Also bring top-quality ninja beast feed, and send two maids to serve my pet around the clock.¡±


    Takuro glanced at the white pigeon on the roof beam and without asking more questions, lowered his head and said, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

 CH 224.1

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    Closer to the plains near the Fire Capital, soft clouds floated in the sky like wisps of smoke. Only two days ago, the nation entered the early summer season. And there had been no rain recently, so the earth had gradually become very hot.


    The hot wind that rushed in from the window blew the ends of Uchiha Tonan¡¯s hair, making it a little messy. His physique was far superior to ordinary people. Although it was unbearably hot outside, he didn¡¯t feel much. He quietly read the strength nin-taijutsu scroll that was spread out on the table.


    By now even Tonan was not clear on how many ninjutsu he knew. Even the so-called Professor, Sarutobi Hiruzen, might not necessarily know more ninjutsu than Tonan. But most of these were useless to the current Tonan. Because the effects of these were overlapping. He had learned so much that this could be called a natural outcome.


    It was mainly to gain a deeper understanding of the principles of ninjutsu. So that when he encountered practical advanced ninjutsu, he could master it quickly. Just like this strange strength nin-taijutsu currently placed in front of him.


    The monstrous strength nin-taijutsu was created by Senju Tobirama, and Senju Tsunade was the one who truly developed this technique. Tsunade was smitten with this monstrous strength nin-taijutsu mainly because it could be combined with her own Yin Seal and Strength of a Hundred Technique.


    After all, people¡¯s energy was limited and they needed to take the route that suits them. But Uchiha Tonan wasn¡¯t among them. He was the kind of person who took all good things in one fell swoop.


    After he finished reading the scroll, he gently raised his right hand and used his mind to control the chakra within his body to flow along special meridians and acupoints. He finally gathered this on his palm. In an instant, he felt that his right hand seemed to have become infinitely powerful, and power was ignited in his body as if he possessed the power to crush everything.


    It was just that he was on the train now, and he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to test the impact here. Suddenly, Sekiya Ichikaze opened the driver¡¯s cabin door and the heat wave blew in. The extremely hot weather, coupled with the proximity to the boiler, made the driver¡¯s cabin much hotter than the rest of the carriages.


    Ichikaze was drenched as if he was pulled out of water. He hastily closed the door to prevent the heat wave from affecting Tonan. He nodded apologetically and then quickly passed through the corridor and walked towards the rear carriage.


    Not long after, Ichikaze walked over to Tonan with a slightly sumptuous meal and put it down. ¡°Tonan-sama, it¡¯s time for lunch. These are the only things on the train. If you want to eat anything, let me know. And I¡¯ll stop to buy it at the next station.¡±


    There were various kinds of food on the plate. It was already a good meal. It was clear that Ichikaze had put a lot of thought into it. Tonan looked at the food on the plate. He stretched out his hand and took off his glasses, putting them aside. ¡°No need, I¡¯m not a picky eater. But this is too much. I can¡¯t finish it by myself. You can also sit down and eat it together.¡±


    Ichikaze quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. I brought my bento as well.¡±


    Tonan smiled a little and said, ¡°Sit down, you don¡¯t need to be polite with me. Come and chat with me.¡±


    Ichikaze looked a little embarrassed but he agreed. ¡°Alright, then,¡± he sat down opposite Tonan. Tonan saw that there was only one pair of chopsticks and his mind moved. A rock flew over from outside the window and fell onto his palm.


    In the next moment, the rock¡¯s shape changed, and it turned into a pair of stone chopsticks. The heat wave blowing in from outside the window blew against Tonan and Ichikaze.


    Tonan seemed to be fine but Ichikaze was different. He wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead with his uniform sleeve and smiled at Tonan. Tonan also had a smile. He wiped the stone chopsticks with a tissue and handed them over to Ichikaze.


    ¡°This work seems like a tough job.¡± Ichikaze respectfully took the stone chopsticks and said, ¡°It¡¯s a bit harder in summer but I can get through it. Is ninjutsu so amazing?¡± He was a little surprised by what Tonan had just done. It was an eye-opener for him.


    Tonan smiled a little and picked up his chopsticks. He took a small bite and chewed it properly. ¡°What do you usually do besides driving?¡±


    Ichikaze smiled forcibly and said, ¡°I study books. After all, this thing has just come out and no one knows whether it will still be used in the future. I¡¯ve to open a few more paths for myself.¡±


    Under Tonan¡¯s watchful eyes, he picked up the stone chopsticks and took a bite of green vegetables, chewing slowly. Tonan nodded and said, ¡°I like to read books too. Expanding knowledge is a good thing for everyone. Are you interested in becoming a ninja?¡±


    Perhaps because Tonan changed the topic quickly Ichikaze was stunned for a moment. He didn¡¯t dare speak. After a pause, all he said was, ¡°Me?¡± It was a pleasant thought but Ichikaze lowered his eyes and shook his head. ¡°I heard one needs the talent to be a ninja. I don¡¯t think I have it.¡±


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    Eating his food, Tonan lightly replied, ¡°What is talent? Physique, character, and intellect to explore things. This is talent. However, these things can be changed.¡±

 CH 224.2

    To Sekiya Ichikaze¡¯s question on talent, Uchiha Tonan casually replied, ¡°What is talent? Physique, character, and intellect to explore things. This is talent. However, these things can be changed.¡±


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    Ichikaze frowned and asked in a low voice, ¡°Tonan-sama, do you mean to change through hard work?¡±


    Tonan chuckled and shook his head. He explained, ¡°Hard work? What is hard work? I¡¯ve seen a pair of father and son whose talent is very poor but in everyone¡¯s eyes, they work harder than anyone else. Their daily training routine is terrifying. But that¡¯s not hard work¡­ that¡¯s more like self-motivation or self-hypnosis. They can endure physical pain but not mental pain. As I said, talent is about physique, character, and the way of thinking or the intellect to explore things.¡±


    ¡°People like these blindly pursue physical fitness. Of course, it pays off. But in this world, even a single household is diverse. When people find themselves working hard but not getting the expected reward, they should reconsider whether they are on the right path or not. There are many powerhouses and each can be used as a reference to understand one¡¯s shortcomings.¡±


    ¡°But most people choose to ignore it. I admit that the saying, what suits you the best, is correct. But some people tried and learned other things. They guard their little things even more and use these words to comfort themselves. It¡¯s a path to death.¡± After speaking so much, and seeing that Ichikaze seemed to be listening to him intently, Tonan took a sip of tea and continued.


    ¡°You already have two important distinct things for talent. Character and your way of thinking, which is your intellect. A steady character is always more suitable for survival in this world than a transcendent character. As for the way of thinking, it¡¯s the exact opposite. You¡¯ve already achieved these two.¡±


    ¡°While you are at ease, you are still thinking about continuously enriching yourself with the knowledge to change yourself. People always instinctively want to change others to change the world, but it¡¯s difficult to calm down and introspect. This is human nature but it is also what shackles growth. Only the people who are mature and sensible enough can break through their shackles.¡±


    Hearing this, Ichikaze frowned, ¡°Why do people create such shackles for themselves?¡± Tonan sighed and replied, ¡°Without these, when a person¡¯s character is not mature enough, he¡¯ll go crazy. You may have noticed while meeting people that some refuse to admit their mistakes even if you point them out clearly.¡±


    ¡°The truth is that they already know they are wrong but they can¡¯t break through the shackles in their hearts. But some people might frown and think it over and will eventually admit that they were wrong. Self-denial is human nature but reason can suppress this nature.¡±


    Ichikaze nodded and stared at Tonan with admiration on his face. He said, ¡°Every time I meet you, Tonan-sama, I learn new things that I cannot learn at any other time or from anyone else. These words are truly thought-provoking.¡±


    Tonan smiled slightly and wiped his mouth with a tissue. ¡°Ninjas can be said to be the highest stratum in this world. You are one step away from becoming a ninja, and that is physique. I can help you with this aspect.¡±


    A hint of joy flashed through Ichikaze¡¯s face but he frowned again and solemnly replied, ¡°Tonan-sama, it was only because of you last time that I was able to become a new person. But I cannot simply go on accepting your kindness like this.¡±


    Tonan chuckled and shook his head, ¡°You were willing to wait for me in the Fire Capital for so long. I want to express my gratitude to you as well. Don¡¯t be embarrassed. It¡¯ll be easier to pay me back when you are stronger.¡±


    Ichikaze nodded vigorously and said, ¡°Tonan-sama, thank you. You are truly a good person.¡± Hearing Ichikaze¡¯s words, Tonan¡¯s smile became brighter and brighter. He waved his hand toward him and said, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Ichikaze leaned forward immediately and approached him. ¡°Be patient, it will hurt a bit.¡± After giving a casual warning, Tonan placed his right hand on his head. Ichikaze¡¯s eyes widened instantly and he slammed back on the seat. He covered his head with his hands and began to twitch under severe pain, wailing and screaming. ¡°Uh¡­ ah!¡±


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    Tonan shook his head and glanced at the unfinished meal in front of him. He raised his chopsticks and gracefully ate. Ichikaze had already acknowledged him. Moreover, since the person wanted to repay, he would obviously give Ichikaze a chance. It can even be considered an early investment.


    He hoped that Ichikaze would become a dark horse, dying the whole path red. Half an hour later, Ichikaze leaned back on the seat, gasping for breath. His dry and cracked lips trembled slightly and he asked in an inaudible voice, ¡°Tonan-sama, do I already¡­ have a ninja¡¯s physique?¡±


    At this time, Tonan had finished his meal and was drinking tea while looking out of the window. Hearing Ichikaze¡¯s voice, he turned around.


    Pushing the things in front of him to Ichikaze, he said, ¡°These ten chakra potions and this secret technique are for you. I hope that when we meet again in the future, you¡¯ll impress me. When you feel that your strength has reached genin level, become a vagrant ninja. A war is about to start. Be careful and don¡¯t lose your life.¡±


    Hearing his words, Ichikaze stared at the things on the table with a fanatic gaze. He knew that from today onwards, his destiny had changed. He was no longer an ordinary person who ran around for a living. Everything was because of the kindness of the man in front of him.


    Ichikaze forcibly supported his weak body and walked over. He knelt to Tonan and kowtowed three times showing his gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Tonan-sama.¡±

 CH 225

    Five days later, on the path shaded with trees near Konoha, Uchiha Tonan walked leisurely towards a quiet and peaceful courtyard, ignoring the passing ninjas. Outside Konoha¡¯s barrier, a group of ninjas was pouring out like a school of fish.


    Hyuga Hizashi and the clan¡¯s patriarch Hyuga Hiashi were standing outside the barrier. Hizashi had activated his Byakugan to examine each of the ninjas exiting the village while continually yelling out commands. ¡°Quick, quick, quick, jonin are to bring light supplies and gather at the border first¡­ chunin and genin are to follow behind without consuming too much physical strength. Be careful not to fall behind alone.¡±


    ¡°All the intelligence agents, spread out¡­ if enemy spies are found, immediately send a signal, don¡¯t engage in battle.¡±


    ¡°Return and ask the medical team what¡¯s going on. Our team is going to resist Suna. Why are the antidote supplies so limited?¡±


    Tonan arrived at the village gate and smiled at Hiashi. He asked in a pleasant tone, ¡°Hiashi-sama, have we already begun a war against Suna?¡± Hiashi glanced at Tonan. Although the Hyugas and the Uchihas were perennially against each other, considering Tonan¡¯s incredible record, a slightly warm smile couldn¡¯t help appearing on Hiashi¡¯s otherwise emotionless face.


    He replied, ¡°Yes, according to our intel, Suna has formed an alliance with Iwa and their main force is already about to reach the Land of Rain border. They plan to infiltrate from the Kikyo Mountain between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire.¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°It seems that the Hyuga clan is commanding this battle.¡± Hiashi solemnly replied, ¡°As Konoha¡¯s large clans, Hyuga and Ino¨CShika¨CCho must stand on the front line. Hizashi is the commander to resist Suna and Ino is in charge of resisting Iwa. As for the Uchihas, they were arranged to guard the coastline the day before yesterday to fight against Kiri.¡±


    A small, nearly unnoticeable smile formed on Tonan¡¯s lips. He was not surprised that Sarutobi Hiruzen had arranged the forces in this order. He asked, ¡°I wonder who is the commander on the battlefront with Kumo.¡±


    After all, without Konoha Sannin, there were not many people who could assume such a heavy responsibility. The optimum choice was Tonan himself but the war had just begun and the outcome was unpredictable. Hiruzen feared that Tonan would make significant military achievements, thereby threatening his position.


    ¡°The main force consists of the Sarutobi and the Shimura clan. Jonin Namikaze Minato is the commander. As for the exact situation, Hokage-sama will tell you when you meet him face to face.¡± Tonan nodded thoughtfully and replied, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll let you return to your work now.¡±


    Tonan stepped into the barrier and walked towards the Hokage Residence. Behind, Hizashi, who was responsible for inspecting things, couldn¡¯t help walking over and asking Hiashi, ¡°Patriarch, you seem to value the Uchiha kid very much.¡±


    Hiashi, who was still looking at Tonan¡¯s departing back, narrowed his eyes slightly and said, ¡°Kid? I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t dare call him that after the war is over. Do you feel he reminds you of a particular person?¡±


    Hearing Hiashi¡¯s words, Hizashi raised his head and stared at Tonan¡¯s back as well. Tonan felt the Byakugan¡¯s probe but he only paused his steps and didn¡¯t look back. Seeing him so vigilant, Hizashi looked away hastily.


    After all, it was impolite to inspect others with Byakugan. He lowered his head and whispered, ¡°Orochimaru.¡± Hiashi nodded and then shook his head again, solemnly saying, ¡°I¡¯m not very clear who resembles who though.¡±


    In front of the Hokage Residence, Hiruzen was giving a pre-war speech to a batch of troops who were about to enter the battlefield. ¡°You must always remember the Will of Fire. In front of you, is the battlefield. And behind you, are your families and friends. They are waiting for you in the village¡­¡±


    Suddenly, there was a small commotion at the back of the troops. The crowd immediately made a way, every ninja bowed respectfully¡­


    ¡°Tonan-sama.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-sama.¡±


    Tonan smiled and nodded toward them one by one. He leisurely walked towards the front of the troops and raised his head. He stared at Hiruzen who was wearing the Hokage robe. Hiruzen took a deep breath and with a kind smile on his face, said, ¡°Tonan, you¡¯re back.¡±


    Facing Hiruzen, Tonan didn¡¯t show any respect and lightly asked, ¡°What arrangements have you made for me in this war, Hokage-sama?¡±


    Hiruzen was irritated by Tonan¡¯s attitude but at this moment, he could only suppress it. He replied, ¡°The Suna and Iwa troops have gathered at the Land of Rain border, ready to break through and enter the Land of Fire. The battlefield on that side has the greatest pressure. Everyone knows your strength, so I¡¯ve arranged you under Ino¡¯s command.¡±


    Tonan nodded thoughtfully and said, ¡°So, that means I¡¯m not going to the battlefield with my clan members.¡± Hiruzen narrowed his eyes slightly and pointed out, ¡°The greater the strength, the greater the responsibility.¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°I understand, but I need a day to be ready to leave.¡±


    ¡°This is a matter of urgency. I hope you won¡¯t miss the war.¡± Hiruzen pretended to be majestic and took the opportunity to test Tonan. But Tonan was fearless. He wouldn¡¯t let Hiruzen ride his head and tyrannically abuse power. With an indifferent look on his face, he quietly stared back. The two continued this for a long time.


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    In the end, considering the overall situation, Hiruzen gave up first. He took the initiative to give Tonan a ladder to step down. ¡°Take care of your personal affairs as soon as possible. Let me know if you need anything.¡±


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    Tonan smiled lightly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, Hokage-sama. It¡¯s just a small matter.¡± After speaking, he turned around and left. Soon after, Tonan reached Uzumaki Kushina¡¯s residence.


    As the Nine Tails¡¯ jinchuriki, the courtyard where she lived was not inferior to the Hatake household. Tonan could remember that the house where Naruto lived in the original work was Minato¡¯s small room on the second floor.


    It seemed that Hiruzen had confiscated their large courtyards. Tonan lightly knocked on the door. Soon, Kushina, holding Hatake Kotoura, came and opened the door. The moment she saw Tonan, a pleasant surprise flashed through her face.


    She wanted to greet Tonan, but Kotoura, who was in her arms, beat her to it. ¡°Baba!¡± Perhaps Kotoura was a little too excited. His voice was sharp. He reached out his hands as if he wanted Tonan to hug him. Tonan¡¯s face was filled with a doting look. He gently rubbed Kotoura¡¯s head and then looked at Kushina, ¡°Kushina-senpai, have Minato-sensei and the others already set off?¡±


    Kushina nodded, ¡°Yes, he left yesterday. Kakashi and others followed as well. Come in and let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Tonan shook his head and said, ¡°No, I just came to exchange some words. I¡¯m leaving for the battlefield immediately. During my absence, please help me take care of the welfare institution.¡±


    Kushina assured him immediately, ¡°No problem.¡± Tonan smiled and took out a storage scroll from his ninja bag. He handed it over to Kushina and said, ¡°Please take this money. If you find orphans and elderly people, arrange for them to stay in the welfare institution.¡±


    Kushina took the scroll and muttered in confusion, ¡°What is this¡­¡± Tonan adjusted his glasses and answered, ¡°It¡¯s five hundred thousand in the new currency. It should be enough.¡±


    When Kushina heard it, her eyes widened and her mouth was left open. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s equivalent to five billion¡­¡± Tonan nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s a reward from the Daimyo.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I heard that you saved the Daimyo.¡± Kushina carefully stored the scroll. Although she never had to worry about eating and drinking since childhood, she had never seen such a large sum of money. Five billion, how many S-ranked missions was that worth?


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave now. Time is a bit pressing.¡± After explaining, Tonan stretched out his hand to pinch Kotoura¡¯s chubby cheek. He then turned away without any sense of reluctance or care.


    Kushina looked at Tonan¡¯s back view and shouted, ¡°Tonan, you must be careful on the battlefield.¡± Tonan¡¯s footsteps paused slightly. He nodded without looking back, ¡°Got it.¡±

 CH 226

    Half an hour later, at the Hokage Rock Platform, the azure sky was clear with some clouds and small birds occasionally streaked across. There were countless fallen leaves. The gentle breeze blew the trees on the summit as leaves slowly floated down forming a pile on the ground.


    Uchiha Tonan came to the fence and closed his eyes. He stretched out his arms in pleasure and took a deep breath. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the busy pedestrians in the streets below.


    Shimura Danzo, who had been waiting there for a long time, tapped his finger on the railing and said, ¡°The war came faster than I expected.¡±


    Tonan slightly leaned forward and placed his elbows on the railing. He leisurely said, ¡°What should come will always come. The longer the calmness, the more violent the explosion.¡±


    Danzo glanced at Tonan and said, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be very worried about Konoha¡¯s plight. The four great nations are besieging the Land of Fire this time. Over the past few years, we¡¯ve lost many of our top combat powers. I, too, can feel the pressure rising.¡±


    Tonan chuckled, ¡°Hokage-sama is not worried. Why would I, a mere chunin, worry?¡± Danzo hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Your ninja rank has been promoted to jonin again. Now that it¡¯s wartime, Hiruzen has a far greater authority to speak than me. Because of your existence, he specially made the Uchiha clan attack Kiri. The entire coastline is a defensive line. Coupled with the ninjutsu restraint, the Uchihas can only adopt a defensive strategy. It will be difficult for them to make military achievements.¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°And he transferred me to Ino¡¯s command making the Uchihas lose their high-leveled combat power. No matter how many military achievements I get in the Land of Rain, the commander will get the credit. If it¡¯s a win, then Nara Shikaku¡¯s command was excellent. But if it¡¯s a loss, then I, the person below him, was not strong enough or performed poorly. Hokage-sama¡¯s scheme is good. As long as Konoha survives, his position will be stronger.¡±


    ¡°If Konoha wins against Iwa, the military achievement goes to Shikaku. Against Suna, it goes to the Hyuga clan, and against Kumo, the achievement goes to Minato-sensei. Ino-Shika-Cho and the Hyuga clan are Hokage-sama¡¯s loyal supporters. Even though Minato-sensei has a good relationship with me, he is loyal to Hokage-sama. It¡¯s very well arranged, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Danzo remained silent for a while. Ordinary ninjas didn¡¯t think too much about these things. Even if they knew that there was a problem with the strategy of the Uchiha clan fighting against Kiri, it was also known that the clan was disliked in the village. No one would stand up for them.


    Regardless of ninjas or common people, most were willing to see the Uchihas fall. Hiruzen made a simple plan, which let him hold an invincible position. Danzo took a deep breath and looked at Tonan, ¡°Although I cannot deal with Hiruzen, I don¡¯t want to see you do things that are not beneficial to Konoha. After the war is over, I¡¯m willing to fight for the benefits that the Uchiha clan should get.¡±


    Tonan sneered on hearing this. He looked at Danzo with a strange expression, ¡°Danzo-sama, you seem to have mistaken something. What I care about is Konoha, not Uchiha. Most of the Uchiha clan members are unruly. I¡¯ve never thought about fighting for their benefit. My heart consists of the entire Konoha and not just any one clan.¡±


    Danzo was overjoyed hearing this because he hated the Uchiha clan very much. But due to his relationship with Tonan, he restrained the animosity in his heart. However, he had never thought that Tonan had no sense of belonging to the Uchihas at all. This was too good for him. A rare smile appeared on his face and he said, ¡°Tonan, I truly didn¡¯t misjudge you.¡±


    Tonan looked at the scenery below and narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Danzo-sama, even if Konoha doesn¡¯t lose this war, it will suffer a big loss. There is obviously something wrong with Hokage-sama¡¯s strategic arrangement but no one asked about it. But if the loss is too big, someone needs to bear the responsibility.¡±


    After Tonan¡¯s reminder, Danzo seemed to have grasped a key point. He muttered, ¡°You mean¡­¡± Sometimes, one doesn¡¯t need to spell it out for people to understand. Tonan raised his palm and caught a fluttering leaf. He brought it near his nose and smelled it. ¡°At that time, I¡¯ll fully support you to become the Fourth Hokage.¡±


    Danzo felt a crack opening in his heart and his breathing was a little rapid. ¡°Do you have any requests?¡± Tonan spread out his hands and said, ¡°Why are you saying such words? Everything I do is for Konoha¡¯s prosperity and stability. Am I the kind of person who won¡¯t lift a finger unless there¡¯s something in it for me?¡±


    Danzo raised his eyebrows, not knowing what to say. He couldn¡¯t call Tonan selfish because whether it was the contents of his diary or his actions, no one could find fault in it. But if he said Tonan was not selfish, he wouldn¡¯t believe it either.


    After all, Tonan¡¯s knowledge and schemes were not something ordinary ninjas could compare. Danzo didn¡¯t imagine for a second that an intelligent person would be selfless and fearless. Regardless of everything, people also have thoughts.


    Seeing Danzo not speaking, Tonan lowered his voice and said, ¡°I hope Danzo-sama will not forget me when you become the Hokage. I¡¯ve always hoped to serve the villagers and gain their acknowledgment. This is the value and meaning of my life. If possible, positions such as the Root Leader or Anbu Leader would be good to serve the villagers.¡±


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    After speaking, he activated the Mangekyo and turned to Danzo. He pointed at his eye and said, ¡°By the way, during the war, I suggest you pay a bit more attention to not letting the Uchiha clan suffer too many casualties. After all, with these eyes, as long as I make a small move, we¡¯ll be able to use the Uchiha clan.¡±


    Danzo instinctively narrowed his eyes seeing Tonan¡¯s Mangekyo and avoided his gaze. He nodded quietly. ¡°Ridiculous! who would dare to look at the Mangekyo Sharingan directly?¡±


    Seeing Danzo being so cautious, Tonan chuckled. He shook his head and turned around, walking towards the platform. ¡°By the way, there seem to be many talented people hidden among Konoha. I suggest Danzo-sama seek them out and bring them under your command as soon as possible. Only when people like you become Hokage, Konoha will have a future. This is all I want to say.¡±


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    Tonan came to talk with Danzo not because he wanted to help him ascend to the Hokage position but because he wanted Danzo to understand that the Uchiha clan was on their side and could be used. He also wanted Danzo to help him with logistics so the Uchihas would not lose too many people. They were all reserved rations. If there were too many deaths, Tonan would feel guilty for wasting food.


    After a long time, Danzo sighed and made a hand gesture. In the next instance, a cat-masked ninja appeared behind him and knelt on one knee. ¡°Danzo-sama.¡±


    ¡°Go and check the villagers. If their strength reaches genin level, gather them in the Root.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The cat-masked ninja used Body Flicker Technique and disappeared. Danzo turned around and looked at the Hokage Rock. With a fire burning in his eyes, he muttered, ¡°Hiruzen, I¡¯m the best candidate for Hokage. Everything is for Konoha.¡±

 CH 227

    On his way home, Uchiha Tonan stopped by Uchiha Fugaku¡¯s house to visit Uchiha Mikoto. His primary purpose for the visit was to postpone Uchiha Itachi¡¯s apprenticeship and ask Mikoto to leverage her connections and purchase a batch of supplies for him.


    Ever since the Great Elder was forced to commit suicide, the Uchihas had not elected another. When patriarch Fugaku set out to the battlefield, Mikoto was made in charge of managing the clan¡¯s affairs. As for Uchiha Shisui, Tonan limited his contact with him for the time being because he was worried it might impact Kotoamatsukami¡¯s formation.


    After returning home, Tonan soaked in a hot spring, which swept away his physical and mental exhaustion. He then began to clean the house and trim the grass in the courtyard. Afterward, he washed all the dirty clothes and all the clothes he wanted to take away. He estimated that he wouldn¡¯t be able to return for at least a year and a half from this trip.


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    Although ninjas shouldn¡¯t be pretentious and be accustomed to rough living, Tonan had slight mysophobia. On the battlefield, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid killing people. At that time, if there was blood on his clothes, he would have to use cold water to clean them. It was unlikely there was running water around the battlefield and river water would have germs as well.


    Given that it would be too troublesome to use boiled water to wash clothes, it was better to simply pack more. He did not lack money after all anyway, especially after the recent trip to the Fire Capital.


    Tonan carefully wiped the floor and raised his head to look at the rows of wood carvings on the altar. Seeing that the fruits placed in front of them were already moldy, he got up and threw them into the flowerbed to use as fertilizer. He couldn¡¯t help frowning looking at all this and said out loud, ¡°It seems I need to find someone to take care of the house.¡±


    He spent the whole afternoon cleaning the house inside and outside, and folding and packing the clothes he was going to take away. Because he had rushed back home, he hadn¡¯t bought any food supplies so he made rice balls to fill his stomach and finally laid down to rest.


    He wanted to get as much sleep as possible because chances were that his foreseeable future may not have much rest in it. The Third Great Ninja War had begun. In other words, the general direction of change was already afoot. He wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the future. So, it was necessary to plan the overall situation within a short time.


    With his current strength, he would not face much danger on the battlefield but regardless of the situation, he had to consider what benefited him. Among the Leaf ninjas, after quite a few exhilarating performances, he had already gained acknowledgment of a portion. This war, therefore, was worth consideration.


    It would be best to gain acknowledgment first and then think of a way to help his comrades die. In the end, he must strongly pull against a crazy tide to seize military achievements. Wouldn¡¯t both strength and military achievements be the best of both worlds?


    But if the war lasted too long, it would be impossible to be in battle all the time. He also planned to put idle time to good use by practicing senjutsu and investing time in scientific research to enrich his knowledge. He believed that under his manipulation, Konoha would definitely suffer heavy casualties.


    Then, at the end of the war, he could instigate Shimura Danzo to launch an impeachment, forcing Sarutobi Hiruzen to abdicate. Of course, he could not let Danzo take the top spot because he wouldn¡¯t be able to rest his mind if such a scoundrel became the Hokage. Wasn¡¯t this equivalent to pushing Konoha into a fiery pit?


    He too couldn¡¯t be on the top. If he took the top position, then the Uchiha clan would immediately rise. If that happened, how could he initiate clan extermination and pile up ocular power to obtain Eternal Mangekyo? As the Hokage, he couldn¡¯t raise the butcher¡¯s knife to cut down his clan members.


    The gossip was a small problem but its effect on his plans to bewitch Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke was immense. Hiruzen and Danzo were his swords to exterminate the clan. However, the Uchihas shouldn¡¯t be totally annihilated. The bloodline should be kept alive just in case.


    If the ocular power was not enough after exterminating the clan, then that would be a big loss. One should leave room for maneuvering while doing things and allow a thin current to flow a long way.


    After the war was over, he could advocate for transferring seedlings to Fire Capital, and hand them over to Naraku for cultivation. Then, look for a chance to cut the matured seedlings. Calculating like this, Namikaze Minato should be in the top position. Moreover, he had to do his best to keep Kushina safe until she gave birth to Naruto. Then, make Uchiha Obito kill Minato and Kushina.


    In this way, he could obtain the Uzumaki clan¡¯s sealing techniques and the Flying Thunder God technique. The most important thing was his good relationship with Minato. Coupled with the position of the welfare institution¡¯s dean, it would only be logical that he would become Naruto¡¯s guardian.


    Becoming the father of this world¡¯s protagonist. This plan was good but he needed to pay attention to Obito. If Obito deviated and didn¡¯t awaken the Kamui Mangekyo or become unwilling to associate with Uchiha Madara, then he might have to disguise himself as the masked man and kill both Minato and Kushina. The better option was for Obito to develop according to the original work.


    After Minato and Kushina¡¯s death, he would get rid of Obito and put on the mask¡­ This was far in the future. It was better to take it slow and be down-to-earth. The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose slightly. After plotting this far, he turned over on his bed and fell asleep.


    Early the next morning, it was still dark when Tonan got up and finished washing. He offered new incense to the wood carvings on the altar. ¡°Please bless that my plan goes well. If there are no accidents, I promise you all that after I learn Impure World Reincarnation, I¡¯ll summon you from the Pure Land and lead you to my Land of Ultimate Bliss.¡±


    Tonan bowed to the wood carvings and sat down under the eaves, waiting quietly. Not long after, someone knocked on the courtyard door. Tonan immediately got up and walked over to open the door.


    Mikoto had come with two scrolls. ¡°Tonan-kun, this is what you asked for yesterday. The time was too tight so I could only purchase so much. Medical items are in short supply right now due to the war. The sophisticated instruments are impossible to purchase. Most of the products inside are not particularly in demand now. They are still useful but not too convenient to use.¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and gratefully said, ¡°That¡¯s alright. Thank you very much.¡± Mikoto continued, ¡°These medical ninjutsu and medical knowledge are collected by the Uchiha clan. Most of these are relatively basic. The advanced medical ninjutsu are with the medical squads. The Uchihas can¡¯t get them.¡±


    Tonan took the two scrolls and stuffed them into his ninja bag. He warmly replied, ¡°It¡¯s enough to have so much. I¡¯m just worried there won¡¯t be enough medical personnel on the battlefield so I wanted to learn some skills myself. Then I¡¯ll be able to help my comrades when needed.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-kun, you are truly thoughtful,¡± Mikoto said with a smile. Tonan seemed to have thought of something, and gently advised, ¡°By the way, when Itachi grows up a bit, you can let him accompany Shisui. Shisui is very talented and has a good character.¡±


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    Mikoto pondered for a while and nodded, ¡°Shisui? Got it.¡± Tonan pointed at his house and said, ¡°Since I¡¯m leaving, can you issue a long-term mission in the Hokage Residence on my behalf? I need someone to clean my house for a long time. I¡¯ve placed the mission reward on the table in the living room.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    After explaining everything, Tonan no longer lingered around. His figure flashed as he ran towards Konoha¡¯s barrier.

 CH 228

    From Konoha to the Land of Rain border, it took about two days for a jonin at full speed. As for genin, who were carrying supplies, it would take about ten days. Most supplies could not be carried in storage scrolls. Not only were they expensive but it was also impossible to equip every ninja with them.


    Uchiha Tonan had always used storage scrolls because he was comparatively richer from the beginning. Initially, he obtained a huge sum in death compensation. Not long after, he got Sanbo Motoyoshi¡¯s lifetime savings, which was a net worth of several tens of million. Not to mention he now had a filial student like Naraku.


    He just needed to express that his mood was not good due to lack of funds and the money would hit his card the next day. One should know that in the original work, after Orochimaru betrayed Akatsuki, in order to conduct research, he attached himself to the Land of Rice Fields Daimyo.


    The person with the most money had to be the Daimyo. Tonan didn¡¯t catch up with the jonin team and leisurely joined the genin team behind. There was nothing urgent for him to rush anyway. Most missions were for guarding to prevent enemy spies from infiltrating the Land of Fire through the Land of Rain¡¯s border.


    Nine days later at Kikyo Mountain located at this border, a huge base camp had been built on top, surrounded by big and small tents. Judging from the number of tents, the number of ninjas on the western front was about eight thousand.


    In the commander¡¯s tent, Nara Shikaku, the new patriarch of the Nara clan, was sitting on the main seat. On his left were the Hyuga clan¡¯s Hyuga Hizashi and Aburame Zo representing the Aburame clan.


    On his right were the Akimichi clan patriarch Akimichi Choza and the Yamanaka clan patriarch Yamanaka Inoichi. This was the main allied force of the ninja clans to resist Iwa and Suna.


    These five major clans had transferred most of their combat powers here and their number had reached about two thousand. Sarutobi Hiruzen had transferred most of the Aburame clan members to Kumo¡¯s defense line. After all, Kumo¡¯s threat was the greatest. It was not that Kumo was stronger than the Iwa and Suna alliance. But its defense line was mostly plain land and required frontal resistance. However, on this battlefront, Konoha had a natural barrier blessed by heaven as a defense.


    As long as Kikyo Mountain could be defended, the allied force of the two ninja villages wouldn¡¯t be able to break the line. At most a few jonin would be able to pass through. But there was a ninja rule that they couldn¡¯t attack civilians of other countries during the war. They could only attack other ninjas.


    Therefore, a few jonin trespassing could only gather information at best. They wouldn¡¯t dare to go to Konoha to cause trouble. That would just be delivering military achievements to the rear personnel.


    There were more than ten representatives of the other clans sitting at the table including the Kurama clan, Inuzuka clan, Sarutobi clan, Shimura clan, and so on. It was because each clan had its characteristics, so they sent some members over just in case. Seeing that everyone was in place, Choza said, ¡°Shikaku, everyone is here. Explain the battle plan now.¡±


    Shikaku shook his head and said, ¡°Wait a minute, there¡¯s still someone who has not arrived yet.¡± Hizashi crossed his hands in front of his chest and looked at Shikaku, ¡°Who is left?¡±


    Choza glanced at the representatives present one by one and then looking confused, he said, ¡°All clan representatives are already here.¡± Not just him but everyone else present was puzzled as well.


    Suddenly, light laughter was heard from outside. ¡°In such a big war, how can Konoha¡¯s number one clan, Uchiha, be missing?¡± The tent¡¯s curtain was opened and Tonan, who was dressed in a white robe and golden-rimmed glasses, walked in with a smile.


    He adjusted his glasses and glanced around at the crowd, ¡°Sorry for the long wait, everyone.¡± The moment Hizashi saw Tonan, his pupils shrank and he recalled the situation at the Konoha barrier that day.


    ¡°Uchiha Tonan¡­¡±


    ¡°Tonan¡­¡±


    ¡°Tonan-kun.¡±


    All the representatives nodded in good faith toward Tonan. After all, no one, who could mix in this level would be an idiot and be rude to him. It had been rumored that Tonan¡¯s combat power already rivaled the sannin level. His joining the battle was a good thing for them.


    Everyone preferred to have godlike teammates, who could lead them higher. Shikaku stood up from his seat to greet Tonan. Ino-Shika-Cho had advanced and retreated together so when Inoichi saw Shikaku valuing Tonan so much, he too stood up and nudged Choza under the table.


    Although Choza didn¡¯t understand what was going on, he stood up too. When others saw this, they all stood up. Shikaku put his hands on his knees and bowed deeply toward Tonan. ¡°Welcome and thank you for offering your strength to Konoha. Please take a seat.¡±


    The other people also bowed toward Tonan. Tonan wasn¡¯t modest. He smiled and sat opposite Shikaku. In times of war, being modest, courteous, and easy-going was of no use. Strength was the key.


    The more arrogant you appeared the more confident your teammates would be. After everyone sat down, Shikaku coughed lightly, ¡°Since everyone is here and time is pressing, I¡¯ll tell you about the battle plan.¡±


    He walked to the map behind him and explained, ¡°This is the Ninja World¡¯s terrain map. As you can see, starting from the Land of Waterfall and the Land of Earth border, the terrain rises here and passes through the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth border.¡±


    ¡°When it reaches the Land of Rain, it is slightly lowered. From here, the largest river of the Land of Earth flows into the Land of Rain and enters the sea through the Land of Rivers. The Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers are separated by a mountain chain that stretches for thousands of miles. It extends to the Land of Rain, where the terrain is low. It¡¯s placed in a basin and shaped like a bottleneck.¡±


    ¡°This is also the reason why every ninja war is fought in the Land of Rain. Kikyo Mountain, the place where we are now, is here. Kikyo Mountain just happens to be located at the top of the Land of Rain¡¯s bottleneck, like a cap. As long as Kikyo Mountain doesn¡¯t fall, the allied forces of the two countries cannot attack us.¡±


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    ¡°Although it¡¯s like this, Kikyo Mountain is not very steep. There are not many big hindrances to ninjas. Therefore, we can¡¯t just defend here. We must push the frontline forward and to the center of the Land of Rain. It¡¯s this location. This is the other place where the bottleneck is the narrowest. We need to stop the enemy allied force here and make them give up the plan to advance, starting small squad battles with us.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s a problem. Our military strength is far behind the allied force of the two countries, so we must hold out in this battle. If we lose, then we have to take the initiative to disperse our troops and start the squad battle mode carrying out guerrilla warfare.¡±


    Tonan suddenly cut in, ¡°How many ninjas are there in the allied force of the two countries this time?¡± After he spoke, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on Shikaku. Shikaku became silent for a while and said with a solemn face, ¡°It¡¯s close to thirty thousand, and nearly twenty thousand among them are stone ninjas.¡±


    Shikaku had no plan to share this information. The gap in numbers between the two sides was massive. Once it was known, it was very likely that the people on his side would lose their fighting spirits. Sure enough, hearing this, a solemn expression appeared on everyone¡¯s faces.


    The atmosphere in the commander¡¯s tent became stifling and Tonan smiled subtly. He tapped on the table with his finger and loudly said, ¡°They have so many people, why don¡¯t we fight quickly? I agree with this plan.¡±


    A hint of surprise flashed through Shikaku¡¯s eyes. He looked straight at Tonan and said, ¡°Is there no need to reconsider?¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze turned to Tonan. He shook his head indifferently as if the allied force of thirty thousand soldiers was nothing.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Choza too raised his hand and agreed.


    Hizashi also said, ¡°I agree too.¡±


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    ¡°I believe in Shikaku.¡±

 CH 229

    Soon, all representatives agreed to Nara Shikaku¡¯s battle plan. Building on this, Shikaku immediately announced, ¡°Alright, inform everyone. We will rest well tonight and mobilize our troops to enter the Land of Rain tomorrow.¡±


    Everyone got up and returned to their respective places where their clan¡¯s ninjas were stationed to update them on the battle plan. Shikaku, however, stopped Uchiha Tonan to stay behind for a short discussion.


    ¡°I proposed this plan primarily because you have the combat power rivaling the sannin. But I don¡¯t know you very well, so I want to ask your opinion. In this kind of head-on battle, once you lose, it will greatly impact morale. In our case, of course, we just need to persevere and not collapse.¡±


    ¡°As long as they realize that they cannot break through our defense line, they will choose to retreat to the rear to find opportunities. At that time, it¡¯ll be the second stage of the war, which will be the squad battle phase. The two sides will send small combat squads to enter the Land of Rain to assassinate each other.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t answer directly but pointed at the ground and said, ¡°The headquarters will be here in the future, right?¡±


    Shikaku was dumbfounded for a moment and then nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


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    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to prepare a lab. As for tomorrow¡¯s battle¡­¡± Tonan turned around and walked outside as he said this and when he reached the tent¡¯s opening, he paused for a moment and glanced sideways, ¡°¡­get ready for the squad battles.¡±


    After a while, Tonan came to the foot of Kikyo Mountain. He made hand seals and patted the mountain wall in front of him. Because he had learned a special chakra control skill from Senju Hashirama¡¯s scroll, he could change chakra shape according to his wish and affect things around it as well.


    However, this move could only be used against solid or liquid things. It worked well with the earth style and water style but it was useless in lightning, wind, and fire styles. Tonan spread his chakra and controlled the soil. He then used his mind to control its movement.


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    After two hours, a passage about the size of a person appeared on the mountain wall in front of him. Tonan retracted his palm and stepped inside. After walking through a long winding passage, he arrived at an empty secret room.


    It was pitch black in there. Tonan took out a few luminous gems from the scroll and placed them on the ceiling. The secret room lit up slowly. This was just an ordinary cave, where even the walls and ground were uneven.


    Seeing this, Tonan couldn¡¯t help frowning. He rubbed his chin and muttered, ¡°It seems I haven¡¯t practiced enough. The control is so poor.¡±


    Tonan continued to release ninjutsu and began to practice in this newly built laboratory. The battlefield was the most suitable place for human experiments. Human materials would be available everywhere. He had already learned enough ninjutsu.


    There was no way to surpass his predecessors in this study. In this regard, he still had to learn from Orochimaru. Thinking of this, Tonan reached out and patted his forehead with a look of regret. ¡°Why did I cut the weeds and dig up the roots back then? I should¡¯ve left a line.¡±


    He had killed Ninja World¡¯s number-one scientist just like that. Thinking about it now, it was truly a pity.


    ¡°Had I known, I¡¯d have released Orochimaru and captured him alive when I was stronger. At that time, even if I didn¡¯t gain his acknowledgment, after killing a few Yamanaka clan members and learning the technique to check memories, I could¡¯ve searched his soul. What a waste!¡±


    Tonan had already expanded halfway up the mountain, making quite a few secret rooms. The passages extended in all directions. This place was warm in winter and cool in summer and was also well-ventilated.


    As for safety, the best option was to leave behind a shadow clone considering his clones too had the buff Adamantine Body. He had spent most of the day doing all this and by now it was already late at night. Tonan didn¡¯t stay awake to start working but returned to his tent to rest. He also needed to restore his energy for tomorrow¡¯s war.


    Tonan may have put up a confident front for Shikaku but the enemy side comprised an allied force of over thirty thousand ninjas. He would never underestimate the opponent. More so because allegedly, Onoki and Sandaime Kazekage were personally leading the allied force this time.


    Early the next morning, the horizon lit up with a layer of golden light, and the dazzling morning star was hanging on the top of Kikyo Mountain. As per Shikaku¡¯s plan, the Leaf ninja army crossed the Land of Rain border and set off toward the battlefield.


    Only less than one thousand logistical troops were left in the Kikyo Mountain garrison. Immediately after entering the Land of Rain, Tonan found that there were swamps and rivers everywhere.


    It was unknown whether he and the others were lucky but they didn¡¯t encounter rain along the way today. Tonan ran behind Shikaku. Suddenly, Shikaku looked back at him and solemnly said, ¡°Tonan, when the two armies meet, don¡¯t immediately rush forward. Wait for the other side¡¯s powerhouses to attack and drain their stamina. Then you can make a move.¡±


    ¡°High casualties are worthless in this kind of battle. As long as a powerhouse is killed, the impact on morale is far greater than killing dozens of ordinary ninjas. Similarly, if you find an opponent you can¡¯t fight, retreat immediately. Once you die on the battlefield, we can only request reinforcements.¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows hearing Shikaku¡¯s advice. He was slightly surprised and commented, ¡°Shikaku-sama, I would¡¯ve never imagined you trusted me so much.¡±


    Shikaku nodded, ¡°When you fought against Tsunade, I saw you using defensive and powerful ninjutsu from a distance. The Buddha summoned via that ninjutsu is big enough. It can be a great deterrent to the enemy on the battlefield. You need to be careful of Sandaime Tsuchikage ninjutsu. According to our intel, the dust style is terrifying. You can only dodge but not block it.¡±


    At this moment, Hyuga Hizashi slowed down and came beside Tonan. He worriedly said, ¡°When you make your move later, don¡¯t be too far from me. Your ninjutsu should consume a lot of chakra and I guess it wouldn¡¯t last long. If you can¡¯t endure, rush over to my side immediately.¡±


    Shikaku added, ¡°That¡¯s right, Hizashi-sama¡¯s Kaiten is known as an absolute defense. At that time, remember to not go too hard.¡±


    Tonan nodded lightly and said, ¡°Alright, I got it.¡±


    After a moment, a hesitant Hizashi voiced some worries in his heart. ¡°By the way, Hanzo won¡¯t step forward to stop us like in the last war, right?¡±


    Shikaku shook his head, ¡°At the beginning of the war, Hanzo said that the Land of Rain would remain neutral and wouldn¡¯t participate in the war of the five great countries. So, we don¡¯t have to worry about it. After all, he¡¯s a man known as a demigod. He won¡¯t go back on his words.¡±


    Hizashi was relieved and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll rest assured of this now since that¡¯s the case.¡±

 CH 230

    In the distance, a fiery red sun rose from the purple mist, emitting a dazzling light. The golden glow opened the fog curtain like a mythical giant hand and everything suddenly became clearer.


    After running for a long time, the Leaf ninja army finally arrived at the battlefront. On the left, there was a mountain range that seemed to be cut off by a sharp sword. And on the right, there was a big river that was flowing from the distant terraced high mountain.


    On the level ground ahead, Suna and Iwa troops were on the left and right sides respectively. They had been waiting here for a long time. Obviously, they had similar thoughts as Nara Shikaku.


    The two countries¡¯ allied forces wanted to take advantage of their military prowess and defeat the Leaf army in one fell swoop to cross the Kikyo Mountain and head straight to Konoha. Shikaku¡¯s decision to launch the squad combat mode was to make them retreat.


    Activating his Sharingan, Uchiha Tonan stood at the center of the army and looked into the distance. In the sky above the Sand army, a man with his hands folded in front of his chest was standing on pitch-black iron sand. Iwa¡¯s Onoki was even more aggressive. He was floating in the air and looking down at the people below.


    It was evident they came out in full force. Onoki glanced at Shikaku and the others in the Leaf army and said with a sigh. ¡°It seems like Konoha has truly declined. At a glance, the commanders are all juniors.¡±


    Sandaime Kazekage snorted, ¡°Among Konoha Sannin, one is dead and the other two defected. Their Hokage is old. It seems there¡¯s no suspense on who¡¯ll win in this war.¡±


    Onoki glanced sideways at him and leisurely said, ¡°Don¡¯t take it lightly. It¡¯s, after all, Konoha. If there¡¯s a powerhouse, we should attack together.¡±


    Sandaime Kazekage didn¡¯t take Onoki¡¯s words seriously. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulders, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    At this moment, Shikaku took a deep breath and shouted, ¡°Lords from Iwa and Suna, are you sure you want to start a war despite the treaty of alliance?¡±


    Onoki was about to reply with a few high-sounding words but he was interrupted by the Kazekage. ¡°No need to bother. The intelligence shows they have less than ten thousand people. Let¡¯s act promptly to avoid running into something unexpected.¡±


    Onoki agreed and shouted, ¡°Attack.¡±


    Following the command, the Suna and Iwa ninjas rushed toward the Leaf army.


    Shikaku spat out a mouthful of morbid qi and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t rush forward blindly. Don¡¯t mess up the formation. Let¡¯s go, everyone.¡±


    After his instructions, the Leaf ninjas also rushed forward. At the same time, Yamanaka Inoichi walked over to Shikaku and placed his hand on his forehead. He used his clan¡¯s Mind Body Transmission Technique to transmit Shikaku¡¯s instructions to the minds of every Leaf ninja present.


    The distance between the two sides gradually reduced. They had already reached the range suitable for attack ninjutsu. At this time, Sandaime Kazekage shouted, ¡°Wind Style Squad.¡± In the next moment, Suna¡¯s momentum slowed down and then the Wind Style Squad rushed in the front and began to make identical hand seals.


    A loud shout was heard on the battlefield. ¡°Wind Style ¨C Vacuum Waves.¡± When the Wind Style Squad began to make hand seals, Shikaku hastily instructed in his mind: ¡°Water Style Squad¡±. As the transmission was real-time, Konoha¡¯s formation changed instantly. ¡°Water Style ¨C Water Formation Wall.¡±


    From Suna¡¯s direction, countless air bullets flew toward the Leaf army. At the same time, Konoha¡¯s Water Style Squad spat out water in front of them. The water splashed on the ground and a water wall, more than ten meters high, rose from the ground.


    The air bullets hit the water wall, sounding like explosions. The water splashed everywhere but the attack failed. Shikaku asked Inoichi with his mind: ¡°Are the other Yamanaka clan members ready?¡±


    Inoichi replied: ¡°They are ready.¡± Over a hundred Yamanaka clan ninjas began to make hand seals and aimed at a target. In the distance, Sandaime Kazekaze frowned and said, ¡°Not good, that¡¯s Konoha¡¯s Yamanaka clan.¡±


    Onoki was not perturbed. He stroked his beard and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been prepared for this. Earth Style Squad, attack.¡± The Stone ninjas ran to the front and quickly made hand seals. ¡°Earth Style ¨C Great Mud Wall.¡±


    Just before the Mind Transfer Technique was activated, a mud wall that was tens of meters high appeared between the two armies. The Yamanaka clan¡¯s ninjutsu released right at this time and with the clash, in an instant, over a hundred Yamanaka clan members collapsed on the ground.


    Shikaku¡¯s expression did not change. He quietly asked in his heart: ¡°How long until they wake up?¡±


    ¡°About five minutes.¡±


    Shikaku nodded and realized that the two armies were about to meet. That Great Mud Wall was collapsing rapidly because no chakra was injected to maintain it. He shouted in his mind: ¡°Akimichi clan, follow the plan. Remember to not roll in a straight line but a curve.¡±


    Immediately after he spoke, the Akimichis rushed forward and used the Human Boulder technique. The Human Boulder slammed on the Great Mud Wall that had no chakra support and a big hole was created in it.


    ¡°Now!¡±: Shikaku yelled in his mind. Then, over a hundred fire-style ninjas rushed forward and made hand seals simultaneously. ¡°Fire Style ¨C Great Fireball Technique.¡± The great fireball hit the mud wall, and the water contained in it evaporated instantly.


    The wall then hardened into an earth wall. At the same time, the Nara clan, who followed closely behind, made hand seals and called out, ¡°Shadow Imitation Technique.¡± Lines of black shadows rushed forward and passed through the big hole in the earth wall.


    It was only at this moment that Tonan noticed the sun was behind the Leaf army, making everyone¡¯s shadows longer. They were using the sun¡¯s position to increase the length of the Nara clan¡¯s Shadow Imitation Technique. And when the Technique passed through the earth wall, it borrowed the shadow of the earth wall to increase its length again.


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    ¡°It¡¯s a very good military strategy but how did he take the enemy¡¯s reaction into account?¡± Tonan looked meaningfully at Shikaku.


    After the Nara clan¡¯s Shadow Imitation Technique passed through the earth wall, it controlled the frontline enemy ninjas behind the earth wall. Then, the Akimichi clan¡¯s Human Boulders rolled into the crowd and wreaked havoc. After a lap, they rolled back from the big hole into the earth wall.


    Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly. He was very happy with Ino-Shika-Cho¡¯s performance. In his eyes, such distinctive ninja clans were very high-quality food. These were all treasures.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to take the stage now.¡± Tonan would never deviate from his original plan. The current Leaf army could not have too many casualties because he hadn¡¯t gained the acknowledgment of most of them yet.


    He recalled there were three ways to gain acknowledgment¡ªemotional, belief, and strength.


    He had used emotional acknowledgment the most and had the most profound experience in it. To gain this kind of acknowledgment, the best way was to take advantage of people¡¯s fears and worries and then seize the emotional void to enter their hearts.


    Similarly, the best way to gain strength acknowledgment was to step forward when others discovered that their strength was not enough. The battlefield was the best place to gain this acknowledgment.


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    As for how to set up the battlefield persona. He could simply take inspiration from Uchiha Madara.

 CH 231

    In the distance, Sandaime Kazekage didn¡¯t have much reaction seeing that Nara Shikaku¡¯s military tactics were effective. Even though Shikaku¡¯s tactics were successful, in fact, the Iwa and Suna allied forces had lost only a few hundred ninjas that were under the Shadow Imitation Technique¡¯s control.


    Moreover, most of them were genin. They were war expendables anyway. As for the chunin and jonin, the few who did not have the time or space to dodge or resist were injured. The others had long escaped. Sandaime Kazekage said with disdain, ¡°No matter how good the tactics are, the melee combat will begin soon.¡±


    As long as the melee combat began, Suna¡¯s puppets would be able to play a role. A Sand ninja with several, even dozens of, puppets could fight against several Leaf ninjas at once. This didn¡¯t include the Hyuga ninjas as they were good at melee combat. Coupled with the Byakugan that could see chakra lines, they were simply puppet ninja¡¯s natural enemies.


    Meanwhile, Uchiha Tonan leisurely stretched out his hand and took off his gold-rimmed glasses. He handed it over to Shikaku who was beside him and said, ¡°Hold it for me.¡±


    Shikaku subconsciously took the glasses and asked with a puzzled look, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose slightly. He unbuttoned his shirt and lightly said, ¡°It¡¯s time to start dancing.¡±


    Immediately afterward, he squatted down a little. Shikaku frowned and loudly explained. ¡°Tonan, we still have a follow-up battle plan, it¡¯s not time for you to take action!¡±


    Tonan¡¯s expression instantly condensed and a strong chakra fluctuation burst out from his body. His momentum swept across hundreds of meters. The ground beneath his feet cracked and the cracks spread further along. His eyes changed from three-tomoe to Mangekyo and he exerted power on his legs.


    Bang! A big circular crater suddenly appeared on the spot. Tonan turned into a black shadow and charged straight into the sky. Onoki narrowed his eyes in the distance and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


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    Sandaime Kazekage narrowed his eyes as well and replied, ¡°He¡¯s too fast to see clearly. Most likely a taijutsu expert.¡±


    Tonan was getting higher and higher and in the blink of an eye, he had already surpassed Onoki¡¯s altitude. In his eyes, the people on the battlefield gradually became as tiny as ants. A sneer appeared on his face as he made hand seals and shouted, ¡°Senjutsu ¨C Great Fire Annihilation.¡±


    Boom¡­ The flame shrouded the sky and fell towards the allied forces of the two countries with great momentum, attracting everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± ¡°Retreat!¡± ¡°Retreat!¡± Onoki, Sandaime Kazekage, and Shikaku yelled at once, commanding their ninjas to take cover. But the flame came down quickly. In the eyes of the Sand and Stone ninjas, it was simply an existence that shrouded the clouds and the sun.


    At this critical moment, the Earth Style Squad¡¯s leader said with an unsightly look, ¡°All of you retreat. Earth Style Squad block this together with me!¡±


    Over a hundred members of the Earth Style Squad circulated the chakra and shouted in unison, ¡°Earth Style ¨C Great Mud Wall.¡± They desperately released chakra in an attempt to block the terrifying flame pouring down from the sky. The mud wall formed instantly and blocked Tonan¡¯s Great Fire Annihilation.


    Just as it came into contact with the Great Fire Annihilation, the mud wall burned to the point of emitting white smoke. The scorching temperature seemed to burn the air itself. ¡°So hot!¡± Many ninjas close to the wall were unable to bear the residual heat.


    They all screamed and retreated. ¡°Retreat quickly!¡± The Sand and Stone ninjas turned around and ran away. Behind the crimson flame curtain, Tonan¡¯s indifferent voice resounded. ¡°Senjutsu ¨C Nine Rock Pillars Technique.¡±


    Rumble¡­ Nine huge stone pillars rose from the ground. Tonan steadily landed on one of them and was lifted to the highest place. He folded his arms in front of his chest, coldly watching as the Sand and Stone ninjas fled in panic.


    He had no plan to continue the attack. After all, the main theme of this battle was ¡ª acting like a pretentious prick.


    Leaf ninjas gulped seeing this show of strength. Everyone looked at the person on the stone pillar and their minds were buzzing and blank. ¡°He has become even stronger. Such terrifying talent¡­¡± Shikaku, who had gathered information about Tonan, muttered with a blank gaze.


    The Sand and Stone ninjas retreated no less than one mile before they stopped and gasped for breath. Several inexperienced genin and chunin looked shocked and stupidly mumbled, ¡°What kind of monster is that?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the Hokage has come?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s completely on a different scale.¡±


    ¡°How much chakra did he use in that one jutsu?¡±


    As the commotion settled, everyone¡¯s eyes were on Tonan. The object of their attention, however, was looking at the mud wall. The wall had solidified after being baked at the high temperature of the Great Fire Annihilation and its surface had become somewhat smooth.


    It was a little too high so Tonan was unable to see the enemies on the opposite side. ¡°It¡¯s an eyesore.¡± In front of everyone, he spat at the Great Mud Wall. The saliva hit the wall and created a small hole.


    Immediately afterward, cobweb-like cracks spread around it. Crash¡­ Accompanied by a shattering sound, the mud wall collapsed like a domino. After being heated, the mud wall had become breakable, similar to ceramic. The visual impact of the scene was too strong. Everyone on the battlefield was shocked.


    In the distance, it was unknown whether a particular Stone jonin wanted to brush up on his knowledge or was just too tired of living. He shouted, ¡°Damn it¡­ who are you?¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows slightly. He secretly used Wind Communication to transmit his voice to everyone¡¯s ears and domineeringly said, ¡°The weak don¡¯t  deserve to know my name.¡±


    A dazzling red light shone from his Mangekyo. Sandaime Kazekage immediately warned everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t look at his eyes.¡±


    But it was a little late for some. Hundreds of ninjas of the allied forces held their heads and screamed, heavily falling to the ground. This included the Stone jonin who had shouted out just now.


    Onoki¡¯s expression was very serious. He moved closer to Sandaime Kazekage and lowered his voice, ¡°This must be Konoha¡¯s number one genius who killed Orochimaru and defeated Tsunade, Uchiha Tonan.¡±


    Sandaime Kazekage looked gloomy, ¡°Uchiha clan¡¯s brat? He seems to be a little stronger than the sannin. He should be Konoha¡¯s trump card. It¡¯s our turn to take action.¡±


    The two looked at each other and secretly began to get ready.

 CH 232

    On the towering stone pillar, while unbuttoning his shirt, Uchiha Tonan loudly said, ¡°From the moment I stood up here, it¡¯s up to me when the war will end.¡± After saying these arrogant words, he tore off his shirt and threw it away.


    Sun rays shone on him from behind, creating a golden halo around him. Because of the light effect, the Sand and Stone ninjas could only see a sturdy outline with a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan on the towering stone pillar.


    Tonan¡¯s visually explosive bearing was in sharp contrast with his previous refined figure. By now, Onoki had used the Light-Weight Rock Technique to move a huge boulder on top of the distant mountain on a cloud layer above Tonan.


    ¡°Die, Konoha¡¯s brat.¡± From everyone¡¯s perspective, a huge boulder burst out of the clouds and smashed toward Tonan with great momentum. As the boulder got closer, the shadow became larger.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Nara Shikaku¡¯s pupils shrank and he shouted. At the same time, he quickly used his mind to inform the Akimichi clan: ¡°Quick, use Expansion Technique to stop it!¡±


    Akimichi Choza¡¯s reply came in a panicked voice: ¡°It won¡¯t work. The stone pillar is too tall. Expansion Technique can¡¯t reach it.¡±


    However, Tonan turned slightly and glanced at the boulder falling from the sky. At this moment, Onoki¡¯s eyes were cold. He made hand seals and shouted, ¡°Earth Style ¨C Super Weighted Boulder Technique.¡±


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    The boulder¡¯s speed increased by a few points and under the Super Weighted Boulder Technique¡¯s boost, it increased in weight as well. The kinetic energy contained in the boulder multiplied significantly and it was about to hit Tonan¡¯s head.


    A proud smile appeared on Onoki¡¯s face. ¡°You didn¡¯t dodge. It¡¯s simply courting death. Do you truly think it¡¯s just a piece of ordinary rock?¡±


    The Leaf ninjas had the same thought. ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± But Tonan just slightly raised his right hand and made a gesture of knocking on the door. With a light tap on the huge boulder, a shocking scene took place.


    Bang! Tonan smashed the huge boulder with a single touch. Rubbles and debris flew all around and fell to the ground, creating small and large craters. Onoki¡¯s eyes were about to pop out and he exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°How¡¯s that possible!¡±


    Ding! Gained Hyuga Koji¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Gained Akimichi Enka¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Gained Akimichi Doitsu¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Nara Ebisu¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Yamanaka Saki¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ A series of system prompts kept ringing in Tonan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Too¡­ too strong¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this the strength that rivals the sannin¡­¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I also participated in the last Great Ninja War, but the sannin didn¡¯t seem to be this powerful.¡±


    ¡°This fellow seemed to be using something similar to Tsunade¡¯s monstrous strength.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, is this fellow¡¯s ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu all this strong?¡±


    Tonan patted the dust off his right hand and raised his head, ¡°Little old man, you are already this old and still playing throwing stones at people.¡± He ignored the angry gazes of the Stone ninjas and turned to look at the Leaf ninjas behind him. He waved his hand and said with a warm look, ¡°Shikaku-sama, let them retreat. It will affect my killing.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡­ yes¡­¡± Shikaku finally recovered from the shock. He nodded repeatedly and ordered, ¡°Everyone, retreat, and make space for Tonan-sama to make a move.¡±


    Since he appeared at the battleground, Tonan maintained an arrogant demeanor. But people¡¯s feelings in different positions were different. The Leaf ninjas, for example, were feeling very good.


    Just thinking about how their teammate was killing in all directions, crushing enemies to the ground, continuously spewing obscenities and sneering at them. Would anyone hate it? No, they would only feel a sense of security.


    At this moment, Sandaime Kazekage was secretly controlling iron sand to spread toward Tonan from underground. Although the iron sand¡¯s movement was concealed and undetectable to ordinary ninjas, Sandaime Kazekage knew that a powerhouse like Tonan would notice it.


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    Therefore, someone must become bait to distract him. ¡°He¡¯s just one person. His chakra is limited. As long as he¡¯s killed, it¡¯s equivalent to winning this battle. Everyone, don¡¯t be afraid, and charge at him for me.¡±


    With their Kazekage¡¯s command, the Sand ninjas rushed toward Tonan even though they were scared. The Kazekage was unwilling to let his village¡¯s ninjas die alone as Iwa¡¯s ninja watched the play. He looked at Onoki who had flown to Iwa¡¯s battlefront and said in a cold voice, ¡°Tsuchikage-sama, we are allies.¡±


    Onoki understood what he meant and shouted, ¡°Stone ninjas, charge together.¡±


    With his command, many ninjas rushed toward Tonan. ¡°Charge.¡± ¡°Kill him!¡±


    Tonan, who was standing on the stone pillar with his hands crossed in front of his chest, watched the stream of people rushing towards him and muttered, ¡°Sure enough, those who can become the village¡¯s Kage are ruthless characters.¡±


    The iron sand deep below the ground was too conspicuous to Tonan who had the Byakugan ability. The battlefield was too big, and the ordinary Hyuga clan members couldn¡¯t see this far with their eyes. However, one point must not be forgotten¡ªthe Byakugan¡¯s range was directly proportional to strength.


    When the mighty crowd was about to reach him, Tonan leisurely made hand seals. He then yelled, ¡°Senjutsu ¨C Great Mud River.¡± Rumble¡­ The entire battlefield shook violently. The ground that had been scorched by the Great Fire Annihilation softened at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    In the next moment, mud gushed out from below the stone pillar like a sea tide, rushing towards the charging crowd. The dark brown mud seethed like waves.


    The enemy side shouted, ¡°Earth Style ¨C Great Mud Wall.¡± But the moment the great mud wall appeared, it was washed away by the incoming mud tide. Ordinary ninjutsu couldn¡¯t compare with senjutsu. It was a qualitative difference.


    Seeing the Great Mud Wall was useless, the ninjas were dumbfounded. They all came to a halt at once. Then, some chose to turn around and run away, while others chose to use ninjutsu to resist.


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Mud Wall Technique.¡±


    ¡°Water Style ¨C Water Formation Wall Technique.¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­ I can only use fire-style¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late¡­. run to the mountain quickly.¡±


    Regardless of the techniques, everything was useless. All the ninjas missed the best chance to escape because of a moment¡¯s hesitation. The mud flow was incomparably violent and fast like a mighty force, chasing after the fleeing army.


    In the blink of an eye, countless ninjas drowned. Amid countless screams, the mud flow continued towards the positions of the Iwa and Suna armies.

 CH 233

    Most of the jonin were on guard. They used various methods to dodge the mudslide. But the ordinary chunin and genin met with a tragic fate. Only panic and screams could be heard all around.


    ¡°Save me!¡±¡­. ¡°Pull me out!¡±¡­.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t pull.¡±¡­. ¡°Let go, I¡¯m going to fall!¡±¡­. ¡°Bastard!¡±


    Most of the allied forces¡¯ genin were swept away by the mud flow. They stretched out their hands with difficulty seeking help from their companions on the mountain wall. But the ninjas who tried to help them were also pulled into the flow by the massive force.


    Seeing this, none of the ninjas who were hanging on to the mountain wall with charka dared to help their comrades. They could only watch them being swallowed by the torrent.


    When the Leaf ninjas saw that Uchiha Tonan had single handedly defeated tens of thousands of ninjas, their faces turned red with excitement, and their eyes were filled with admiration.


    In the Ninja World, respect for the strong was engraved in the bones. Especially on the battlefield. Therefore, more than the screams, Tonan could hear system prompts¡­


    Ding! Gained Sarutobi Masato¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Gained Shimura Fugetsu¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Aburame Kusou¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Kurama Shuzi¡¯s acknowledgment.


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    The prompt continuously rang, overlapping with the previous messages. Even Tonan didn¡¯t know how many Leaf ninjas acknowledged him by now. But when the number reached a certain level, duplicate bloodline limits and secret techniques were icing on the cake.


    This time, his primary targets apart from Ino-Shika-Cho, were the Aburame and Kurama clans. He couldn¡¯t wait to savor their flavors. A strange smile appeared on his face just thinking about it.


    At this moment, the mighty mudflow was about to reach the allied forces¡¯ battlefront. Onoki glanced at Sandaime Kazekage and saw him quietly nod at him. He put his hands together and shouted, ¡°Earth Style ¨C Multiple Moving Earth Core Technique.¡±


    The ground in front of the allied forces caved in, forming a huge trench that was connected to a big river far away on the right side of the battlefield. When the mudflow reached this point, it gushed into the trench, flowing into the river alongside.


    Meanwhile, Sandaime Kazekage¡¯s iron sand had already spread all over the depths of the ground below Tonan. ¡°Attack!¡± he rushed towards Tonan. Onoki¡¯s hands also turned into afterimages, making hand seals as he angrily shouted, ¡°Earth Style ¨C Earth Stone Dragon Technique.¡±


    Roar¡­ The ground trembled and a huge earth-stone dragon emerged from it and roared at Tonan. At the same time, a large amount of iron sand burst out from below and turned into a pair of giant hands, grabbing Tonan.


    Nara Shikaku opened his eyes wide and shouted, ¡°Watch out!¡± A cunning smile appeared on the Kazekage¡¯s face and he laughed loudly, ¡°Die, you arrogant Uchiha brat. Magnet Style ¨C Iron Sand Burial.¡±


    The pitch-black iron sand hands grabbed Tonan and contracted. The sand suddenly tightened and turned into an airtight ball trying to crush him with enormous pressure. At the same time, the earth-stone dragon was already close at hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± Shikaku¡¯s hands trembled. His knees became soft and he knelt weakly. The other Leaf ninjas also looked sad. Because of the high-leveled ninjutsu and the height of the stone pillar, they couldn¡¯t help at all.


    At this critical juncture, Tonan¡¯s indifferent voice came from the iron sand. ¡°Is this it?¡±


    Suddenly, a golden chakra formed into a large hand that broke out of the iron sand and grabbed the dragon. The earth-stone dragon struggled and roared but couldn¡¯t move. ¡°This is not fun at all!¡± As Tonan spoke, the golden hand squeezed lightly.


    Bang! The earth-stone dragon disintegrated and fell to the ground. In the next instance, golden lights shot out from the gaps in the iron sand as if a small golden sun was wrapped in it.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sandaime Kazekage was sweating profusely with his right hand raised, wanting to clench it into a fist. But there seemed to be a strong repelling force stopping him.


    Bang! Another earth-shaking explosion resounded and the iron sand particles were blown away. Then, a golden samurai, larger than the mountain, appeared in front of everyone. Its body was burning with golden chakra flames.


    Tonan was standing on its forehead with his hands folded in front of his chest. He was looking down at the allied forces of the two countries as if they were ants.


    ¡°What monster is this?¡± the Kazekage exclaimed and turned the iron sand into wings as he retreated far away. Onoki looked at the behemoth in front of him. His pupils trembled and a look of horror appeared on his face as he muttered, ¡°I remember this¡­ this is¡­ Uchiha Madara¡¯s¡­ Susanoo.¡±


    The Kazekage had an ugly expression. He asked, ¡°This thing looks too strong. Do you know its weakness?¡±


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    Onoki looked like he recalled something dreadful. He quivered and stared at the golden samurai, ¡°This thing¡­ has no weakness¡­¡±


    ¡°We should prepare to retreat but before that, we must look for a chance to fight.¡± With this thought, Onoki said out loud, ¡°Kazekage-sama, ordinary ninjas cannot participate in this battle anymore. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll use the particle style to see if it can defeat him. I want you to help me divert his attention.¡±


    The Kazekage looked at the golden samurai and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°No problem.¡±


    Immediately afterward, the two simultaneously shouted, ¡°Stone ninjas, heed the command, retreat to the base camp, and remain on standby.¡±


    ¡°Sand ninjas, heed the command, retreat.¡±


    The ninjas of the allied forces fled in the distance, leaving only Onoki and the Kazekage.


    Ding! Gained Takiya¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Ding! Gained Naomura Tada¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Ding! Gained Aburame Tetsuo¡¯s acknowledgment¡­


    ¡­¡­


    With his back facing the Leaf ninjas, an intoxicated expression appeared on Tonan¡¯s face as he listened to the continuous system prompts.


    ¡°This is enough. This battle has nothing to do with me now.¡± Tonan suddenly narrowed his eyes and his expression became indifferent and ruthless.


    The clouds above his head began to spin rapidly and the ones at the horizon seemed to have met with a great attractive force, as they speedily gathered in the sky above the battlefield.


    Rumble¡­ Angry thunderclaps came from the cloud layer and reverberated throughout the mountain for a long time. It sounded like thousands of drums. Then, blue electric arcs materializing from chakra began to appear on the surface of the golden samurai and move around.


    In the next moment, Tonan controlled the golden samurai to raise its legs and move forward. Stationed on its forehead, Tonan¡¯s pitch-black hair fluttered in all directions. Because the Spirit of the Thunder God was activated, there was no trace of human emotions left on his face. He coldly said, ¡°Today, I¡¯ll show you what real ninjutsu is. Let¡¯s dance¡­ entertain me as much as possible.¡±


    On a summit far away, a red-haired boy crouched on the ground and stuck his head out of the cliff, looking at the battlefield with fascination.


    On Konoha¡¯s side, when Hyuga Hizashi saw the enemy retreating in fear due to Tonan¡¯s great display of strength, he proposed to Shikaku, ¡°The enemies are retreating, shouldn¡¯t we chase?¡±


    Shikaku shook his head and replied, ¡°No. If we chase, Tonan might not release his ninjutsu considering our safety.¡±


    He turned his gaze toward the behemoth and inwardly thought, ¡°Such powerful ninjutsu¡­ I wonder how long you can maintain it.¡±

 CH 234

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    Uchiha Tonan made the golden samurai walk towards Sandaime Kazekage and Onoki, step by step. Because of its mammoth size, it gave the illusion of being cumbersome and slow while moving.


    The rapidly spinning dark clouds in the sky made the entire battlefield fall into doomsday-like silence. At first, everyone might not have noticed it but at this moment, they understood that Uchiha Tonan was manipulating the weather.


    Sandaime Kazekage and Onoki were completely prepared. Only the two of them who were facing the golden samurai knew the suffocating pressure it unleashed. To find an opportunity for Onoki, the Kazekage dissipated the iron sand that supported him and created a pair of black iron sand wings.


    He flew up high and shouted at Tonan, ¡°Damn brat! Today, I¡¯ll show you a kage¡¯s power.¡± The Kazekage made hand seals and iron sand balls floated around him, which gradually condensed into grains. ¡°Magnet Style ¨C Iron Sand Drizzle.¡±


    Thickly dotted bullets shot toward the golden samurai. It perfectly reflected the name of this ninjutsu. It hit the golden samurai like small raindrops. But the materialized chakra didn¡¯t even ripple.


    Tonan glanced sideways at Onoki who was accumulating strength. He understood the Kazekage¡¯s intention and the corners of his mouth twitched a little. ¡°Do you want to be the bait to attract my attention? Then, I¡¯ll swallow you in one bite.¡±


    Tonan made the golden samurai walk toward the Sandaime Kazekage.


    ¡°He took the bait!¡± The Kazekage was delighted inwardly and he continued to perform like a clown in front of Tonan. ¡°Magnet Style ¨C Iron Sand Gathering Assault.¡± A lot more iron sand gathered and condensed into various-shaped weapons, shooting at Tonan.


    But the golden samurai was Big Tengu, the fourth form of Tonan¡¯s Mangekyo, which was on the same level as complete body Susanoo. The Kazekage¡¯s attack was no different for it from kunai stabs. The weapons condensed with iron sand at the samurai¡¯s surface were like eggs smashing onto rocks.


    With his hands folded in front of him, Tonan mocked the Kazekage, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Sandaime Kazekage looked ugly. Although it was tempting, this situation showed that he was powerless. He circulated chakra with his body and condensed a large amount of iron sand in front of him.


    The iron sand shrank rapidly and eventually turned into a huge iron spike. ¡°Magnet Style ¨C Iron Sand World Method!¡± The iron sand spike turned into a black shadow and as it descended from the sky, it accelerated toward the golden samurai.


    In the blink of an eye, the speed broke through the sound barrier, and the sonic boom reverberated throughout the battlefield. Tonan didn¡¯t take this toy seriously at all. He made the golden samurai raise its left hand and move it forward. Then, it firmly held the pitch-black iron spike.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ I¡¯m completely powerless.¡± The Kazekage was very gloomy and unwilling to accept this.


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    Tonan made the golden samurai weigh the iron sand spike in its hand and said indifferently, ¡°Interesting.¡± He then looked at Sandaime Kazekage with cold eyes and said, ¡°You also test my ninjutsu. Lightning¡­ Come!¡±


    Rumble¡­ Instantly, the dark clouds in the sky seemed to be enraged. The lightning condensed together and the entire thing lit up with a dazzling blue light. A streak of blue lightning spread out in all directions, making bizarre branches as if they wanted to cut apart the entire sky.


    Looking at this earth-shaking scene, a name appeared in the Kazekage¡¯s mind, ¡°White¡­ Fang¡­¡± His pupils shrank and he felt a chill down his spine. His heartbeat accelerated subconsciously and he felt the imminent danger


    He flapped the iron sand wings on his back. Not daring to stay where he was, he flew into the distance without turning back. The dark clouds in the sky rumbled and many lightning dragons burst out, gathering in the golden samurai¡¯s left hand, becoming a lightning ball the size of a small mountain.


    Under Tonan¡¯s control, the natural lightning was compressed drastically, turning from blue to a blinding white. He spread out his arms and looked at the Kazekage who was desperately running away. He shouted, ¡°If you survive this attack, I¡®ll acknowledge you as the strongest Kazekage!¡±


    Sandaime Kazekage was terrified seeing this and with his eyes wide open, he yelled, ¡°Tsuchikaze, save me!¡±


    ¡°Raikiri!¡± The golden samurai jumped and turned into a lightning flash. Crossing the space, the distance to the Kazekage quickly reduced.


    ¡°Magnet Style ¨C Iron Sand Defense.¡± Sandaime Kazekage used all his chakra in this move. He controlled the iron sand to form a semicircular shield that covered half the sky between him and Tonan. He couldn¡¯t hold any longer!


    Onoki knew that the situation was pressing. If the Kazekage was seriously injured or dead, the ninja war would turn unfavorable for Iwa. He secretly prayed that Tonan didn¡¯t notice him to not counter his unique skill.


    Onoki raised his hands in front of him and a circular white disc appeared in his palms, aiming at the shield summoned by Sandaime Kazekage. Tonan would definitely have to pause for a moment. ¡°Particle Style ¨C Dismantling Technique.¡±


    A white cylindrical laser suddenly burst out and instantly shot toward the shield.


    At that time, the golden samurai whose speed had reached the limit just happened to appear in front of the shield.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been paying attention to you.¡± From the corner of his eye, Tonan had seen the Dismantling Technique. Under the Mangekyo-leveled ocular power¡¯s dynamic vision, the speed of the white laser was just a little faster than that of the water dragon bullets. He didn¡¯t need to panic at all.


    As for resisting the Dismantling Technique, there were four usual methods at his disposal including the sealing technique, chakra absorption, space-time ninjutsu, and Uchiha Reflection. But there was one more for Tonan.


    The golden samurai pulled out the spiritual demonic weapon, the demon sword Muramasa, and placed it between himself and Onoki. The sword collided with the white laser. Instantly, its color that was burning with golden radiance turned into a white-like particle style.


    Use the same laws to break the rules. Regardless of how weird the ninjutsu is, in front of the demon blade Muramasa, it will simply reduce to the simplest chakra duel. Meanwhile, the lightning ball in the golden samurai¡¯s palm hit the huge iron sand shield.


    Lightning suppressed earth, not to mention iron sand, which was a high-quality conductive metal.


    Bang! In an instant, the entire iron sand shield was blown into smithereens. Most of the lightning power that remained, turned into a straight pillar catching up with the Kazekage who had flown far away.


    Ah! In the next instance, the Kazekage was drowned by this pillar.


    Escape! Seeing his particle-style was easily blocked by Tonan, Onoki immediately turned around and flew towards the sky. In the distance, the Kazekage¡¯s figure fell from the sky emitting black smoke.


    Tonan exited from the Spirit of Lightning God state and narrowed his eyes slightly. A thin figure had grabbed the Kazekage¡¯s corpse and fled into the distance.


    That red hair was conspicuous. Coupled with a puppet beside the figure, Tonan recognized that this was a character from the original work. ¡°Oh? Sasori got a cheap win. Forget it. Let¡¯s just treat it as giving him a little toy.¡±

 CH 235

    By the end of the battle, Uchiha Tonan had almost destroyed the entire battlefield by himself. Many ninjas were buried in the slowly flowing mud. And the ninjas on top of the mountain wall were also captured by the Leaf ninjas that Nara Shikaku had dispatched.


    Tonan deactivated the Tengu state and landed steadily on the ground. He turned around to walk towards Konoha¡¯s battlefront indifferently. All Leaf ninjas looked at him with reverence and wanted to cheer for him.


    But¡­


    It was both a bit unfamiliar and a bit awe-inspiring. The gap between their capabilities was just too much. Everyone solemnly realized just how many levels they were lower than Tonan and didn¡¯t dare to be rash.


    They could only stand rooted to their spots and stare at him.


    Ding! Gained Nara Mido¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Ding! Gained Kurama Fei¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Gained Mitsunari Keita¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Gained Chihiro Takai¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Yamanaka Tosa¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Daisuke Nakahira¡¯s acknowledgment¡­


    When Tonan reached close to Konoha¡¯s battlefront, the Leaf ninjas stepped aside to make way. They stood on both sides and held their breaths, taking in every move that Tonan made.


    Shikaku hastily rushed over to welcome him. He bowed deeply toward Tonan with both hands on his knees and said, ¡°Tonan-sama, this truly troubled you.¡±


    Tonan nodded lightly and took his gold-rimmed glasses from Shikaku¡¯s hands. He put them on and walked silently into the distance. Everyone¡¯s gaze stayed on him the entire time until he completely disappeared into the forest.


    Only then did the Leaf ninjas begin to make all kinds of comments¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s too handsome. He didn¡¯t even say a word¡­ so cool.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss about it¡­ Experts are like this.¡±


    ¡°What kind of ninjutsu was that giant? Does anyone know anything about it?¡±


    ¡°Never seen it but I feel it¡¯s bigger than the sannin¡¯s summoning beasts.¡±


    ¡°Summoning beasts!? You don¡¯t know half of it. When that giant appeared, I didn¡¯t even dare breathe because it was too suffocating.¡±


    ¡°Did you see that Tonan-sama¡¯s ninjutsu killed Sandaime Kazekage?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be called Raikiri. Perhaps, it¡¯s a forbidden technique of the Uchiha clan.¡±


    ¡°Forbidden technique? I hope Tonan-sama is fine.¡±


    ¡°Should¡­ shouldn¡¯t¡­.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Looking at the dense forest, Shikaku stroked his nose. He seemed to be thinking but his expression did not give away his thoughts. ¡°Alright, leave some people here to guard. After the logistics team arrives, we¡¯ll build a stronghold here. The others head go back to Kikyo Mountain. We¡¯ve won the positional battle and next will be squad battles.¡±


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    After giving out the commands, Shikaku looked at Hyuga Hizashi and said, ¡°Hizashi-sama, I¡¯ll trouble you to make the arrangements here. I¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    Hizhasi looked at the people around him and then his gaze moved back to Shikaku. He asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it about Tonan¡­ sama¡­¡±


    Shikaku had no change in his expression. He patted Hizashis¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.¡±


    In the evening, the sun was already in the west and the fiery sunset dyed the entire sky red. With his hands behind his back, Tonan was on the edge of the cliff near the Kikyo Mountain¡¯s commander tent, looking at the distant landscape.


    The scarlet sunlight reflected on his glasses, making people unable to see his eyes. At this moment, Shikaku walked behind him and respectfully asked, ¡°Tonan-sama, are you waiting for me?¡±


    Tonan looked down at the magnificent sunset and leisurely replied, ¡°I was waiting here to give answers to your questions.¡± Shikaku was silent for a while, and then asked, ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose a little and he nodded, ¡°Yes. The injury is very serious and so unless it¡¯s a big battle, I can only participate as little as possible.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Shikaku didn¡¯t ask further questions and nodded. Giving him a warm look, Tonan said, ¡°There¡¯s no harm in telling you. The ninjutsu I used today is my Mangekyo Sharingan¡¯s dojutsu. But it has a fatal flaw. Overusing it can lead to blindness. I¡¯m afraid if I participate in a few more battles that are as intense as today¡¯s, I¡¯ll be completely blind.¡±


    Shikaku frowned and carefully looked at Tonan¡¯s expression. But he couldn¡¯t detect the slightest worry. After thinking about it for a while, he continued the topic and asked, ¡°Is there no solution?¡±


    Tonan chuckled and turned his head to look at the sunset. He said, ¡°Yes, and also no. But in any case, you don¡¯t need to know. Moreover, no one can help.¡±


    Shikaku nodded and bowed deeply, ¡°I understand, thank you very much for today.¡±


    In the evening, some clouds appeared on Kikyo Mountain, which further enhanced the picturesque sight. The slowly sinking sun looked like a sad and moving beauty as it tried its best to dye the surroundings blood red.


    Tonan didn¡¯t reply but he slowly closed his eyes and spread out his hands as if he wanted to embrace the charm of this moment. Shikaku simply stood and watched Tonan¡¯s back. He knew that their exchange just now was just a prelude to the real reason Tonan was here.


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    ¡°You are a smart person,¡± Tonan said with his eyes closed as if he was babbling. Shikaku replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m inferior to you, Tonan-sama.¡±


    Tonan retracted his hands and sighed deeply. He adjusted his glasses and said, ¡°When I had little money, I liked to carry it in my pocket always. Only then would I feel safe. Now, I¡¯ve more and I can¡¯t put it in my pocket but I don¡¯t feel at ease putting it at home. Depositing it in a bank worries me about triggering bad intentions or the bank going bankrupt.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, I divided it into several portions and used some to purchase lands and treasures that retain value and the others in my home, bank, and myself. Even if something goes wrong with one portion, I¡¯ll feel heartbroken at the most, but at least, the clan will not be completely destroyed.¡±


    Shikaku narrowed his eyes. He understood what Tonan meant. This was a blatant threat. Tonan was talking about money, but in fact, he was referring to the entire Nara clan. Keeping money in just a pocket was referring to the clan¡¯s loyalty to the Sarutobi clan.


    After the Senju Tsunade incident, Shikaku could see that Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tonan had fallen out. Tonan was saying all this to make him reconsider where his loyalties lie.


    It meant that even if he continued to be loyal to Hiruzen, he shouldn¡¯t bank only on him and go against Tonan in the process. If he followed Tonan¡¯s suggestion, regardless of who wins or loses, the Nara clan would just have one less backer.


    But if he was loyal to Hiruzen and went against Tonan, once Hiruzen lost power, Tonan would retaliate against the Naras and destroy the entire clan.


    The Nara clan had been loyal to Hiruzen for many years. For a moment, Shikaku didn¡¯t know whether to agree or not. In any case, Tonan didn¡¯t make it clear, which meant he did not need to respond directly. If he didn¡¯t want to agree, he could just give a perfunctory answer.


    Presumably, Tonan wouldn¡¯t take it too badly. There would be resentment of course but they could still fight in this war together amicably.


    But if he agreed, and Hiruzen noticed it¡­


    Tonan could see that Shikaku was weighing the pros and the cons, and he added another sentence. ¡°The value of my land has already increased by several times. Do you think there is any room for appreciation in the future?¡±


    This finally left Shikaku stunned. He immediately knelt on one knee and solemnly said, ¡°Your words are reasonable, Tonan-sama. I know what needs to be done.¡±


    The land referred to Tonan himself and his value was in his strength. He was young and his strength would rise. Tonan smiled and turned around. He patted Shikaku¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°One more thing, I¡¯m researching medical ninjutsu and I need some materials.¡±


    Shikaku¡¯s pupils shrank and he abruptly raised his head to look at Tonan in disbelief. ¡°Tonan-sama, human experiments are prohibited in the Ninja World. It¡¯s against morality.¡±


    Tonan smiled lightly and took a breath. ¡°Did you smell the air here? Isn¡¯t it fresher than Konoha? It seems like¡­ an extra breath of freedom.¡± He meant that they were on a battlefront, a place outside the law. If Shikaku didn¡¯t agree, then the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Shikaku¡¯s forehead was soaked with sweat as he struggled in his heart. He finally sighed and lowered his head. ¡°As long as the basecamp has whatever you need Tonan-sama, you can use it as you please. I¡¯ll inform the teams.¡±


    Tonan was very happy with Shikaku¡¯s attitude. He walked toward his laboratory with his hands on his back. Such a smart person was the best at taking a realistic view of the situation and his mind was also flexible.


    In front of Tonan, he could only agree to board his pirate ship. Since Shikaku had already agreed, then how would he show his sincerity?


    Human experiment was taboo in the Ninja World. As the commander-in-chief, Shikaku let Tonan use captives to perform human experiments. In the future, if anything were to go awry, Shikaku would be done for.

 CH 236

    Late at night, Uchiha Tonan was refining his laboratory. This world had extraordinary energies like chakra and natural energy. But life was the carrier of all extraordinary energies.


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    During the day, he had gained enough acknowledgment so he just needed to wait for the Leaf, Stone, and Sand ninjas to kill each other. At that time, he would continuously obtain various secret techniques and bloodline limits.


    Tonan had learned enough ninjutsu. He believed that his theoretical knowledge was second to none in the entire Ninja World. But this was the knowledge of predecessors and if one wanted to surpass them, one needed research.


    Tonan¡¯s knowledge base was extensive and within it were aspects that complemented each other and countered their weaknesses. But it was not enough to rely on imagination for many things. Therefore, one had to use human experiments.


    Tonan was using earth-style ninjutsu to reinforce and transform the laboratory. Suddenly, he paused and looked up, revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan. He borrowed Byakugan¡¯s insight and observed Nara Shikaku, who was writing in the commander¡¯s tent.


    He saw Shikaku writing today¡¯s battle course on a scroll. Once he was done, he hesitated a bit. But in the next moment, on the back of the intelligence report, he wrote¡­


    Uchiha Tonan used Mangekyo Sharingan¡¯s forbidden technique. His eyesight has decreased and he is seriously injured. I estimate that if he makes moves with all his strength a few more times, he would probably go blind. I hope Hokage-sama will reinforce in time according to the situation.


    Shikaku finished and closed the scroll. He summoned a beast and put the scroll into its mouth.


    ¡°Truly a smart man.¡± Tonan nodded with satisfaction and continued to work hard.


    The next day, the sun finally revealed its face on the horizon like a dazzling shrine. Tonan, who had finally finished the laboratory¡¯s modification, came to the temporary prison and selected the first warrior, accompanied by Yamanaka Inoichi.


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    In the prison with thick iron railings, the prisoners¡¯ chakra points had been sealed by the Hyuga clan. They were bound with iron chains and an iron ball was stuffed in their mouths. Seeing Tonan and Inoichi come in, they looked over with resentment as if they were going to swallow them.


    Tonan looked like a butcher who was selecting fresh pigs or sheep in the slaughterhouse. He leisurely said, ¡°This is my first trial. I want someone physically strong. It¡¯s best if he¡¯s a jonin.¡±


    Ino-Shika-Cho advanced and retreated together. Shikaku had already persuaded Inoichi. He led Tonan to the other side and said, ¡°Tonan-sama, all jonin are here but there aren¡¯t many. You can choose whomever you want. After you¡¯re done, I can send him over to you. Moreover, if you need something in the future, you just need to notify me.¡±


    Tonan smiled warmly at Inochi and said, ¡°Then, although it¡¯s embarrassing, I¡¯ll trouble you.¡± Inochi shook his head and said, ¡°No trouble, we won this battle thanks to you. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know how many more of our people would¡¯ve died.¡±


    Tonan liked Inoichi¡¯s attitude. He turned to look at the ninja who was writhing in the prison, trying to break free. The prisoner also noticed Tonan looking at him. He looked back with anger and blue veins popped on his forehead.


    Tonan touched his chin with interest and said, ¡°This one seems to have a very tenacious life force.¡± Inoichi replied with a smile, ¡°You have good observation. He is Suna¡¯s jonin and good at taijutsu.¡±


    Tonan nodded and pointed at that ninja, ¡°Let¡¯s begin with him, then.¡± Inoichi opened the iron gate and dragged the ninja over to Tonan. He grabbed the chain on the ninja¡¯s waist and walked towards the exit.


    ¡°Tonan-sama, aren¡¯t you choosing more?¡± Inoichi asked with concern. Tonan shook his head and answered, ¡°No, my lab is small. I¡¯ll notify you when this one becomes useless.¡±


    The ninja seemed to understand what Tonan meant and struggled harder. His expression changed from anger to fear. Tonan frowned at the struggling ninja and unhappily asked, ¡°Why are you so excited? I won¡¯t release you in any case.¡±


    After speaking, he looked into the ninja¡¯s eyes and used the Hypnotic Eye to subdue him. Soon afterward, he swaggered out of the prison carrying the ninja and walked toward his laboratory.


    As for what if people saw this? It didn¡¯t matter. The area from the prison to the laboratory was the temporary station of Ino-Shika-Cho ninjas. Shikaku would take care of it.


    While walking, his footsteps suddenly stopped and a meaningful smile appeared on his face. He changed his direction and walked towards the commander¡¯s tent. Soon after, he saw two boys and a little girl being pushed out of the tent by two Nara ninjas.


    The characteristics of these three people were conspicuous¡ªyellow-haired, red-haired, and blue-haired. They were Akatsuki¡¯s Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan of the Land of the Rain.


    Judging from the situation, it was likely that Yahiko brought Nagato and Konan to persuade Shikaku to stop the war or something. There was no need to think about the outcome. How could Shikaku take Yahiko¡¯s childish thoughts seriously? They were directly shown the door.


    Yahiko was still passionately shouting. ¡°Shikaku-sama, as long as people can understand each other, wars can be avoided. The war has no meaning. It only continues the hatred and makes people live in dire straits. We should let go of hatred and try to understand each other¡­¡±


    At this moment, the two Nara ninjas who were pushing Yahiko away saw Tonan approaching. They immediately lowered their heads in reverence and solemnly greeted.


    ¡°Tonan-sama.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-sama.¡±


    Yahiko also stopped shouting and turned around with Nagato and Konan. He looked at Tonan and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± The two ninjas felt that these three were not respectful enough to Tonan and shouted, ¡°He is Tonan-sama, Konoha¡¯s powerhouse who defeated the combined force of the two countries by himself. He killed Sandaime Kazekage.¡±


    Yahiko bowed toward Tonan and said, ¡°Tonan-sama.¡± Tonan nodded slightly with a faint smile on his face. Yahiko had a straightforward and outspoken temperament. He caught the glimpse of the prisoner Tonan was holding and asked, ¡°Excuse my presumption but this Sand ninja seems to be a prisoner.¡±


    ¡°Yahiko¡­¡± Konan reached out and pulled Yahiko¡¯s sleeve with a worried look on her face. Tonan had no intention to blame him and calmly replied, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a Sand jonin and his position is not low. I want to torture him for information related to the war.¡±


    Tonan never felt troubled lying through his teeth. It came naturally when he opened his mouth. As expected, the three youngsters were dumbfounded. Suddenly, Yahiko recalled how the two ninjas were respectful toward Tonan. He thought that Tonan¡¯s position in Konoha must be very high.


    His eyes lit up and he asked, ¡°Tonan-sama, what¡¯s your thought about this war?¡± Tonan smiled slightly but didn¡¯t answer immediately. He handed the prisoner to the Nara ninja beside him and said, ¡°Take him to my medical research room. I¡¯ll interrogate him when I¡¯m healing his wounds.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Nara clan ninja took the prisoner and left. Yahiko watched this and coupled with Tonan¡¯s words, his impression of Tonan rose by several levels. ¡°Tonan-sama, you seem to be a kind-hearted person.¡±


    Tonan smiled humbly and said, ¡°Konoha¡¯s principle has always been to treat prisoners properly and I¡¯m just following the rules. Didn¡¯t you ask about my opinion on war? To be honest, I haven¡¯t experienced war before and I don¡¯t know much about it. I just seem to have heard that you have a unique perspective on war. May I ask for guidance?¡±


    Perhaps, this was the first time Yahiko met such an open-minded higher-up from Konoha. He was restrained for a while. He scratched his head with a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s not guidance, just want to pass on a little bit of my philosophy.¡±


    Tonan turned around and signaled them to follow. ¡°Let¡¯s chat while walking. This is Konoha¡¯s base camp, after all. It¡¯s not good for you all to be here.¡±

 CH 237.1

    Yahiko¡¯s team of three and Uchiha Tonan silently walked down Kikyo Mountain toward the Land of Rain. Tonan took this set of people as irrelevant and did not think there was much to chat about with them. Nagato and Konan had no opinion anyway and were best described as two silly followers.


    As for Yahiko, while he was an outgoing person, he took Tonan¡¯s identity and his amiable attitude into consideration and was hesitant to say anything along the way. He was used to people rejecting him and his ideals, so when he met a person with a good attitude, he was a bit apprehensive to speak thoughtlessly.


    The four arrived at the small bridge just like this without saying anything. Tonan took the lead to sit on the railing. He patted it with his hand, signaling the three to join him.


    The three youngsters looked at each other, after which Yahiko smiled warmly at Tonan and sat down first. Nagato and Konan followed suit. They sat on the railing and looked at him curiously.


    The grass here had grown long and the river was gurgling under the bridge. The sound was like a whisper but also like a giggle. The sunlight was goldish, which glimmered on the river¡¯s surface, making it hard for people to open their eyes.


    Tonan looked at Yahiko and smiled without opening his mouth, preparing to lead the conversation. Regardless of how many, the first one to strike would most likely gain sympathy, drawing people closer. If the communication was smooth, he was prepared to act according to the situation and see if any brainwashing was necessary.


    His target right now was Nagato who possessed the Rinnegan. If his memory was not wrong, in the original work, Nagato¡¯s original belief was to make people feel pain, and then because of fear of pain, no one would dare to wage a war.


    This belief was suppressed after he met Yahiko but after his death, Nagato¡¯s conviction resurged with renewed vigor. Since that was the case, Tonan decided to go along with his belief and see if he could gain Nagato¡¯s acknowledgment.


    He took off his glasses and sighed as he gently wiped the lenses with his sleeve. He asked, ¡°Do you know why I wanted to speak with you?¡±


    The trio shook their heads in unison. Tonan stared at the glasses in his hands absentmindedly and then with a look of reminiscence, he said, ¡°When I was seven years old and was still in the Ninja Academy, my parents died on the battlefield of the last ninja war. I was suddenly an orphan and had to live alone.¡±


    Sure enough, just after he said these words, the three looked at him with a hint of pity. Yahiko frowned and softly said, ¡°Sorry, I made you remember a painful memory. Our condolence for your loss.¡±


    Tonan smiled a little and squinted his eyes. He looked at the sun and calmly replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I should¡­. Perhaps, I¡¯ve already forgotten the pain.¡±


    Yahiko nodded but he felt that Tonan was just pretending to be calm. After all, weren¡¯t they also like that? Yahiko took a deep breath and curiously asked, ¡°Since you¡¯ve experienced such a loss yourself, why didn¡¯t you think of a way to stop the war? You are so strong and more capable than we are. If you want, you can do this. If there is no war, such tragedies would never happen again.¡±


    Tonan shook his head in disappointment. He sighed and said, ¡°War is inevitable. Only when more people feel the pain of war will they cherish the value of peace.¡±


    After saying this, he glanced at Nagato from the corner of his eye. Nagato, however, simply looked silly. He had no response at all to this. Tonan frowned inwardly.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t provoke his thoughts? This fellow¡¯s belief is not firm. He doesn¡¯t seem to be an idealist but a purely emotional faction¡­ That¡¯s right, the true idealist would never be persuaded by Naruto¡¯s tactless talk. It looks like it¡¯s not time yet¡­¡±


    Tonan quietly glanced at Yahiko and Konan. The emotional faction has its set of emotional attributes. It would be too much of a hassle for him to get involved. ¡°I should just take advantage of the situation to infiltrate. It seems after the war is over, I must speak with Danzo about the Akatsuki organization and make him make a move sooner.¡±


    In this short time of verbal exchange, Tonan had already decided to not have meaningless entanglements with the three anymore. Yahiko had already retorted by now though. He said, ¡°I believe that it is the different opinions of people that lead to wars. But this is something that can be discussed more peacefully at the negotiation table.¡±


    Tonan put his golden-rimmed glasses back on and stared at Yahiko. ¡°Which pre-war negotiation has been successful ever?¡±


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    Yahiko was taken off guard but this was not enough for him to back down. He argued, ¡°That¡¯s because everyone didn¡¯t put themselves in each other¡¯s shoes. As long as everyone understands the other¡¯s situation, the negotiation will be successful.¡±


    Tonan smiled lightly and said, ¡°But people have their own thoughts. How can you make them understand others? Besides, how do you know that everyone doesn¡¯t understand each other¡¯s difficulties? I understand why the four great nations are attacking the Land of Fire.¡±


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    Yahiko frowned and asked in confusion, ¡°Why?¡±


    Tonan adjusted his glasses and began his talk. ¡°It is because of the severe inequality in population and resources. Let me explain this to you in a much simpler manner. Regard the resources as food for the moment and take the Land of Wind as an example.¡±


    ¡°After so many peaceful years, the population has grown exponentially, and more and more food is required to feed the people. But the Land of Wind¡¯s food-producing capacity is inadequate. The Land of Fire, on the other hand, has abundant food in its reserves. What would one do in such a situation?¡±


    Yahiko immediately replied, ¡°The Land of Fire can sell the surplus food to the Land of Wind, can¡¯t they?¡±

 CH 237.2

    Uchiha Tonan raised his eyebrows. He realized that Yahiko didn¡¯t remotely understand what he meant. He decided to make his explanation even simpler. He said, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand what I mean. Resources include wealth. The current Land of Wind is lacking everything. There is no food and they also have no money to buy it.¡±


    Yahiko was silent for a while trying to understand the point. He scratched his head in annoyance and thought about it for a long time. Then he weakly said, ¡°If the Land of Fire wants to avoid war, can¡¯t it just distribute the surplus food to the Land of Wind?¡±


    Only at this moment did Tonan realize that the kid in front of him was a bit too na?ve. He wondered that when Yahiko was already old enough, how could he still be this ignorant?


    ¡°Why? Take the grain I grow in my field as an example. I¡¯ve worked hard, enduring fierce wind and scorching sun every day to grow it. I used my labor in exchange for the grain and sold the surplus to buy some decent clothes for my family. If you make me give away the grain for nothing just like that, without any reason, then why would I work hard next year?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ll just grow enough food for my family. In any case, growing more is a waste of time and effort. Once this becomes the practice, in the next year, the Land of Wind will still be poor, and the Land of Fire will also just be self-sufficient. At that time, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yahiko didn¡¯t know how to answer Tonan¡¯s question. A villain, especially one that met the standard requirements of being one, must have the ability to suppress others in the aspect of brass tacks. Why? Because villains are ambitious and idealists. They could talk endlessly when they had ideals in their hearts.


    Those who roar about wanting to destroy the world and just know how to kill were not worthy of being called villains. They could only be called sad creatures who had gone insane under the torture of life and pain. And there were too many such miserable creatures in this world.


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    Tonan glanced at Nagato and Konan, who also looked confused, and thought of sending them away after a few words. He heaved a deep sigh and patted Yahiko on his shoulder. ¡°Do you understand? Resources such as these absolutely cannot be regarded simply as food to eat.¡±


    Yahiko lowered his head and pinched the corners of his clothes with both hands. He continued, ¡°But don¡¯t you think that the war is too cruel? In the war, so many people die, especially the civilians who have no way to avoid it.¡±


    The atmosphere became heavy. Nagato and Konan lowered their heads with sad expressions. But how could Tonan be influenced by children such as these? He emphatically countered, ¡°That¡¯s wrong! They can avoid it if they want to. It¡¯s just that they are not willing to. I know you are all from the Land of Rain. The Land of Rain had been in the midst of war since the Warring States Period. If people are afraid of war, why aren¡¯t they moving away? Haven¡¯t you ever thought about it?¡±


    The trio looked at each other and Yahiko looked at Tonan with a somber face. ¡°Because this is our home.¡±


    Tonan sneered and raised his finger, pointing at the ground. ¡°Because you can eat enough here, and you can get ahead with a fight here. Have you read any books? Do you know that the population of the Land of Rain always increases exponentially at the last stage of the war? Do you know that many civilians migrate to the Land of Rain every year?¡±


    Hearing this, the trio had a look of disbelief.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they afraid of death?¡± Tonan grabbed Yahiko¡¯s collar and pulled him closer. He said, ¡°This place has ample rain and the weather is warm. You can grow grain three times a year and there are also numerous fishes and shrimps in the river. In a household, even a single working person can ensure that the whole family will not starve to death.¡±


    ¡°Such conditions are excellent for anyone. For civilians, this place is simply paradise. Dying in a war is just a probability. But without food, one will die without a doubt. Risks and opportunities coexist and this is the process of mutual interest. Obviously, for the majority of people, the opportunities here far outweigh the risks.¡±


    This was the first time Yahiko had heard such a truth of life. He felt that his view of the world was about to collapse and his pupils trembled nonstop. ¡°How can this be¡­ it can¡¯t be true¡­¡±


    Tonan slammed Yahiko onto the bridge. Nagato and Konan got off the railing and supported him, one on the left, the other on the right. Tonan also jumped off and looked down at the three of them. ¡°Let me tell you, there are many places without war in this world. Do you know that the western region of the Land of Wind has never experienced war since the Warring States Period?


    ¡°But there is almost no one there. Do you know why? It¡¯s because there is drought all year round. The yellow sand fills the sky and it¡¯s hard to survive. Also, do you know how many people die every year in the Land of Wind? Many eat sand until they die with their fingers still in their mouths. Because the sand is too dry to swallow, it has to be continuously poked with fingers. When you can¡¯t even find soil with a little moisture to eat, that¡¯s called miserable.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ the point of war¡­ is it just to plunder resources¡­¡± Yahiko¡¯s voice gradually weakened and he seemed to have lost his soul.

 CH 237.3

    Notes:


    Hanzo was the Leader of Hidden Rain Village. In Naruto, he was a legendary Shinobi feared as Hanzo of the Salamander


    Yahiko, who along with Nagato and Konan was at a complete loss after hearing Uchiha Tonan¡¯s war theories, thought of something and raised his head. He firmly said, ¡°No, if the war is only for plundering resources, then how did the other countries survive until now? The Land of Fire has always been the victor of every ninja world war. The other countries also hadn¡¯t plundered anything but they still exist.¡±


    Tonan chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not just limited to plundering. The hidden truth is even crueler than you think. In peaceful times, there are two people but the food available is enough for only one. Now that one person dies on the battlefield, isn¡¯t there enough food to eat for the other person?¡±


    Just as Tonan said these words, the three people collapsed on the ground as if they were struck by lightning.


    ¡°How can this be¡­¡±


    ¡°How can they do this?¡±


    ¡°The purpose of the war is to let the companions die.¡±


    Tonan slowly squatted and hugged Konan with his left hand and Nagato with his right hand. He brought his head closer to the three of them, and said in a low voice, ¡°This world is much crueler than this. It¡¯s the survival of the fittest in the natural order of selection. If there is no external war, civil strife will break out within a country. Once the order becomes chaotic, it will be even more terrifying than war. That would be hell on earth.¡±


    ¡°Listen to my advice and read more books when you have time. Don¡¯t just look at the end results of every situation. Instead, think about the reasons as well. Don¡¯t think that people are all stupid and don¡¯t know have solutions. Most group behaviors are based on reasons. And it can only be solved by starting from the objective, and not by making them change their subjective way of thinking.¡±


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    Now that he had finished his charade, Tonan stood up leisurely and turned around to head back toward Kikyo Mountain.


    ¡°Tonan-sama!¡± Yahiko shouted and knelt on the ground, kowtowing heavily. ¡°You know so much. Do you also know how to change this world and end these cruelties?¡±


    Seeing Yahiko kneeling, Nagato and Konan also knelt without hesitation. For the two of them, Yahiko¡¯s belief was their belief. Tonan turned his head and seeing this scene, he couldn¡¯t help but feel some pity in his heart.


    If the places of Yahiko and Nagato were interchanged, he would have been very happy to continue chatting with them. He would have even taught them some real skills.


    As for now¡­ he should just let Yahiko continue to make his mistakes. Tonan showed a gentle smile and encouraged them. ¡°What you are doing is also not completely pointless. A single spark can start a prairie fire and the power of a group is infinite. When more and more people love peace, I believe that one day there will be someone who will change the world. And that person will stand by your side.¡±


    ¡°What you need to do is to attract more people who love peace. You may not be the savior but you can be the ones who found the savior.¡±


    When Yahiko heard these words, his eyes lit up. It was as if there was a burst of new energy in him and he suddenly stood up. He clenched his fists tightly and said, ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Ding! Gained Yahiko¡¯s acknowledgment.


    Tonan nodded slightly and turned to leave. It was certainly impossible to tell them now that the way to resolve the war was to control the population and increase productivity. If he told them this, perhaps the Akatsuki Organization would change into an agricultural organization, and a large number of people might go to the harsh environment to open up a wasteland and even study hybrid grains.


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    If that happened, would Hanzo be afraid of a group of farmers? And if there was no Akatsuki Organization, who would collect the tailed beasts? How would Kaguya come out?


    Tonan was not afraid of hard work. If the situation required him to, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to play a reverse role between justice and evil. But on the surface, there must be a very good person and also a very bad person.


    Among them, he must be the ¡®very good¡¯ person. As for the ¡®very bad¡¯ person, he could only wait for Nagato to take up the mantle. To make a long story short, after Tonan noticed that there was no way to gain Nagato¡¯s acknowledgment through belief, he lost all interest in chatting with these three illiterate people.


    After the war was over, Yahiko would be killed by Hanzo and Shimura Danzo. At that time, he would find a way to take advantage of the situation. It would be much simpler to just follow the original storyline in this case.


    As the saying goes, dog killers follow the righteousness code but ungrateful people are among the scholars. Looking at the essence from the outward, and getting rid of the literal meaning, a person without enough insight and knowledge would only be engrossed in the emotional world all day long.


    Because that¡¯s the nourishment for his mind. And without nourishment for the mind, people can¡¯t make a living.


    This being said, Tonan also did leave them some advice. He wanted these three to truly listen to what he had said and spend more time reading books. After all, only fools could be taken advantage of¡­

 CH 238

    Half a month later, inside Uchiha Tonan¡¯s underground laboratory, muffled whimpers could be heard. Under the warm pink light, a delicately held thin waist was swaying continuously.


    Tonan gently placed the female Sand ninja he was carrying on a soft white big bed and made her sit on the bedside. He reached out his hand and raised the woman¡¯s chin to carefully look at her.


    It was like he was admiring a precious item. The female ninja¡¯s black hair was like a waterfall. Her eyes were sparkling and crystal-clear with fluttering eyelashes. She looked very delicate and charming, making people want to love her dearly.


    Tonan gently caressed her hair and then removed the iron ball that was blocking her mouth. The female ninja took a few breaths to calm herself down. She finally scanned her surroundings. This place looked like the bedroom of a wealthy family. It had sofas, a soft bed, a glass coffee table, and other furniture.


    There was even a gramophone on top of the bed.


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    Under the pink lamplight, she guessed Tonan¡¯s purpose and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t need to bring me here. You can untie me, I won¡¯t run away.¡±


    Tonan chuckled lightly and walked over to the coffee table. He picked up a glass bottle containing red liquid and opened it. He poured one-third of it into a glass and said, ¡°I admire your calmness very much.¡±


    The female ninja¡¯s expression remained unchanged even after seeing the furnishings and charming atmosphere of this room. In her heart, she had already guessed the situation. She gulped, pretending to be calm, and said, ¡°There¡¯s more.¡±


    Tonan sat down on the sofa and shook the glass gently as he replied, ¡°Your body is very attractive to me, giving me the urge to explore. Because of these two reasons, I took a fancy to you at a glance among the crowd.¡±


    This time, the woman was more certain that her guess was correct and an indescribable smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. She said, ¡°It¡¯s really difficult to imagine how completely different you are in private and on the battlefield.¡±


    Tonan smiled and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s different. I¡¯m a ninja and fighting is my job. When it comes to work, I must have the correct attitude. But in private, I¡¯m a very easy-going person.¡±


    ¡°In other words, the current you is the real you.¡± While making small talk to divert Tonan¡¯s attention, the female ninja secretly circulated her chakra. Unfortunately, it was not so easy to unblock the chakra points sealed by the Hyuga clan, especially in the situation when the entire body was bound by iron chains.


    In this situation, she could only try to use brute force on her wrist to see if she could break free. She pretended to want to stretch her waist in an attempt to keep Tonan occupied because she was worried that he would notice the little movements behind her.


    The tightly bound iron chains suddenly highlighted her figure, making every curve more noticeable.


    ¡°Is it a little tight? Do you want me to untie it?¡± Tonan stared at the woman in front of him with great interest. She was stunned for a moment. The moments behind her also stopped and she skeptically asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll run away?¡±


    As soon as she said this, she seemed to have thought of something and added, ¡°That¡¯s right, how can a powerful man like you be afraid of a woman like me?¡±


    This move could be regarded as a provocation. If Tonan was an arrogant person, he would definitely release her. Sure enough, he put down the glass on the coffee table and got up. He walked over to her and reached out his hands to untie her iron chains.


    ¡°You are right, especially when the woman is so beautiful.¡± The iron chains that bound her for so many days were untied and she felt an unprecedented sense of ease. Holding the bed sheet, she raised her head and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s so comfortable¡­¡±


    She wanted to fight back and try to escape. But thinking of Tonan¡¯s terrifying strength on the battlefield, she discarded the idea. She would never be able to successfully carry out a sneak attack on a powerhouse of his level.


    For now, she could only act and try to look for an opportunity. ¡°Come to think of it, your status must be very high in Konoha. No one stopped you when you took me away.¡±


    Tonan returned to the sofa and sat down. He held the wine glass again and continued to sway it. ¡°On the battlefield, the victor should have the war trophies he deserves. A beautiful woman is also a kind of war trophy. So, in any case, you belonged to me.¡±


    The female ninja despised the man in front of her who seemed to be gentle but was a predator. She tried to circulate her chakra, and to her surprise, the chakra points that were blocked all these days were now opened.


    She said with a look of surprise, ¡°You are underestimating me too much. You¡¯ve even unblocked my chakra points. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll resist?¡±


    Tonan kept staring at the red liquid in the glass without answering her. After a long time, he stood up casually and walked over. He handed her the glass and said, ¡°Drink this.¡±


    The female ninja narrowed her eyes but she still took the glass and asked cautiously, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Tonan touched his chin and answered, ¡°How should I explain this? It¡¯s similar to a kind of stimulant. Rest assured, it won¡¯t harm your body but you¡¯ll feel a little tired afterward.¡±


    The female ninja cursed Tonan as a pervert in her heart. She never thought that this person who looked like a refined scholar had such disgusting habits.


    Tonan raised his hand and said, ¡°Drink it. You¡¯ve no choice.¡±


    The female ninja held up the glass with her left hand and brought it close to her lips. She slowly moved her right hand behind her. She glanced at Tonan with charming eyes, and softly said, ¡°How old are you? Where did you learn to play like this? What¡¯s the point of drinking this? Don¡¯t you like the original flavor?¡±


    Tonan smiled warmly and leaned down. He stretched out his hand naturally and pulled the female ninja¡¯s right hand away. He then slid his hand inside her shirt from the bottom.


    His hand wandered around her shoulders and took out a needle glimmering with silver light. He said, ¡°The person responsible for searching your body was also a female ninja. It must be her first time on the battlefield and she lacks experience in body searches. I should keep such a dangerous thing for you.¡±


    The female ninja felt powerless in her heart when she saw that her small movements were caught. With a forced smile on her face, she looked at the red liquid in the glass and took a deep breath. ¡°Alright, I want to tell you something. Even if I¡¯m a prisoner, you are also responsible. You won¡¯t kill me when you¡¯re finished, will you?¡±


    Tonan spread out his hands innocently and said, ¡°I¡¯m such a powerhouse and my reputation is very important.¡±


    The female ninja knew that she had no chance to escape. She had to sacrifice her dignity for her survival. She stopped pretending and muttered, ¡°You look so refined on the surface but you have such a debauched hobby. I hope you¡¯ll be gentle.¡±


    After speaking, she closed her eyes and drank the red liquid. It tasted sweet and sour. She thought it was a pretty good drink.


    ¡°Rest assured, I will.¡± Tonan adjusted his glasses and a fiery look appeared in his eyes. After a few breaths, the female ninja reached out her hands and touched her face.


    Her face was red and her forehead was covered with sweat. She bit her thin lip and said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ so hot¡­ so hot.¡±


    Tonan smiled and took a step forward to support her shoulder with both hands and gently pushed her down on the bed. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Tonan¡¯s angular face quietly.


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    Taking a closer look, he looked very handsome. Is he going to start¡­

 CH 239.1

    After Uchiha Tonan laid down the female ninja, he stood beside the bed and tilted his head.


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    Looking down at her, he said, ¡°The effect came in faster than I thought. According to the records, you are a chunin and good at puppet techniques. You have the intelligence to analyze. You used to be a spy but you are not very good at taijutsu. This drug can drain your physical energy very quickly. For about three minutes, you will be exhausted and then unable to move.¡±


    The female ninja felt that Tonan¡¯s words were very strange, especially for what she thought he wanted to do. She frowned and asked, ¡°What are you doing¡­¡±


    Tonan leaned down and gently caressed her hot face. He softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s not poison. Would a powerful person like me lie to you? Go to sleep if you are tired. This bed is very soft. And the temperature here is also very adequate for resting.¡±


    After a few minutes, the woman stopped moving. Her eyes seemed to have narrowed leaving just a small gap but the pupils inside were dull. Tonan saw that the medicine had taken full effect. He began to slowly unbutton his robe.


    ¡°The body took the initiative to be dormant but the spirit is still alert. You must be in a dream state now. You can hear and see but you can¡¯t move your body. If it weren¡¯t for me talking next to you, you would even think that you are dreaming.¡±


    ¡°You want to talk and move. Your brain is continuously sending information to your body but your body has no feedback. This makes your brain instinctively think that your body is dead. As a result, it produces a special sense of fear. And even if you keep comforting yourself, you cannot stop this fear from growing.¡±


    After he spoke, the little gap in the female ninja¡¯s eyes also closed slowly. Just before she closed her eyes, she could see Tonan taking off his robe. However, the next moment, he took out a neatly folded white lab coat from the drawer beside the bed and wore it.


    Then, he proceeded to wear a medical mask and gloves. Tonan pressed an invisible mechanism on the wall. With the sound of the gears turning, the wall opposite the sofa in the room rose to reveal a laboratory full of instruments.


    Tonan knew that in her current state, the female ninja was like a soul trapped in a dead body. Under the medicine¡¯s effect, her body shut off all information transmitted to her. Tonan came to the laboratory and took out a needle filled with green liquid. He walked back to the bedside.


    While pushing the piston to release the air in the needle tube, he inwardly assessed, ¡°Physical energy represents yang-style, and mental energy represents yin-style. At this moment, the power of yang-style has almost completely disappeared, leaving only the yin-style. No, it hasn¡¯t actually disappeared. It is just that the yang-style and yin-style have lost their connection and are separated.¡±


    He thought that the next step should be to solidify the gap in the link and record the data. With this objective, he stuck the needle into the woman¡¯s arm. He took out several instruments and began to examine and record her body¡¯s data.


    At this moment, the female ninja felt like she was locked in a closed dark room. Regardless of how much she shouted in her heart, it was useless. Instinctively, great fear and panic emerged in her heart. Tired from her fruitless struggles, she could only curl up in the dark and silently wait.


    After an unknown period, she suddenly felt dizzy¡­


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Where am I?¡± The female ninja slowly opened her drowsy eyes but she found that it was pitch-black in front of her. However, from the feeling on her face, she realized she was wearing a blindfold. Also, she seemed to be lying on the bed.


    ¡°You just fell asleep.¡± A magnetic and gentle voice fell into her ears. It triggered her memories and she recalled the scene she had seen just before she closed her eyes. ¡°You¡­ you humiliated me¡­¡±


    After she accused him, she heard Tonan reply in an innocent voice. ¡°No, I just tested your data when you were in a dream state. Then, I gave you a sleeping injection for your brain and body to have a good rest. You slept soundly for about seventeen hours.¡±


    The female ninja tried to move her fingers but she found that she couldn¡¯t feel anything below her neck. With a trembling voice, she asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t I move?¡±


    A rustling sound resounded in her ears. She didn¡¯t know what Tonan was doing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and calm down. I have anesthetized the area below your neck so you must not be able to move.¡±


    Slap, slap. Clear slapping sounds could be heard followed by Tonan¡¯s calm voice. He asked, ¡°Did you feel anything?¡±


    The woman was stunned and instantly thought of something. ¡°No¡­ did you take off my pants? And you are still saying you didn¡¯t do anything to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good if you don¡¯t feel it.¡± Tonan¡¯s voice came from below.


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    Di, di, di¡­ At this time, the female ninja heard an alarm from the instrument, which seemed to be coming from the other side of the room.


    ¡°This old thing always has a problem. I tried to repair it so many times but the parts inside are too precise. It¡¯s high-tech and to be honest, it is beyond the scope of my knowledge.¡± Tonan¡¯s chatter continued from the other side.

 CH 239.2

    Uchiha Tonan was very lovingly comforting his human experiment subject when the alarm of his machine went off. But then a loud bang was heard and the blaring sound disappeared. ¡°Sure enough, simply hitting it fixes the issue. I¡¯ll play some music to soothe your mood. You don¡¯t need to be so anxious.¡±


    The gramophone beside the bed played a piece of music by a certain Land of Snow musician. No one knew where Tonan got his hands on this but it sounded very soothing. The fear the female ninja was feeling gradually disappeared. In any case, she had no way to resist. She could only let Tonan do whatever he pleased.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Tonan¡¯s serene voice appeased her as he continued, ¡°You have feelings above your neck. There might be a slight error. But I want to see your reaction, so¡­ I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    The female ninja felt an unprecedented excitement and asked, ¡°What have you done to me?¡± Later, she found herself turned over and lying on the bed sideways. Then, the blindfold was removed.


    She saw Tonan in a white robe looking at her delicate face with a smile. He gently said, ¡°I¡¯ve done something meaningful. It¡¯s extremely crazy.¡±


    ¡°This guy is much more twisted than I thought. But¡­ it seems to be normal compared to what I read in the books.¡± The female ninja thought of this and pursed her lips. She asked, ¡°So, what will you do with me later?¡±


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    Tonan brought his head close and pressed his forehead against hers. He also caressed her face and said, ¡°Looking at your performance, I¡¯ll not beat around the bush. You probably won¡¯t be able to return to the Land of Wind. Was there anything you wanted to tell your family? Let me help you write a letter to them and send it back.¡±


    The woman felt a hot, fiery male breath coming towards her face and her mentality changed. Her eyes became blurred and she replied, ¡°Do you want to take me back to Konoha?¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t reply. He slowly got up and picked up the pen and paper from the table. He went back to the sofa and sat down, signaling with his eyes for her to talk. The female ninja looked at him with a complicated expression and sighed in resignation. ¡°I don¡¯t have parents.¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡±


    The female ninja thought about it for a while and then with a look of reminiscence, she said, ¡°I can write a letter to the patriarch, just say¡­¡±


    As the female ninja narrated her words, Tonan quickly wrote them down on the paper. After a long time, he looked up at the clock on the wall and put down the pen in his hand. He lightly said, ¡°You had so much to say.¡±


    The female ninja who was speaking thought that Tonan was tired of writing, so she stopped speaking. She then quietly looked at Tonan. ¡°Is this the man I¡¯ll rely on hereafter¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± Tonan stared at the clock and put his index finger in front of his mouth. ¡°Shh¡­ only ten seconds left.¡±


    The female ninja frowned and asked suspiciously, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Immediately after, her pupils suddenly shrank and she felt a buzzing in her head. She began making chaotic sounds. Seeing her face was distorting gradually, Tonan¡¯s gentle expression was replaced with an indifferent one and he folded his arms in front of his chest.


    He said, ¡°Thank you for your contribution to the progress of the Ninja World. What I gave you to drink at the beginning can rapidly consume your physical energy. It makes your body dormant and no longer reciprocates any feedback to the brain. As a result, your brain and your body lose their connection. Later, I gave you another shot to solidify the gap in this link.¡±


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    ¡°Life is truly amazing. Especially in this world, there are things like yin and yang. But it¡¯s a pity, the yin and yang of the human body interact with each other all the time. It¡¯s too troublesome to study and record them. So, I thought of separating them temporarily to record data.¡±


    ¡°The data recording process was not bad. It¡¯ll help my research for sure. The injection just now was a pharmaceutical drug I learned about that turns people insane. I¡¯ve seen lunatics before but I¡¯m very curious about what a crazy person¡¯s world is like. And adhering to the spirit of exploration, I want to experience it myself. At the same time, I want to record the medical process.¡±


    ¡°You were the calmest one among all the prisoners. And the stable emotions allowed me to better observe the data and reduce errors. That¡¯s why I kept comforting you.¡±


    After explaining all this to the woman who had already lost her mind and her senses, Tonan looked at the instrument screen on the side. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is! The frequency of your brain waves has become irregular. The amplitude of wave crest and wave trough is also asymmetrical.¡±


    Right at this moment, the instrument screen¡¯s display swayed and a warning alarm sounded. ¡°This is so annoying. At a critical time, this kind of nonsense has happened.¡± Tonan frowned and got up. He walked over to the instrument and hit it a few times with his palm.


    Bang, bang, bang¡­ The screen on the instrument went black and black smoke came out of it¡­ Tonan exhaled heavily and said with an ugly expression. ¡°It seems that it can¡¯t be used. I don¡¯t understand this kind of high technology.¡±


    Ah! At this time, a high-pitched scream sounded. The female ninja bounced off the bed and extended her claws, trying to grab Tonan with a hideous smile on her face. However, in the next moment, as if she was hit by Body Fixed Technique, she was fixed on the spot.


    On the ground, Tonan¡¯s shadow had stretched all the way to the female ninja. He rubbed his hand and muttered while thinking, ¡°Has it already reached the limit? She was able to break through the drug¡¯s restriction. It¡¯s unreasonable. Let me take a look at the sensory world of a lunatic.¡±


    After that, Tonan stretched out his right hand and placed it on top of the female ninja¡¯s head. Mind Reading Technique. In the confined space, half was a warm pink room and the other was a laboratory under the blazing white lighting.


    The gramophone was playing weird music¡­ Time passed by slowly¡­


    After a long time, Tonan withdrew his palm and excitedly said, ¡°So that¡¯s what it is like. No wonder people are most prone to madness when they are frightened or in great grief. Because such stimulation will make the soul have the instinct to escape.¡±


    ¡°The source of constant consumption of the spirit, and wanting to break free from the shackles of the body, caused the spiritual energy to skyrocket and attack the mind. No wonder ninjas who are good at using yin-style ninjutsu are mostly calm. That¡¯s because they are good at controlling spiritual energy.¡±


    Tonan frowned again as he analyzed what he understood and inwardly thought. ¡°I haven¡¯t found a way to combine yin and yang. Is it necessary to rely on the power of the Six Paths to do this? What about logic? There must be logic for everything. The only instrument I had was also destroyed. How can I continue to research now?¡±


    After thinking about it, Tonan glanced at the immobilized female ninja. This experimental material was already useless now. With another thought, the shadow spread to the female ninja¡¯s neck and turned into a pair of black hands, twisting it lightly.


    With the sound of something falling to the ground, Tonan walked over to the destroyed instrument and glanced at the label behind the instrument. He read the printed label: Made in the Land of Wind.


    Tonan touched his chin and muttered, ¡°Yes, these puppet-playing fellows should know how to fix this thing. It seems I¡¯ve to go out and move my muscles and bones.¡±


    In the past half month, the ninjas of three great villages had continuously entered the Land of Rain and assassinated each other. Tonan had also obtained the abilities of the Ino-Shika-Cho, Kurama, and Aburame clans.


    Especially the Nara clan¡¯s Shadow Imitation Technique. It was a pure yin-style ninjutsu. Now, he was able to control the power of yin-style and yang-style as he pleased. But he hadn¡¯t been able to integrate the two styles to create the yinyang-style.

 CH 240

    The Land of Rain was located in a basin with the plateau area of the Land of Earth on the northwest and the mountain chain of the Land of Wind on the southwest. The warm and humid air blowing towards the Ninja World¡¯s northern side and southern side from the oceans was trapped here after reaching the Land of Rain.


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    The cold wind from the northwest direction blew in through the gap between the plateau and the mountain chain to meet the warm and humid air in the Land of Rain. This was also the reason for the heavy rain all year round in the Land of Rain.


    In the evening, the sky was densely covered with thick clouds and lightning flashed through the sky like a poisonous snake sticking out its tongue frequently. In a small border village between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind, because of the war, the villagers who lived there had moved to other places temporarily.


    Under the dark sky, there was just one house that had its lamps on. A warm yellow bedside lamp illuminated the small bedroom. Outside the window, the rain was falling in the quiet night. A pale-looking little boy with silver hair was snuggled up in a woman¡¯s arms staring at a cartoon book in her hands.


    He couldn¡¯t understand most of the words in the book so he could only look at the illustrations and imagine the scenes from the woman¡¯s words. ¡°A little duckling swam and swam, and finally arrived at the shore and found the mother duck.¡± After the woman finished the sentence, she hugged the little boy a bit tighter.


    Cough, cough¡­ the little boy showed a pained look and coughed heavily. The woman put down the book in a panic and patted his back. She asked with distress, ¡°Does it start to hurt again? Your dad will return soon and we¡¯ll have the medicine.¡±


    The little boy nodded with a pale face and looked up at the woman. He innocently asked, ¡°Mama, am I going to die?¡± The woman shook her head and with a forced smile, she caressed the boy¡¯s back. She replied, ¡°No, as long as you rest well, you¡¯ll get better soon.¡±


    The little boy¡¯s eyes were filled with mist. He looked into his mother¡¯s eyes earnestly and in a crying tone, he said, ¡°After I die, you¡¯ve to give birth to someone as obedient as me and accompany you for me.¡±


    The woman felt like something was stuck in her throat. She hugged the little boy in her arms tightly. Tears slowly flowed down her cheeks and she continued to force her smile to comfort him. ¡°Don¡¯t think nonsense, you¡¯ll be¡­ fine soon¡­¡±


    Cough, cough¡­ Hearing the little boy in her arms coughing weakly, the woman felt heart-wrenching pain. The boy had contracted a rare disease. The old doctor in the village was helpless. He couldn¡¯t even find the cause. In the beginning, the family condition was not good, so they thought that the disease would heal on its own if they nurtured him slowly.


    But when the little boy was just three years old, his condition deteriorated rapidly. He couldn¡¯t walk normally. He couldn¡¯t remain in the wind or bask in the sun. At this time, the Third Great Ninja War began and all the villagers left.


    This boy¡¯s parents chose to stay behind to accompany their child during his last days. After some time, the sounds of heavy footsteps came from outside the house.


    Squeak¡­ ¡°Dad has returned with the medicine, you¡¯ll be better soon.¡± When the woman heard the sound of the door opening, her eyes were filled with hope. She quickly got up and went to see her husband.


    However, when the woman arrived in the living room, she saw that he was soaked in rain. He stood at the door with empty hands, his eyes red, and his face haggard. Moreover, he had his head lowered as if he was afraid to look at his wife.


    The hope in the woman¡¯s eyes faded, and she asked, ¡°Have the people from other villages also left?¡±


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    The man didn¡¯t answer. He squatted slowly and put one hand on his knee and the other on his forehead. He nodded silently. The woman pursed her lips and took a deep breath. She said while choking with sobs, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter since you can¡¯t buy it, let¡¯s go see our child.¡±


    The man silently sighed and stood up taking support of the shoe cabinet. He dragged his tired body to the bedroom door. He raised his head and took a deep breath. Patting his cheeks lightly, he brushed his messy hair and forced himself to cheer up. He walked in with a smile on his face.


    The little boy was staring at the bedroom door. When he saw his father walking in with a relaxed expression, he spread his hands and called out, ¡°Dad.¡± The man walked over to the bed and wiped his right hand on his trouser. He gently rubbed the little boy¡¯s silver hair. The boy¡¯s eyes narrowed and a cheerful smile appeared on his face.


    The woman leaned against the bedroom door and watching them, she felt a little sour in her heart. She wiped the tears that were about to overflow and softly said, ¡°It has been a tiring day, I¡¯ll go to cook.¡±


    Hearing his wife¡¯s words, the man withdrew his hand and turned around. He walked over to his wife and took her hand. Looking at her stomach, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go. You¡¯ve to take care of your health.¡±


    The woman lowered her head slightly and nodded. The man turned back and gave the little boy a deep look. He silently walked to the kitchen and started to prepare dinner.


    Soon, chopping sounds came from the kitchen.


    Whoosh, whoosh¡­ The wind was blowing, and like someone was pushing the window hard, there were continuous rattling sounds. The rain curtain shook in the wind and was getting heavier. Soon, it turned into a downpour.


    The hazy mist seemed to be blown away by the wind and the world outside the window became dusky and distinct. The man put down the kitchen knife and walked over to the kitchen window. He stretched out his hands to close it.


    Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he saw an abnormal flame lighting up the distant mountain forest. ¡°F***, that¡¯s a ninja¡¯s ninjutsu.¡± He quickly shut the window and turned off all the lights in the room. The woman came out of the little boy¡¯s room and asked with a puzzled face, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The man solemnly replied, ¡°Hide quickly, I saw ninjas fighting in the distance.¡± The two quickly moved together. The man was responsible for closing the doors and windows and drawing the curtains, and the woman was responsible for wrapping the little boy with a quilt and putting him in the small closet.


    ¡°No matter what happens later, you can¡¯t make a sound. Do you understand?¡± Although the little boy didn¡¯t understand what was going on, he nodded sensibly. It was pitch-black in the closet and he felt a little scared.


    Fortunately, there was still a gap left in the closet door and he could see the bedroom through the gap. He saw his mother leaving the room in a hurry and closing the door.


    After the door was closed, the entire room fell into dead silence. Time passed bit by bit. The little boy gradually felt drowsy and slowly fell asleep.


    Bang! A loud noise on the door woke up the sleeping little boy with a start. But he remembered his mother¡¯s instructions that he couldn¡¯t go out no matter what. He shrunk into the quilt and stared at the gap in the closet door.


    He heard sounds and unfamiliar conversations outside the door. ¡°What kind of weather is this? It rains at every turn. If it¡¯s not heavy rain, it¡¯s light rain. I¡¯m already getting moldy.¡±


    ¡°This place is still better. Since it¡¯s close to the Land of Wind, we can see a few sunny days.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find something to eat, I¡¯m going to vomit from eating just ration pills.¡±


    ¡°Captain, there seems to be someone here. Look at the cutting board in the kitchen, there are still vegetables that have just been cut.¡±


    ¡°Tosa, check the surroundings with your perception ninjutsu. Find them and ask for information.¡±


    ¡°Alright, captain.¡±


    ¡°Ninja-sama, sorry sorry, I was sleeping and didn¡¯t notice your arrival.¡±


    The little boy heard his father¡¯s familiar voice.

 CH 241

    In the living room, four Leaf ninjas were leaning on the sofa, looking at the trembling man kneeling on the ground in front of him with interest. These four were Nara Mido, Yamanaka Tosa, Akimichi Enka, and Sarutobi Masato.


    Among them, Mido was this combat squad¡¯s captain and Enka was a genin who had graduated with Uchiha Tonan. Enka was two classes higher than Tonan.


    As for why Masato was added to the squad, among Ino-Shika-Cho, two were more inclined towards control. And as the main combat power, Enka was too young and he was also a genin. Therefore, there was no choice but to temporarily add Masato to the squad to supplement the output.


    Mido sniffed and while wiping a kunai in his hands with a tissue, he coldly asked, ¡°What a strong medicine smell! Are you alone here?¡±


    The man bowed flatteringly and said, ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m the only one here. I was going to move out too but I¡¯ve been a little sick recently. Moreover, it has been raining, and I was worried that my body couldn¡¯t endure it.¡±


    Mido sneered and leaned forward slightly. He picked up a strand of long hair from the tea table and leisurely asked, ¡°It seems you aren¡¯t being honest. Do you also have long hair?¡±


    The man suddenly became nervous and stuttered, ¡°This¡­¡± Mido glanced at the room¡¯s layout and then looked at Masato. He said, ¡°Go search the rooms and find the person.¡±


    The man¡¯s heart skipped a beat. At this moment, the room¡¯s door opened and a woman walked out timidly. She walked over to the living room and knelt. Lowering her head deeply, she said, ¡°Lords, I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m quite cowardly so I didn¡¯t dare to come out.¡±


    The man quickly introduced, ¡°This is my wife.¡± The moment the woman appeared, other than Enka who was the youngest, the eyes of the other three lit up. After hearing the man¡¯s introduction, the three looked at each other quietly and an indescribable smile appeared on their faces.


    ¡°Captain, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Enka yelled coldly and while rubbing his stomach stupidly, he kept looking around. The man said, ¡°If you don¡¯t dislike it, just stay here, and I¡¯ll get you something to eat.¡±


    Mido waved his hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Before that, we¡¯ve to make sure that you are not Suna spies.¡± Hearing this, the man waved his hands nervously and said, ¡°We are honestly just villagers and not ninjas.¡±


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    Tosa, who was wantonly looking at the woman¡¯s figure, sneered, ¡°Not all spies are ninjas, they can also be civilians. We need to investigate carefully.¡±


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    ¡°Captain, I¡¯m very hungry,¡± Enka reached out and tugged Mido¡¯s sleeve. Mido was a little helpless. Ino-Shika-Cho was the best combination but his teammate was always annoyingly hungry.


    Mido impatiently pointed at the man kneeling on the ground and said, ¡°You go and cook for us. Enka, you watch over him. As for your wife, we¡¯ll search her to be sure.¡±


    The smile on the man¡¯s face stilled and with a worried look, he said, ¡°Sir, this is inappropriate¡­¡± Tosa snorted coldly, ¡°This is an order, if you don¡¯t want to die, just be obedient.¡±


    The man clenched his fists tightly and finally bowed his head helplessly. ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    When Enka heard that the man in front of him was going to make food for him, he bounced off the sofa and grabbed the man¡¯s arm, pulling him toward the kitchen. ¡°Come quickly, I¡¯m going to starve to death. It¡¯s even better if there¡¯s meat.¡±


    The two entered the kitchen. Masato went to the kitchen under Mido¡¯s signal and slammed the door shut. The woman was trembling. She was very afraid, and said, ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    The trio looked at her nervous appearance and a raging fire ignited in their hearts. Their evil intentions were reflected in the smiles on their faces. Mido stood up leisurely and instructed, ¡°Take her to the room to search. That silly boy Enka is still young, and not suitable for this.¡±


    Masato and Tosa immediately stood up beside the woman on both sides and led her to the bedroom.


    Creak.. Bang! The little boy hiding in the closet looked through the gap and suddenly saw her mother being dragged into the room by three strangers. He was very worried and scared but he didn¡¯t know what to do. Recalling his mother¡¯s instructions, he curled up and didn¡¯t dare to move or make a sound.


    The woman clenched her hands tightly in front of her chest, and said with a look of embarrassment, ¡°Sir, just ask whatever you want, I won¡¯t hide anything.¡±


    Masato rubbed his hands and stepped forward with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ve nothing to ask from civilians like you.¡±


    ¡°This place can be regarded as the territory of the Land of Wind as well. Your Land of Wind caused us a lot of trouble and has killed and injured a lot of us. We will get some compensation from you today,¡± Tosa said while reaching out his hand to grope her.


    The woman instantly understood the fate that was awaiting her. She staggered back avoiding the hand. But she hit the edge of the bed and fell on it. She shook her head repeatedly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ please don¡¯t¡­¡±


    The woman pleaded in a low voice. She didn¡¯t dare to speak too loudly for fear of disturbing her husband and dying in vain. Masato¡¯s excitement increased even more and he couldn¡¯t wait to tear off her robe.

 CH 242

    Creak¡­ Perhaps, the door was deformed after being violently kicked. When it was pushed open, its sharp corners scraped the floor with a piercing sound.


    Boom¡­ A bolt of blue lightning jabbed through the deep space, making the dark world outside momentarily bright. A black silhouette of a person holding an umbrella was seen at the door. It looked like he had just opened the umbrella while opening the door. It blocked the sight of the four Leaf Ninjas for a while.


    They were unable to see the visitor¡¯s appearance but they could feel an elegant and calm vibe from his posture. After he folded the umbrella, everyone could finally see the person and the first thing that they noticed was a pair of scarlet demonic Mangekyo Sharingan.


    ¡°Tonan-sama!¡± Nara Mido exclaimed and jumped down from the chandelier on the ceiling. The other three also appeared in the living room and all of them knelt in front of him.


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    Uchiha Tonan didn¡¯t have any specific commanding position in the army. They were respectful only because of his extraordinary strength. Tonan glanced at them and said with a smile, ¡°It is our Leaf compatriots, and here I was thinking enemies were lying in ambush in the house.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-sama, we also came to take shelter from the rain,¡± Sarutobi Masato, who had a guilty conscience, explained weakly. Tonan had always presented himself as someone with a strong sense of justice in their impressions.


    He even fought against the sannin for civilians whom he did not know. Fortunately, they were wise enough to close the bedroom door. Masato desperately hoped that Tonan would simply sit in the living room and then leave. ¡°Damn it, when will it stop raining?¡±


    An easy-going smile appeared on Tonan¡¯s face. He waved his hand and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have the slightest interest in what you¡¯re doing here and what you have done. Please don¡¯t interrupt my conversation with the house owner. It¡¯s rude.¡±


    The four looked at each other in dismay. They didn¡¯t understand what Tonan was saying. Tonan walked over to the sofa and sat down. He looked at the spacious living room floor and said, ¡°Uphold justice? What¡¯s in it for me? If there is nothing, why should I spend my time in vain? I can only apologize for them.¡±


    Once he finished talking to himself, he pointed at the coffee table and said, ¡°It¡¯s so dirty. Don¡¯t you know how to clean up after eating?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± The four hastily got up. Two cleaned up the food left on the table and the other two wiped it. Tonan crossed his hands in front of his chest and leaned on the sofa. He tapped on his arms and said, ¡°By the way, are Leaf ninjas so incompetent these days? You couldn¡¯t even find a child hiding in the room. Did you forget the basic technique to sense breathing?¡±


    The questions startled the four who were cleaning the coffee table. ¡°What? More people?¡± They followed Tonan¡¯s gaze to the closed bedroom door and were greatly shocked. ¡°No, we can¡¯t let him in.¡±


    Tosa and Masato looked at each other and hastily got up, walking toward the bedroom.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Tonan suddenly straightened up and stopped those two. He was staring straight at the bedroom as if he could see everything inside through the door and the wall.


    Then, looking surprised, he said, ¡°What a rare disease! A congenital genetic defect. It seems to be a result of inbreeding. Really sad. But it¡¯s good material. Oh? There is another embryo that has just been conceived. Today is a good day. I ran into two rare materials at one go.¡±


    Tonan stood up and strode towards the bedroom. When the four saw him going inside, they were so frightened that their souls almost flew out of their bodies. If he only saw the corpses, they could say these were spies. But there was evidence of their heinous crime on the woman¡¯s corpse.


    Masato stepped forward and ran over to Tonan¡¯s side. He said while trembling, ¡°Sir¡­ please rest here¡­ leave this trivial matter to us.¡±


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    Tonan stopped and the joy on his face disappeared. He turned his head and stared indifferently at Masato. He said, ¡°From the time I¡¯ve set foot here, you keep interrupting me. Don¡¯t you know how to respect a powerhouse?¡±


    Like he was punishing a misdemeanor as a senior, Tonan cast the Hell Viewing Technique on Masato. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Masato¡¯s pupils¡¯ shrank and as if he saw something terrifying, he fell to the ground and foam appeared in his mouth. The remaining three swallowed their saliva and stood on the spot, quivering. They didn¡¯t dare move.


    Tonan pushed open the bedroom door and walked in. As soon as the door opened, a foul smell spread out. But there was no change in Tonan¡¯s expression. Doing human experiments, he was privy firsthand to all kinds of gruesomeness. He looked at the two corpses in the room and shook his head regretfully.


    ¡°The war is too cruel¡­¡± As he spoke, he took out a storage scroll from his ninja bag and opened it. He took out various tools from it. Then, without raising his head while playing with the tools, he said, ¡°You two, come and carry this woman¡¯s corpse to the bed.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Seeing that Tonan had no intention to attack them, Mido and Yamanaka Tosa were a bit relieved. They carried the female corpse carefully onto the bed. Tonan put on medical gloves and a mask and stood in front of the corpse with a scalpel.


    He took a deep breath and said, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m doing a C-section. And I¡¯m doing it on a corpse¡­ I¡¯m a little nervous.¡±


    His expression became serious and he began to perform the procedure. The sharp blade slowly opened the dead woman¡¯s stomach. Perhaps his technique was too good because there was not much blood flowing.


    After a short while, Tonan took out a palm-sized baby from the stomach of the woman. This baby was not yet fully formed. It only had the general outline of a human being with two black rice-like eyes.


    The vocal cords had not yet developed so it couldn¡¯t cry like other babies. ¡°The most critical step is the one most subjected to flaws. Misfortune will find unfortunate people. A congenital genetic defect, rebellious birth, coffin child, premature baby. This little fellow must not have been a good thing in his previous life. How lucky you are to meet me in this life!¡±


    Tonan wiped the liquid on the baby with a clean sterilized handkerchief. Then, holding it right in front of his eyes, he carefully examined it. He was simultaneously using the Mystical Palm Technique to nourish the baby¡¯s body. He muttered, ¡°Life is both fragile and tenacious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Your words are right, Tonan-sama,¡± Mido agreed with a fawning smile. Tonan nodded in satisfaction and carefully put the baby in a container filled with a green solution. He said with a look of reminiscence, ¡°This little fellow is too precious. If Orochimaru-sama was still alive, he would¡¯ve definitely gone crazy seeing it. It¡¯s a pity that he passed away at such a young age¡­¡±


    Rumble¡­ A flash of lightning shot through the horizon as if to validate what Tonan just said.

 CH 243

    Creak¡­ At this moment, the closet door was pushed open. The little boy came out of the closet with a numb expression. Staring at the baby in the container, he staggered over. Uchiha Tonan took off the medical gloves and looked at him with great interest.


    ¡°Why did you come out? Didn¡¯t your mother tell you not to come out no matter what happens? Your disease should¡¯ve already made you immobile. You actually broke through your body¡¯s limitation¡­ that¡¯s not bad at all!¡±


    It seemed that only the infant in the container was in the little boy¡¯s world right now. He ignored everything else and went straight to it. He extended his arms and hugged the container lightly, putting his head in front of it and staring blankly.


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose slightly and he asked, ¡°Do you also like him very much?¡± Seeing the boy remained silent, Tonan leaned down and extended his hand. He opened the little boy¡¯s eyelid with his index finger and thumb and looked at his eyes carefully.


    Observing him, Tonan began to analyze. ¡°Young children¡¯s spirits are incapable of enduring extreme fear or hatred. They instinctively choose to escape, wiping out most of their memories. What are the spirits¡¯ mechanisms? Why do some people go insane while others just suffer selective amnesia? I must study this when we return.¡±


    Tonan withdrew his hand and placed it on the little boy¡¯s head. He rubbed his hair gently and said, ¡°Your parents protected you and now you want to protect your brother. Even after losing your memories, you¡¯ve such a sense of responsibility¡­ what a good boy!¡±


    Nara Mido could see that Tonan¡¯s attitude toward the little boy was very gentle, so he asked in a low voice, ¡°Tonan-sama, do you want to take him in?¡±


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    Tonan nodded with satisfaction and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to take them back and use them for human experiments. If they survive, I¡¯ll give them the right to live.¡±


    Hearing Tonan mention human experiments without hesitation, great panic rose in the hearts of the three Leaf ninjas. Mido could have never imagined that the righteous Konoha hero in everyone¡¯s hearts was nothing more than a demon who secretly performed human experiments.


    But now, Tonan had told them this secret. Didn¡¯t that indicate that they were already dead in his eyes? Mido gulped and put his right hand into his ninja bag quietly. He said with an awkward face, ¡°If you don¡¯t have any instructions for us, we¡¯ll now, Tonan-sama.¡±


    Tonan chuckled lightly. ¡°Make a move quickly. In the last moments of your life, you must at least symbolically struggle. Otherwise, you¡¯ll never get another chance. The moment the weak discover the strong¡¯s secret, their life and death are already out of their control. Besides, your death is more valuable to me. It can gain me a perfect tool.¡±


    ¡°Attack!¡± Mido shouted and rapidly made hand seals, ¡°Shadow Imitation Technique!¡± ¡°Mind Body Transfer Technique!¡± Yamanaka Tosa also aimed at Tonan and at the same time, he anxiously said to Akimichi Enka, ¡°Enka, why are you standing still? If we don¡¯t kill him, we¡¯ll die here.¡±


    Enka hesitated for a bit but decided to attack Tonan. His body grew bigger and turned into a human ball, rolling towards Tonan. ¡°Human Bullet Tank.¡±


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    The first ninjutsu to affect was Tosa¡¯s Mind Body Transfer Technique. Instantly, his spiritual power flooded into Tonan¡¯s body. Seeing that Tonan was not dodging, he was overjoyed. Success!


    In the next moment, his field of vision changed. He was not controlling Tonan¡¯s body as he had expected but instead entered a dark space. He tried to raise his hand but found that he was surrounded by a cage built with spiritual power.


    He muttered in disbelief, ¡°This is¡­ Spirit Prison¡­ How can you know the Yamanaka clan¡¯s spiritual secret technique!¡±


    In the dark space, Tonan sneered. ¡°When three people make a move, you¡¯ve to send someone else first.¡±


    In the next moment, Tosa¡¯s spiritual power was overwhelmed by the boundless darkness. Outside, his body that was lying on the ground screamed instinctively and he died of brain death due to his spiritual power¡¯s exhaustion.


    Meanwhile, Mido¡¯s shadow had reached Tonan¡¯s feet. But just when he sighed in relief, he found that his shadow suddenly parted and spread towards Enka¡¯s Human Bullet Tank¡¯s shadow, stopping Enka instantly and fixing on the spot.


    ¡°How is¡­ this possible¡­¡± Mido didn¡¯t understand what was going on. He hadn¡¯t manipulated it so why did his ninjutsu move on its own? ¡°Is there something I don¡¯t understand about this ninjutsu, which led to such an indiscriminate attack?¡± While thinking about it, Mido noticed to his horror that he couldn¡¯t move.


    Tonan didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all by all this. On the contrary, he leisurely said, ¡°I like the Nara clan¡¯s secret technique very much. It¡¯s very useful. However, I won¡¯t kill you all myself.¡±


    He leaned down and flicked the little boy¡¯s forehead lightly. He said with a gentle look, ¡°Little fellow, they belong to you for tonight. I¡¯m going to rest now.¡±


    Tonan put back all the tools he had taken out earlier and left the bedroom. After he sat down on the sofa, he picked up a pen and a scroll and began to take notes of the C-section he had performed just now.


    Soon, screams resembling pigs dying in a slaughterhouse came from the bedroom.


    ¡°Ah! Forgive me!¡±


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t bite¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan wrote the surgical experience on the scroll and then glanced at the floor of the spacious living room. In his vision, two pure white souls were kowtowing to Tonan. He smiled gently and his left Mangekyo spun slowly. The two souls were pulled into his Shuten Space.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me, thank justice.¡± Tonan chuckled lightly and suddenly thinking of something, he glanced at the wall. With Byakugan¡¯s perception ability, his vision penetrated through many obstacles. He saw a red-haired body hiding in the distant underground laboratory, tinkering with a charred corpse.


    After a while, Tonan withdrew his gaze. At this time, a pair of bloody little hands stuck out from the bedroom door and grabbed the feet of the unconscious Sarutobi Masato. Then, little by little, Masato was dragged into the room.


    Rumble¡­ It was a very dark night outside. The roaring wind was deafening enough to give the impression that the sky would collapse at any moment. Large raindrops fell violently on the roof.


    Thunder clapped, lightning flashed, and the sound of wind and rain covered the screams coming from a small house.


    ¡°Time and place are the same. This should be right. Kabuto¡­ He¡¯s a very good assistant.¡±

 CH 244

    The next morning, after the rainfall, the soil emitted a damp and rotten smell. As the sky turned bright, thick morning mist rose from the earth and covered the entire village. After a long time, a fiery red sun rose amid the purple mist, radiating dazzling flames around it.


    With the temperature rise, the morning mist disintegrated into the air and the entire world became clear and bright.


    Coo, coo, coo¡­ Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!!! In the sky, a few white pigeons blithely followed the flocks of birds that were fleeing in a hurry, enjoying their food one bite at a time. A few feathers fluttered down toward the house below.


    One of the feathers brushed past the eaves and landed on the windowsill. Sunlight shone into the room through the curtain gaps. The person on the bed turned over and blocked the light with his hand. He frowned and opened his hazy eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± A magnetic and gentle voice came through. Uchiha Tonan, who was sitting beside the bed, put down the book. He got up and walked to the window to open the curtains.


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    The bright sunlight lit up the bedroom, bringing in a burst of warmth. ¡°Sun exposure is good for your body and you¡¯ll also grow taller.¡±


    The little boy on the bed slowly got up. Tonan picked up the container with a baby inside and gently placed it in his arms. The boy looked at it and was in a daze for a moment. Then, the confusion in his eyes disappeared.


    The previous night¡¯s bloodcurdling memories invaded his mind. His body began to tremble wildly and he involuntarily held the container tighter. Tonan sat down beside the bed and rubbed his silver hair. He consoled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your disease is a genetic defect that caused partial loss of skin, muscle, and joint functions.¡±


    ¡°Although there is no cure for the root cause, the Mystical Palm Technique can be used to nourish and restore tissue activities, curing the symptoms.¡±


    Perhaps it was because of Tonan¡¯s gentle behavior or the relaxed atmosphere, but the boy¡¯s mood gradually calmed down. He raised his head and looked around the room.


    Right now, the room was clean and tidy. The walls were white as if they had just been repainted. The fresh petals on the windowsill had some crystal drops of water. A single feather lay quietly beside it and the air exuded a faint fragrance.


    The entire world seemed to be peaceful and comfortable. It was as if the hellish scene of last night was just a nightmare. The little boy lowered his head and looked at the baby in the container. He muttered, ¡°Was I dreaming?¡±


    Tonan smiled a little and gently replied, ¡°How could it be a dream? No matter how terrifying a dream is, it cannot match the cruelty and despair of reality. You were busy until midnight and collapsed because of exhaustion.¡±


    ¡°When I came in, you were covered in blood. The whole room was filled with blood and ripped flesh. I took advantage of that time to wash you and created several clones to clean up the room. I also buried your parents in your backyard. Doesn¡¯t it feel comfortable now?


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The little boy frowned. He couldn¡¯t recollect his name. Tonan smiled lightly and patted his shoulder. ¡°Can¡¯t remember, right? You have lost your memories. The situation was controlled after I treated you though. You can still recall your parents, at least.¡±


    When the little boy heard the word ¡®parents¡¯, his eyes flashed. ¡°Why don¡¯t I feel like I¡¯ve lost my memories?¡± Tonan patiently explained, ¡°People with amnesia generally cannot feel their memory loss. It¡¯s like unless there was no reminder from others, they won¡¯t think about what they have forgotten.¡±


    The boy quietly looked at the curled-up baby in the green solution and gently caressed the container. ¡°Thank you¡­ you are a good person.¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows hearing the little boy¡¯s words and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not a good person. Let me be upfront and tell you that I¡¯m my own person. If you truly think about it, I¡¯m much worse than those people. I¡¯m one hundred percent a big villain.¡±


    Hearing this, the little boy raised his head suspiciously. He looked at Tonan¡¯s face brightly lit by the sun and said, ¡°You¡¯re a bad person as well? It doesn¡¯t look like that at all.¡±


    Tonan shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile, ¡°If there are just two classifications, good and bad, in this world, then I¡¯ll be in the bad people¡¯s camp.¡±


    Tonan had no intention to pretend in front of his future subordinate. Back then, Tonan had the Great Elder whom he could talk with a half-opened heart. After he died, he and Shimura Danzo became like-minded friends.


    But the war would be over sooner or later. At that time, they would inevitably have a conflict of interest and their brotherly friendship would be over. Tonan too wanted to have someone to talk to. Social needs were not a necessity for him but it would be better if he could.


    ¡°Why did you help me? I remember that they seemed to know you. Aren¡¯t you all together?¡± The little boy thought for a long time and asked the question he had in his heart.


    Tonan thought for a bit and answered, ¡°Good people live in harmony and help each other. But bad people use each other. They had no value to me. So, if they must die, then I¡¯ll kill them. In any case, in this world, except for your own life, everyone else is worthless.¡±


    The little boy lowered his head. His eyes dimmed slightly and he asked, ¡°So, you want to use me?¡±


    Tonan nodded, ¡°Yes, I want to use you. I saved you and your brother, and let you both have the right to breathe under the sun. A person must have principles and learn to repay kindness. Besides, although I want to use you, I have no intention of harming you. If you and your brother come with me, you¡¯ll have a home to return to. Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡±


    The little boy didn¡¯t think for long. He nodded quietly and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Tonan smiled and said, ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Uchiha Tonan, a Leaf ninja. In the future, you and your brother will follow me back to live in Konoha. I¡¯ll transfer you two to the Hatake clan¡¯s genealogical record.¡±


    ¡°Then, you two will also have a noble surname. Your name is Kabuto. As for your brother, let¡¯s call him Isan. Hatake Kabuto, Hatake Isan¡­ Aren¡¯t these good names?¡±


    ¡°Hatake Kabuto¡­ Hatake Isan¡­¡± Kabuto repeated these two names several times. He then looked up at Tonan and said, ¡°Thank you¡­ Can Isan survive?¡±


    Tonan pondered for a while and touched his chin, ¡°He¡¯s not fully developed yet. I improved the ratio of the solution in the container last night. It¡¯s similar to the amniotic fluid environment. As long as a certain amount of nutrients is injected into the container every day, he can grow up healthy.¡±


    ¡°As for both of your congenital defects¡­ After my research is done, I¡¯ll be able to cure you any time.¡±


    After explaining this, Tonan stood up and walked out of the bedroom. ¡°Come and say goodbye to your parents. When you come again, I guess you¡¯ll already be a grown-up.¡±


    Kabuto pursed his lips and a hint of determination flashed in his eyes. He got off the bed with the container in his arms and followed Tonan out of the room.

 CH 245

    In the vacant lot behind the house, a new grave was built. Considering that the deceased couple was married, Uchiha Tonan buried them together. Kabuto, who was recently given the Hatake family name, held the container in his arms and stood in front of the grave with Tonan.


    He neither cried nor became hysterical. He stood quietly as if he was in a daze and also as if he was reminiscing. Tonan understood that everyone expressed emotions in different ways while grieving.


    Some would cry, some would laugh, and some would remain silent and suppress all grief in their hearts. Perhaps, because of his genetic disease, Kabuto was much more sensible than his peers. Now, he has also had a younger brother who was not even developed yet.


    He subconsciously had a sense of responsibility. Responsibility tends to make people¡¯s minds grow rapidly and mature faster. After a long time, Tonan reached out and patted Kabuto¡¯s shoulder. He said, ¡°It¡¯s better to kneel when worshiping your loved ones. That¡¯s etiquette.¡±


    Kabuto was stunned when he heard this. He nodded and put the container on the ground before he knelt. A long time later, Tonan took off a ninja bag from his waist and handed it over. ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad. Open this and take a look.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Kabuto opened the ninja bag and took out two lifelike wood carvings from it. The moment he saw them, his eyes turned red. It was said that seeing an object makes one think of its owner. Kabuto sobbed as tears fell from his eyes.


    Tonan slowly squatted and caressed Kabuto¡¯s hair. He said, ¡°I was worried that because of your amnesia, you¡¯ll forget what your parents looked like. So, I carved their sculptures last night. Like this, they can accompany you at all times. Watching you and your little brother grow up healthily together.¡±


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    At this moment, Kabuto was already crying. He plunged his head into Tonan¡¯s arms and choked with sobs, ¡°Thank you¡­, Tonan-sama.¡±


    Ding! Gained Hatake Kabuto¡¯s acknowledgment. Tonan stretched out his hand and patted Kabuto¡¯s back. With a triumphant smile on his face, he said, ¡°Using honorifics like sama makes us too distant. You and I will get along day and night hereafter. Just call me san.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-san¡­¡± After a long time, Kabuto stopped crying and left Tonan¡¯s embrace. He calmed his expression and turned his head. Looking at the grave resolutely, he said, ¡°I will be a good older brother and take care of Isan. You two have to be happy in the other world and not worry about us.¡±


    Tonan smiled lightly, ¡°As long as you two are healthy, they will be happy.¡± After speaking, he looked up at the sky and said, ¡°Rest in the room for a while. I¡¯ll take care of a trivial matter first and come pick you up later.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The village where Kabuto lived was on the east side of the mountain chain. It had abundant rain and lush vegetation. On the west side was the Land of Wind territory. The mountain chain was a clear dividing line. The terrain and environment on the east and west sides were very different.


    On the east side, there was a mountain forest, and on the west side, there was a desolate desert. Somewhere deep underground in the desert, someone had dug a wide laboratory. There was only one oil lamp burning in the lab, lighting up the entire space dimly.


    There were various kinds of odd-shaped mechanism parts everywhere on the ground and a corpse that was dismembered and scorched in a special container. A red-haired boy was sitting on the ground, reconstructing the broken arms one by one. His movements were a bit impatient as if he was worried about something.


    In the almost closed space, apart from the noise of assembling parts, there was only the sound of his breathing. After a long time, an arm was reconstructed. The red-haired boy then wiped the sweat on his forehead.


    Suddenly, the red-haired boy¡¯s ear tips moved and he immediately looked over.


    Sa, sa, sa¡­. A sandworm crawled out from the wall. Sandworms were very common in the Land of Wind. They survive by devouring the micronutrients in the sand. The red-haired boy heaved a sigh of relief and muttered, ¡°It seems that that man has had a great influence on me. Even with the early warning of the alarm devices buried on the surface, I feel frightened.¡±


    The red-hair boy continued to bury his head in the modification of the next limb. For some reason, he seemed to be in a daze because of the interruption just now. The invincible figure he saw on the battlefield that day kept popping into his mind.


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    He mumbled while reconstructing the limb. ¡°How great it would be if such a powerful ninja could be transformed into a puppet one day! He would become the greatest puppet in the world.¡±


    While speaking, he felt that the puppet parts in his hands suddenly became less valuable. It seems the strongest Kazekage was also just this strong!


    Huff huff¡­ Transforming puppets was also a physical task. The red-haired boy wiped the sweat from his forehead and his breathing was a little short.


    Huff, huff, huff¡­ After the transformation was complete, the last step for activation was to inject chakra. The red-haired boy held the arm part and injected his chakra into it.


    Clack, clack, clack¡­ The puppet arm began to move according to the red-haired boy¡¯s thoughts. With a satisfied smile on his face, he said, ¡°Good.¡± Suddenly, his pupils shrunk and he felt as if someone had grabbed his heart tightly, an ominous feeling enveloping him.


    ¡°Someone is here!¡± He turned his head abruptly and spread his fingers, as several puppets appeared around to protect him. The oil lamp swayed gently, illuminating various parts and instruments placed everywhere in the dim laboratory.


    Nothing had a trace of being moved. The red-haired boy frowned, ¡°Strange¡­ it feels strange, I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°Where is the problem?¡± The boy scanned the laboratory several times but found nothing unusual. But the warning signs in his heart kept reminding him that something was wrong.


    After a long time, the tense red-haired boy let out a long sigh and repeatedly told himself in his heart that there was no problem. He suppressed the warning signs. He then dispersed the puppets around him and turned around. He crouched down to transform the puppet again. But he had squatted just halfway when he was dumbfounded.


    He raised his head and looked forward. In front of him, there was a laboratory wall, illuminated by the oil lamp. Then, he looked back. The oil lamp behind was still burning quietly. He took a deep breath and moved his gaze down.


    There was no shadow below him! Only at this moment did he realize why he was feeling strange. There were so many parts in the laboratory but they all had one thing in common¡ªeven under the oil lamp¡¯s light, they had no shadow.


    At this time, a shadow spread from the red-haired boy¡¯s back to his nape. It turned into a pair of hands and grabbed his neck.

 CH 246

    The red-haired boy¡¯s eyes suddenly widened and his pupils shook rapidly. At the critical moment, he moved his fingers slightly.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh¡­ The surrounding puppets opened their mouths simultaneously, shooting thousands of thickly dotted needles at the red-haired boy. The tip of those needles was coated with green poison. One might well say that they were highly poisonous.


    It had to be said that the boy not only had the most ingenious manipulation technique but the accuracy of the puppets he produced was also very high. All the needles merely brushed past him, completely covering his body.


    Ta, ta, ta¡­ And just like raindrops, they pierced through the wall. But the firm grip on his neck and the feeling of suffocation didn¡¯t disappear. The boy glanced down from the corner of his eye and saw a dark shadow on his shoulders.


    ¡°Are Leaf ninjas here¡­ That means, that man might have also come. Damn it! When?¡±


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    Sa, sa, sa¡­ At the same time, crawling sounds came from all over the laboratory. Sandworms crawled out from the ground towards the center. These pitch-black worms were rapidly devouring the soil. Gradually, the number increased and they consumed enough soil to create a large crater that was expanding with their efforts.


    ¡°You¡¯re very cautious. There are explosive tags and alarm devices buried everywhere.¡± From the deep crater, Uchiha Tonan¡¯s gentle voice could be heard. He was standing on a stone pillar that was slowly rising from the crater as if he was riding an automatic elevator.


    After the stone pillar rose to the ground level, it quickly changed into a seat under the Tonan¡¯s control. He ignored the vigilant look of the red-haired boy and sat down. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Scatter.¡±


    As if waiting for the cue, the sandworms burrowed into the ground at once. He then carefully looked at the red-haired boy who was under the Shadow Imitation Technique¡¯s control and leisurely said, ¡°I advise you not to move, I didn¡¯t come to kill you. If you are alright to have a good conversation, just blink once.¡±


    The red-haired boy immediately blinked. Tonan smiled and the Shadow Imitation Technique that was grabbing the boy¡¯s neck disappeared. The boy coughed heavily and took a few deep breaths, staring at Tonan.


    The two of them sized each other up quietly. After a long time, Tonan spoke in a firm tone, ¡°Sasori.¡±


    The boy frowned on hearing his name and solemnly asked, ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    Tonan nodded lightly and answered, ¡°I¡¯ve known you for a long time. I heard that you are the most talented puppet master in Suna.¡±


    Sasori lowered his eyes a little and moved his right foot a little. He noticed that a small hole had appeared on the ground at some point. He assumed that before Tonan came, he controlled a sandworm to drill a hole and then used the Shadow Imitation Technique to attack him from underground.


    ¡°Why are you looking for me? If you want the corpse, you can take it.¡± Sasori had seen Tonan¡¯s strength. He knew that if they fought, he had little to no chance of winning. So, he expressed his willingness to give up Sandaime Kazekage¡¯s corpse that he had finally obtained.


    Tonan shook his head hearing Sasori¡¯s words and replied with a smile, ¡°If he was still alive, I might be a bit interested. But he¡¯s a corpse now. Besides, I intentionally left the corpse to you that day. It was a meeting gift for you. In fact, I¡¯m here to ask you for a favor.¡±


    Don¡¯t want the corpse? Sasori sighed in relief in his heart and narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°What favor?¡± he asked.


    Tonan took out a storage scroll and took out the content. He placed it on the ground. It was the instrument that broke in the laboratory earlier. ¡°This toy is broken and I can¡¯t fix it.¡±


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    Sasori raised his eyebrows and asked with surprise, ¡°You came to look for me so that I can help you fix this?¡±


    Tonan shook his head and said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not just that. I loved to learn things since I was a child. When you are repairing, please teach me the principle as well. In the future, if it is damaged again, I won¡¯t need to bother you.¡±


    After explaining, Tonan leaned forward and said in a low voice, ¡°In addition¡­ I want all your knowledge about puppet techniques. Especially the puppets you created.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Sasori refused with a firm look and his hands were already in a fighting stance. Tonan chuckled lightly and waved his hands with an easy-going look, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say it so absolutely like that. Most of the things in this world have a price. Tell me your price. Ninjutsu, medicine, human body materials, money, you can ask for anything. Knowledge needs to be shared to bring forth new ideas. Monopoly will lead to extinction.¡±


    Sasori said solemnly as if he was waiting for this, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. You are a Leaf ninja and you are already so powerful. Why do you want to learn puppet techniques?¡±


    Tonan touched his chin and answered after thinking for a bit. ¡°Is it useful? I truly haven¡¯t thought about it. I just happened to meet you and saw that you are weak and easy to bully. In this situation, if I don¡¯t take something from you, I¡¯ll feel that I¡¯ve suffered a loss on this trip. Learning is purely to increase my knowledge.¡±


    Hearing this, Sasori looked angry and coldly said, ¡°Impossible. These are Suna¡¯s secrets. Even if I die, I won¡¯t give them to you.¡±


    Tonan spread out his hands and lightly said, ¡°Then, there¡¯s nothing to discuss.¡±


    Whoosh¡­ A ghost-faced puppet appeared behind Tonan. The puppet stretched out its six arms and a sharp blade emerged from the tip of each arm and stabbed at Tonan¡¯s head.


    Bang! A sharp stone pillar protruded from the ground, piercing through the ghost-faced puppet, and left it hanging. At the same time, Sasori also launched an attack. He had already jumped to the wall at some point.


    With his feet firmly planted on the ground, he opened a scroll and yelled, ¡°Acute Corrosion Stream Column.¡± A torrential water column suddenly burst out from the scroll, attacking Tonan. Tonan quickly opened the storage scroll and put the instrument on the ground into it.


    He then opened his palm and attacked the water column. Tonan¡¯s palm quickly grew larger and it became so big that the palm completely blocked him.


    Zi, zi, zi¡­ The Acute Corrosion Stream Column hit the palm and emitted pungent white smoke but it didn¡¯t hurt Tonan in the slightest. He absorbed nature¡¯s energy every day to cultivate whenever he was free. Since he didn¡¯t need to worry about emotional power, the speed at which Tonan could absorb energy was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.


    At this moment, the strength of his Adamantine Body was very good. It might have already surpassed Enma. This is despite it being less than half a year since Tonan started cultivating the Adamantine Body.


    In addition, he used a large amount of nature energy for cultivating senjutsu chakra. His progress speed was indeed terrifying.

 CH 247

    The black smoke at the cave¡¯s entrance was swaying abnormally. And then, Uchiha Tonan walked out of it, fanning himself with his hand. He said with a look of disgust. ¡°The power isn¡¯t great but the after-effect is not low. Your preference is a bit over the top.¡±


    This shouldn¡¯t be his everything, doesn¡¯t this fellow have an immortal body¡­ Sasori¡¯s forehead was covered in a cold sweat, and he sternly said, ¡°Uchiha Tonan, I can teach you everything except the Puppet Secret Technique. Otherwise, I can only bet everything I have and risk my life against you.¡±


    Hearing this, Tonan looked up and saw many red-robed puppets floating in the air, surrounding him. The sight was indeed quite intimidating but Tonan found it amusing. ¡°You want to risk your life against me? I must ask this. Do you even have the ability?¡±


    Everyone has pride and a genius like Sasori, who was arrogant since childhood, more so. Tonan humiliated him again and again, which made his anger uncontrollable. He moved his ten fingers rapidly to control the Performance of a Hundred Puppets technique to attack Tonan.


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    The red-robed puppets attacked Tonan at once. Among them, a red-robed puppet that was holding blades in both arms slashed at Tonan. Tonan raised two fingers and lightly blocked the blades. He said with a smile, ¡°Only power and intensity conform with the norms. I¡¯m not interested in completely relying on numbers to win. Now, let¡¯s test the Yamanaka clan¡¯s secret technique.¡±


    In the next instance, Tonan turned into a black shadow and under the siege of the Performance of a Hundred Puppets, he approached Sasori like a fish in water. No matter how the puppets attacked, they couldn¡¯t obstruct him in the slightest.


    ¡°How is this possible¡­¡± Sasori was horrified seeing this. Tonan instantly arrived in front of Sasori and stretched out his hand. Then, he shot out chakra from his fingertips cutting off Sasori¡¯s chakra flow, and sneered, ¡°Your trash puppets can¡¯t even touch my clothes. Since you cannot differentiate what is good for you, I¡¯ll get what I want myself. Let me see what¡¯s in your brain.¡±


    Sasori had long known that there was a big gap between Tonan and him but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this big. When his opponent got serious, he couldn¡¯t even withstand a single move. His face was filled with terror and with a trembling voice, he asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose slightly and he leisurely answered, ¡°I recently learned a Mind Reading Technique but I haven¡¯t had the chance to try it. So I want to try it out with you. But I prefer to call it¡­ Soul Search.¡±


    After speaking, Tonan used the Mind Reading Technique and began to violently seize Sasori¡¯s memories. The technique was very harmful to the subject. Under normal circumstances, the person must be anesthetized. Through this, not only the casting difficulty would be reduced but it would also reduce the damage suffered by the subject.


    However, there was no difficulty for Tonan at all and he never considered the damage other people suffered. A dull spiritual energy entered Sasori¡¯s brain, frantically searching for his recent memories. At this moment, his body was twitching involuntarily. With foam forming in his mouth, he said, ¡°Spare¡­ spare me¡­ I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡±


    A strange smile appeared on Tonan¡¯s face as he replied, ¡°Why would I bother you? Let me be more direct.¡± The pain of the mental impact was beyond what ordinary people could imagine. Even Sasori, a big villain in the original work, was unable to withstand this torture and his eyes gradually turned white. ¡°You are¡­ a devil¡­ kill¡­ me¡­¡±


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    After a long time, Tonan got what he wanted and gently let go. Sasori fell to the ground and his body kept twitching from time to time. Tonan looked down at him and hesitated for a moment. He then picked Sasori up and walked into the distance.


    After half an hour, in the former laboratory, Tonan was tinkering with the puppet parts Sasori had left behind. ¡°I used to think these things looked like toys in the anime but I didn¡¯t expect them to be so sophisticated. It¡¯s simply dark technology.¡±


    Meanwhile, another Tonan appeared in the laboratory and threw Sasori to the ground. He then disappeared leaving behind a puff of white smoke. The one who fought against Sasori just now was Tonan¡¯s flicker clone. After all, this was Sasori¡¯s main base. What if he had some dark tech that could kill him?


    Tonan was always a cautious person. It was impossible for him to directly knock on an opponent¡¯s door without enough intel. The moment the flicker clone disappeared, its memories were transmitted into the mind of Tonan¡¯s main body.


    Then, without even looking at Sasori, he got up and walked to a wall in the laboratory. He extended his hand and pressed the wall.


    Ta, ta, ta¡­ A black box appeared next to it. The small box was full of sealing techniques. Tonan, who had taken Sasori¡¯s memories, knew that the main function of these techniques was to block perception. There were no other dangers.


    He opened the box and took out the scroll inside. This scroll recorded all the puppet techniques Sasori knew in detail, including the human puppet he developed. Tonan opened it and carefully read it.


    After a long time, he muttered, ¡°Has the regeneration core theory already been researched?¡± His eyes immediately shone and he turned his head back to look at Sasori on the ground. He had a look of eagerness to give something a shot¡­


    ¡°This is great! The manufacturing material for the regeneration core is all here and there are several clones to work together. I think I¡¯ll be able to go back to the village before it gets dark and make dinner for Kabuto¡­¡±

 CH 248.1

    In the evening, the sun hid behind the mountain range. Half of the sky was lit up with a fiery red sunset while the other half was immersed in a deep blue backdrop. Hatake Kabuto sat under the eaves holding the container that had his baby brother Hatake Isan.


    He was waiting for Uchiha Tonan¡¯s return. Kabuto was after all just a child, who didn¡¯t know what to do after his parents¡¯ sudden death, not to mention how violent their death was. After waiting a long time, he finally heard the sound of footsteps from a distance. He raised his head to look over.


    At this moment, Tonan was walking towards him with a cylindrical object in his hand. Even though Tonan was still far away, Kabuto immediately got up and when Tonan came closer, he bowed a little and greeted him, ¡°Tonan-san.¡±


    Tonan smiled slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I kept you waiting. I¡¯ll go and cook a meal for you now. You must be hungry.¡±


    Kabuto was taken aback for a moment. He hadn¡¯t imagined that a ninja as powerful as Tonan could actually cook like any ordinary person. He bowed again and politely replied, ¡°Thank you Tonan-san for taking the trouble.¡±


    Tonan nodded slightly and walked into a room. He casually placed the regeneration core on the coffee table and tied an apron. Then he walked into the kitchen to start cooking the food.


    Ta, ta, ta¡­ Kabuto heard the clear and rhythmic sounds of the knife hitting the chopping board coming from the kitchen as if the person in question was an expert in mundane things such as cutting vegetables. Kabuto felt it was inappropriate that he was doing nothing to contribute.


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    So, he walked over to the kitchen door and stood there, wanting to see if he could find something to help with. The knife in Tonan¡¯s hand was moving rapidly. He was now handling the meat, instantly cutting it into pieces. Seeing his practiced movements, Kabuto was even more surprised.


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    ¡°Go and sit at the dinner table. You can¡¯t help with anything here,¡± Tonan instructed without raising his head. Kabuto nodded his head and walked over to the table. He obediently sat down without making any noise. Not long after, Tonan came over with several dishes giving out an appetizing aroma.


    Once he pointed to Kabuto to begin eating, the young boy did not hold back. He picked up his chopsticks and reached for the food. This meal was not too delicious primarily because the ingredients were too crude and only salt was used for seasoning.


    Also, most of the vegetables were moldy and soggy because they were very stale by now. Tonan did choose vegetables that were still edible to cook but that too was barely fresh. The two still ate their meal without saying anything.


    During this time, Kabuto frequently turned his gaze to the regeneration core on the coffee table. His eyes were filled with curiosity but since he did not know Tonan well as yet, and he instinctively felt that the relationship between them was that of superior and subordinate, he didn¡¯t dare to ask any questions.


    Instead, it was Tonan who chewed on his food leisurely and said, ¡°You can ask if you are curious. I¡¯m not a man-eating beast, you know. What are you afraid of?¡±


    Kabuto swallowed the food in his mouth and tentatively asked, ¡°What is that thing?¡± Tonan replied without hesitation, ¡°It is called a regeneration core. It takes out the human heart and brain with a special technique and then with the addition of some special materials, it fuses the two.¡±


    Kabuto nodded his head and asked another question. ¡°What¡¯s the use of this thing?¡±


    Tonan¡¯s chopsticks paused as he explained, ¡°A human being¡¯s soul and consciousness will be sealed in this regeneration core. Because the burdens of other systems in the human body are removed, and it is protected by a special sealing technique from outside, the flesh and blood in the regeneration core can survive for a very long time. It is not wrong to say that the person in this will never die.¡±


    ¡°Never die¡­¡± When Kabuto heard Tonan¡¯s words, a hint of yearning flashed through his eyes.


    Tonan continued to explain, ¡°Yes, this person is called Sasori. He is a genius puppet master from Suna and he is the one who researched this regeneration core. He wanted to transform himself into an immortal, undying puppet. And since he happened to meet me, I decided to help him. Once I return to my base, I¡¯ll assemble a suitable puppet body for him, so that he can move freely again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­¡± Kabuto opened his mouth wide. He was greatly shocked. He came from a family where he would hear his parents speak about how ninjas could use powerful ninjutsu such as fireball, water, and similar techniques. But he had never thought that they could actually also do something as nature-defying as this.


    Tonan looked at Kabuto¡¯s shocked appearance and said with a gentle smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be envious. There is not just one path to immortality. In my opinion, this path belongs to the heterodox path. When you gain more knowledge in the future, sooner or later, you¡¯ll walk on your path. Let¡¯s eat now. After we are done, we have to hurry on with our journey back through the night.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Tonan-san.¡± When Kabuto heard that they had to hurry on with their journey, he subconsciously responded by speeding up his eating speed. It was like he never realized that his time to leave the place that was his home for all these years, and where his parents were buried, had come.

 CH 248.2

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    Half a month later at the Leaf¡¯s base camp on the Kikyo Mountain, just after Uchiha Tonan led Hatake Kabuto to the laboratory, Nara Shikaku came to his door. He said with an anxious look, ¡°Tonan-sama, you are finally back.¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen in the war?¡±


    Shikaku solemnly nodded and replied, ¡°Our assassination squads that entered the Land of Rain have suffered some losses. When all is said and done, there is a great disparity in our military strengths. Each of our squads often has to face two or three enemy village squads at once.¡±


    When Tonan heard this, his tone became distant. ¡°Are you saying you want me to do something about it?¡± Shikaku saw that Tonan seemed a bit displeased. But he still lowered his head and said, ¡°Yes, Tonan-sama, if possible¡­¡±


    Honestly speaking, the main forces in this war were the Ino-Shika-Cho clans and the Hyuga clan. Shikaku was distressed because the casualties among his clan ninjas were quite high. Looking at their receding numbers, he wanted to test if he could make Tonan take action and control the losses.


    As for the problems that Tonan mentioned earlier, Shikaku honestly didn¡¯t care too much about them. At best, he was hedging his bets with Tonan in the picture. He did not care what eventually happened to him. Tonan was not very different either. It didn¡¯t matter to him whether more people on Konoha¡¯s side died.


    As far as he was concerned, most of the Leaf ninjas had already acknowledged him and their deaths were perfect to enhance his strength. He had already gained significantly from it and he did not mind getting more benefits without raising a finger.


    In any case, he had already made a big move before, making the allied forces of the two countries retreat. Moreover, he killed Suna¡¯s Kazekage. His military achievement was already significant enough. As long as the last line of defense at Kikyo Mountain didn¡¯t fall, no one could complain about him.


    No matter how big the loss was, that would be because the Ino-Shika-Cho and the Hyuga clans were not strong enough, or because the commander-in-chief, Shikaku, was not competent enough. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry but my current state is not suitable for assassination missions. If you can¡¯t bear the losses, you can retreat to Kikyo Mountain. At that time if they come, I¡¯ll make a move.¡± Tonan resolutely refused Shikaku¡¯s request.


    Shikaku was surprised by this but he continued to persuade Tonan. ¡°Kikyo Mountain just occupies the main path. But the paths to the Land of Fire are not limited to one. If we lost too many strongholds in the front, the enemy villages can attack us through the other routes. We really must stop that from happening.¡±


    Seeing that Shikaku had no intention to stop pestering him, Tonan decided to stop pretending to be polite or understanding of the situation. He gave Shikaku a meaningful look and coldly replied, ¡°The other paths are not so easy to traverse. Even if chunin and genin use them, crossing over mountain after mountain will consume their strength and they won¡¯t even be strong enough to lift a kettle. More importantly, my duty is to defend Kikyo Mountain and repel the enemy.¡±


    There was a hint of threat in his tone. When Shikaku saw such an expression from Tonan, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly lowered his head and bowed deeply toward Tonan. He said, ¡°I understand. Please rest well, Tonan-sama.¡± He then immediately turned around and left.


    After walking out of the laboratory, he moved his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and heavily heaved a sigh. Yamanaka Inoichi, who was waiting outside for him for a long time, hastily asked Shikaku as soon as he saw him, ¡°Did Tonan-sama agree?¡±


    Shikaku reached out to pat Inoichi¡¯s shoulder and shook his head helplessly. He said, ¡°Inform Hizashi-sama to call back the Hyuga clan members to the base camp.¡±


    In the laboratory, Kabuto who was standing behind Tonan, weakly called out, ¡°Tonan-san¡­¡± Tonan turned around and with a gentle smile on his face, he said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about these things. Come with me. I have got a textbook just for you.¡±


    After speaking, he led Kabuto to the innermost room in the laboratory. In the next moment, he took out a storage scroll from his ninja bag and made hand seals. As soon as he placed his hand on the scroll, a muffled noise came along with a puff of white smoke.


    Kabuto was dumbfounded. He saw the ¡®textbook¡¯ was indeed many books and scrolls piled up on the ground, which almost touched the ceiling. It was like a hill. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Tonan reached out his hand and rubbed Kabuto¡¯s hair. He said with a smile, ¡°The books and scrolls here are just a portion of the basics. You should be able to read them all in about half a year. You don¡¯t need to comprehend them all. You just need to memorize them first. Then, you can start practicing.¡±


    ¡°After a period of practicing, you will need to revisit these to read them again. Repeat it several times, and you¡¯ll learn many new and useful things. This is called the unity of knowledge and practice.¡±


    Kabuto was overwhelmed. The little boy swallowed a mouthful of saliva and nodded his head in a daze. Tonan made a hand seal and created a shadow clone. The clone walked over to the pile of books and gestured at Kabuto. He said, ¡°Come on, we will first sort these out. Then, I¡¯ll teach you how to read. You can ask me if you don¡¯t understand anything.¡±


    Kabuto lowered his head to look at the container in his arms, and asked, ¡°What about Isan¡­¡± Tonan, who was beside him, stretched out his hands to pick up the container, and replied, ¡°He¡¯ll be fully developed in a few months. When that time comes, I¡¯ll send someone to take him back to the Konoha Welfare Institution. There are specialized people there to take care of him. After the war is over, you can meet him again.¡±


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    Kabuto nodded and fell to his knees. He bowed deeply toward Tonan and said, ¡°Thank you, Tonan-san.¡± Tonan nodded with satisfaction and left the room with the container. Right now, his priority number one was to get ready and start trying to make human puppets.

 CH 249.1

    Time passed away slowly a day at a time. Because Uchiha Tonan had killed Sandaime Kazekage in front of everyone right at the beginning of the war, Suna¡¯s overall morale had dropped greatly and they had retreated to their base camp. They had reached the state where they couldn¡¯t retreat any further.


    Even in the following assassination campaign launched in the Land of Rain, Suna would send dozens of squads symbolically. Considering their troops¡¯ lack of morale, it would not be wrong to say that they were not making enough effort. Although Iwa and Suna were allies at this moment, Suna¡¯s attitude was negative and they were also unwilling to increase casualties among their top ninjas.


    But with time, one of Suna¡¯s influential figures, Ebizo, personally came to the frontline and assumed personal command of the troops. With this and several other encouragements, Sand ninjas¡¯ moods gradually changed from gloomy to pure hatred towards the Leaf ninjas.


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    From the intelligence that his troops had gathered, Ebizo had learned that Tonan was too strong. So, instead of a head-on battle from the straight route, he began to mobilize Sand ninjas to attack Konoha¡¯s strongholds in the Land of Rain.


    Most of these strongholds guarded the tracks leading to the Land of Fire. It was just that these were very narrow mountain terrains. It would take significant physical strength and energy for ordinary ninjas to cross over these. Moreover, in a situation where they were ambushed, just using large-scale ninjutsu or a set number of explosive tags would be enough to cause heavy casualties among them.


    Naturally, these routes were not too worrisome for jonin. But in a war, a large number of chunin and genin could play a big role. Without enough foot soldiers, it was useless to run into the Land of Fire¡¯s interior with just a few jonin.


    On the surface, during the war between the five great nations, the forces were not allowed to harm civilians or maliciously destroy towns. So, jonin could only gather information. If they charged into Konoha, it would be tantamount to delivering their heads.


    In the current circumstances, the allied forces of Suna and Iwa could only disperse their people to attack the strongholds. Three full months had already passed. Tonan didn¡¯t make a move even once.


    Nara Shikaku had no choice but to order Leaf ninjas to stop the assassination missions and withdraw to the strongholds and guard them to death. At the same time, he asked Konoha for reinforcements. Finally, after the Leaf reinforcement arrived, the situation stabilized under Shikaku¡¯s command.


    But when the reinforcement arrived, he also received a new order from Sarutobi Hiruzen. The content of the new order instructed him to dispatch more than ninety percent of Kikyo Mountain¡¯s combat personnel. And if there was an enemy attack, he was instructed to make Tonan stand in the front.


    Hiruzen¡¯s order made it obvious that he wanted to kill Tonan with a borrowed knife. He wanted the Sand and the Stone ninjas to besiege Tonan. But in this situation, if Tonan failed to defend the base camp, then the western front would completely collapse.


    The risks were too great. Hiruzen¡¯s order of course didn¡¯t say that he wanted to kill with a borrowed knife even if Konoha takes a heavy hit. Rather, it said that the gap in military strength was too big, so they could only use a strange move like this and take the risks.


    It also said that Tonan was his disciple and he completely believed in his ability. This was very interesting. If Tonan died under the siege, then Hiruzen could throw the blame onto him. Saying, he shouldn¡¯t have blindly believed in Tonan¡¯s ability and overestimated him. Then, he needed to take just some responsibility for himself, but not all¡­


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    For a moment, Shikaku stared at the information scroll in his hand and fell into deep thought. He was having a hard time deciding whether to follow the order or not and how to handle this ordeal.


    Yamanaka Inoichi, who was behind him, read the information and solemnly asked, ¡°Shikaku, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Pick a line,¡± Shikaku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he muttered again, ¡°It¡¯s time to choose a side.¡±


    Akimichi Choza and Inoichi looked at each other and then with a determined look, they said in unison, ¡°You make the call. We¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    Shikaku closed his eyes and nodded. After that, he spoke very slowly. ¡°Disobeying Hokage¡¯s order during the war is treason and loss of righteousness. When all is said and done, Hokage is the current Hokage. We have no choice.¡±


    Inoichi frowned and said with a restless heart, ¡°But Tonan-sama¡­ He doesn¡¯t seem like a good person¡­ Perhaps, he¡¯ll retaliate against us in the future.¡±


    Shikaku stood up abruptly and slammed the information scroll on the table. He said in a deep voice, ¡°No, there is still an opportunity to ease up with him. I¡¯ll stay behind in Kikyo Mountain. At that time, if Tonan-sama can¡¯t hold on, I¡¯ll personally bring up the rear and let him escape. It can be regarded as a life-saving grace and he might not implicate our clans in his resentment.¡±


    Inoichi and Choza had never thought that Shikaku would decide to sacrifice himself to protect their clans. The two looked at each other quietly for a long time. Then they stared at Shikaku and said, ¡°Ino-Shika-Cho always advance and retreat together. We¡¯ll stay with you.¡±


    Meanwhile, in the laboratory, Tonan looked at the masterpiece in front of him and touched his chin. He then casually mumbled to himself, ¡°Truly¡­ pursuit of petty pleasures thwarts high aims. I unwittingly made so many toys.¡±


    Even though it sounded like he was complaining, he picked up the regeneration core and squeezed it into the belly of the finished red-haired puppet. Once the core was inserted, the red-haired puppet¡¯s eyes spun a few times. Then, all of a sudden, the dull and lifeless orbs became bright and piercing.

 CH 249.2

    The red-haired puppet raised his hands and put them in front of his eyes. He then lowered his head to look at the regeneration core in his abdomen and a human-like ecstatic expression appeared on his face. ¡°Is this¡­¡±


    Tonan looked at Sasori in front of him and said with a smile, ¡°Do you like it? This is a superhuman puppet that I specially made for you. The whole body is made with bionic materials. It¡¯s waterproof, fireproof, and rustproof. Both hands are equipped with a heavy-caliber chakra gun barrel, which can release ninjutsu of any attribute. There is also a vortex booster around the regeneration core, which you can deploy, and it can erupt out with a larger amount of chakra for a short time.¡±


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    Hearing Tonan¡¯s explanation, Sasori raised his head and stared at him with a baffled look. He finally said, ¡°You did this for me¡­¡± Soon afterward, he trembled with excitement. He stretched out his hands to caress his new body and frantically said, ¡°It¡¯s truly perfect¡­ I can feel it. My body¡¯s sense of touch has become more precise. And the surface of this puppet feels like real skin.¡±


    Tonan smiled lightly and explained, ¡°I stripped off this skin from someone else¡¯s body and soaked it in a special medicine, which greatly enhanced the skin¡¯s toughness. I also added many bionic neurons to your puppet body. Now, your sense of touch is at least five times greater than that of the average person. You are now a perfect work of art.¡±


    ¡°A perfect work of art¡­¡± Sasori felt that these words were tailor-made for him, so he couldn¡¯t help repeating them. However, in the next moment, his eyes condensed. He stared at Tonan and asked in confusion, ¡°Why did you go to such lengths to help me? Aren¡¯t we enemies?¡±


    Tonan, however, just spread out his arms and a magnificent brilliance seemed to appear on his face. He said, ¡°Art has no national boundaries.¡±


    ¡°Art has no national boundaries¡­¡± Sasori lowered his head when he heard Tonan¡¯s words and then repeated them several times. A gentle smile played on Tonan¡¯s lips. He pulled Sasori over and pointed at several large puppets placed in the open space. ¡°Come, come with me and look at these. This is the skin I made for you with the remaining materials.¡±


    Sasori looked over and with a foolish look on his face, he stammered, ¡°This¡­ so¡­ so beautiful¡­¡±


    Tonan took a few steps forward and stood next to the large puppets. He began to introduce each of them to Sasori one by one. ¡°This is an insect-type skin. It has thermal sensation and low-altitude flight functions, which can make it easier for you to hunt down enemies. This is a bird-type skin.¡±


    ¡°It has an aerodynamic and streamlined shape, suitable for long-distance flights. This is a cheetah-type skin. It has a four-limb joint gear drive, and a nine-level gearshift and it increases dynamic equilibrium. And this is mecha-type skin. It¡¯s not much different from your human puppets but it is made up of materials with increased sturdiness. Moreover, a hydraulic pressure device boosts the power of the limbs so it has extraordinary strength.¡±


    Huff, huff¡­ Hearing Tonan¡¯s descriptions, Sasori¡¯s chest kept rising and falling. His entire body was quivering with exhilaration. ¡°Are these all for me?¡±


    Tonan smiled a little and replied, ¡°They are all yours. Do you like them? This is your payment for sharing your knowledge.¡±


    Sasori gulped and subconsciously walked over to the large puppets. He reached out his hand and caressed them like a fool in love. After a long time, he calmed down and looked at Tonan with reverence. He placed his hands on his knees and bowed deeply. ¡°Tonan-kun, you are truly an artistic genius. Please forgive me for my previous ignorance. You are right, knowledge should be shared so that new ideas can be born.¡±


    Ding! Gained Sasori¡¯s acknowledgment. Hearing the system¡¯s prompt, Tonan¡¯s eyebrows couldn¡¯t help but twitch. What¡¯s the use? Now, Sasori just had one regeneration core left. After his death, he would only provide some chakra and spiritual energy at the most.


    He had already acquired his most precious thing, which was the knowledge of human puppets and mechanical manufacturing. He could use some of this to enhance his strength. As for Sasori¡¯s status as a Sand ninja, these things didn¡¯t matter to him.


    Tonan really had no loyalty whatsoever to Konoha. For him, Konoha was just his private pasture and Sasori was livestock on someone else¡¯s pasture. As for whether helping him transform into a puppet would help the enemy¡­ In Sasori¡¯s current state, would Saosri still be his enemy?


    Sasori would continue to pursue his so-called puppet techniques, which required the use of a large number of strong corpses for experiments. How could it be possible for him to go back to Suna¡­ He would only become Tonan¡¯s right-hand man in the future, especially after the war was over¡­


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    After a long time, Sasori looked at Tonan with a puzzled look. He said, ¡°Tonan-kun, aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll return to Suna and help them deal with Konoha?¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose a little. He patted Sasori¡¯s shoulder and answered, ¡°It¡¯s just a war. Think about it, which war has exterminated a village? The essence of war is to use conflict to eliminate excess resource consumption. You are a devout artist. You should pursue a higher level of art.¡±


    ¡°You see, things like human puppets don¡¯t need to eat or drink and can live forever. If the standard of materials can be lowered, it can be popularized in the entire world. At that time, will there be any wars?¡±


    These words pierced through Sasori¡¯s heart and his concern for Tonan¡¯s identity completely disappeared. ¡°Tonan-kun, your thinking is exactly the same as mine. If you want me to help you transform, you can be completely assured of my technique.¡±


    Sasori looked at Tonan with an eager look on his face. Tonan patted his shoulder lightly and shook his head. He said, ¡°No, you are a pioneer of art. But I¡¯m quite a greedy person, and I want the most perfect one. When your art reaches its peak, come and help me transform.¡±


    Sasori nodded and said, ¡°Then, you have to live. If one day you feel that you are going to die of old age, don¡¯t endure it. Now, I¡¯m immortal, and I¡¯ve enough time to pursue the highest level of art.¡±


    Tonan withdrew his hand and folded his arms in front of his chest. He said, ¡°You should stay here for the time being. I have enough experimental materials here. I, however, like to study living ones. After they are dead, you can use them for your puppet research.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Sasori looked at Tonan gratefully. At this moment, Tonan had completely become a like-minded partner in his heart.


    Right then, a panic-filled yell came from outside interrupting their conversation. ¡°Enemy attack!¡±


    Sasori frowned and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Tonan looked up at the laboratory wall. The three tomoe in his eyes spun and his eyesight penetrated through the entire Kikyo Mountain. Then he saw a large number of ninjas rushing towards the mountain in the distance.


    He narrowed his eyes slightly and leisurely replied, ¡°No need. You, after all, used to be a Suna ninja. It¡¯s not a good idea to make you attack your former village¡¯s ninjas.¡±


    Sasori bowed to Tonan again and said, ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡±


    Tonan nodded slightly and handed Sasori a scroll. He then turned and walked out of the laboratory. ¡°Store these skins and go to a farther place to experience them. If a Leaf ninja stops you, you can directly tell them you are with me.¡±


    Sasori stored the huge puppets and jogged to keep up with Tonan. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you. Since they¡¯ve already reached here, the situation isn¡¯t so optimistic. I don¡¯t want you to die on the battlefield.¡±

 CH 250.1

    At this moment, it was past midnight. The bonfire was long extinguished and the darkness in the distance rushed in like the wind. The bright stars inlaid in the black night were shining like gems.


    A crescent moon hung high in the dark blue sky, casting a dim light on Kikyo Mountain. The Nara Shikaku team of three including Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Choza ran out of the commander¡¯s tent. They stood at the mountain side and looked into the distance. With Shikaku¡¯s eyesight, while he couldn¡¯t see the lurking enemy village ninjas from the distance, he could see the dark wind that enveloped the sky flying over to the Leaf base camp.


    Humm, humm, humm¡­ A faint buzz filled the air. Looking at the accompanying darkness, Inoichi frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s that? Are these bugs?¡±


    Shikaku narrowed his eyes slightly. Immediately afterward, a look of surprise appeared on his face and he said, ¡°No, these are the bees from the Kamizuru clan, the Aburame clan¡¯s sworn enemy.¡±


    Inoichi was startled hearing this and said with a solemn look, ¡°Damn it! Although Tonan-sama¡¯s strength is high, these people obviously want to use these bees that are hard to deal with to get rid of us first.¡±


    Shikaku took a deep breath. His face had a look that said he was prepared to die. ¡°There are not many combatants left here now. Any military tactics are useless as well. Let¡¯s prepare to fight to the death. As long as I die here, regardless of the result, our clan will not meet with any mishaps. Let me bear all the guilt and resentment.¡±


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    Both Inoichi and Choza¡¯s eyes were filled with sadness and they clenched their fists together. Choza took a deep breath and replied in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll go and look for Tonan-sama.¡±


    Shikaku immediately turned his head and yelled at Choza, ¡°Don¡¯t go. It¡¯s impossible for him to not know that there is an enemy attack. Instead, quickly go and notify the ninjas in the base camp, and light the campfires. In this kind of situation, having a clear line of sight will be comparatively more advantageous.¡±


    At this moment, at the highest place at Kikyo Mountain, Uchiha Tonan and Sasori stood side by side on the cliff¡¯s edge. They were observing the chaotic Leaf base camp.


    Looking at the great dark wind flying over, Sasori turned his head to Tonan and said, ¡°It seems all of the Kamizuru clan people have been mobilized. You don¡¯t have enough Aburame ninjas or fire-style ninjas here to stop them. I guess this will be a very difficult battle. What do you plan to do? You should know that against these insects, even if you keep using the fire-style ninjutsu, you won¡¯t be able to stop them.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t answer him. He just quietly looked at the remaining ninjas who were largely in place to manage the logistics in the base camp below. Then he meaningfully said, ¡°With so few people here, it seems they want to force me to make a move.¡±


    It was only at this moment that realization dawned on Sasori. It had already been some time since the enemy attack warning was first issued but there were just a few hundred ninjas in the Leaf base camp. What was worse was that it seemed like they were not even high-leveled ninjas. He asked with a puzzled look, ¡°Where did all the Leaf ninjas go?¡±


    ¡°They have of course gone to the place where they were asked to go but I wonder whose intention it was.¡± Tonan cast a sidelong glance in the direction of the commander¡¯s tent. Then as if speaking to himself, he said, ¡°Once you do something, you must pay the due price. But then, it can also be counted as improving someone¡¯s memories.¡±


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    At this moment, the Kamizuru clan-controlled bees had swept through the entire Leaf base camp. Leaf ninjas took action as best as they could in an attempt to stop the bees but for humans, the bee¡¯s structure was too small. And this swarm was very large in number. The Leaf ninjas didn¡¯t know where to begin their defense or their counterattack.


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Great Fireball Technique.¡±


    ¡°Earth Style ¨C Mud Wall Technique.¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­ Shadow Imitation Technique is also useless and these things basically can¡¯t be cut down by kunai.¡±


    ¡°No, except for fire-style, all other ninjutsu are useless.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    In front of the commander¡¯s tent, Inoichi and Shikaku took out their kunai and made a desperate effort to resist the swarms. With a jonin¡¯s strength, they could use kunai to cut down the bees. It was just that the number of bees was too large for this move to be effective.


    Their physical strength was depleting rapidly. At this moment, the might of the Akimichi clan was displayed to some extent. Choza looked at the large swarms of bees in front of him and stretched out his arms. He angrily shouted, ¡°Expansion Technique.¡± His hands suddenly enlarged and swatted the bees like huge cattail leaf fans.


    Pop! With the joint attack of the two palms, tens of thousands of bees were killed in one instant. However, the dispersed bees also found a large target to attack. They frantically pounced on Choza¡¯s arms and ferociously stabbed their poisonous needles.


    ¡°These annoying bees!¡± Choza yelled with a look of extreme pain on his face as he kept waving his arms around. His method may be much better than using a cannon to hit a mosquito but soon, the venom of the poisonous needles spread throughout his body.


    This poison could not only paralyze the nerves but it could also clot the blood within the body and block meridians, causing the chakra flow to stagnate. After a few breaths, Choza finally was unable to withstand. He gritted his teeth and inhaled a mouthful of cold air. He roared, ¡°It hurts¡­¡±


    After that, Choza felt like the world around him was spinning and he fell straight to the ground. His enlarged arms also shrunk but they had already turned bluish-black from the bee stings. Inoichi saw that Choza had lost his combat power.


    He rushed to his side and used a kunai to cut down the bees that were attacking them. He could feel that his physical strength was being consumed at a super pace but the number of bees seemed to be endless.

 CH 250.2

    Akimichi Choza was already rendered powerless and Yamanaka Inoichi was faring no better. Being surrounded by the massive bee swarms and with no way out, Inoichi felt immense despair. He shouted, ¡°Damn it! These bees are too difficult to deal with. And there are only a few Aburame clan members in this camp. Even if they try their hardest, they can¡¯t stop these things.¡±


    In the distance, the Suna and Iwa ninjas were on standby under Onoki and Ebizo¡¯s command. At this moment, a sensory ninja from Kumo walked over to Onoki¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Tsuchikage-sama, the Leaf base camp didn¡¯t have too many people, to begin with. Under the bee swarms¡¯ attack, at least two-thirds of the ones that were there have already lost their combat power. The rest are also not looking very good.¡±


    Hearing this, Onoki nodded his head and stroked his beard lightly. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit more and see how Uchiha Tonan will respond to this attack. According to the information that was sent back from Konoha, every time that fellow uses his full power to fight, he faces a very serious backlash that can have a lasting impact.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to risk our lives to get rid of such a person. If he has no way to deal with this situation today, then we¡¯ll attack Kikyo Mountain with all our strength and claim the mountain and break this defense for the Land of Fire. And if he is able to block it, then we¡¯ll deplete Konoha¡¯s strength as much as possible.¡±


    Ebizo, who was walking beside Onoki, frowned slightly after he heard these words. He then said, ¡°A backlash¡­ I never would¡¯ve imagined that Iwa¡¯s intelligence was so well-informed. I have also received a piece of information. I heard that Kumo¡¯s eight-tailed jinchuriki has mastered the perfect jinchuriki form and has already entered the battle as well.¡±


    Hearing this, a smile appeared on Onoki¡¯s face. Evaluating the overall scenario, the grasp of this war increased even more in his heart. He leisurely commented, ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Let Kumo put pressure on Konoha. It would be best if Tonan is transferred away from here. At that time, we¡¯ll launch a full-scale attack again. In any case, Konoha doesn¡¯t have the strength to attack so we can attack them at will. Offense is the best defense.¡±


    Kamizuru clan¡¯s bee swarms had already enveloped the entire Kikyo Mountain. At the highest point of the mountain¡¯s peak, Uchiha Tonan and Sasori watched Leaf ninjas fall one after another with a cold gaze.


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    By this time, hundreds of bees had discovered Tonan and Sasori¡¯s location and took the initiative to surround them. Sasori lowered his head to look at the tiny bees on his body that were continually stinging him with their poisonous needles. He said with a calm face, ¡°The human body is simply too fragile. If they transform into puppets, they don¡¯t need to be afraid of these little things.¡±


    There was a sense of superiority in his words.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± a deep, magnetic voice fell on Sasori¡¯s ears. He turned his head to look at Tonan, who was talking like nothing could impact him. ¡°The human body is not as fragile as you think.¡± Sasori saw that just like him, a group of bees sat on Tonan¡¯s body and kept stinging but they were unable to pierce through his skin.


    At this time, one bee flew up and dived down at high speed toward Tonan. The result was that when it stabbed his body, its poisonous needle bent. Tonan raised his hand and caught the dizzy bee. Be brought it in front of his eyes. After sizing it up, he said with admiration, ¡°What a cute little bee. It¡¯s hard working and down-to-earth, and it is tirelessly doing other people¡¯s bidding.¡±


    Tonan then reached out his two fingers and straightened the bee¡¯s bent poisonous needle. But his action did not stop there. He continued to slowly pull the needle out little by little. The needle dragged all the bee¡¯s internal organs out together. ¡°Rigid hothead¡­¡± For an unknown reason, seeing this, Sasori felt a chill. He thought that this form of Tonan was a bit too scary.


    He wanted to swallow subconsciously but he realized that he had already become a puppet, who basically had no saliva. After collecting himself a little, he asked, ¡°I¡¯m very curious about one thing. How will you clean up this mess later?¡±


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    Hearing this, Tonan raised his head and squinted his eyes. Looking at the stars all over the sky, he casually answered, ¡°I will just give them a taste of their own medicine.¡±


    Perhaps, Tonan felt that it was almost time, or perhaps, he deemed that the punishment was enough by now. He raised his hands and made a series of seals, calmly saying, ¡°Nature has evolved over a long period of time. Each species has its own innate natural enemy. Chakra, this extraordinary power can make something impossible, possible.¡±


    ¡°It can let some kinds of creatures quickly break through the limitations of their innate characteristics and stand at the top of the food chain. When that happens, they become a natural enemy of all species¡­¡±


    ¡°Secret Art ¨C Super Beast Infestation.¡±

 CH 251

    At the commander¡¯s tent, Nara Shikaku held a kunai in both his hands. He waved them continuously, making an airtight blockade around his body. Such a low-efficiency method could only be used for defense and consumed significant physical strength. Basically, it could not be called useful.


    Huff, huff¡­ Shikaku was already sweating profusely and his chest was rising and falling rapidly as he gasped for breath. Out of the corner of his eyes, he quickly glanced at the Leaf ninjas around him. He saw a few of them standing back-to-back.


    The fire-style ninjas among them were releasing fire-style ninjutsu at the bee swarm gathered in the air. The remaining ninjas were using kunai and short blades to slash at the bees.


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Great Fireball Technique.¡± The fire-style ninjas didn¡¯t dare to stop and released ninjutsu again and again. By this time though, perhaps, because their chakra consumption was too high, they were just producing black smoke instead of fire.


    In the next moment, the dense swarm of bees rushed toward the ninjas. The remaining people were scared to death. An earth-style ninja among them quickly made a series of hand seals. ¡°Earth Style ¨C Mud Wall Technique.¡±


    A semi-circular mud wall covered several people, blocking the bees¡¯ attacks. More and more bees pounced on and gradually covered the entire mud wall. These bees weren¡¯t ordinary. Regardless of toxicity, speed, endurance, hardness, or strength, they were multiple times stronger than ordinary bees.


    There were even some species of bees that had the same ability as bugs to devour chakra. The earth-style ninja who used Mud Wall Technique could only feel that the chakra within his body was being drained rapidly. He shouted in panic, ¡°No! My chakra is depleting too fast¡­ I can¡¯t hold on for much longer.¡±


    When the other ninjas saw this, they quickly put their hands on his back and transmitted their chakra to him. But even like this, as more and more bees stuck on the mud wall, the chakra depleted faster. Anyone could see that it wouldn¡¯t take long for the mud wall to disintegrate.


    The ninjas who had lost chakra had no way to resist. When Shikaku saw this, a hint of sadness flashed through his eyes. Many Leaf ninjas had already died and only a few jonin and some chunin were left alive.


    But Uchiha Tonan had not made a move yet. ¡°Is it over¡­¡±


    Roar¡­ Just when Shikaku was in despair, an ear-deafening beast roar sounded in the distant forest and a pair of scarlet eyes lit up. This was not Sharingan but a pair of unique eyes of a certain beast whose physical restrictions had been lifted. On the top of the trees in the forest, giant birds spread their wings and roared, as they flew towards the Leaf base camp.


    As these birds approached, the bees¡¯ behavior changed as if they had encountered a nemesis. They instinctively began to fly around in the same place, seemingly unable to find a way to escape. In an instant, the pressure on the remaining Leaf ninjas was greatly reduced.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Is it reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°It seems like a bird.¡±


    ¡°So many¡­ does Konoha have a ninja clan that specializes in controlling birds?¡±


    ¡°Look! The bees are scared.¡±


    ¡°It seems to be a powerful ninja beast of a certain lord.¡±


    ¡°That is also too much.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Yamanaka Inoichi saw that the bees around him seemed to be out of control, flying around helter-skelter. He looked at Shikaku with an overjoyed look and said, ¡°Could it be that¡­¡± A hopeful smile appeared on Shikaku¡¯s face and his dry mouth trembled lightly as he said, ¡°It must be Tonan-sama who made a move¡­ We are saved.¡±


    The beasts¡¯ roars came one after another and reverberated in the mountains for a long time, sounding like tens of thousands of war drums. Obviously, it turned a bit louder in everyone¡¯s ears and the bees seemed to be terrified hearing it.


    Some inferior bees fell to the ground. Just the beast¡¯s roar was enough to scare them to death.


    At Kikyo Mountain peak, Sasori was surprised by what was happening below. He titled his head a little and asked, ¡°It¡¯s strange. What happened to the bees? Do your ninja beasts have a wide-range genjutsu?¡±


    To put it honestly, this was the first time Tonan used Super Beast Infestation. The previous Beast Infestation Secret Technique was a ninjutsu he developed using the Aburame clan¡¯s secret technique as a reference.


    And recently, he acquired a certain number of the Aburame clan¡¯s abilities and upgraded the Beast Infestation. But that was not the most important thing. The most important thing was that the ninja beasts nurtured by this secret art could absorb their master¡¯s chakra to improve themselves. And Tonan had senjutsu chakra.


    In other words, the white pigeons absorbed a certain amount of senjutsu chakra every day to improve themselves. Because Tonan hadn¡¯t been able to utilize the Beast Infestation Secret Art since he cultivated senjutsu chakra, he too wasn¡¯t aware of the changes that had happened to this ninjutsu and the ability it possessed.


    He closed his eyes but his ear tips kept twitching as he analyzed the beast¡¯s roar in his mind. After a few seconds, he suddenly opened his eyes in surprise and muttered, ¡°Ultrasonic wave¡­¡±


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    Sasori, who was right next to Tonan, was startled. He asked with a confused look, ¡°Isn¡¯t that something only bats have? Also, are bees supposed to be afraid of the ultrasonic wave?¡±


    Tonan looked overjoyed. ¡°Nature is truly marvelous. Every species is born with two instincts ¨C survival and reproduction. The evolution of most species revolves around survival. Hunting too is an important branch of survival.¡±


    Although Sasori was a puppet master, he had sufficient knowledge in all other aspects. He could understand what Tonan meant. ¡°You mean, your ninja beasts awakened the ultrasonic wave during their evolution. Yes, an ultrasonic wave can be used to catch the traces of prey. But why do I feel that this ultrasonic wave has a lot of destructive power? It¡¯s comparable to genjutsu.¡±


    This time Tonan didn¡¯t reply because the answer involved his secret. This was not any ordinary ultrasonic wave but one with the senjutsu chakra boost. As the white pigeons¡¯ master, Tonan could understand their thoughts. They hadn¡¯t fully activated their ability. The roars right now were nothing but just happy cheers.


    By now, the white pigeons had already flown into the Leaf base camp. Under the moonlight and bonfires, they had lost their original appearance. Not to mention their enlarged sizes, their entire body was covered with golden feathers and their heads were even more majestic.


    If anyone looked at them closely, they could see that the pigeons¡¯ appearance looked a bit like humans. This was because Tonan¡¯s senjutsu chakra was exclusive to the human race. And the white pigeons were animals. Once the Beast Infestation was activated, it was equivalent to activating the Sage Mode.


    Humans would show beast-like features when using senjustu energy of the three holy lands. Animals were also similar. They would become humanlike. Sasori¡¯s eyes lit up and he exclaimed, ¡°What a beautiful bird! What¡¯s the name of this ninja beast?¡±


    Tonan casually threw out an answer. ¡°Golden-winged roc. There are just a few in the entire ninja world. They were imported by the Land of Fire¡¯s Daimyo and then were given to me to cultivate.¡±


    Sasori did not doubt Tonan¡¯s nonsense. After all, this name suited this kind of ninja beast well. ¡°This name is amazing.¡±


    The ¡®golden-winged rocs¡¯ roared as they were flying into the Leaf base camp. Then, they opened their mouths wide and flapped their wings. In an instant, a gust of wind blew up, causing sand and stones to fly in the air as if a wind-style ninja was casting non-stop ninjutsu.


    Under their control, with their mouth as an endpoint, a tornado was formed. Most of the bees were already shaken by the roar. So, in an instant, they were swept up by the strong gust of wind and sucked into the pigeons¡¯ mouths. Some elite bees still had energy left. They flew high under the Kamizuru clan¡¯s control in the distance. They then flew down towards the pigeons.


    But it was a pity that these were senjutsu-modified birds. The golden feathers on their bodies were as strong as steel. The poison needles couldn¡¯t penetrate them at all. Under the species¡¯ restraint, the efficiency of the pigeons was astonishingly fast.


    In just a moment, the bees in the Leaf base camp were completely devoured. It was a one-sided slaughter.


    Seeing that the bees had been completely wiped out, Tonan controlled the white pigeons to disperse into the distance with a thought. He turned his head to Sasori and smiled lightly. ¡°I need to take care of something so I¡¯ll have to go now.¡± Then, his figure disappeared slowly like an afterimage.

 CH 252.1

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    Although there were not many ninjas in the Leaf base camp, because most personnel had already been transferred away, the remaining tents were gathered close to the commander¡¯s tent. As a result, all the ninjas were crowded close together.


    After the bee swarms attack, the entire base camp had nearly turned into a field littered with corpses. Under the gaze of dozens of ninjas, Uchiha Tonan leisurely walked past the piles and piles of dead bodies and walked toward the command tent.


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    Leaf ninjas¡¯ wanted to cheer in joy as they had just survived a catastrophe. But when they saw their dead companions, who were torn in pieces under the bees¡¯ attack, a sense of loss overtook the initial relief and they burst into tears. The scene turned into that of mourning.


    Soon, Tonan arrived outside the command tent where Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi were standing in front of the passed-out Akimichi Choza. Together, they looked at Tonan approaching them and they stood obediently in the same place, not daring to even breathe heavily.


    As soon as he was in front of them, Shikaku pulled Inoichi beside him and both of them knelt on the ground. ¡°Tonan-sama, I¡¯m sorry. All of this happened because of me.¡± By now, Shikaku had completely discarded any sense of self-respect or dignity. After all, according to the intelligence report, there were still a large number of enemy village ninjas eyeing them from the distance.


    Now, only Tonan could defend the Kikyo Mountain. Although he was reduced to kneeling like this, it might be able to save Inoichi and Choza¡¯s lives. Even if Tonan was angry with him and planned to look on with folded arms, there was a high probability that he wouldn¡¯t direct his anger toward the Nara clan.


    Shikaku was the western front¡¯s commander but he was also the Nara clan¡¯s new patriarch. In the distance, the Leaf ninjas looked at him kneeling to Tonan with confusion on their faces.


    ¡°Why is Shikaku-sama kneeling to Tonan-sama?¡±


    ¡°He might be thanking Tonan-sama for saving our lives.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s begging Tonan-sama to take action to block the following enemies.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-sama is a Leaf ninja, this is what he should do. There is no need to kneel. Moreover, Shikaku-sama is the commander-in-chief.¡±


    ¡°Shikaku-sama committed a serious sin this time making a mistake in his strategy. This resulted in insufficient personnel to defend the base camp.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems Shikaku-sama is apologizing.¡±


    ¡°Alas¡­ just pretend that we didn¡¯t see it. We shouldn¡¯t be paying attention to such things anyway¡­ let the higher-ups worry about it.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­


    Tonan stood in front of Shikaku and Inoichi and looked down for a long time. Then he smiled and said, ¡°Never mind, the price has already been paid. I¡¯m not such a petty person. You are underestimating my appetite too much.¡±


    Shikaku¡¯s forehead was already covered with sweat. Hearing Tonan¡¯s words, he breathed a sigh of relief and gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Tonan-sama¡­¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose a little and he slowly squatted. Stretching out his hand, he said, ¡°Hand it over. I¡¯ll hold it for you for a while.¡±


    Shikaku¡¯s pupils suddenly shrank hearing Tonan¡¯s words. There was no way out¡­ The Nara clan had no path of retreat¡­


    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to? If you don¡¯t want to, then I won¡¯t force you.¡± Tonan¡¯s voice was gentle but full of misgivings and doubts. And in Shikaku¡¯s ears, it was full of threats.


    Shikaku exhaled a long breath and raised his right hand tremblingly. He reached into his ninja bag and took out an information scroll. Without delaying too much, he held it in both his hands and like a tribute, presented it to Tonan.


    Seeing him behave like this, Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly but his smile grew brighter. He took the information scroll and checked it. This scroll had Sarutobi Hiruzen¡¯s instructions to Shikaku on record. This was ironclad evidence.


    After the war was over, Tonan could use this to force Hiruzen to step down. Hundreds of ninjas lost their lives in this attack. If the war was won in the end, then these lives would become nothing but trivial loss. But if it was lost, then every wrong decision could become the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.


    More importantly, Shikaku himself handed over this scroll to Tonan in front of everyone. What would Hiruzen think when he learned that Shikaku had personally given this to Tonan? Shikaku was a smart person. He knew that doing this meant that the Nara clan was completely tied to Tonan¡¯s pirate ship now.


    And Ino-Shika-Cho always advanced and retreated together¡­ There were only so many ninjas who carried any weight in Konoha. Now, behind Tonan, there was not only the Uchiha clan but also the three clans of the Ino-Shika-Cho combination.


    Such powerful backing could not be neglected.


    As far as Tonan was concerned, he wanted to rise to the top relying on a righteous front. He needed to maintain an upright character for this to happen. Only like this, he could keep harvesting crops in the fertile Konoha soil. And for this, he also needed supporters.


    It was useless to rely on civilians¡¯ support because that was too fickle and did not mean much. Tonan stood up and put away the scroll in satisfaction. He then looked at the pale Shikaku and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic. I can replace some things at any time, but the time has not come yet. With me here, no one can touch Ino-Shika-Cho. Because I have the ability to flip the table.¡±


    Shikaku suddenly raised his head and stared at Tonan after he heard this. He saw Tonan standing with a bland look on his face. As a perceptive person, Shikaku knew that the more a person spoke, and the more confident he looked, the more he was talking big. But the truly confident people would be calm because they were merely stating facts.


    These words were a great reassurance to Shikaku. He lowered his head and said in a deep voice, ¡°Thank you, Tonan-sama.¡± As a reply, Tonan nodded slightly. He then raised his head and looked into the distance. Immediately afterward, he opened his eyes wide, activating his Mangekyo Sharingan.


    In his vision, the pitch-black world turned red like fresh blood. Then, the scene in front of his eyes quickly zoomed in and enlarged. Suna and Iwa¡¯s hidden ninjas were exposed completely to his eyes.


    In the next moment, Shikaku and Inoichi felt a gust of wind and Tonan had already disappeared without a trace in front of them.


    In the distance, Iwa and Suna were all set to fight. They had seen the huge black bird shadows hovering above the Kikyo Mountain in the distance as well, and they had also heard that strange beast¡¯s roar.


    Just then, a Stone ninja appeared in front of Onoki using the Body Flicker Technique and knelt on one knee. ¡°Tsuchikage-sama, some powerful bird-type ninja beasts appeared in the Leaf base camp, and our bees have been wiped out.¡±


    Onoki frowned and looked over at the burning Kikyo Mountain in the distance. He muttered, ¡°Powerful bird-type ninja beasts¡­ is it him¡­¡±

 CH 252.2

    The ninja who reported the outcome of the attack on the Leaf base camp to Onoki was the Kamizuru clan¡¯s patriarch. The bee swarms were orchestrated by his people. His clan could be said to have done a good job but they lost significantly as well. After all this, he wanted to ensure he was given credit for military achievements at the very least.


    Therefore, he did not just report the disappointing news but reminded Onoki of their success as well. He solemnly said, ¡°The bird-type ninja beasts appeared quite late. Leaf ninjas have suffered heavy casualties tonight. According to the last message sent back by the bees, there wouldn¡¯t be more than a hundred ninjas that survived the attack. The rest of their comrades are all dead.¡±


    Onoki finally relaxed a little and nodded. He said, ¡°Your achievements have been recorded and you will get your due reward.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Tsuchikage-sama.¡± Having achieved his goal, for now, the overjoyed Kamizuru clan patriarch used the Body Flicker Technique to leave.


    Even though this tactic did indeed kill a large number of Leaf ninjas, significantly dwindling their numbers, it didn¡¯t achieve the effect Onoki had expected. According to his calculation, a battle-type powerhouse like Uchiha Tonan too should have had a difficult time facing the bee swarms.


    Even if Tonan couldn¡¯t be killed by the attack, he would still need to use the Susanoo to resist it. In that case, as long as his energy was consumed continuously, he would suffer from a backlash. This would be the perfect situation for them to further attack Tonan when his strength was depleted.


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    Before that though, the bird-type ninja beasts appeared out of nowhere and wiped out all the bees in one fell swoop. And there was still no sign of Tonan. This put a dent in his plans and made Onoki fall into a dilemma.


    The Suna and Iwa ninjas were already here. If he didn¡¯t lead them to charge, then it would be too anticlimactic and would once again hamper their morale. But if they rushed up blindly, they would have to sacrifice many human lives to force Tonan to suffer a backlash. Wouldn¡¯t the loss outweigh the gains in that case?


    Pondering about this, Onoki turned his head and asked Ebizo instead. ¡°Ebizo, what do you think? Should we try it tonight or not?¡±


    Ebizo glanced at Onoki and leisurely asked, ¡°Tsuchikage-sama, are you afraid?¡±


    Onoki was startled and angrily replied, ¡°How can I be afraid? I¡¯m just weighing the gains and the losses.¡±


    Ebizo squinted his eyes and looked in the direction of Kikyo Mountain. In his heart, regardless of how strong Tonan was, he still had a mortal body and his energy was limited. ¡°This is such a good opportunity, I think we should attack. As long as we don¡¯t rush over in a group, we don¡¯t need to be afraid of large-scale ninjutsu.¡±


    Onoki¡¯s eyes lit up. He slapped his forehead and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s absolutely possible to rush forward, one squad at a time. If he used large-scale ninjutsu too many times, he would soon run out of chakra. And if he only relies on taijutsu to fight, he must rest. Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡±


    Onoki immediately used Ultralight-Weight Rock Technique. His figure rose slowly in the air. He coughed lightly and loudly said, ¡°Everyone, listen to my command¡­¡±


    However, right at this moment, he looked around and was startled. He saw a black figure standing on a cliff between their side and Kikyo Mountain. Behind the black shadow, there was a sky full of stars and a cold crescent moon.


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    Although the specific appearance of the shadow couldn¡¯t be seen clearly because of the backlight, Onoki could never forget the devilish scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan. Instantly, in his mind, Tonan¡¯s image overlapped with that of Uchiha Madara. A figure whom he had seen many years ago but was powerful enough to cast a shadow on his childhood.


    If anyone asked who Onoki was most afraid of, the answer would definitely be Madara. Onoki¡¯s face twitched and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He shouted, ¡°Re¡­ Retreat!¡± As soon as he issued the command, without waiting, he turned around and fled into the distance. At the same time, after hearing his order, all Iwa ninjas turned around and dispersed quickly as well.


    Ebizo was left dumbfounded. This was the last thing he expected from Onoki. A Sand ninja beside him hastily asked, ¡°Ebizo-sama, what about us?¡±


    Ebizo was trembling with anger. He still wanted to order the Sand ninjas to charge. But although Suna and Iwa were allies now, the five great villages had always maintained a competitive relationship. They couldn¡¯t let their ninjas charge forward and let others enjoy the benefits.


    With no other way out, Ebizo sighed heavily and said, ¡°That old man is a coward. Retreat.¡± Ebizo turned around after speaking. But before leaving, he intentionally turned his head and took a deep look at the black shadow on the cliff.


    His eyes were filled with hatred and provocation. After a long time, just like that, all ninjas of the two villages fled desperately. The Mangekyo in Tonan¡¯s eyes slowly disappeared. He looked in the direction where the Sand ninjas retreated and touched his chin with his hand as if in contemplation.


    Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something funny. He smiled a little and shook his head. ¡°Reckless old man.¡±

 CH 253.1

    A few days had passed since the allied forces of the two villages attacked the Kikyo Mountain. After Uchiha Tonan returned to the cliff that night, Nara Shikaku immediately took out a blank intelligence scroll and went to meet him.


    Shikaku figured out that since he had already chosen to submit to Tonan completely, he should no longer appear to be indecisive. Otherwise, he would be deemed as a person who went whichever way the wind blew, and such a person was very likely to meet a bad ending.


    Tonan was not too polite either. He took the blank intelligence scroll and wrote down the report on the same evening on behalf of Shikaku. In most circumstances, things such as battlefield intelligence would be preserved. And after the war was over, the higher-ups would combine it with the results of the war to compare the battle achievements and battle losses.


    Of course, the battlefield intelligence would be immediately handed over to Sarutobi Hiruzen. And logically speaking, Hiruzen had a certain leeway to manipulate battlefield intelligence. So, how to write battlefield reports itself was a kind of art.


    It was necessary to retain the important details, but it was also critical to not highlight Tonan¡¯s achievements too much at a glance. Otherwise, Hiruzen would know immediately that Shikaku had already betrayed him.


    Tonan began writing on the blank intelligence scroll¡­


    Iwa and Suna launched a surprise attack on our Leaf base camp late at night, with the Kamizuri clan as the vanguard. The Leaf base camp was understaffed, and as a result, it fell into a disadvantageous position.


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    For a moment¡­


    Many pages describing how the Leaf ninjas fought heroically and struggled tenaciously under Shikaku¡¯s leadership were filled in after that, finally coming to the information about Tonan.


    In the end, Tonan, who is suspected to be injured, made a move and resolved the crisis. Then, he, whose strength was greatly reduced, pretended to be calm and appeared outside the Kikyo Mountain. As a result, after weighing the gains and losses, the allied forces of the two villages were unwilling to attack forcibly to avoid greater losses.


    Note: Tonan¡¯s eyesight has greatly reduced. I earnestly request Hokage-sama to send reinforcements in time to support this battlefront.


    Although it was written like this, where Tonan similarly had outstanding military exploits, in the eyes of Hiruzen, it would be like Shikaku followed his strategy and successfully forced Tonan to take action. Taking the initiative to make a move and being forced into making one were two completely different things.


    Although the results were the same, and the achievements were also the same, Hiruzen would think that his skill was superior and that he was able to play Tonan in his hands. Moreover, he succeeded in making Tonan¡¯s injuries worse.


    As the Hokage, he knew a lot about the Uchiha clan¡¯s Mangekyo. Hiruzen was well aware of its side effects of going blind as well if it was used for a long time.


    A very high-leveled hunter often used weakness as a disguise to lower his prey¡¯s guard.


    After that, for several days at a stretch, Tonan was totally absorbed in cooping in the laboratory. For a change, he was not conducting human experiments but rather he was researching ninjutsu.


    The primary reason for this was that the ultrasonic wave released by his white pigeon ninja beasts on that day gave him an idea. The ultrasonic wave was able to locate the position and interfere with the action of bees, which could be regarded as a kind of special ninjutsu.


    At that time, Tonan had a sudden insight, and he planned to develop a super ninjutsu that was contrary to the principles of ultrasonic waves. He wanted to create Infrasonic Waves.


    According to his previous life memories and the vast amount of knowledge amassed in his current life, the sound waves with a frequency below twenty hertz were called infrasonic waves. As for the advantage of infrasonic waves compared to ultrasonic waves, it¡¯s not easy to weaken, and not easy to be absorbed by air and water.


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    Moreover, the wavelength of infrasonic waves was often very long, so it could avoid some large obstacles and undergo diffraction. This allowed the infrasonic waves to have an extremely long distance of propagation.


    But Ultrasonic waves were different. Because of too much energy, the resistance to propagation in the natural medium was also maximum, and the energy would also be consumed very quickly. Although the infrasonic wave was just a type of low-frequency sound, and it had no destructive power under normal circumstances, the essence of the sound is vibration.


    And vibration has something called resonance. Once the frequency of the infrasonic wave was close to or even the same as the vibration frequency of the human organs, it would produce resonance with the organs within the human body, which was very harmful to the body.


    If used well, it could even cause instant death due to organ failure.


    Once the main principle was understood, there were just two things Tonan needed to do. The first was to get the sound source. This originated from the vibration of an object. Therefore, the sound source could be his own vocal cord or some kind of musical instrument.


    Even the objects in the natural world could be controlled perfectly to create vibration.


    After the first step to get the sound source was completed, the next was to integrate it with chakra or even the senjutsu chakra that had extraordinary energy. In this way, the power would be enhanced.


    In the laboratory, Sasori had just finished tinkering with his puppet. He was bored with not much to do right now so he turned his head and looked at Tonan, who was ¡®in a daze¡¯ state, sitting on the sofa.


    Tonan was sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed tightly. He looked very focused, and his mouth opened a little. And then, a deep sound could be heard. This voice was very low. In fact, it very much sounded like breathing.

 CH 253.2

    After a long time, Uchiha Tonan closed his mouth and opened his eyes. He reached out his hand to stroke his chin and frowned tightly. He was still unable to reduce the sound frequency to the point where it was completely inaudible.


    Although other things could be used to replace the sound source, Tonan always believed that all great powers should be on his own body as much as possible. Only in this way, he would have a sense of security.


    Seeing the frown on Tonan¡¯s face, Sasori put down the puppet in his hand and walked over. He sat down beside Tonan. Then, with a look of concern, he said, ¡°Tonan-kun, you don¡¯t need to be sad just because you can¡¯t sing well.¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows a little and waved his hand. He said, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll practice again. I feel that I have found the key point.¡±


    Sasori hesitated for a moment but still nodded his head. In his heart, he was thinking that Tonan knew that his singing was too unpleasant on the ear so he was practicing it because he felt that he would lose face if others heard it.


    Soon after, he quietly walked to another space in the laboratory and began to study puppets.


    Once the infrasonic wave was successfully researched, it would become a mass destructive weapon for massacring villages and exterminating nations. Due to this, Tonan was unwilling to tell Sasori the truth about what he was doing.


    After all, in his eyes, Sasori was just a toy he created that could be used. He left Sasori alone for two reasons. One, Sasori could help him run some errands, and two, he could steal Sasori¡¯s research later.


    Therefore, when Sasori inquired about this for the first time, Tonan said that he had become obsessed with singing and wanted to become a bass singer.


    After a good while, Tonan seemed to have thought of some key aspects. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth again.


    In another laboratory, Sasori could vaguely hear the continuous ¡®ah¡¯ ¡®ah¡¯ sounds, and he could only shake his head helplessly. In his heart, he thought, it seems that Tonan-kun is also not as perfect as I thought. He is completely tone-deaf.


    ¡­¡­


    After a long time, Tonan seemed to have given up singing. The entire laboratory fell silent. Suddenly, Sasori couldn¡¯t help frowning. He noticed that the puppet parts in his hands had begun to tremble slightly.


    As time passed gradually, the puppet parts shook more and more violently. Now, it could be seen clearly with the naked eye.


    ¡°Is there an earthquake¡­¡± Sasori muttered. After a long time, the puppet parts stopped shaking and Sasori also didn¡¯t take this situation seriously.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Tonan¡¯s figure had already appeared in Hatake Kabuto¡¯s room. He saw Kabuto¡¯s little face look deathly pale, and he was vomiting nonstop while taking support on the wall with his one hand.


    The shadow clone, who was patting Kabuto¡¯s back intimately, looked at Tonan¡¯s main body and said, ¡°Be a bit careful. Go and see if Isan is fine.¡±


    Tonan looked at Kabuto¡¯s situation and slightly nodded his head. He walked to the room where Hatake Isan was placed. He saw that traces of bright red blood had appeared in the green solution where Isan¡¯s young body was soaked. Isan was bleeding from his seven orifices and was in danger.


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    Tonan hastily placed his hands on the glass container and used the Mystical Palm Technique to heal him. ¡°Fortunately, I came in time. It seems it¡¯s a success. This is the result without using the chakra. As for what to call it, let¡¯s just call it the Sobbing Ghost Technique.¡±


    After a while, Tonan repeatedly confirmed that Isan¡¯s state in the solution was stable. Only after that, he left the room.


    ¡°Tonan-sama.¡± From outside the laboratory, Yamanaka Inoichi¡¯s call came. Tonan went outside and looked at him. Inoichi had a respectful look.


    Tonan asked, ¡°Why did you come to see me?¡± Inoichi put his hands on his knees and bowed deeply at Tonan. He said, ¡°Konoha has sent the information about the latest battle situation. Shikaku asked me to inform you as soon as possible.¡±


    Tonan calmly said, ¡°Speak.¡± Inoichi nodded his head and organized his words. He began explaining, ¡°It¡¯s the information about the Kumo battlefront. Not long ago, the Kumo eight-tailed jinchuriki became a perfect jinchuriki and entered the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°And the day before yesterday, Konoha received a piece of definite information that Sandaime Raikage will also enter the battle in person. So, considering that Kumo has a lot of top combat powers, the higher-ups of Konoha have permitted the nine-tailed jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina, to enter the battlefield as well.¡±


    Hearing Inoichi¡¯s words, Tonan¡¯s eyes suddenly condensed coldly. He turned back and went towards the laboratory. He said, ¡°Got it. Tell Shikaku, I¡¯m going to the Kumo battlefront. And before doing that, I¡¯ll minimize the pressure here for you all.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t care whether Konoha won or lost, or how many ninjas died in the process. But before Asura¡¯s chakra was reincarnated, Kushina must not meet any accidents. Anyone who dared to touch Tonan¡¯s power of the Six Paths would die.


    Sandaime Raikage was no exception.

 CH 254.1

    Towards the evening, there was a damp and oppressive undercurrent in the air. The sky was gloomy like water, and the dark clouds appeared to be accumulating power.


    At the Sand Base Camp, just like the practice since time immemorial, people had chosen flat and relatively high places to set up their camps. The Sand ninjas had not filled the base camp with just tents. Due to the strong gusts of air blowing here from the Land of Wind every day, Suna¡¯s forces had speedily built some semi-circular hunts while setting up the camp. They used special stones for this and put curtains as doors.


    After the failure of attacking Konoha¡¯s base camp some time ago, Sand ninjas began using a squad rotation system to continuously attack Konoha¡¯s various strongholds. However, each stronghold was located in a small area, so it wouldn¡¯t be of much help if they were to send many attacking personnel.


    As a result, many of the Sand ninjas had to remain on standby and were stationed here. The camp¡¯s center was also the highest point of this base. Ebizo looked at the information piled up in front of him and frowned. They hadn¡¯t lost the war yet, but there had already been a certain scale of turmoil within the Land of Wind.


    And the Land of Wind Daimyo was also putting great pressure on Suna. His topmost task right now was to break into the Land of Fire. Then, either rob the Land of Fire¡¯s food and grains or force the country to open trade, and release the hoarded grains. However, Suna and Iwa¡¯s combined allied forces were stopped by a single kid who had no war experience, Uchiha Tonan.


    This situation couldn¡¯t help reminding Ebizo of a person. Hanzo of the Salamander who had initiated the Second Great Ninja War had alone defeated the three nations. Eventually, only Konoha was able to resist him relying on its Sannin.


    To put it nicely, it was resistance, but to put it bluntly, it was Hanzo who realized that Ame¡¯s background was too weak, and relying on his strength alone was not enough to support his great ambition.


    In this war, he chose to remain neutral. But Konoha produced Uchiha Tonan, who was very similar to Hanzo. He was troublesome and was unmatched on the battlefield in the same ways. The only good thing was that Tonan would suffer a serious backlash every time he fought.


    ¡°Alas¡­,¡± Ebizo heaved a heavy sigh and got up from his seat. He walked to the window and pulled open the curtain to look at the distant scenery. ¡°An individual¡¯s strength can actually reach such a terrifying level.¡±


    The rainwater swayed in the wind and fluttered into the tent, soaking Ebizo¡¯s face. There seemed to be a curtain of water hanging between the sky and the earth. Along with the sound of gurgling water, everything seemed to become misty. Gradually, the wind became stronger, and the rain curtain shook more and more. It also became denser and stronger, turning into a heavy downpour.


    As the rain became heavier, the entire world became clearer, no longer looking bleary. Seeing this, Ebizo gently closed the window and then the curtains. He turned around, preparing to return to his seat to continue and analyze the information. However, just as he turned around, he suddenly paused and frowned. He thought carefully.


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    Something was wrong.


    Ebizo walked over to the window once again. He then not only pulled open the curtains but also narrowed his eyes slightly and stared into the distance with rapt attention. Vaguely, he saw a figure standing in a valley very far away from where he was.


    Even though a ninja¡¯s eyesight was extremely good, he was unable to see the figure clearly because coupled with the cover of the rain curtain which already decreased the visibility, the distance was too much.


    That location would be considered very far even from the security line of the base camp, so there was no need to worry about it too much. Also, this person didn¡¯t seem to be wearing a Leaf ninja uniform, so whether he was an enemy or not, couldn¡¯t be determined¡­


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    ¡°That person seems a little familiar,¡± Ebizo muttered to himself.


    At the center of the valley, Tonan looked around and was quite happy with the terrain. He then closed his eyes and immediately began to make preparations. The senjutsu chakra within his body moved rapidly, maniacally circulating and gathering at his throat.


    The aura around his body was rising rapidly.


    Crackle, boom¡­ Thunder rumbled in the midst of the cloud layer, buzzing in people¡¯s ears. At this moment, the rainstorm had completely begun as well and the heavy downpour was like a huge waterfall, covering the sky and sweeping off the wilderness.


    The black windbreaker Tonan wore was long since soaked by the rain, but the fierce chakra was lifting it. After a while, Tonan slowly raised his head, and spread out his arms, as if he wanted to embrace the entire world.


    Crackle, boom¡­ Thunderclaps struck the sky continuously as if heaven and earth were scared of something. ¡°What is that person doing¡­ I seem to have seen him somewhere¡­¡± Ebizo could see that the figure in the rain had spread his arms, and he instinctively felt a pang of fear in his heart.


    Suddenly, a light flashed in his mind, and the lone black figure on the top of the cliff of that night appeared. Then, in an instant, the two figures overlapped. Ebizo¡¯s pupils shrank suddenly. He immediately took a deep breath and pushed open the window. Taking support on the windowsill, he shouted, ¡°Enemy attack!¡±


    In the valley, Tonan suddenly opened his eyes. Due to the rapid circulation of chakra within his body, his eyes had involuntarily activated the Mangekyo Sharingan. The scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan spun rapidly, and a cruel smile appeared on his face.


    Immediately afterward, he slowly opened his mouth as if he was yelling while holding his head high. Ebizo, who was staring at Tonan from the distance, held his breath subconsciously, and the muscles in his entire body tightened unnaturally.


    The rain was still falling and the thunder was still rumbling. But the entire world seemed to have frozen.

 CH 254.2

    In the next moment, a scene that greatly frightened Ebizo occurred. An invisible energy wave seemed to have appeared in the air and it smashed the falling raindrops into mist and pushed it to form layer upon layer of white waves, attacking the Sand Base Camp.


    The speed of the white waves was extremely fast. They had already arrived in front of Ebizo in a blink of an eye.


    Boom¡­ The powerful blast instantly hit Ebizo¡¯s face. The layer upon layer of white waves trampled everything on the ground like thousands and thousands of galloping men and horses.


    Ebizo¡¯s two long white eyebrows were blown up. The crazy blasts came in one wave after another. In an extremely short period of one second, there were already more than a dozen waves. The instant the blasts hit, the entire Sand Base Camp looked like an exploding pot.


    ¡°Enemy attack!¡±¡­ ¡°Someone is using large-scale ninjutsu.¡±¡­ ¡°It¡¯s coming from the direction of the valley!¡±.. ¡°I¡¯ll go to kill him.¡±


    Puff¡­ ¡°Hitoma, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to me? How come I can¡¯t feel any power within my body?¡±


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    ¡°It feels so uncomfortable¡­¡±


    The secret of the infrasonic wave was in the overlay and resonance of the previous vibration and the subsequent vibrations. As the Sobbing Ghost continued for longer and longer, its might would also become bigger and bigger.


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    Three seconds later, the insects and animals within a radius of tens of kilometers frantically fled from this place. Five seconds later, creases that were visible to the naked eye appeared in the air but there was still no sound at all.


    Ten seconds later, the refraction of the air was completely disrupted, making people unable to differentiate east, south, west, and north. The ground also began to tremble lightly and the accumulated water on the ground began to form waves like a miniature ocean.


    Fifteen seconds later, the entire world flickered between light and darkness like a flashlight. What was worse was that the buildings in the Sand Base Camp began to crack and collapse inch by inch.


    Twenty seconds later, the water on the earth¡¯s surface and air completely vanished. The buildings collapsed, and the sand genin¡¯s internal organs burst, as they bled from seven orifices to death.


    Twenty-five seconds later, the stones on the earth¡¯s surface began to shake continuously, and the chakra used by chunin to stabilize their bodies began to get disrupted one by one, then they howled in extreme pain and struggled.


    Twenty-eight seconds later, not a single chunin was left alive. Even the relatively weaker jonin also died violently after struggling. The shaking stones on the ground exploded and shattered into fine powder. The ground also shook violently as cracks appeared one after another, and the hills not far away from the place collapsed one after another.


    Thirty seconds later, the dark clouds in the sky seethed, and as if they were pushed away by a pair of big hands and the blue sky was visible. The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled down, lighting up everything that it touched on the earth.


    At the same time, Uchiha Tonan, who was bathing in the golden-red sunlight in the valley, closed his mouth and slowly lowered his arms. He then indifferently looked at the Sand Base Camp in the distance, and the corners of his mouth rose a little as he spat out two words, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    After speaking, he took off his half-wet windbreaker and leisurely folded it neatly, hanging it on his arm. Then he turned around gracefully and with his back facing towards the setting sun, he stepped on the hot fine sand and walked away towards the distance.


    He didn¡¯t even bother to pay attention to how many sand ninjas were killed this time. The human lives of the enemy villages were nothing but numbers. He didn¡¯t completely annihilate them because this world still needed Suna to keep Konoha at bay.


    At this moment, the Sand Base Camp was in complete ruins. After a long time, a wrinkled arm burst out from the ruins. Immediately afterward, Ebizo crawled out from it in a sorry state. His entire figure was in a mess but he didn¡¯t have the extra energy to pay attention to these things at this moment.


    He scanned around with a solemn look and saw jonin crawling out from the ruins with haggard faces one after another.


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Ebizo just stood there like this in the same place and counted frantically. By the time he finished counting, people had already stopped coming out from the ruins. But regardless of anything, this number was not something Ebizo could accept.


    His mouth constantly trembled and he felt like his back had collapsed a lot. He couldn¡¯t stand straight no matter what. On the horizon, half of the setting sun¡¯s body had already sunk. The slanting afterglow of the setting sun Illuminated the upper half of Ebizo¡¯s body and cast a long shadow on the ground.


    All the jonin who had survived this ordeal looked at Ebizo with lifeless eyes, waiting for him to issue orders. Ebizo remained silent for a long time. He then suddenly looked up at the sky and took a deep breath, wanting to roar words of taking revenge for this.


    But those words got stuck in his throat, and he couldn¡¯t say anything for a moment. A deep sense of powerlessness rose from the bottom of his heart. At this moment, Ebizo had to admit that he was getting old.


    After a long time, he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Go and call back the remaining children. We won¡¯t fight anymore¡­ We are returning home.¡±

 CH 255.1

    In the laboratory, Uchiha Tonan quickly stored various items in his ninja bag, and then without raising his head, he said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving for a while. Isan¡¯s condition is stable now. He can be released in about four months.¡±


    Hatake Kabuto stood at one side, and looking at Tonan who was walking back and forth in the room, he asked, ¡°Tonan-san, are you going to be away for a long time this time?¡±


    Tonan nodded his head and replied, ¡°The duration of the trip is not certain, so I will try and explain everything as clearly as possible. The shadow clone has a distance limit, so you only have yourself to rely on. If you need any material to study or for research, just go look for Nara Shikaku and ask him.¡±


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    Kabuto stretched out his hand to rub his eye. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said, ¡°Got it, thank you, Tonan-san.¡±


    Tonan turned his head to look at Kabuto. He then reached out and took off his gold-rimmed glasses. He walked over and put his glasses on Kabuto instead. The time for Tonan to transform into a strong powerhouse character was already here. These gold-rimmed glasses were no longer useful to him.


    On the contrary, because of the high-intensity study during this time, Kabuto¡¯s vision had become myopic. With these glasses, he also had the elegant and easy-going demeanor of Tonan.


    Tonan patted Kabuto¡¯s shoulder lightly and pointed to the wall of the room. He said, ¡°That fellow outside has profound knowledge of the Ninja World. If you don¡¯t understand anything, you can ask him. But I hope that you will resist the desire in your heart and will not be tricked into turning yourself into a puppet.¡±


    ¡°Things like puppets seem extremely powerful at first glance, but in fact, transforming into one is equivalent to solidifying all possibilities of the future. I¡¯ll also teach you a technique. If the person outside loses control of himself, don¡¯t hesitate to use it immediately. After that, don¡¯t forget to take back the puppet parts. Those things are very precious. Don¡¯t waste them.¡±


    After speaking, he stretched out his finger and pointed at Kabuto¡¯s forehead. He then used the Mind Reading Technique to transmit a special technique into Kabuto¡¯s mind. Tonan had always been used to keeping a few hidden cards in his hands.


    When he made the regeneration core for Sasori, he left an explosive tag inside the core. In any case, once the regeneration core was made, Sasori was powerless to change it by himself. This was also a reason why Tonan was at ease with Sasori.


    There was no such thing as friends in his mind. It was entirely because Sasori¡¯s life was always in his hands. Therefore, he didn¡¯t need to worry about him jumping around. But now that he was leaving, what if Sasori went crazy in the Leaf base camp after learning that he had killed most of the Suna ninjas?


    The strength of the Leaf ninjas in the camp alone was not enough to stop Sasori. If something were to go wrong, since he was the one who brought Sasori back, he would be the one to shoulder the blame. Therefore, to take the necessary precaution, it was important for Kabuto to know the technique.


    After a long time, Kabuto opened his eyes and solemnly looked at Tonan. He said, ¡°I understand, then I¡¯ll start to refine chakra immediately to ensure that I can activate this technique at any time.¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes and smiled. He said in a gentle tone, ¡°I like smart people. As long as you are obedient, most of the things in this world will be at your fingertips. I can fulfill all your desires, that is as long as you are loyal to me. Otherwise¡­¡±


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    As his words fell, his palm covered Kabuto¡¯s silverish-grey hair and he activated the Cultivation Curse. In an instant, Kabuto¡¯s eyes widened. He collapsed to the ground and curled up. The veins were bulging on his forehead and he was sweating profusely.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Seeing Kabuto endure the pain, Tonan was quite satisfied with the boy¡¯s perseverance. Immediately afterward, the corners of his mouth curled up. He pointed at a white pigeon that was combing its feather with its beak in a corner of the laboratory. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. If something happens, you can tell it.¡±


    Once he was done with all that he had to say, ignoring Kabuto who was struggling on the ground, Tonan left the room. After passing through several rooms all the way, he arrived outside Sasori¡¯s room. Hearing footsteps, Sasori turned his head and looked at Tonan.


    Soon after that, his gaze moved to the bulging ninja bag around Tonan¡¯s waist, and indifferently asked, ¡°Tonan-kun, are you leaving?¡±


    Tonan also nodded his head indifferently and replied, ¡°Cloud Battlefront needs me. I hope you¡¯ve improved more when we meet next time.¡± Hearing Tonan¡¯s words, Sasori nodded his head and got up. He walked to a corner of the room and picked up a scroll. Handing it over to Tonan, he said, ¡°This is the fruit of my latest research. Knowledge must be shared.¡±


    Tonan too was not formal. He took the scroll without any hesitation and smiled gently at Sasori, ¡°Many thanks.¡± He then turned around and left the laboratory. At this moment, it was still late at night. The moon was almost as round as a silver plate and the sky was also clear.


    The Konoha base camp was completely silent. Tonan¡¯s figure flashed a few times and disappeared outside the laboratory. And above the forest, a black shadow quickly passed through the top of the densely packed trees.


    In a blink of an eye, he was already far away from the Konoha base camp.


    Roar¡­ A strange beast roar could be heard. Then, a huge golden bird sprang out from the forest and Tonan jumped and landed lightly on its back. Just like this, the huge golden bird took Tonan into the sky and flew towards the Cloud battlefront at a high speed.


    High in the sky, the bone-chilling cold wind hit his face. It also made his black windbreaker flutter. ¡°There are new crops to be harvested. I feel so happy.¡±

 CH 255.2

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    The next day at the Cloud battlefront, everyone was busy as usual. In every Great Ninja War, the five great villages had one tacit understanding. This was that at the beginning of the war, the battles were to be initiated first on the land of the small neighboring nations.


    The Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire were separated by the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost. In fact, these two small nations could be regarded as vassal states of the big nations in a certain sense. The Land of Hot Water inclined towards the Land of Fire, while the Land of Frost towards the Land of Lightning.


    At the beginning of the war, both sides fought on the borders of the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water. It could be said that Kumo was recognized as the second-largest village in the Ninja World. Konoha¡¯s combat power on this battlefront was no less than that on the western front.


    In the beginning, both sides were engaging in probing attacks. Hence, the scale of the ninjas dispatched by them was not very different. After all, they still had to keep an eye on the war terrain. In a fight between twenty thousand ordinary ninjas and ten thousand ordinary ninjas in a special terrain, the numbers alone wouldn¡¯t have any significant advantage.


    On the contrary, the ninjas wouldn¡¯t be able to exert their full strength because they were too densely crowded. At such time, the battle outcome depended on the peak combat powers.


    The commander of Kumo was Quasi Yondaime Raikage ¡®A¡¯, and Konoha¡¯s side happened to have Namikaze Minato who had restrained him. Therefore, the overall battle situation was evenly matched at the beginning. But not long ago, Killer B became the perfect jinchuriki and joined the battle.


    This time, due to the disadvantage in the peak combat powers, Konoha had to retreat steadily. They were beaten back all the way out of the Land of Hot Water, and could only stick to the Konoha border. Under tremendous pressure, Minato¡¯s strength grew rapidly.


    Relying on Flying Thunder God Technique, Rasengan, Summoning Technique, and Sage Mode, he was able to gradually fight one against two. Sometimes, innate talent was this inconceivable.


    In this war, Sandaime Raikage had never made a move from the very beginning. He was letting Quasi Yondaime Raikage earn enough military achievements.


    But now that the war had fallen into a stalemate, and a large number of Cloud ninjas were dying every day, Sandaime Raikage finally couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. He set off from Kumo, and leading a large number of elite troops, he rushed towards the Cloud battlefront.


    The moment Konoha learned about this, they began to discuss who to send as reinforcements for the forces led by Minato. According to general wisdom, since Sandaime Raikage made a move, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was known as the strongest Hokage, should also follow suit.


    But now, Hiruzen felt that he had aged. Moreover, he had already turned into a politician who schemed for power. He was no longer a pure ninja. He had already lost the heart of a powerhouse.


    At this time, Uzumaki Kushina stepped forward. When all was said and done, the opponent¡¯s side had dispatched the eight-tailed jinchuriki, so it was not inappropriate for Konoha to dispatch its own nine-tailed jinchuriki as well.


    In addition, Kushina¡¯s Adamantine Sealing Chains could perfectly restrain tailed beasts. Therefore, Hiruzen agreed to her request to join the battle.


    On the border, at Konoha¡¯s last line of defense, Minato and Kushina stood on the head of Gamabunta, watching the swarm of humans appearing on the distant horizon.


    This was Kushina¡¯s first time on the battlefield, so she couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit nervous. Her palms were drenched with sweat. At this moment, a warm palm tightly held her hand. She turned her head to look over and saw Minato smiling gently at her. He said, ¡°You stay here for now and assist me later. You must remember to give priority to your safety at all times. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


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    Kushina¡¯s mood eased a lot. She smiled slightly and replied, ¡°You also have to be careful.¡± Minato nodded his head slightly. Then, as if suddenly something came to his mind, he paused and said to Kushina, ¡°I¡¯ve got a piece of good news for you. I had received intelligence of the western battlefront. Tonan was able to stop the allied forces of the two countries by himself. Come on, we can¡¯t lose to our student.¡±


    A look of pleasant surprise flashed through Kushina¡¯s face when she heard Minato. She exclaimed, ¡°Really? Has Tonan already grown up so much?¡± Immediately, she bared her fangs and clenched her fists. She waved them fiercely toward the air and said, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t let Tonan think less of me in that case!¡±

 CH 256.1

    Notes:


    Killer B¡¯s eight-tailed beast, Hachibi, is called Gyuki. It has four long horns on its head, similar to that of a sheep. Similarly, the nine-tailed beast is called Kurama


    In the distance, the Cloud ninjas pushed the battle line to the narrow entrance of the battlefield and stopped. Sandaime Raikage stood in front of the crowd with his hands folded in front of his chest. He looked at Konoha¡¯s formation and asked in a confident voice, ¡°Is that the yellow-haired brat who blocked you two?¡±


    Quasi Yondaime Raikage ¡®A¡¯ clenched his fists tightly. With reluctance written all over his face, he replied, ¡°Yes, that fellow knows time and space ninjutsu, and he is very slippery.¡±


    Killer B waved his hands. He strengthened his chest and rapped, ¡°Yo yo, very slippery¡­ Can¡¯t hit him, can¡¯t hit him, ya ya, maintain the rhythm.¡±


    Sandaime Raikage narrowed his eyes slightly and moved his gaze to Uzumaki Kushina. He then asked, ¡°Is that red-haired female ninja Konoha¡¯s jinchuriki from the information we received?¡±


    Killer B clenched his fists and stretched out his arms. In his rhythmic style, he answered, ¡°Oh¡­ jinchuriki, just like me, a jinchuriki¡­ Gyuki, this fella, he is ready, ready to start wiggling.¡±


    Sandaime Raikage touched his chin with his hand and said in a deep voice, ¡°You two proceed first. If you cannot defeat them, I¡¯ll make a move.¡± Quasi Yondaime Raikage ¡®A¡¯ was already impatient for some time now. On receiving the instruction, he immediately rushed forward and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s go, B!¡±


    A crimson-colored chakra erupted all over Killer B¡¯s body. He dashed after ¡®A¡¯ while strangely calling out, ¡°Yo, maintain the rhythm.¡±


    Over at Konoha¡¯s side, seeing the same two old opponents rushing over, Namikaze Minato, who was standing on the head of Gamabunta, glanced at Kushina. He firmly instructed, ¡°I¡¯ll lead this, you bring up the rear.¡±


    Immediately afterward, he threw dozens of specially made kunai with both hands and shouted, ¡°Everyone, retreat, don¡¯t get injured accidentally.¡±


    The moment the kunai fell to the ground, Minato disappeared from where he was and in a flash reappeared right in the center of the battlefield. ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B looked at each other and together used their moves in a well-practiced way.


    ¡°Lightning Style ¨C Double Lariat!¡±


    ¡°Lightning Style ¨C Double Lariat!¡±


    Boom¡­ The two attacked Minato from the front at the same time. But in an instant, Minato disappeared again and appeared on the other side of the battlefield.


    ¡°Damn it! This fellow is too troublesome.¡± ¡®A¡¯ was so angry that his eyes were wide open. It was exactly like this every time they faced each other. They couldn¡¯t hit this person at all. At this time, ¡®A¡¯ used his muscle brain to formulate the best strategy he could think of for this battle.


    ¡°B, let me fight with him. You go and deal with that nine-tailed jinchuriki.¡± As soon as he said this, ¡®A¡¯ rushed towards Minato. ¡°Lightning style ¨C One Finger Assault.¡±


    ¡°Yo yo, Gyuki already can¡¯t hold it back anymore.¡± After yelling this out, Killer B¡¯s body was covered with a red-tailed beast cloak. He turned into a fiery red light and rushed towards Kushina, who was standing on top of Gamabunta¡¯s head.


    Gamabunta held the samurai sword at his waist a little nervously and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Kushina, do you need my help?¡± Kushina was circulating chakra within her body at this moment. She speedily made hand seals and said, ¡°No need, I¡¯m better at dealing with tailed beasts. After all, I¡¯m an Uzumaki descendent.¡±


    She clapped her hands and shouted, ¡°Adamantine Sealing Chains.¡± In the next instance, countless thick golden chains emerged from her back and attacked the oncoming Killer B.


    Seeing the attack, Killer B¡¯s eyes condensed. He dodged from left to right to avoid the golden chains chasing after him while closing the distance between him and Kushina. However, mid-way, the chains blocked him successfully. And before he could struggle, they bound him tightly like flexible snakes.


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    ¡°What the hell is this awful thing? Yo yo¡­ is this bondage, yo yo.¡± Killer B struggled hard to free himself. Six tails appeared from his tailed beast cloak, and the beast cloak turned into Gyuki¡¯s outline but it was still of no avail. At the same time, Killer B in the tailed beast cloak muttered, ¡°Is the Nine-tails suppressed by this thing? It¡¯s so difficult to deal with it.¡±


    There was a spiritual link between tailed beasts. The nine-tailed beast Kurama in Kushina¡¯s body said in a deep voice, ¡°Hachibi, it seems you have submitted to the ninja. You have thrown away the dignity of the tailed beasts. It¡¯s truly infuriating.¡±


    Eight-tails retorted, ¡°Killer B and I are partners, but you and your jinchuriki are not the same. I never thought that I would meet you again. And now that I have, you are in such a miserable state.¡±


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    This sentence stimulated Kurama¡¯s self-esteem. He tugged the golden chains that bound his body and furiously shouted, ¡°Kushina, beat him.¡± Kushina¡¯s red hair was fluttering as she was controlling the chains. With a smug expression on her face, she replied, ¡°I wanted to do that for a long time.¡±


    In the next moment, the free golden chains twisted together, turning into an even bigger chain, and ferociously slammed toward Killer B. Bang¡­ The crimson bullhead was immediately beaten to one side.


    Seeing Gyuki being taught a lesson, the rage in Kurama¡¯s heart dissipated a little. He then said in a cold voice with some good intentions, ¡°I just happened to be restrained here. I advise you that it would be better for you to go fight with that yellow-haired kid. This thing especially restrains tailed beasts. Your jinchuriki is as stupid as you.¡±


    Gyuki within Killer B¡¯s body suddenly became angry and roared, ¡°Damn it! Today, I¡¯ll let this fox see my true strength.¡±

 CH 256.2

    After being stimulated by Kurama¡¯s taunt, Gyuki, the crimson bullhead, opened its mouth and a pitch-black Tailed Beast Ball condensed in front of it. Killer B¡¯s voice also came from the oxhead¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Yo yo, Tailed Beast Ball.¡± Seeing this, all the Leaf ninjas behind Uzumaki Kushina panicked and retreated far away. Kushina, on the other hand, didn¡¯t show any fear. In terms of strength, she didn¡¯t think that she was the strongest. However, when it came to suppressing tailed beasts, if anyone said she was second, no one else would dare to claim first place.


    She placed her palms together and her eyes narrowed. The thick golden chain slapped the side of the bullhead fiercely, making it turn by ninety degrees. The tailed beast ball in front of its mouth was also released early due to this attack. The pitch-black-tailed beast ball flew far away and crashed into a distant hill.


    Boom¡­ A huge mushroom-shaped cloud rose and blew up most of the hill. Immediately afterward, Kushina controlled the thick golden chain and kept Killer B firmly bound.


    Boom¡­


    Boom¡­


    ¡­¡­


    On the top of the mountain in the distance, Uchiha Tonan stood on the edge of the cliff and stared at the battlefield. At this moment, ¡®A¡¯ was like an angry bull, whereas Namikaze Minato had turned into a bullfighter, constantly playing with him, and making him run in circles.


    Killer B¡¯s tragic situation made Tonan show a rare expression of deep sympathy. ¡°Innate restraint¡­ he¡¯s truly miserable¡­¡± One should know that during the Nine-tails rebellion in the original work, even though Kushina was extremely weak, she could use the Adamantine Sealing Chains to restrain it.


    Not to mention, at this moment, she was almost at her peak state, and on the other side was the eight-tailed beast who was weaker than the Nine-tails. Fighting it was simply like toying around for Kushina.


    ¡°Letting a jinchuriki fight against an opponent who specializes in restraining tailed beasts¡­ Are all ninjas of Kumo so stupid¡­¡± Looking at the golden chains flying up and down, Tonan¡¯s eyes were filled with greed as he muttered, ¡°This thing should belong to me.¡±


    At the Cloud battlefront, Sandaime Raikage watched the battles of ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B, and veins burst in his forehead. He said with great anger, ¡°No wonder the war has been at a stalemate. Those two fellows don¡¯t even know how to pick their opponents. They only pick those who naturally restrain them. This fellow ¡®A¡¯ doesn¡¯t seem to have inherited my clever mind at all.¡±


    The face of a Cloud ninja beside him twitched involuntarily when he heard these words. And he asked with a bright smile, ¡°Raikage-sama, are you going to make a move?¡± Sandaime Raikage nodded his head and leaned forward. He slightly bent his legs and said, ¡°I just happened to want to catch the Nine Tails Jinchuriki in one fell swoop. This kind of powerful war weapon is more suitable for Kumo.¡±


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    Boom¡­ An ear-deafening sonic boom was heard. A large circular pit appeared on the ground where Sandaime Raikage stood just before. Everyone saw a faint blue lightning rushing towards Kushina, who was taming Killer B, at a high speed.


    Minato, who had the fastest reaction speed, saw this and his pupils shrunk. He thought to himself, ¡°Damn!¡± He immediately threw several Flying Thunder God kunai in Kushina¡¯s direction, wanting to save her.


    But as soon as the kunai flew out, ¡®A¡¯ intercepted it. And with a smug smile on his face, he sneered, ¡°Want to go? No way!¡± Seeing this, Minato¡¯s face looked extremely ugly. He used the Flying Thunder God Technique and appeared in another part of the battlefield.


    Afterward, while throwing kunai, he loudly shouted, ¡°Bunta! What¡¯s that thing?¡±


    Gamabunta under Kushina¡¯s feet, who was also paying attention to the overall battlefield situation, noticed the human-shaped lightning rushing quickly toward this direction. He immediately exerted strength on his limbs and jumped high towards the rear.


    Kushina¡¯s golden chains that bound Killer B were also retracted quickly, and they rushed towards that human-shaped lightning that was flying through the battlefield towards them. But it was a pity that Sandaime Raikage¡¯s speed was too fast. The golden chains were unable to touch him at all.


    ¡°This thing is useless against me.¡± A look of disdain appeared on his face. He jumped up and tried to grab Kushina with his hand.


    ¡°Damn it, can¡¯t hit at all.¡± Kushina¡¯s pupils dilated suddenly and she desperately controlled the golden chains to stop him. But the speed at which the golden chains retracted was completely unable to keep up with Sandaime Raikage.


    As for Minato¡¯s specially made kunai, it was still in the air. It was still some distance away from this place. Most of the other Leaf ninjas hadn¡¯t even gotten the time to react. Even a few jonin who were not weak in strength just saw a bolt of lightning.


    They just thought that someone from Kumo had released lightning-style ninjutsu at Kushina. Only Hatake Kakashi, who already possessed the strength of a jonin and had been paying attention to Sandaime Raikage noticed it. The thought of wanting to help appeared in his mind but his body was still standing in the same spot. He had no time to react at all.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ move.¡±


    At this moment, Sandaime Raikage had already appeared in front of Kushina. He shouted arrogantly, ¡°The Nine Tails Jinchuriki belongs to me now.¡± In Kushina¡¯s trembling eyes, the big hand covered in lightning-attributed chakra was enlarging rapidly. A deep sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart.


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    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡±

 CH 257.1

    Just at the critical moment, when all hope seemed to be lost¡­


    Crackle, crackle, crackle¡­ Ear-piercing electric sounds were heard throughout the battlefield, and a dazzling light flew straight toward Sandaime Raikage from the distance. The Raikage¡¯s eyes narrowed and he crossed his hands in front of him. Right in the next moment, a lightning-covered fist hit his arm.


    Boom¡­ A deafening sound of an explosion was heard and Sandaime Raikage was sent back flying, turning into a blue electric light. The moment he landed on the ground, he stamped his feet hard to hold on but he still slid back hundreds of meters, setting off a long trail of smoke and dust.


    At the same time, Uchiha Tonan, who was wearing a black windbreaker, landed firmly on top of Gamabunta¡¯s head, the dark material gently fluttering behind him making everything around motionless. The entire battlefield fell into deathly silence for a while.


    Soon after, as everyone came back to their senses, all eyes were locked on the person on top of Gamabunta¡¯s head in great shock. Everyone loudly exclaimed and began talking in simultaneous conversations¡­


    ¡°Tonan!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Tonan-kun!¡± ¡°Is that Uchiha Tonan?¡±


    ¡°Hokage-sama sent him over to support us.¡± ¡°How long has it been? How come he feels so different from the time when I saw him in the village?¡±


    ¡°It must be because of the battlefield. After being tempered by blood and war, how can he still resemble his former self?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Tonan had arrived at the battlefield long before this battle had started. The reason why he chose right this moment to appear and not a second earlier, was obviously to increase the shock factor. Like this, he could get twice the result with half the effort in gaining acknowledgments.


    ¡°I have to pretend again.¡± Tonan thought to himself in his heart. He turned his head to Uzumaki Kushina and showed a gentle smile. He asked, ¡°Kushina-senpai, are you alright?¡±


    Kushina was stunned for a moment. She looked at Tonan whose height was about the same as hers and answered in a daze, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Tonan gave a small smile as if to reassure her, and turned his head to look at Sandaime Raikage who was standing in the center of the battlefield again. He then leisurely said to her, ¡°Leave Sandaime Raikage to me.¡±


    The Raikage in the distance was worth his experience. He didn¡¯t attack rashly and instead looked at ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B and instructed, ¡°You two, come back.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, just a bit more and my tactics would have succeeded!¡± ¡®A¡¯ was completely unwilling but he had no choice. He reluctantly walked toward the Kumo battlefront and shouted out loud, ¡°B! Come back here quickly.¡±


    Upon hearing ¡®A¡¯, Killer B dispelled his tailed beast transformation and turned around. He walked away while swaying his hips sensationally. ¡°Lost the fight, yo yo¡­ Change people, yeah yeah, maintain this gorgeous rhythm¡­¡±


    On the battlefield, almost everyone¡¯s gaze was focused on Sandaime Raikage and Tonan. But only Namikaze Minato noticed something different. His figure flashed and appeared beside Hatake Kakashi. He then pulled Kakashi and left. No one knew where they went.


    Tonan watched Sandaime Raikage quietly maintaining a stalemate of sorts for some time. He then took off his black windbreaker neither hurriedly nor slowly. Suddenly, Gamabunta¡¯s displeased voice came from under his feet. ¡°You little brat, don¡¯t stand on my head!¡±


    Gamabunta knew that Tonan had killed Senju Tsunade, and forced Jiraiya to defect. Therefore, he didn¡¯t have any good impression of Tonan in his heart. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that both of them belonged to the same side right now, based on his violent temper, he would have already cursed Tonan a long time ago.


    When Tonan heard Gamabunta¡¯s words, a hint of pallid light flashed through his eyes. He squinted his eyes a little and coldly said, ¡°Oh? What a disobedient summoning beast!¡±


    In the next moment, he lifted his left leg and stomped lightly. Bang¡­ Tonan stepped lightly but Gamabunta felt like he was hit on the head with great force, and his head instantly entered the ground.


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    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Seeing this situation, Kushina quickly persuaded Tonan, ¡°Tonan, this is Minato¡¯s summoning beast.¡± Tonan nodded his head lightly and indifferently said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is wartime, but this summoning beast is making the other side feel that we are not united enough. So it needs to be taught a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Gamabunta¡¯s entire head had sunk into the mud. He was furious and wanted to curse Tonan but he was also afraid of Tonan¡¯s strength. His move just now gave Gamabunta an inexplicable sense of powerlessness. After hesitating for a while in his heart, he chose to endure for the time being.


    In the distance, Sandaime Raikage carefully sized up Tonan and began to analyze the information in his mind. ¡°According to the intelligence I received, this little kid¡¯s ninjutsu is very powerful. Moreover, he has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan just like Uchiha Madara. So, his ninjutsu and genjutsu are both very impressive. But judging from that punch just now, his taijutsu should also be very strong.¡±


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    ¡°Is he a ninja with perfect ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu without any flaws? No, the intelligence also said that every time this kid fights with all his strength, he will suffer a serious backlash. It seems he is over-drafting his body in exchange for powerful strength. Since it¡¯s like this, the best tactic would be¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t care about anything else, hit him directly!¡±


    Sandaime Raikage directly threw out the nauseating and complicated information in his mind and yelled at Tonan, ¡°Uchiha Tonan, I¡¯ve heard of you. You killed Suna¡¯s Kazekage.¡±


    At this moment, Tonan had already taken off his black windbreaker. He held it with one hand and narrowed his eyes slightly. He calmly replied, ¡°Senior Raikage, I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you and wanted to ask for advice for a long time.¡±


    Behind, Kushina said with a worried look, ¡°Tonan, he¡¯s very strong, you¡¯ve to be careful.¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth curled up a little, and he slowly said word for word, ¡°I¡¯m also very strong.¡±

 CH 257.2

    After replying to Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Tonan gently threw away his windbreaker. The black cloak rapidly fell to the ground. As soon as it touched the ground, a big cloud of dust rose.


    Boom¡­ Everyone felt the ground tremor and they looked at Tonan with shocked expressions. Now, just a thin shirt was left on Tonan¡¯s upper body but the muscles underneath it were bulging one after another as if they were about to burst open.


    Bang¡­ Bang¡­ Buttons were sent flying in every direction. In the next moment, a powerful chakra current erupted from Tonan¡¯s entire body, which blew his hair to stand erect. His entire image was electrifying, as if exuding raw power. The shirt on his body also ripped open, revealing his upper body which was as vigorous as a horned dragon. In addition, the entire person seemed to have even become several inches taller.


    Over at the Konoha battlefront, gulping sounds could be heard one after another and the gazes of people were even more colorful. Some looked stunned, while some had a look of awe and worship. Some had even forgotten that they were in the midst of a battlefield and were even drooling.


    Uchiha Obito caught a glimpse of Nohara Rin¡¯s starry eyes beside him. He grabbed his hair in distress and said, ¡°Why is Tonan always taller than me?¡±


    ¡°This little devil¡¯s age is about the same as Kakashi. He is not that old. But those muscles¡­¡±


    ¡°He matured early.¡± ¡°This is completely ripe¡­¡±


    ¡°This should be the result of his training. The weight of that windbreaker alone can crush me to death.¡±


    ¡°The intensity of his training must be too abnormal.¡± ¡°I just want to feel the muscles on his body.¡±


    On top of Gamabunta¡¯s head, Tonan pointed at Sandaime Raikage and waved his hand. He said, ¡°Old man, you are a little too close. Step back to avoid hurting the innocent.¡±


    Sandaime Raikage had a violent temper. How could he endure such provoking words? His entire body released a powerful electric current and he shouted ferociously, ¡°Little brat, you are very haughty. Only one punch is enough to take care of you.¡±


    Tonan tilted his head slightly and activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. Then with a very arrogant look, he said, ¡°Old man, it seems you don¡¯t want to step back. Then, let me knock you back.¡±


    As soon as he threw out these words, Tonan exerted strength on his legs, and at the same time used the Thunder Spirit Wind Flash.


    Boom! A powerful blast appeared on Gamabunta¡¯s head. The counterforce of this attack was so great that Gamabunta had to cancel the Summoning Technique. He disappeared from the battlefield, changing into a ball of white smoke.


    In the blink of an eye, Tonan had already appeared in front of Sandaime Raikage. His entire body was full of lightning-attributed chakra that stimulated his cells. The earth-attributed chakra strengthened his defense and weight. And the wind-attributed chakra controlled the airflow around his entire body in order to reduce the drag force.


    The Mangekyo Sharingan enhanced his dynamic vision. Finally, there was the boost of monstrous strength. He had attacked Sandaime Raikage like an explosive arrow. His speed was unfathomable.


    Sandaime Raikage¡¯s eyes shrunk. His fists and legs followed Tonan¡¯s fighting rhythm, and he counterattacked.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang¡­ Due to Tonan¡¯s momentum boost, Sandaime Raikage was forced to retreat continuously. The two people moved so fast that ordinary ninjas couldn¡¯t even track their movements. All they could see was the dazzling lights moving toward the center of the battlefield at an abnormally high speed.


    They could also hear the sounds of rapid sonic booms exploding in their ears. This battle seemed to have become the main stage of two powerhouses, and the ninjas on both sides seemed to have turned into mere spectators. This battle was already out of their hands.


    ¡°This¡­ is this taijutsu?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not pure taijutsu, both of them are using nin-taijutsu to fight.¡±


    ¡°Is this innate talent? I¡¯m afraid that even the Hokage-sama is not so strong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Uchiha clan is about to rise again.¡±


    ¡°There was a piece of news before that Tonan defeated Sandaime Kazekage. If he defeats Raikage also¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand what you mean, but isn¡¯t he just too young? Perhaps, it¡¯s too early for him to be the Hokage.¡±


    ¡°Too young? At his age, I had left the battlefield of that time and two years later, I had a child.¡±


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    ¡°Konoha has given birth to a Ninja World¡¯s malevolent spirit again.¡±


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    While everyone was immersed in their conversations, Kushina could not help but look at Tonan in disbelief.


    ¡°Has Tonan already grown to this point?¡± She muttered to herself as the once lonely and helpless figure curled up in the dark alley reappeared in her mind.

 CH 258.1

    On the battlefield, the two people fought with their bodies, discarding the conventional ninjas fighting style. Sandaime Raikage relied on his Lightning Style Armor, which was known as the absolute defense. Due to this, he was not afraid of any kind of head-on battle.


    As for Uchiha Tonan, he had the bonus of Adamantine Body and Soft Physique Modification, which belonged to both external and internal cultivation respectively. His physical defense was not inferior to that of the Raikage from any perspective.


    But after Tonan¡¯s momentum was exhausted, he fell into a disadvantageous position. This was because the Sandaime Raikage had rich experience in hand-to-hand combat, and Tonan was not a pure taijutsu ninja. This was the first time he was fighting with just his physical body.


    However, what he lacked in ability, he made up for with abundant knowledge. Especially after he performed a large number of human experiments, his understanding of the human body was far beyond that of ordinary people.


    Tonan was very clear about which muscle had the strongest explosive power, and which joint was the weakest or the least sensitive under the given situation. Relying on his profound knowledge, his movements became better as the battle continued, and he seized back the advantageous position he had in the beginning, making the Raikage go on the defensive again.


    Especially under the effect of Soft Physique Modification, Tonan¡¯s moves were extremely tricky. Coupled with their extremely fast movement speed, Sandaime Raikage¡¯s previous hand-to-hand combat experiences were almost useless.


    Boom¡­ The two people¡¯s fists collided, and a huge circular crater appeared on the ground around them. Also, when their fists collided, it gave birth to a violent shockwave, and sand and stones flew across the battlefield as if a sandstorm had been set off.


    When the shockwave blew into the Konoha battlefront, everyone squinted their eyes and lowered their bodies. In addition, the surrounding became dark, grayish, and chaotic.


    Swish¡­ The two people jumped back simultaneously as if they had a tacit understanding among themselves and dispersed their remaining energy. They then stood across the deep crater facing each other.


    Sandaime Raikage¡¯s entire face was red and his eyes were filled with a fanatic look as he excitedly said, ¡°Little kid, I¡¯m very surprised. And it¡¯s too unexpected. I like you very much. It¡¯s truly satisfying.¡±


    Ding! Gained ¡®A¡¯s acknowledgment.


    A meaningful smile appeared on Tonan¡¯s face, and he replied, ¡°What a coincidence, I like you too.¡± Both the Sandaime Raikage and Quasi Yondaime Raikage of Kumo would abandon their original names and would be called ¡®A¡¯.


    Tonan had never thought that Sandaime Raikage would acknowledge him because of his strength. That¡¯s right, both the emotional and intelligence quotients of this kind of very simple-minded fellows were approaching zero.


    It¡¯s as difficult as ascending heaven in one step to gain their acknowledgment through emotion and belief. But it¡¯s very simple using physical powers. After thinking about it, Tonan squatted on the ground and placed his hands on it. He then circulated the senjutsu chakra within his body.


    Thump, thump, thump¡­ The sound of a heart beating like thunder could be heard throughout the battlefield. The muscles on Tonan¡¯s body became full again. Moreover, along with the rhythm of the heartbeat, the muscles expanded and shrunk again and again.


    In the Kumo battlefront, Killer B kept nodding his head, stretched out his hands, waved them, and said, ¡°Yo yo¡­ this is the rhythm¡­¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ frowned and said in a deep voice, ¡°Shut up, B.¡± As for Sandaime Raikage, the fanatical look on his face had increased some more and the lightning armor around his body had become more and more excited.


    Rumble¡­ The muscles all over Tonan¡¯s body bulged like a dragon¡¯s and his entire body emitted an extreme feeling of strength. The ground around him cracked inch by inch like a spider web, and the small stones floated in mid-air as if they had escaped the gravitational force.


    In both Konoha and Kumo battlefronts, there was not one person who could stay calm. They were either shocked or in awe. In this battle, Tonan wanted to show his great momentum and his character. He wanted to show off enough to gain more acknowledgments.


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    Tonan raised his head a little and stared at Sandaime Raikage. He said, ¡°Are you ready?¡± Sandaime Raikage didn¡¯t answer. He just clenched his fists tightly and the Lightning Style Armor around his body instantly became several times thicker.


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    Boom¡­ On the battlefield, a huge crater appeared in the place where Tonan was standing just a moment ago. Then the two people¡¯s figures completely disappeared from everyone¡¯s field of vision. Earth-shaking sounds of explosions were continuously heard all over the battlefield.


    People could only see the electric current surging in the air and sparks erupting all over the place.


    Bang, bang, bang, bang¡­ In the Konoha battlefront, Namikaze Minato took Hatake Kakashi back to the side of Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. He had returned just in time to come across this fierce battle scene.


    Minato¡¯s dynamic response had already far surpassed the average people¡¯s dynamic vision, but now, even he could only see afterimages left of the moments when those two people collided.


    On the ground, huge craters appeared from time to time as if invisible meteorites were hitting the ground one after another. Everyone could only rely on the deep craters that appeared on the ground to judge where those two people had landed to borrow the strength.


    Kakashi stared intently at the battlefield, but he couldn¡¯t see the figure of those two people. He muttered with a shocked look, ¡°So strong¡­¡±


    Minato¡¯s forehead was a little soaked by cold sweat as well. He could not help but think of what would have happened if Tonan was not here. ¡°If Tonan hadn¡¯t appeared in time, I would¡¯ve had to face such a powerful opponent. With such speed, I might not be able to dodge him even with my Flying Thunder God.¡±


    Immediately afterward, he couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°Tonan has already surpassed me. Such a battle makes my blood boil.¡± Obito and Rin on one side weren¡¯t thinking as much as their sensei.


    Obito clenched his fists with excitement written all over his face. He then raised it and shouted, ¡°Tonan, you can do it!¡±


    Rin also placed her hands in front of her mouth and yelled, ¡°Tonan, you can do it.¡±


    The cheer may have stimulated everyone because soon afterward, all the ninjas in the entire Konoha battlefront began shouting¡­.


    ¡°Tonan, you can do it.¡±


    ¡°Tonan, you can do it.¡±

 CH 258.2

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    Uchiha Obito yelled a few times before he noticed that Hatake Kakashi and Namikaze Minato were already next to him. He looked at Kakashi with a confused expression and asked, ¡°Kakashi, why aren¡¯t you cheering for Tonan?¡±


    Kakashi was dumbfounded for a moment and felt a little embarrassed. He then took a deep breath and shouted along with everyone else, ¡°Tonan, you can do it!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Ding! Gained Sarutobi Jushin¡¯s acknowledgment. Ding! Gained Aburame Chigau¡¯s acknowledgment. Ding! Gained Sarutobi Kitaku¡¯s acknowledgment. Ding! Gained Kurama Shi¡¯s acknowledgment. Ding! Gained Shimura Tohito¡¯s acknowledgment.


    ¡­¡­


    Listening to the continuous system prompts coming all at once, the strength in Tonan¡¯s hands became even stronger. After activating the Sage Mode, he had a boost in all aspects and he was practically holding Sandaime Raikage down.


    That being said, Sandaime Raikage¡¯s Lightning Style Armor was a bit too hard and difficult to deal with. Even if Tonan hit him several times, he was unable to break through Sandaime Raikage¡¯s defense. In just a few breaths, the two of them had already collided innumerable times.


    Sandaime Raikage seemed to feel that he was in a disadvantageous situation. Therefore, he immediately gave up the defense, and looking for an opportunity, he uppercut Tonan¡¯s chin from bottom to top.


    Tonan, however, opened his right fist, turning it into a palm, and blocked the oncoming punch. But under the effect of the repulsive force, he was sent flying.


    Now! Sandaime Raikage had already calculated where Tonan would land in an instant. Then, the electric current covering his right hand suddenly surged, and at the same time, he shouted, ¡°Hell Stab ¨C Four-Fingered Crossbeam Hand!¡±


    In the next moment, Sandaime Raikage turned into a bolt of lightning and rushed towards Tonan¡¯s landing point as per his calculation. In the mid-air, Tonan¡¯s Mangekyo Sharingan began to spin rapidly and his dynamic vision was enhanced to the extreme.


    The entire world seemed to have paused in his eyes. The sounds of wind, lightning, and cheers seemed to have disappeared. And everyone¡¯s movements and expressions were frozen. The only people that were moving in the entire world were him and Sandaime Raikage.


    At the same time, the Raikage¡¯s speed was just about the same as that of an ordinary ninja while using the Body Flicker Technique. And the timing of the attack was perfect. Since that was the case¡­


    ¡°Ha!¡± Just when Tonan was about three meters away from the ground, he suddenly opened his mouth and let out a breath. The powerful air current immediately interrupted his momentum and the entire person seemed to be stuck in the air at this moment.


    And Sandaime Raikage¡¯s Four-Fingered Crossbeam Hand just happened to arrive at that time, stabbing the empty air. Damn! The Raikage¡¯s pupils shrunk suddenly and in the scene that reflected in his eyes, a figure slowly entered his field of vision. ¡°I¡¯m using all my strength. I can¡¯t retract it!¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose slightly and he kicked Sandaime Raikage heavily. Bang! The huge smoke and dust rose and it was unknown how many unlucky Cloud ninjas were killed. Everything happened in an instant. Most of the ninjas couldn¡¯t even see the process of the Raikage flying backward.


    ¡°Father!¡± ¡®A¡¯ roared and rushed into the cloud of smoke and dust. Killer B also stopped rapping at this time and rushed in with him. As for Tonan, he gently landed on the ground but he didn¡¯t follow up with his attack. He just proudly stood in his place and stared straight at the center of the smoke and dust cloud.


    The scene was silent for a moment. In the next moment, the Leaf ninjas shouted frantically as if the pot had been blown up.


    ¡°We won!¡± ¡°Long Live Tonan-kun!¡± ¡°Long Live Tonan-kun!¡± ¡°Tonan-kun is the strongest!¡±


    Ding! Gained Sarutobi Ichiro¡¯s acknowledgment. Ding! Gained Shimura Junsuke¡¯s acknowledgment. Ding! Gained Sarutobi¡­¡­ Ding! Ding!¡­


    He gained too many acknowledgments, causing the system prompts to overlap once again. After a long time, the dust and smoke dissipated.


    With ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B¡¯s support, Sandaime Raikage walked to the front of the Kumo battlefront. When they saw that the Raikage was still alive, Konoha¡¯s side stopped cheering.


    ¡°Prepare for battle!¡± Minato shouted, and the Leaf ninjas took battle stances one after another. Under normal circumstances, at this moment, Tonan should rush forward to deal with the injured Sandaime Raikage.


    Then, Konoha¡¯s morale would soar, and they would be able to annihilate the Kumo army in one fell swoop, seizing this war¡¯s victory. But for Tonan, the main purpose of today¡¯s battle was to just set up his character and show off. He had no intention of killing Sandaime Raikage.


    At this time, Suna had already lost most of its combat power and it was about to announce its surrender. If Kumo was also defeated here, then Konoha, with its morale soared, wouldn¡¯t need him. Konoha would be able to deal with both Iwa and Kiri without him.


    This, however, was not beneficial to Tonan¡¯s follow-up plans. Only with sufficient external pressure, could he maximize his benefits.


    Uzumaki Kushina must return to Konoha to ensure that she would be safe enough to give birth to Naruto smoothly in the future. Obito had to be buried to death so that he would have the opportunity to come into contact with Uchiha Madara, and also get Madara¡¯s guidance along the way. And Nohara Rin must die so that Obito could awaken the Kamui.


    Tonan didn¡¯t know if the butterfly effect would change their fates. But it didn¡¯t matter as long as the war didn¡¯t end. If they didn¡¯t follow the original tragic trajectories, he didn¡¯t mind being a behind-the-scenes helper and pushing them into the abyss.


    If the worst came to worst, he would just pretend to be a Stone ninja to bury Obito to death, and then give the Three-tails to Rin as well.

 CH 258.3

    ¡°Cough, cough¡­ I¡¯m fine, you guys, get out of my way.¡± Sandaime Raikage stretched out his hands to push ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B away. He stood upright and took a deep breath. Staring at Uchiha Tonan, he loudly asked,  ¡°Why did you hold back in that attack? Obviously, we are enemies.¡±


    Immediately after he spoke, the Leaf ninjas once again burst into hushed conversations. ¡°What? Tonan actually held back!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so confusing. But that person is our enemy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, if we won the war, we can return home.¡± ¡°Perhaps, Tonan has spent a lot of energy and his strength was not enough at the last moment.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like he has exhausted his energy. As I see it, he is too arrogant.¡± ¡°Yes, this is the virtue of all the Uchiha clan members.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, lower your voice. If it weren¡¯t for Tonan, we would have all been done for this time.¡±


    ¡°I was just complaining a little bit. I hope that Tonan can beat the Raikage next time.¡±


    Including Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, all the others also had puzzled expressions. But when they heard surrounding ninjas saying that all Uchiha clan members were like this, they could also agree with this sentiment from the bottom of their hearts.


    When all was said and done, in their hearts, Tonan was always relatively kinder and more innocent. Since he made a mistake this time, they should just teach him and advise him properly later.


    Tonan stood up straight with his hands crossed in front of his chest. Then, looking in the direction of the Kumo battlefront, he said with a look of pity, ¡°You are a pretty good opponent. Without you, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll be too lonely in the future.¡±


    When he heard this explanation, a moving look appeared in Sandaime Raikage¡¯s eyes. He muttered, ¡°Is that what it is¡­¡± Tonan shouted back in reply, ¡°Go back and rest. I¡¯m looking forward to fighting with you again.¡±


    After speaking, he turned around and glanced sideways. With the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, he said, ¡°Next time, I won¡¯t show any mercy.¡±


    The Leaf ninjas looked at Tonan who was walking towards them in large strides with a complicated gaze. In their hearts, there was reverence, incomprehension, and even complaints¡­


    Tonan was not surprised because these varying reactions from the Leaf ninjas were well within his expectations. But, so what? It was as simple as turning his hand to deal with the Leaf ninjas. If anyone asked what Tonan was best at, the answer most certainly would be the ability to toy with people¡¯s hearts.


    In a matter of seconds, he could eliminate their dissatisfaction and even make them feel grateful towards him.


    Step, step, step, step, step¡­ The sounds of footsteps were very steady. But in the next moment, a scene that greatly shocked the Leaf ninjas appeared. Tonan¡¯s complexion suddenly became deathly pale and blood flowed out from his mouth. But he immediately raised his head a little and swallowed the blood.


    His eyes also began to bleed. The blood flowed out from the corners of his eyes, down his face to chin to the throat to the abdomen, and onto his pants.


    Minato instantly appeared beside him using the teleportation technique and extended his hand to support him. ¡°Tonan, you¡­¡±


    Tonan¡¯s expression condensed and while lowering his voice, he also used Wind Communication to transmit his voice to the ears of the Leaf ninjas. ¡°Don¡¯t support me!¡±


    ¡°Is this the backlash recorded in the information? It¡¯s so serious.¡± Minato¡¯s outstretched hands paused slightly and he took advantage of this moment to give Tonan a thumbs up. From the perspective of the Cloud ninjas in the distance behind Tonan, Minato was expressing his approval of him.


    Tonan frowned tightly but his footsteps were calm and steady. At that time, his mouth moved and his trembling, hoarse voice was heard in everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°Laugh, cheer, don¡¯t let them see the flaws.¡±


    A deep admiration instantly appeared in the eyes of all Leaf ninjas. In an instant, they believed that Tonan truly tried hard to win this battle but he was powerless to fight any longer. Therefore, he pretended to be strong and let Sandaime Raikage go. This was the best way to handle this because now the opponent would hesitate to attack a rat for fear of smashing the dishes.


    Some kind-hearted Leaf ninjas even had tears glistening in their eyes as they raised their hands and shouted¡­


    ¡°Long live Tonan-kun!¡±


    ¡°Long live Tonan-kun!¡±


    Ding! Gained Shimura Muru¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Ding! Gained Aburame Mizuku¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Ding! Gained Kurama Fusuke¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Ding! Gained Shimura Todoku¡¯s acknowledgment¡­ Ding! Gained Hyuga Kiku¡¯s acknowledgment¡­


    In the distance, Sandaime Raikage looked at Tonan¡¯s proud and straight back and sighed deeply. He said,  ¡°I had thought that Konoha will collapse after the setback of losing its sannin. But I never thought that¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems Konoha will rise again. Retreat. And just to be on the safe side, the army should withdraw from the Land of Hot Water and guard the border of the Land of Frost. After I have rested enough, I¡¯ll fight that little fellow again.¡±


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    After hearing Sandaime Raikage¡¯s order, ¡®A¡¯, who was standing beside him, said with some frustration in his heart, ¡°Father¡­¡±


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    In ¡®A¡¯s heart, Sandaime Raikage had always been synonymous with invincibility. But today, that myth was shattered by a nameless Konoha brat. For a moment, all Cloud ninjas including ¡®A¡¯ felt incomparably disinclined and confused.


    A warm expression appeared on Sandaime Raikage¡¯s face. He stretched out his hands to embrace Killer B and ¡®A¡¯, and gently said, ¡°Losing is losing. I, after all, am already old. The future of Kumo belongs to you all. You two have to work hard to reproduce the prestige of the combination of ¡®A¡¯ and B. That kid is much younger than you two, so work hard to overtake him.¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B looked at each other on hearing Sandaime Raikage¡¯s words, then nodded and solemnly replied to their father, ¡°Yes¡­¡±

 CH 259.1

    The Cloud ninjas retreated slowly under Sandaime Raikage¡¯s orders. Soon after that, Namikaze Minato signaled a few Leaf jonin he was familiar with. Taking the hint, these jonin surrounded them while cheering loudly and encircling Uchiha Tonan in the center.


    By this time, Tonan seemed to be unable to hold on any longer. He staggered and fell to the ground. Then he spat out a lot of blood as if it cost no money. Minato stretched out his hand to support him and said in a low voice, ¡°Tonan, you must hold on. The medical squad is coming.¡±


    Several jonin from the medical squad rushed into the crowd and came to Tonan¡¯s side. Then they took out medical instruments one by one from the storage scroll and began to examine different aspects of his condition.


    Tonan secretly used Soft Physique Modification to change the positions of his internal organs and bones, and then said with a frail look, ¡°You all don¡¯t need to worry, I¡¯ll be fine after resting for a while.¡±


    Uzumaki Kushina frowned and said, ¡°Tonan, don¡¯t talk, just close your eyes and rest, alright?¡± She then turned to the medical ninjas and asked in a deeply concerned voice, ¡°How is it? Is it serious?¡±


    At this moment, the medical ninjas who were in charge of examining Tonan had ghastly expressions. One of the medical-nin said, ¡°Squad leader, the initial examination shows that his internal organs have shifted.¡±


    Another one added, ¡°His blood is flowing in reverse.¡±


    ¡°His bones and joints are also misaligned.¡±


    ¡°His heartbeat rate is low, blood pressure is low, and his respiratory rate is also insufficient.¡±


    The surrounding Leaf ninjas inhaled a mouthful of cold air hearing the medical ninjas¡¯ reports.


    ¡°Are his injuries this serious?¡±


    ¡°You all must save Tonan.¡±


    A Leaf ninja who was standing outside the encirclement recalled how he had misunderstood Tonan just a moment ago. He slapped himself hard and with tears overflowing from his eyes, he said, ¡°I¡¯m truly not human.¡±


    The medical squad leader frowned and instructed, ¡°We must operate immediately. Inject the anesthesia.¡± The medical ninja in charge of anesthesia came over with a syringe and stabbed Tonan¡¯s arm. However, the needle didn¡¯t pierce through Tonan¡¯s skin no matter how he tried.


    Looking at that medical-nin in charge of anesthesia trying hard for a long time with his forehead full of sweat, Minato asked with confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


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    That medical-nin answered anxiously, ¡°His skin is too hard. The needle can¡¯t pierce through it.¡±


    The medical squad leader was startled to hear his subordinate¡¯s words.  He frowned and asked, ¡°Did he temper his skin to this point? It seems we can¡¯t use anesthesia, so we can only use a chakra scalpel to perform the surgery directly without anesthesia.¡±


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    After speaking, the medical squad leader extended his hands and stroked Tonan¡¯s abdomen. However, in the next moment, a very serious look appeared on his face. He raised his head to look at Minato and said, ¡°The chakra scalpel doesn¡¯t work either. We are completely powerless to do anything like this.¡±


    Tonan naturally wouldn¡¯t let other people do as they please with his body. Even in front of so many people, what if anyone among these harbored ill intentions? As the saying goes, one should be prepared for unexpected situations. In this world, other than himself, Tonan didn¡¯t believe in anyone else at all.


    He coughed heavily and weakly waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have some medical ninjutsu knowledge as well. I¡¯ll be fine as long as I recuperate for a while. It¡¯s not the first time that I have suffered this kind of minor injury. I have a lot of experience. I¡¯ll be fine after some time.¡±


    Tonan had structured his sentence with much thought. He subtly revealed that he had been seriously injured more than once for Konoha. In an instant, his image grew a bit bigger in the hearts of the Leaf ninjas.


    Hearing his words, the medical squad leader sighed and nodded his head. He said, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll prescribe some medicines for you to nourish your body.¡±


    Minato reached out his hands to hug Tonan on seeing the situation and softly said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the command tent to rest.¡± After speaking, he used the Body Flicker Technique and headed toward the Leaf base camp.


    Kushina, Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi, and Nohara Rin followed them. As for the other Leaf ninjas, under the advice of their respective leaders, they continued to carry out post-war missions.


    Perhaps, it was because Tonan defeated Sandaime Raikage on the battlefield, Kumo¡¯s morale was greatly reduced. The Cloud ninjas continued to retreat from the Land of Hot Water for more than half a month and they didn¡¯t engage in squad battles with the Leaf ninjas either.


    In just this fashion, Konoha successfully regained the battlefront of the Land of Hot Water. After this, the battle situation of the two sides returned to how it used to be at the beginning of the war. At this time, Suna too had already declared its withdrawal from the Third Great Ninja War because it had lost most of its combat power. Suna had already dispatched envoys to have peace talks with Konoha and sign a new treaty.


    Tonan pretended to be injured and recuperated for a long time. When he noticed that it was almost time, he told Minato and the others that his injuries had already healed completely. This made Minato and everyone else as well sigh in relief.

 CH 259.2

    Konoha¡¯s base camp on the northern front was stationed on the vast flat land. The rising sun of pure flame had jumped out of the horizon and ascended above the clouds, illuminating the sky¡­


    Uchiha Tonan walked out of the tent with a cup of hot tea in his hands and sat on the wicker chair that Nohara Rin had specially made for him. He drank the tea while basking in the sun. To be honest, he had no other choice. Since Namikaze Minato was holding the fort here, he had to continue to maintain his image. As a result, he couldn¡¯t just go and perform human experiments.


    Coupled with his status as an injured person, he could only stay in the tent every day, thinking about various theories in his mind. For instance, sound wave ninjutsu could have many miraculous effects. Everything had two sides. In addition to the destruction, it could also be used to enhance physical fitness.


    For instance, how to use strong vibration to temper the strength of the physical body. Naturally, he still needed to conduct many human experiments to prove these theories and find the most suitable point. Only after that, it could be used safely on him.


    After thinking about it, Tonan picked up his teacup and leisurely took a sip. He then turned his head to one side and looked into the distance. He saw two people running towards his tent.


    Seeing them, Tonan put the teacup on the small wooden table and stood up leisurely, preparing to greet them. Not long after, Minato and Hatake Kakashi arrived in front of him. Tonan smiled gently and said, ¡°Minato-sensei, Kakashi, is the mission complete?¡±


    Minato nodded his head and replied, ¡°Yes, everything is going smoothly.¡± Minato then exchanged a glance with Kakashi and a hesitant look appeared on his face. Then he said in a low voice, ¡°Tonan, there was one thing we needed to let you know. Let¡¯s go in and talk.¡±


    Tonan didn¡¯t know what happened, so he nodded his head immediately and replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After that, the three people walked into the tent together. Once inside the tent, Minato nodded his head and looked at Kakashi. The latter closed his eyes and then slowly opened them. Kakashi¡¯s eyes became scarlet and there was a three-tomoe circle slowly spinning in his pupils.


    Seeing this, Tonan¡¯s pupils shrank and he said in a deep voice, ¡°Sharingan!¡±


    Noticing that Tonan too was taken by surprise, Minato frowned and asked, ¡°Tonan, didn¡¯t you know about it? Kakashi suddenly awakened the Sharingan when Sandaime Raikage attacked Kushina last time.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, no one noticed it at that time, and I was afraid of causing a commotion, so I took him away. Both of us discussed for a long time and excluded the possibility that the ancestors of the Hatake clan might have a marriage alliance with the Uchiha clan at some point. Then, it¡¯s just you.¡±


    Kakashi also asked with a doubtful look, ¡°Tonan, did I awaken the Sharingan because you helped me develop my potential earlier?¡±


    Tonan understood instantly. A deep joy overflowed from the bottom of his heart when he realized the implication.


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    ¡°It seems that because I gave Kakashi so much life origin when implanting the cultivation curse, he actually got the ability to awaken the Sharingan. Of course, the life origin I gave is definitely not as much as his natural life origin. What I gave is equivalent to a seedling and as long as the soil is fertile enough, it can sprout and grow on its own. It seems I¡¯ll have to look for high-quality pastures while planting cultivation curses in the future.¡±


    The stronger Kakashi was, the better it was for Tonan. In any case, they were already in his bowl. Therefore, the more delicious, the more preferable. In an instant, Tonan quietly changed his plans. But in front of these two right now, he had to get over this matter.


    He sighed and said, ¡°In fact, when I developed your potential, I didn¡¯t just open up your conception vein but I also stripped off a part of my bloodline limit and gave it to you. At that time, I was just thinking about enhancing your strength. But I never thought that your talent was so potent that you would awaken the Sharingan, Kakashi. Congratulations, really.¡±


    Hearing Tonan¡¯s words, crystal-clear tears filled his usually indifferent eyes. Feeling very emotional, Kakashi said, ¡°Tonan¡­ then you¡­¡±


    Tonan smiled a little and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ve already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan so stripping off a part of my bloodline limit will not affect me too much.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say ¡®not much¡¯ but ¡®not too much¡¯. In other words, this has affected him. That¡¯s right¡­ the Sharingan is so precious that even the legitimate Uchiha clan members might not necessarily be able to awaken it. Tonan gave me so much¡­¡±


    Kakashi took a deep breath and solemnly said, ¡°Actually, I could¡¯ve become strong by myself. There was no need for you to make a sacrifice for me.¡±


    Tonan smiled gently and extended his hand. He patted Kakashi¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s not about making a sacrifice. It¡¯s just sharing what you have with your comrades. You don¡¯t need to take it too seriously.¡±


    How was it possible to not take this too seriously? This was the Sharingan. Kakashi also knew that the matter was already done and Tonan had already paid the price. Therefore, he could only look for a way to repay him in the future.


    Of course, if Kakashi knew that when Tonan gave him the life origin, he had also set a time bomb in his mind, he might not have been so touched by this generosity¡­

 CH 260.1

    Now that the origin of the Sharingan was clear, Namikaze Minato heaved a sigh in relief. When all was said and done, the Sharingan was too important. If they couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on now, then once the Uchiha clan noticed it someday, it would be very likely that they would misunderstand that Hatake Kakashi transplanted it by killing an Uchiha in the pursuit of power.


    Of course, most people knew that if a person without the Uchiha bloodline transplanted the Sharingan, he wouldn¡¯t be able to deactivate it, resulting in huge chakra consumption. This was also the reason why the Uchiha clan had never been very worried about the loss of Sharingan.


    But if the Uchihas saw that Kakashi could freely control it, they might think that he had mastered some kind of secret technique to control the Sharingan. At that time, it would not be wrong to say that Kakashi might not be able to see the sun the following day.


    Tonan keenly observed that Minato was still worried. He turned to Kakashi and said, ¡°Kakashi, if someone from the Uchiha clan asks about your Sharingan, just tell them without hesitation that I gifted it to you. And if they have any questions, ask them to come and look for me.¡±


    Immediately after he spoke, the worries on Minato¡¯s face diminished. He sighed and said, ¡°Tonan, the Sharingan is the foundation of the Uchiha clan. But you are actually willing to hand it over to Kakashi.¡±


    Kakashi¡¯s heart was swelling with emotions at this moment. He didn¡¯t know what to say or how to respond. His mind was only filled with thoughts of how to repay Tonan. Tonan didn¡¯t pay attention to this gaze of visible gratitude.


    He just looked at Minato and smiled, ¡°I let go of the narrow-minded family doctrine in my heart a long time ago. The village, my friends, and my comrades will always be the most important things in my life.¡±


    Suddenly, Tonan seemed to have thought of something and turned his head. He patted Kakashi¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°By the way, Kakashi. I adopted two orphans on the battlefield. One of them is named Kabuto and the other one is called Isan. I want to enter their names in the family tree of the Hatake clan. In this way, they will also have a surname.¡±


    Kakashi was worried that he wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to do anything for Tonan but a small window of opportunity opened up right here. He straightened his face and cheerfully said, ¡°No problem. I can do this kind of a trivial thing.¡±


    Seeing that these two had already drifted to talk about other things, Minato coughed lightly and changed the topic back to the proper business they had come for. ¡°Tonan, I came to see you today because I actually have one more thing to tell you.¡±


    Minato¡¯s words made Tonan raise his eyebrows and he doubtfully asked, ¡°Do you want me to enter the battlefield? No problem, my body has already healed.¡±


    Minato hesitated for a moment and shook his head. He said, ¡°It¡¯s another matter. I have already sent back the report of the last battle. And Konoha¡¯s side has also sent new reinforcements. In short, there is good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?¡±


    Just this much indication was enough for Tonan to guess that Sarutobi Hiruzen must have definitely dug another pit for him again. Since the hidden scheme was useless, what could be used on the battlefield was probably some high-sounding covert plot. ¡°Tell me whatever you want, I want to hear both the good news and the bad news.¡±


    Minato nodded his head and said, ¡°The good news is that since you have the achievements of killing Sandaime Kazekage and resisting Sandaime Raikage, Konoha¡¯s senior management officials have made an exception and promoted you as the new chief commander of the Northern front responsible for fighting against Kumo.¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth curled up a little. He pretended to be excited and said, ¡°It seems that Hokage-sama thinks very highly of me. This way, I have ascended to heaven in one step.¡±


    Seeing the happy look on Tonan¡¯s face, Minato also forced a smile. Then he added, ¡°As for the bad news, as Kushina is a jinchuriki, she was called back to Konoha yesterday since there was no absolutely dangerous situation. And I¡¯m also instructed to go to the Western front to support and serve as the new chief commander for the time being.¡±


    Immediately after he spoke, the tent fell into silence. Obviously, both Minato and Kakashi felt that such a decision was a bit inappropriate. They realized that with such an arrangement, the pressure on Tonan would be too great. But the thought that Hiruzen was planning to kill him by making such a decision never crossed their minds even for a second.


    ¡°Are you going to attack Iwa¡­ The Kannabi Bridge battle! What a coincidence. This can return everything to the original trajectory. Is it the arrangement of fate or is someone secretly manipulating from behind the scenes?¡±


    Tonan narrowed his eyes a little and pretended to ponder for a while. Then clapping his hands, he said, ¡°A very wise decision. I¡¯m in favor of it. Konoha has already signed a peace treaty with Suna. Now, there are just three ninja villages left. Among them, Kumo has the strongest combat power, and with our current strength, we don¡¯t know how long it will take to win against them.¡±


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    ¡°The coastline of the Eastern battlefront is too long and adding the natural barrier of the sea, the place is easy to defend but hard to attack. Only Iwa in the Western battlefront is a chance. Neither is Iwa¡¯s combat power the strongest nor is there an insurmountable natural barrier blocking it. It¡¯s the perfect place to make a breakthrough in this war.¡±


    ¡°Also, enough ninjas have already gathered in the Western battlefront. With just an addition of a few more high-leveled experts who are good at sneak attacks and assassinations, they can quickly wipe out the enemy troops in the Land of Rain and suppress Iwa outside the border. Then, after the battle situation there has stabilized, the extra troops can be brought here to counterattack Kumo.¡±


    After listening to Tonan¡¯s analysis, both Kakashi and Minato felt that it was very reasonable and nodded their heads. Immediately afterward, however, Minato voiced what he was worried about earlier. ¡°But you will be the only one left here. If Kumo¡¯s Sandaime Raikage comes to attack again, what will you do?¡±

 CH 260.2

    On receiving the news of mobilizing chief commanders, Namikaze Minato¡¯s biggest concern was whether his former student would be able to deal with Kumo alone at the Northern front.


    Waving off his worries though, Uchiha Tonan smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. Sandaime Raikage is already very old. He has reached his peak and his strength is not going to grow any further. But I am still young. My strength will only get better with each day. What¡¯s more, is that I only need to hold them back. This will really not be a problem.¡±


    Even after he said this, the worried looks on both Minato and Hatake Kakashi didn¡¯t fade away. Kakashi said with concern, ¡°Even if you can fight against Sandaime Raikage, the eight-tail jinchuriki and their Quasi Yondaime Raikage are there as well. They too are very formidable opponents. No one on Konoha¡¯s side can stop them.¡±


    Tonan shook his head and said, ¡°Rest assured, when I fight against Sandaime Raikage, those two will not intervene. If they dared to attack Leaf ninjas while I¡¯m fighting against the Raikage, then I¡¯ll rush into the Kumo battlefront. If that had to happen, it would only hurt both sides gravely.¡±


    The only thing Tonan cared about now was to make Minato take Kakashi and others to the Western battlefront. If Minato refused to go because of him, how would Uchiha Obito follow the original plot and be buried by the Stone ninjas?


    ¡°Leave, just leave already! This is an urgent matter, don¡¯t worry about me. As long as everything goes smoothly with Obito, not to mention one, I¡¯ll be able to hold on to a few more Raikage.¡±


    Seeing that Tonan had made his decision, Minato no longer tried to change his mind. With a solemn look on his face, he advised, ¡°Alright, but you still have to be careful. And if you find that you can¡¯t salvage the situation, you must escape in time. You indeed are still young. You don¡¯t need to die on the battlefield.¡±


    Tonan nodded his head with a smile and replied, ¡°I understand. When are you all planning to leave then?¡±


    Minato replied with a straight face, ¡°We have to leave now. I have already informed the subordinates about the situation. You can directly head to the command tent and take charge. Kakashi¡¯s strength has reached the level of a jonin and with the addition of the Sharingan, he is more suitable for the Stone battlefront. So, I have decided to take them along as well.¡±


    Tonan nodded his head lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you all off.¡±


    After speaking, he walked with them until they reached the command tent, and then, he watched them leave. After these two people disappeared from his field of vision completely, he walked back to his rattan chair and sat down. He took out a blank information scroll from his ninja bag.


    Picking up a pen, he wrote down things that needed to be explained. Soon after that, he raised his finger and made a hand seal.


    Coo, coo¡­ A white pigeon glided over from a distance and landed firmly on the table. Tonan closed the information scroll and placed it on his palm. He said, ¡°Give this to Kabuto.¡± The white pigeon intelligently nodded its head and immediately grabbed the scroll with its sharp claws. Then, it flapped its wings and flew into the sky.


    Afterward, Tonan picked up the teacup on the table and drank it in a pleasant mood. His eyes narrowed a little as if he was thinking about something. After a long time, he chuckled. ¡°Seeing that the next battle is about to start, you are doing whatever you can to push Namikaze Minato and Kushina away. Old man, you are so impatient to let me die. Are you truly not afraid of Konoha¡¯s defeat?¡±


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    After mumbling to himself, Tonan slapped his forehead and shook his head. He said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m the chief commander now. Once Konoha is defeated, you can still blame the Uchiha clan.¡±


    This move from Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn¡¯t be considered as unusual. In Hiruzen¡¯s assumption, Tonan would definitely use all his strength to resist Sandaime Raikage. If he resisted successfully, he would suffer a serious backlash with each battle. In this situation, even if the Northern front was defended in the end, and Tonan was not dead, it could be assumed that he would almost certainly be a cripple.


    Moreover, because it¡¯s a defensive battle, he wouldn¡¯t get many military exploits. And if too many Leaf ninjas died, he would have to bear the responsibility when the accounts would be settled in the end. But if the Northern front was breached, then that meant that Tonan was dead. And the defeat would definitely fall on his head.


    If one dead man¡¯s back was not enough to bear the responsibility, then it would fall on the entire Uchiha clan. In any case, it would never fall on Hiruzen. Because even a commoner like Minato could block it, but the genius of the Uchiha clan, the number one influential clan of Konoha, couldn¡¯t stop it. It could only be blamed on Tonan for not having abilities and just having valor but lacking strategy.


    At most, Hiruzen would bear the responsibility of excessively trusting people and not knowing people¡¯s strengths well enough.


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    After a long time, Tonan gently put down the teacup and leisurely stood up. He closed his eyes and spread out his arms, taking in a deep breath.


    This was the breath of freedom. Another chance for him to do living human experiments. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take the lives of your Sarutobi clan members to collect some interests first.¡± After thinking about this, Tonan¡¯s mood became even better. He turned around and walked towards the command tent in an unhurried manner.

 CH 261

    Two days later, late at night, dim stars were hiding behind a layer of a veil. The moon was appearing and disappearing amid the clouds. A tiny shadow quickly shuttled through the darkness like a black sesame seed flying to the center of the moon. Then, it became larger and larger.


    It was a big bird with golden feathers descending towards the ground. And on its back, there was Hatake Kabuto who was holding a glass container. Soon, the big golden bird landed and placed its spread wings on the ground, lowering its head deeply.


    A man wearing a white robe was standing in front of it. He was none other than Uchiha Tonan. Kabuto got off the bird while holding the glass container and bowed at Tonan as well. ¡°Tonan-san.¡±


    Tonan nodded his head lightly and replied, ¡°If this thing enters the Konoha base camp, it will attract too much attention, so I came to pick you up.¡± Kabuto respectfully replied, ¡°I have troubled you, Tonan-san.¡± Tonan nodded his head again and turned around, walking toward the base camp.


    ¡°How are your studies coming along?¡±


    Kabuto followed behind and respectfully answered, ¡°It¡¯s good. In the beginning, there were many things I didn¡¯t understand. But under Sasori-senpai¡¯s patient teaching, I understand almost everything. Now, I¡¯ve already begun to refine chakra and I¡¯ve also dabbled a little in human experiments.¡±


    Tonan raised his eyebrows and glanced sideways at Kabuto. He asked, ¡°Really? Are you particularly choosing to study the knowledge of the human body?¡±


    Kabuto adjusted his golden-rimmed glasses and replied, ¡°I want to help you sooner, so I put aside the study of other miscellaneous subjects for the time being. I¡¯ve also taken care of everything in the laboratory. I can guarantee that I didn¡¯t leave any traces.¡±


    Tonan nodded his head in satisfaction and said, ¡°Not bad, nothing in this world is difficult if you put your heart into it. As long as you use your heart, you can achieve success in anything. By the way, did Sasori leave?¡±


    Kabuto nodded his head and answered lightly, ¡°Sasori-senpai asked me to tell you that he is going to travel around the Ninja World to look for high-quality materials.¡±


    Tonan nodded his head slightly and no longer said anything. With Tonan in the lead, the two of them arrived at the command tent without any obstruction. Afterward, Tonan walked to a corner of the tent and made a series of hand seals.


    Then, the soil on the ground spun like a whirlpool, and gradually, a hole appeared. ¡°Go down. The main body is inside.¡± Kabuto nodded his head. Holding the glass container that had Hatake Isan in it, he walked down the stairs. Because this laboratory was built right below the Konoha base camp, to prevent the movement in the laboratory from affecting the ninjas above, Tonan had dug very deep.


    Even the walls of the laboratory were filled with countless holes to weaken the sound waves. The stairs didn¡¯t go straight down. It was a spiral staircase. Kabuto walked downwards for more than ten minutes before he began to hear faint wailing sounds, coming from below.


    ¡°Tonan-sama¡­ I¡¯ll be loyal to you¡­ please let me go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so pathetic. In any case, I won¡¯t eat you.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ ah¡­ kill me, kill me!¡±


    ¡°Even ants don¡¯t live without purpose. As the strongest among the younger Sarutobi generation, why are you making things hard like this? You questioned why I¡¯m being so unyielding when mobilization instruction was given. Persist, I¡¯m not done recording the data.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ ah¡­ uh¡­¡±


    Boom¡­  ¡°Bad luck.¡±


    Following an explosive sound, everything became quiet. Kabuto finally reached the bottom of the stairs and saw three dark holes in front of him. He didn¡¯t know where they would lead.


    ¡°The middle one leads to the laboratory, come in.¡± Kabuto immediately took a step forward and walked into the middle hole. After taking a few turns along the passage, the path in front of him brightened. Under the light, the room was filled with blood, and pieces of flesh were slowly flowing down from the operating table to the ground.


    These flesh pieces emitted warm air and the entire room was full of a bloody smell. In the middle room, Tonan, who was wearing a spotless white coat, held a pen and paper and was recording the data of the experiment while frowning.


    Kabuto walked over to him, stepping on the flesh and blood on the ground, and bowed deeply, ¡°Tonan-san.¡± Tonan continued to record the data, and without raising his head, he said, ¡°The materials store is on the left side, and your new residence is on the right side. It¡¯s also the place where you can study.¡±


    Kabuto nodded his head. Then, looking confused, he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t we need a place to imprison the materials?¡±


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    Tonan shook his head lightly and pointed at the recording scroll in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not needed now. We can only use live human study for this experiment. Put down Isan and come over to understand how it works. Do you understand the essence of sound?¡±


    Kabuto carefully put down the glass container on the table. He came to Tonan¡¯s side and stood on tiptoe to look at the record scroll in Tonan¡¯s hand. Tonan had always been taller than his peers.


    He lowered the scroll a little so that Kabuto could see it. ¡°When we speak, our vocal cords vibrate. The vocal cords transmit vibrations to the air, and the air also produces vibrations. These are then transmitted through the air to the people¡¯s ears. Then, the brain analyzes the vibrations, thereby hearing the sounds.¡±


    Listening to Tonan¡¯s explanation, Kabuto thought for a while and his eyes flashed as if he had a sudden realization. ¡°I understand.¡±


    A hint of longing appeared on Tonan¡¯s face and he said, ¡°I¡¯ve discovered a very interesting thing. If living beings want to be powerful via cultivation, it needs movements. Regardless of physical or spiritual. And vibration is the most efficient way of movement. It can be subtle to the cellular level.¡±


    Kabuto frowned and thought of a blind spot. He asked in confusion, ¡°But why do we need to meditate after movement to refine chakra?¡±


    The corners of Tonan¡¯s mouth rose a little and he answered, ¡°Why can¡¯t we refine chakra while sleeping? In fact, as long as people are alive, their spirits are in an active state. This is also the reason why the data from this instrument is shown in the waveform diagrams.¡±


    ¡°The spirit movement has two basic properties ¨C frequency and amplitude. Meditation reduces the active amplitude of the spirit but increases the active frequency, stimulating their spiritual power. It is the same for physical strength as well. Large-scale movements are not necessarily the best way to cultivate.¡±


    ¡°Kumo¡¯s Lightning Style Chakra Mode uses lightning-attributed chakra to create an electric current to continuously stimulate the cells in the body. At this time, the cells in the body will vibrate at high frequency, but it¡¯s invisible to the naked eye. Therefore, the most efficient method of cultivation relies on refinement, comprehension, and high frequency.¡±


    After speaking, Tonan pointed to the mangled corpse on the operating table and said, ¡°Look at this person¡¯s flesh, do you see anything different?¡±


    Kabuto looked carefully and sniffed a few times in passing. Then with a look of surprise on his face, he said, ¡°It has a burnt smell.¡±


    Tonan nodded his head and said, ¡°I used high-frequency sound waves to stimulate him in all aspects. The vibration spread to every inch and every cell of his body. But his cells vibrated too violently, emitting a large amount of energy, which led to a sharp increase in heat. If you take a closer look at his bones, you can see that they could not withstand the high temperature and started to turn black.¡±


    After hearing Tonan¡¯s explanation, Kabuto¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion, and asked, ¡°But, why did he explode?¡±


    Tonan frowned a little and a strange look appeared on his face as he answered, ¡°Because he held his fart. At the critical moment, he let it go, and it came into contact with the oxygen in the air.¡±


    Kabuto nodded his head. After reading books about the human body for more than half a month, he knew that the human body contained a large amount of flammable gas. Tonan put the record scroll on the table beside him and rubbed Kabuto¡¯s hair.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any war during this time. Make the best use of your time to study, and come to help me in the laboratory when you have free time. I believe that we¡¯ll be able to find the limit of the frequency that the human body can endure very soon. If my theory is correct, then this will be a completely new type of cultivation, which can even be popular among ordinary people.¡±


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    Kabuto¡¯s eyes lit up suddenly on hearing this. He nodded his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to help you, Tonan-san.¡± No one could refuse the temptation of strength. Especially those who had suffered and experienced a sense of powerlessness.

 CH 262

    For several months in a row, both Kumo and Konoha were in a stalemate at the border of the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost. Both of the forces didn¡¯t launch any frontal attack. Even the number of small assassination squads that sneaked into the other¡¯s territory was very few.


    The number of Leaf ninjas who died in the battle was lesser than the number of Leaf ninjas whom Uchiha Tonan used for experiments. For him, the longer this war dragged on, the better.


    It would be best if it dragged on until the other two ninja villages were completely settled and then when the attention of the entire Ninja World was shifted to this side, he could achieve victory in one fell swoop in a high profile.


    In fact, whether he got military achievements or not was already not important. The most important thing was the live human experiments and ensuring that the development of the plot was back on the original track.


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    On Kumo¡¯s side, Sandaime Raikage¡¯s injuries had healed well. But all the high-ranking Kumo officials including Sandaime Raikage refused to discuss anything about the battle with Tonan. Because they were afraid.


    Last time, the Cloud ninjas had seen the defeat of their Raikage-sama. If it weren¡¯t for Tonan showing mercy, their leader might have already died. So what if Sandaime Raikage¡¯s injuries were all healed now?


    On the day of the defeat, Cloud ninjas had gathered all the information on Tonan and studied it over and over again. The more they studied, the more terrified they became.


    Tonan had fought against Suna and Iwa and was able to suppress tens of thousands of ninjas in that battle. He possessed the legendary Susanoo, which was simply a killing machine on the battlefield. He summoned lightning all over the sky and condensed it into a lightning cutter, killing Sandaime Raikage in one strike.


    What was even more frightening was that before Suna retreated, its troop was attacked by someone unknown. And the ninjas in their camp had no power to resist. Except for a few jonin, everyone else had died.


    Based on the estimation, it happened to coincide with the time just before Tonan left that battlefront. The only good news they discovered was the so-called backlash. Most of the senior Kumo officials thought that Tonan didn¡¯t take the initiative to attack because of this backlash.


    But they also didn¡¯t dare to launch an all-out attack. If by chance Tonan was forced into a corner and fought back desperately, they wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it regardless of whether Sandaime Raikage was killed or Cloud ninjas were massacred.


    What¡¯s more, Sandaime Raikage had lost last time. Could he win this time just after recovering from his previous injuries? Tonan would not be merciful again. Sandaime Raikage was not afraid of death. The only thing he was afraid of was that if he died, there would be no one in Kumo who would be able to compete with Tonan and Kumo would truly be done for.


    Just in this fashion, for several months, the Northern battlefront was the most peaceful of all the fronts. By now, Hatake Isan had already grown and broken out from the glass container. Considering that it was not suitable to bring an infant to the battlefield, Tonan sent some Leaf ninjas to send him back to Konoha¡¯s welfare institution.


    As for him, he focused on researching the new cultivation method. During this time, Tonan¡¯s research was stuck in a bottleneck. This was because the cultivation method of cell vibration had met with several difficulties, and he had no way to break through them.


    The first difficulty was that the human heart and lungs had a certain rhythmic frequency and amplitude, and when the cells vibrate, it could easily cause organ failure in the body. The second difficulty was resonance. There were too many cells in the human body, and as long as all of them vibrated, resonance would occur instantly, causing the amplitude to soar, which led to cell rupture.


    To break through these two difficulties, Tonan and Kabuto practically forgot to sleep and eat. They used many alive humans for experiments, which caused panic among the ninjas in the Konoha base camp, thinking that Kumo had been launching high-intensity assassination missions.


    Unfortunately, their chief commander was Tonan. In context to this situation, he just told them to strictly be on guard against sneak attacks and strengthen their vigilance.


    ¡­¡­


    On the dark blue sky, there were countless half-bright, half-dim stars. On the border of the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth, the great river surging from the Land of Rain passed through the mountain range and flowed towards the great ocean.


    The great river cut the mountain range in half, and there were cliffs on both sides. It was like someone had used a huge ax to cut it. It was straight and very steep. The waterfall between the cliffs cascaded down vertically, smashing into the mountain stream below.


    This place was a naturally dangerous place without a human trace. The shortest distance between the cliffs on both sides was nearly a thousand meters. Unless one knew a flight-type ninjutsu, it was impossible to cross it. As for the so-called ninjas treading water and climbing trees, all of it was almost useless here.


    First of all, the cliff was too high. Without the chunin-leveled chakra amount, no one could tread down this cliff. Not to mention, one still needed to climb up a cliff of the same height after reaching the other side of the river. Also, the river here was flowing too fast. It wasn¡¯t a calm water surface.


    If one¡¯s chakra control was not proficient to a certain level, one would be swept away by the current immediately after stepping on the water.


    Even if it was an elite jonin who met all the conditions of chakra amount and chakra control, there was still one more fatal obstacle he must overcome. The water vapor was too thick in this place, and the cliffs were covered with liverwort-like plants.


    As a result, the cliff¡¯s face was too smooth and slippery. It was impossible to step on it stably. But in such a place that nobody cared about, a large number of Stone ninjas appeared tonight.


    Onoki, who held a long iron chain in his hands, flew from one cliff to the cliff on the other side. He tied the chain to the big tree that even several people couldn¡¯t hug. Afterward, tens of Stone jonin, who also held iron chains, stepped on it and ran towards the other side of the cliff.


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    Not long after, a rope bridge made up of hundreds of iron chains appeared between the cliffs. Seeing this, Onoki nodded his head in satisfaction, and ordered in a low voice, ¡°The logistic staff should quickly make a bigger bridge as soon as possible. And it must be strong enough to endure the transportation of materials.¡±


    Hundreds of Stone ninjas began to lay planks on the rope bridge. Later, various types of reinforced concrete were used to strengthen both ends of the bridge. Although the ninjas moved quickly, it was still very difficult to make such a bridge in one night.


    This time, Onoki intended to take advantage of the fact that most of the Leaf ninjas were scattered throughout the Land of Rain. He wanted to carry out a sneak attack on Mount Kikyo from the Land of Grass.


    The function of this bridge was not just to allow the chunin and genin behind to pass. It was also necessary to ensure that after the surprise attack on Kikyo Mountain, the follow-up materials could be supplied in time.


    For instance, things like explosive tags and various traps. These things would be needed for the defense at that time. The most important thing was that if the attack failed, Iwa would have a route retreat. They wouldn¡¯t be trapped in Kikyo Mountain.


    The place was within the Land of Grass¡¯ territory, so there were no Konoha ninjas patrolling. Onoki and his team built a bridge with peace of mind. But no one among these Stone ninjas noticed that there was a flock of wild geese several kilometers high in the air that happened to be flying past these cliffs.


    And at the rear of this flock, there was a white pigeon that had a similar build as those wild geese. The white pigeon crooked its head to one side and looked down.


    At this time, Tonan, who was performing live human experiments in the laboratory, was a little surprised. His eyes suddenly changed into Mangekyo Sharingan and began to spin slowly. Gradually, the scene of a group of Stone ninjas building a bridge was reflected in his eyes.


    Then, a pleasantly surprised look slowly appeared on his face as he muttered, ¡°Is it finally happening¡­ It seems I must slow down the experiment.¡±


    After speaking, he didn¡¯t even look at the tortured Sarutobi clan ninja on the operating table. He calmly took off the medical gloves and mask, and then took off the white coat he was wearing. Afterward, he turned to look at Kabuto who was recording the data and instructed, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while. You should also rest during this time. If anything happens, ask the pigeon to inform me.¡±


    After hearing Tonan¡¯s instructions, Kabuto didn¡¯t ask any questions. He just nodded his head quietly. Tonan wore a black windbreaker, made a hand seal with a single hand, and then flicked towards the ninja of the Sarutobi clan on the operating table.


    A tiny air ball pierced through the ninja¡¯s forehead in an instant. And feeling the chakra within his body rise slightly, Tonan said with an indifferent look, ¡°Remember to clean up thoroughly and spray more disinfectant.¡±


    After this, Tonan left the laboratory. Now that the construction of the Kannabi Bridge had started, it represented that the Battle of Kannabi Bridge was about to break out. And to be on the safer side, Tonan was going to personally escort Obito. The only thing he was uncertain of was whether Uchiha Madara would save Obito as the original work or not.

 CH 263.1

    After Uchiha Tonan left the laboratory, he summoned all high-leveled officials of the Northern battlefront to the commander chief. These officials included representatives of various big clans participating in the war, as well as the squad leaders of the medical squad, logistics squad, corpse disposal squads, and so on.


    ¡°Tonan-sama, why did you call us here?¡±


    ¡°Recently, people are getting assassinated one after another within our Leaf base camp. At least, one or two of our comrades are disappearing almost every day. It won¡¯t do if it goes on like this. I have decided to go out in person to the Cloud base camp to gather information. Moreover, I want to give them a taste of their own medicine at the same time.¡±


    ¡°But Tonan-sama, isn¡¯t it a bit too dangerous to do something like this?¡±


    ¡°No, if I want to leave, no one in the Cloud base camp can make me stay there. And when I¡¯m carrying out this mission, someone needs to take responsibility for making arrangements and decisions. So, I have decided to make Shimura Kyugo the interim commander.¡±


    ¡°Tonan-sama, I will do my best to complete the duties.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Also, my absence must be kept strictly confidential. It is to avoid our enemies from getting anxious when they discover my action and directly rush over to our Leaf base camp and wreak havoc because Sandaime Raikage couldn¡¯t capture me at that time. If that happens, it will be troublesome.¡±


    After speaking, Tonan¡¯s figure flashed and he disappeared in front of everyone¡¯s eyes.


    The battle of Kikyo Mountain was right around the corner, but Tonan, as the chief commander, naturally couldn¡¯t just walk away from this battlefront. If by chance Sandaime Raikage came to attack after he left, what would he do? Therefore, it was better to strike first. Before leaving this battlefront, Tonan had decided to beat Sandaime Raikage until he was bedridden.


    At the Cloud base camp, a chunin in charge of guarding the command tent yawned. Although he was said to be a guard, his duty was basically to take care of the aftermath of the violent rage of Sandaime Raikage. For instance, changing tables and chairs, leveling the ground, and so on¡­


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    As it was already the middle of the night at this time, the camp¡¯s bonfire had no more firewood to burn. The flames were weakening and the darkness in the distance was approaching slowly.


    In the Kumo command tent, Sandaime Raikage¡¯s snoring was resounding like muffled thunder. Every time he exhaled, the tent would tremble. On the simple floor bed, Sandaime Raikage was lying on his back, and his mouth would move from time to time as if he was having some kind of sweet dream.


    After a long time, he turned over comfortably, and his eyelids trembled a little and opened a bit.


    All of a sudden, Sandaime Raikage¡¯s eyes abruptly opened wide. He sat up in shock and subconsciously activated the Lightning Style Armor, and lightning-attributed chakra instantly covered his body. He saw that the curtain of the tent was opened at some point and a tall person was standing at the entrance.


    The person lifted his hand and waved it toward Sandaime Raikage. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Shush¡­ are your injuries healed? Since you are healed, let¡¯s go to fight. I can¡¯t endure it any longer.¡±


    Sandaime Raikage was slightly taken aback for a moment. But soon after, a look of eagerness appeared on his face and he nodded his head. As simple as this, he was taken away by Tonan.


    The saying that Cloud ninjas had no brains was indeed true. Tonan was the commander of the enemy troops but at this moment, Sandaime Raikage didn¡¯t think that he might be plotting something. Of course, this was also because Tonan had left the impression of being a reckless man and a battle lunatic in his heart.


    It could be said that the strength of these two people had already reached the highest level of this era. Under their intentional concealment, the ordinary ninjas who were in charge of patrolling didn¡¯t even notice them. But that was just for ordinary ninjas.


    Just when the two people stepped out of the Cloud base camp, they saw ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B already standing outside, ready to fight. Sandaime Raikage and Tonan weren¡¯t surprised to see them. The Raikage asked his sons in a deep voice, ¡°What are you two doing here at this time? Go back and rest.¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ glanced at Tonan with disdain and said, ¡°Father, do you want to fight with him?¡± Tonan suddenly looked tensed and hastily looked around. He said in a low voice, ¡°Lower your voice a little. I¡¯ve sneaked out to come here. If word gets out that I was here, I¡¯ll be punished for sure once I return to the village.¡±


    Hearing Tonan¡¯s words, ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B¡¯s expressions considerably softened. Killer B swung his hands and said with a relaxed look, ¡°Yo yo¡­ it¡¯s a duel, it¡¯s a duel¡­ B also wants it¡­ yo¡­¡±


    Tonan turned his head and said to Sandaime Raikage in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s look for a bit farther and a quieter place. And let¡¯s try to finish it before dawn. I must go back after that to deal with annoying official duties.¡±


    Sandaime Raikage nodded his head, and the two of them disappeared in an instant, running toward the distance. ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B also followed, but they followed from far behind.


    When ¡®A¡¯ exchanged moves with Tonan for the first time they encountered each other, Tonan left a shadow in his heart. In his heart, he had labeled Tonan as someone insidious and despicable.


    He narrowed his eyes slightly looking at the backs of the two people that were rapidly getting farther and farther away from him. He then said to Killer B in a low voice, ¡°Later, if father loses, I¡¯ll block that fellow, and you are to bring father back to the camp immediately.¡±


    Hearing this, Killer B asked, ¡°What if father wins, yo yo¡­¡±


    ¡°If he wins¡­¡±

 CH 263.2

    A long time after Uchiha Tonan and Sandaime Raikage fled from the Kumo base camp to a place hundreds of kilometers away, earth-shaking sounds of collisions could be repeatedly heard in the valley.


    Boom, boom, boom¡­ The sounds seemed to be able to shatter people¡¯s eardrums. A gust of wind was whistling through the valley, withered grasses and fallen leaves were flying all over the sky, and sand and dust were all over. It was a chaotic scene.


    In addition to this, multiple streaks of blue lightning were surging in the sky above the valley. And every lightning flash was accompanied by white sparks and an ear-deafening thunder explosion. The initially dull and tranquil night sky was also trembling.


    In the distance, the common people of the Land of Frost woke up one after another from their sleep. They walked to the windows one by one to look at the sky on the horizon that kept flashing.


    ¡°Is it a lightning strike?¡±


    ¡°How can there be a lightning strike? We can still see so many stars in the sky.¡±


    ¡°This must be the fury of the Mountain God.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B stood on top of the mountain, looking down at the two balls of lightning that kept flying all around and colliding. In the beginning, ¡®A¡¯ was still able to see the movements of the two people but as the battle went on, the speed of the two became faster and faster.


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    Later, he could just barely see the trajectory of two lightning balls. He couldn¡¯t see the movements of the people at all. After a long time, he reached out his hands to rub his sore eyes and solemnly said, ¡°The speed of these two people is almost beyond the limit of my sight.¡±


    Although Killer B also couldn¡¯t see those two people clearly, he had the Hachibi Gyuki as the battle commentator for him. ¡°Ah ya¡­ can¡¯t see,  can¡¯t see the battle¡­ ya ya, keep up this gorgeous rhythm¡­¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ clenched his fists tightly and finally heaved a long sigh. He said, ¡°Once we return this time, I¡¯ll have to increase my training.¡±


    Boom! Accompanied by an earth-shaking sound of an explosion, the entire valley was filled with lightning. The two people felt like only a black and white space was left in front of them as if they had turned blind. After a long time, the two gradually recovered their eyesight.


    ¡°Father!¡± ¡®A¡¯ shouted with concern and took the initiative to jump down. He landed stably in the valley. He instantly rushed to Sandaime Raikage¡¯s side, who was lying in the ruins and supported him.


    Step, step, step¡­ Upon hearing the sounds of approaching footsteps, ¡®A¡¯ instantly activated Lighting Style Chakra Mode and looked vigilantly at Tonan in tattered clothes who was walking over slowly.


    At this moment, Killer B landed between the two sides, blocking Tonan¡¯s path. There was no longer a happy-go-lucky look on his face. It was replaced by a solemn look. But Tonan stopped after walking for a certain distance. Then, taking out a storage scroll from his ninja bag, he said with a satisfied tone, ¡°I¡¯m truly happy. It seems I won by luck this time.¡±


    Sandaime Raikage stood up with difficulty and coughed heavily for a bit. He said, ¡°Cough, cough, you are stronger than last time.¡±


    ¡°Heal your injuries at ease. I won¡¯t lead Konoha to attack your side until you completely recover from your injuries.¡±


    Tonan took out a new windbreaker from the storage scroll and wore it. He then turned around and glancing back from the corner of his eyes, he said, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll be even stronger.¡±


    After speaking, he used the Body Flicker Technique and left the battlefield. ¡°Old reckless man, it will be your death next time.¡±


    After confirming that Tonan had left, ¡®A¡¯ and Killer B sighed in relief at the same time. Sandaime Raikage looked in the direction in which he had left and sighed softly. He said, ¡°Actually, Tonan¡¯s heart is not bad. If it weren¡¯t for the war, I think he and our Kumo would have become friends.¡±


    Killer B nodded his head with a look of approval. But only ¡®A¡¯ had a look of confusion on his face. Because Tonan¡¯s action today conflicted with the insidious and despicable impression in his heart.


    Sandaime Raikage looked at the change in expression on ¡®A¡¯s face and weakly asked, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡®A¡¯ shook his head and replied, ¡°Nothing. It seems that I might¡¯ve misunderstood him in the past.¡±


    Hearing this, Sandaime Raikage nodded his head and as if he suddenly remembered something, he asked, ¡°I remember you saying that you fought against Tonan before, but every time I asked you, you always hesitated to talk about it.¡±


    ¡®A¡¯ took a deep breath and supported Sandaime Raikage. And as he walked, he began to explain, ¡°That time, what happened was that I was¡­¡±


    A long time later, after listening to the complete story that A shared, Sandaime Raikage patted his shoulder and said, ¡°Tonan probably lacked strength at that time. And a ninja uses tricks when he is weak. In this war, Kumo might not win. After this war is over, I¡¯ll retire. I don¡¯t think you have to be too hostile to Tonan. I can see that he loves peace in his heart.¡±


    ¡®A¡¯s not-so-intelligent brain couldn¡¯t think too much about anything. In any case, Sandaime Raikage was the person he was close to, and he believed that everything he said was right. He nodded his head and said, ¡°I got it, father.¡±


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    At that moment, Tonan¡¯s insidious and despicable label in ¡®A¡¯s heart was destroyed. Instead, Tonan had now become a reckless, straight-headed, and peace-loving person like himself.


    Ding! Gained ¡®A¡¯s acknowledgment.

 CH 264

    At the Western battlefront, After Suna announced its surrender, Konoha, feeling tremendous pressure, began to switch from defense to offense. Especially after Namikaze Minato took over as the new chief commander, the Stone ninjas were driven out of the Land of Rain in a short period of just a few months.


    Moreover, the Stone ninja army was completely suppressed outside the border of the Land of Rain. Just like this, the armies of both sides built a new base camp across the borderline.


    At this time, Kikyo Mountain, the Land of Fire¡¯s last line of defense, wasn¡¯t of much use. It had completely turned into a large transfer point for war supplies and a station for logistical and medicinal personnel. The ninjas who were injured in the front line were also transported to Kikyo Mountain for treatment.


    In addition, the captives were also imprisoned here. But just last night, Iwa¡¯s ninja troops crossed the Kannabi Bridge on the border of the Land of Grass and carried out a sneak attack on Kikyo Mountain from behind.


    There were no traps and adequate combat personnel in Kikyo Mountain. As a result, the Leaf ninjas on the Mountain had little to no ability to resist Iwa¡¯s attack. A large number of Leaf ninjas died in this battle. Only a small number of them chose to surrender and most fought to their death.


    Moreover, the Iwa captives who were imprisoned in Kikyo Mountain were also released and became an additional fighting force for the village. When the news that Iwa captured Kikyo Mountain spread to the border of the Land of Rain, Minato immediately led a large number of ninjas to attack the mountain, leaving behind Hyuga Hizhasi and Nara Shikaku in charge to defend the border.


    Late at night, in front of Kikyo Mountain, the ninjas of both sides fought fiercely. But the terrain of Kikyo Mountain was favorable for the defenders, and the ninja troops led back by Minato slowly fell into a disadvantageous position.


    ¡°Fire Style ¨C Grand Fireball Technique.¡±


    Uchiha Obito, who had awakened the two tomoe Sharingan, was no longer the bottom-ranked ninja that he was before. It could be said that his fire-style jutsu originally was hard to release but was at his fingertips now, and he made a Stone chunin flee like a rat.


    At this moment, a Stone jonin took advantage of the interval when Obito had released his ninjutsu and quietly rushed over from the forest on his side. He then raised his taichi high and slashed it down toward Obito.


    Crackle, crackle, crackle¡­ ¡°Raikiri!¡±


    Obito hadn¡¯t even realized what was going on before he saw a flash of lightning, which instantly pierced through the Stone jonin¡¯s abdomen. Then the lightning light disappeared suddenly and Hatake Kakashi appeared in front of him.


    Bang! The Stone jonin¡¯s corpse fell heavily to the ground. Obito was so frightened that he subconsciously took a few steps back, and while protecting Nohara Rin behind him, he said, ¡°Rin, be a bit more careful, and stay behind me.¡±


    Rin knew that she was weak, so she hastily nodded her head. Kakashi just glanced sideways at the two and then reached out his hand to pull out White Fang from his back, and charged towards the crowd to kill.


    Far away, deep within the dark forest, a pitcher plant slowly emerged from the ground, revealing a half-black, half-white face. This was none other than Zetsu. Zetsu watched Obito on the edge of the battlefield and grinned.


    ¡°Ah¡­ the growth of this little fellow¡¯s strength is pretty good. He has already awakened two tomoe.¡±


    ¡°This kid¡¯s nature is indeed suitable for the plan. Let¡¯s look for a chance to bring him in front of Madara-sama.¡±


    ¡°Wow, his grand fireball is so big.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Whoosh¡­ It was unknown if a natural wind had blown or if a ninja on the battlefield had used a wind-style jutsu. The branches and leaves of the trees in the forest swayed a little. Dozens of meters behind Zetsu, a leaf was bent deeply by the blowing wind, letting in the moonlight it was blocking.


    A beam of light shone into the forest through the thick leaves. And a human silhouette appeared. The silhouette remained motionless and was pitch black as if it had merged with the surrounding darkness. It was quite like this¡­


    Looking at the battlefield not far away, Zetsu was still commenting about Obito.


    ¡°I hope he didn¡¯t die in this war. Speaking of war, I can¡¯t help thinking about that fellow. When can we go to see how he is doing? Can you stop blocking me and let me satisfy my curiosity?¡±


    ¡°That kind of person is cruel and selfish. He can¡¯t be obedient. Besides, he is too strong. Once we get close to him, there is a danger of being exposed.¡±


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    ¡°Yes¡­ Now that I think about him, I feel like he is standing behind me, staring at me like I was prey. Eh¡­ I¡¯m so scared¡­¡±


    After Zetsu finished speaking, his body shivered on its own. Then slowly, slowly, he turned his head. His target was deep in the quiet and dark forest. A pale and dim moonlight flickered along with the rhythm of the wind. There, however, was nothing behind him.


    Suddenly, the wind stopped. The leaf returned to its original position, blocking the only ray of moonlight again. Then, the entire forest was plunged into darkness again, and the silence was terrifying. After a long time, Zetsu turned his head back and continued to observe Obito on the battlefield with no change in his expression.


    ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I think you are making excuses, otherwise, why would you look back?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m just being a bit vigilant.¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you look for such a long time?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any reasons like that.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    On the bloody battlefield, the Leaf ninjas and Stone ninjas continuously fell one after another in battle. Hyuga Yuta was a Hyuga clan jonin. He just killed a Stone jonin using his gentle fist alone. But more than half of his physical strength was consumed in that battle.


    He kept scanning the surrounding situation with his Byakugan to avoid any sneak attack while panting heavily with his hands on his knees, and roared angrily, ¡°Damn Stone ninjas, if only Tonan-sama was still here¡­¡±


    While speaking, Yuta¡¯s eyes quickly scanned the entire battlefield. Suddenly, he was greatly surprised, and then looked up into the distance. In his Byakugan¡¯s field of vision, he saw a figure standing above the forest in the distance.


    What¡¯s that? His eyes just locked onto that figure and he had no time to see his face clearly but in his eyes, the moon behind that figure instantly turned blood red. And strange lines began to appear on its surface.


    In an instant, Yuta felt an explosion in his head. He immediately lost consciousness and fell to the ground.


    Swish¡­ A white light flashed and Yuta¡¯s head was cut off by a Stone chunin using a kunai. The wind blew again, triggering a wave above the forest sea. Under the illumination of the bleak moonlight, it seemed to stir up pale waves.


    Uchiha Tonan, who was wearing a black windbreaker, was standing stably on the tip of a branch, and his figure was rising up and down along with the waves. Several white pigeons had landed on his head and shoulders. And the other white pigeons were circling him while happily flying up and down.


    ¡°The joy of farming comes from the expectation of the harvest. Whenever this kind of critical moment comes, my mood can¡¯t help but get excited.¡±


    Tonan watched the ongoing fierce battle in the distance with indifferent eyes, and slowly raised his arm as if he wanted to grab something. A white pigeon flying around him noticed this, and it took the lead to land on the back of Tonan¡¯s hand.


    Tonan brought his arm in front of him, used the other hand to stroke this white pigeon¡¯s feather, and leisurely said, ¡°A creature like this who wallows in emotion and lacks reason doesn¡¯t deserve to have such a powerful strength. Don¡¯t you think so¡­¡±


    The white pigeon humanely nodded its head. It then squinted its eyes, enjoying Tonan¡¯s gentle caresses. After a long time, Tonan narrowed his eyes slightly. He saw Minato gathering Kakashi, Obito, and others around him.


    Seeing this, a sinister smile appeared on his indifferent face, and he muttered, ¡°Is it finally going to start¡­ I already¡­ cannot wait any longer¡­¡±


    After speaking, he suddenly disappeared from this place. The white pigeons also flew up in all directions filling the place with cooing sounds.