RADG: Chapter 137/138

Chapter 137: Yakushi Kabuto’s Gift

Kurotsuchi stared in shock at the young man who had grabbed her ankle and taken advantage of her.

Her first reaction was that he was so handsome, she had the sudden urge to bring him home and have his children.

Then she was deeply shaken.

She had secretly cast the Light Weight Rock Technique on her legs, greatly boosting her attack power. Even a kick at a wall would leave a crater.

Yet this man had caught her leg effortlessly with one hand, didn't even budge, and was still taking advantage of her.

He's definitely strong. Kurotsuchi struggled, but found her leg couldn't move. Embarrassed, she shouted angrily, "Let go of me!"

"Is Konoha Village only good at bullying the weak? If you've got guts, let me fight that yellow-haired dwarf!"

Yellow-haired dwarf?

Naruto froze, looked around, then finally pointed at Temari, who had already unfolded her fan.

"Are you talking about her?"

Temari had a vein bulging on her forehead. She stormed over to Naruto.

"Idiot! You're half a head shorter than me! Who are you calling a yellow-haired dwarf?!"

"Damn it! So she meant me?!" Naruto finally caught on. He pointed at Kurotsuchi, shouting angrily, "Yami-nii, let her go! I'll teach this woman a lesson!"

"Shut up." Yami smiled as he glanced back at Naruto. Naruto immediately hid behind Sasuke, shivering.

Too scary… That smile's terrifying.

Yami let go of Kurotsuchi's leg, and she quickly pulled it back.

"This long-legged Iwa Genin, you should be thankful the Third Hokage just ordered me not to kill shinobi from other villages."

Yami smiled and looked up at a nearby tree.

"And you, little raccoon cat. Are you glaring at me?"

"This is Konoha. Even if the Kazekage or Tsuchikage were here, they'd have to lower their heads and behave."

Gaara's eyes were filled with killing intent. Yellow sand gathered under his feet.

But just as he prepared to send the sand toward Yami, an overwhelming killing aura swept through the area, dispersing the sand and dropping it powerlessly to the ground.

Others didn't sense anything, but Kurotsuchi, being the closest, felt it clearly.

It only lasted a moment, but her back was already drenched in cold sweat.

"Who… are you?"

Kurotsuchi's expression turned serious as she subtly stepped back, positioning herself between her teammates and Yami.

"Yami. Konoha Jōnin. The sensei of these two dwarfs."

"So it's you."

Kurotsuchi's eyes immediately turned hostile. Yami looked puzzled.

"I don't think we've met before. All the Iwa shinobi I've seen are already dead."

He wasn't in the habit of leaving anyone alive on missions.

"It's because the old man used you as a comparison for Deidara every day that he got so annoyed he defected!" Kurotsuchi shouted, revealing the reason.

Ever since the war with Kumo, Ōnoki had used Yami—who was the same age as Deidara—as an example to lecture him. On top of that, he wouldn't let Deidara study Explosion Release. Eventually, Deidara left Iwa in anger.

"That so?"

Realizing the reason, Yami smiled.

"Deidara, huh? If I run into him in the future, I'll kill him. Ōnoki doesn't need to thank me for eliminating a rogue ninja. Just count it as me doing a good deed."

"You…!"

Kurotsuchi gritted her teeth, but after confirming Yami's identity, she didn't dare say anything else. She glared at him and left with her teammates.

"Little raccoon cat."

Yami looked up again at the still-shocked Gaara and warned, "If you want to kill someone, wait until the exam. Cause trouble again, and I'll kick all the Suna candidates out of the village."

When he saw Gaara, Yami couldn't help but think of Masanobu and his own innate talent.

In that regard, the two were quite similar.

But that was it. Gaara was still a problematic child. Even if he would be redeemed in three years, they were not the same type of person.

Unless he became Yami's brother-in-law.

"Gaara." Temari hurried over to calm her brother, worried he'd lose control.

Gaara said nothing. He stared deeply at Yami, then turned and walked away alone.

Temari and Kankurō didn't dare follow. They looked awkwardly at the broken puppet under Sasuke's foot. Kankurō was heartbroken, almost in tears, but he didn't dare retrieve it.

"Take your broken junk with you."

Yami kicked the puppet over, then took Naruto and Sasuke away. Only after they left did Kankurō finally dare to run over and retrieve it.

"Yami-nii, are they the shinobi taking the Chūnin Exam?" Naruto asked curiously.

Before handing them over to Maruboshi Kosuke, Yami had explained the exam to them, so Naruto wasn't clueless.

"Yeah. They're from Suna and Iwa. They're part of the Five Great Nations and will be your biggest competition going forward. If you lose…"

Although Yami smiled while speaking, both Naruto and Sasuke shivered and quickly promised not to lose.

"So, confident in your training this month?"

"Of course!" Naruto puffed out his chest. "Grandpa Kosuke is amazing! I couldn't learn his jutsu, but I did learn a lot of taijutsu from him."

Sasuke also reluctantly admitted, "I judged him by his appearance. That old man is a real shinobi."

The first day Yami handed them over to Kosuke, the old man beat them both without a word.

After that, Sasuke got serious and followed orders without complaint.

Over the month, they completed three C-rank and two B-rank missions with Kosuke.

Not only did they gain experience, but Kosuke also shared all his battle knowledge and techniques without holding back.

And most importantly... the food on missions was really good.

Even though they were camping in the wild, Naruto and Sasuke had visibly gained weight. Naruto's face even looked rounder.

"Alright. I'll see how you perform. I already submitted your application. Get some rest these next few days. Be at the Academy by 9 AM for the shuttle."

After a few more words, Yami sent them off.

Yakushi Kabuto stepped out of the shadows, watching Naruto and Sasuke leave as he pushed his glasses up.

"So these are the disciples you took in, Yami-sama? They certainly have potential."

Yami shook his head. "Not just potential. They'll be powerhouses. Kabuto, when did you get back?"

"Three days ago."

Kabuto answered softly. "Lord Orochimaru sent me and two agents to participate in the Chūnin Exam. He's hoping to cultivate a few promising seeds in Konoha."

"Do as you like."

Yami waved casually. "Even spies need breaks. Stop by the orphanage or Root when you have free time."

"I visited Director Nonō yesterday. She and the orphanage are doing well."

Kabuto smiled warmly, his gaze toward Yami full of respect.

Nonō had left her days as a spy behind and become a full-time medical-nin. The orphanage had plenty of funding. Danzō no longer viewed it as a recruitment ground. Everyone there could grow up freely and choose their own paths.

All of this was something Kabuto had earned through his efforts.

People don't just seek identity and status. They also long for a sense of personal worth.

Kabuto cared more about the latter. Helping Nonō and the orphanage improve made him feel more fulfilled than learning any powerful jutsu.

But to remain valuable to Yami, Kabuto worked even harder.

"Sir, this is Orochimaru's latest research on the Curse Seal."

Kabuto handed Yami a gift from his return to the village.

As Orochimaru's right-hand man, he had access to everything except Impure World Reincarnation and Living Corpse Reincarnation. He could assist with all other experiments and retrieve valuable data.

"Curse Seal?"

Yami opened the scroll and examined it, nodding in approval.

"Good. This is just what I need. Well done."

"I'm glad you like it, Yami-sama," Kabuto said humbly.

The Curse Seal was a jutsu developed by Orochimaru.

Since Orochimaru lacked the qualifications to learn senjutsu, he found another path and developed the Curse Seal.

The core of the Curse Seal was natural energy extracted from Jūgo. Orochimaru would treat it and inject it into a shinobi, creating a pseudo-Sage Mode.

Though it didn't grant Sage Chakra, it could provide a power boost. With the Curse Seal Level Two, the user could even develop unique abilities.

Orochimaru couldn't use it himself, but it was a great tool for enhancing subordinates like Kurenai or Yugao.

That said, Yami wouldn't use it on any of his women until he solved the Curse Seal Level Two's mutation problem. It was too ugly.

As for the Curse Seal of Heaven and Earth, the only real difference was that Orochimaru embedded a piece of his soul in one.

Putting the scroll away, Yami said, "Keep an eye on Orochimaru's Impure World research for me. Guide him to improve his summoned bodies, and nothing else."

"Understood."

Kabuto smiled. "Lord Orochimaru is fully devoted to science these days."

"Oh, right."

While they were speaking, a team of tightly wrapped Kusagakure shinobi walked past not far away. Yami's smile instantly faded.

"If you run into Grass shinobi during the exam, just get rid of them. They annoy me."

"Yes, sir."

Although he didn't know what the Grass team did to anger Yami, Kabuto could only mourn for them and wish them good luck in their next life.

On the other side, Kurotsuchi and Temari had reported the conflict to their respective Jōnin leaders.

On the Iwa side, Monga frowned. "Takishi, do you realize how much trouble you've caused?"

"I told you many times before we came—keep a low profile. Don't let Konoha catch anything suspicious. What did you do?"

The blue-haired Genin subdued by Naruto lowered his head. "Sensei, I was reckless."

"Monga-senpai, Takishi didn't mean it."

Kurotsuchi stepped in to defend him. "You didn't see how arrogant the Suna Genin were. That clown-faced, yellow-haired girl started mocking us first."

"They were deliberately creating the illusion of discord between our two villages."

Monga sighed and explained, "Only if we appear to be in conflict will Konoha lower their guard."

"Who could've guessed you'd be so impulsive, taking action and provoking Yami…"

"…I see."

Kurotsuchi lowered her head, embarrassed. She had just been arguing with the yellow-haired girl, which had triggered everything.

"Forget it. Just be careful from now on."

Facing the granddaughter of the Third Tsuchikage, Monga didn't scold too harshly. "The plan doesn't start for another month. Until then, just act like normal Genin and don't do anything extra."

The three nodded. Remembering that handsome man from earlier, Kurotsuchi couldn't help but ask, "Monga-senpai, do we really have a way to deal with Yami?"

Monga smiled confidently. "With Lord Han here, even if Yami has Flying Thunder God, it won't change the outcome. This is the power of a Jinchūriki."

"Gaara, you did well just now. You didn't act rashly."

Baki praised Gaara, clearly relieved.

If this had been Suna, Gaara would've killed someone for speaking like that.

Even Temari looked at him strangely. He seemed completely different today.

Facing Baki's praise, Gaara shook his head calmly.

"I wanted to act, but... my sand was scared."

As his words fell, silence blanketed the room.

Baki's expression darkened. He now had a much deeper understanding of Yami's power.

"It's fine. Yami is a famous genius. Lord Kazekage and the others have a plan. We just follow it."

"I'll kill him."

Gaara walked to the door, ignoring Baki's words.

"Even if I can't, it can."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 138: Hard Work Is Also a Talent

"You didn't see it, but that girl's legs are really beautiful and felt amazing."

At the Shimura residence, Yami was massaging Izumi's thighs while rambling, "I seriously doubt Kurotsuchi is actually Ōnoki's granddaughter. With his short height, big nose, and wide face, how could he have such a good-looking descendant?"

"I heard her father, Kitsuchi, is also a fat guy. About the same as Monga."

"Hmph. If you like someone else's legs so much, then stop touching mine."

Izumi pretended to be angry and tried to pull her legs away.

Yami smiled and pulled them right back.

The two went back and forth like that, as if they were competing.

To the other Uchiha in the room, it looked a lot more like flirting.

No, not like flirting. It was flirting.

"Kurotsuchi is indeed quite strong."

Pakura, who had just finished her special training, walked up from the underground training room and agreed with Yami's evaluation.

Pakura had fought against Kitsuchi during the Third Shinobi World War, so she had the qualifications to comment.

"Why? Do you like that girl?"

"I do think she's good." Yami shamelessly admitted, and the women in the room didn't react much.

This was just how Yami was. He said what he wanted, did what he wanted.

No fake sweet talk or phony politeness.

It was this honesty that made the girls feel at ease.

Better that than some man who talked about loyalty but had a filthy mind.

"I'll help you make 8,000 of her."

Hikari perked up immediately. She put down the romance manga she was reading and got ready to act. Yami quickly stopped her.

"I don't want an inflatable doll. What's the point of you punching out a puppet?"

"That wouldn't be a doll," Hikari replied. "Have you forgotten that I can modify memories? I could set it up so she thinks she's your childhood friend."

"No." Izumi interrupted, not pleased. "Hikari-san, Yami's childhood sweetheart can only be me. You can set her up as someone he saved, or a female servant instead."

"A female servant would be better. Yami-sama saved me, and I swore to follow him as a reward." Karin ran out to join the fun.

Yami's face was full of black lines. He shut all of them down. "Why would I need to use such underhanded tricks? After the Konoha Crush, I'll just attack Iwagakure directly and make Ōnoki compensate me with his granddaughter."

The room went silent.

That method… might be even more shameless.

Especially Samui. She even felt a little sympathetic.

After all, she had been carried all the way back to Konoha by Yami like some kind of local delicacy. Compared to her, Kurotsuchi walking into the trap herself was even more absurd.

Soon, the day of the Chūnin Exam arrived.

A large group of Genin had gathered at the Academy, and the scene was lively.

The Genin from the three major nations looked relatively normal. But those from smaller villages were dressed like they were attending a comic convention. Their appearances were all over the place.

This was the current reality of the smaller villages. Outside of a few talented individuals, most ninjas relied on body modifications or special ninja tools to raise their combat power. So it wasn't strange for them to look odd.

In Yami's eyes, the future would inevitably involve the development of scientific ninja tools. For those without overwhelming natural ability, technological enhancements were more efficient and easier to replicate than hard work.

If Orochimaru had become Hokage, forget about high-level combatants—even Konoha's mid and low-tier ninja would crush other villages. The legendary Sage of Six Paths was proof enough of that.

In the monitoring room, a group of Jōnin instructors observed the Genin's behavior on-screen.

When they saw Uchiha Sasuke pierce through the illusion of the two gatekeepers at a glance, they all nodded slightly in approval.

"As expected of an Uchiha. His grasp of genjutsu is much better than average."

Asuma praised him while also glancing toward Yami with a subtle expression.

Because of Kurenai, he had never liked Yami. But he wasn't foolish enough to openly cause trouble.

Because he couldn't win.

Yami had beaten him barehanded, and even Hiruzen couldn't do anything about it.

So Asuma pinned his hopes on his students. As long as one of them could beat Yami's, it would ease some of his resentment.

Yami didn't care about Asuma's thoughts at all and just kept watching the screen.

Then, a bowl-cut Genin blocked Sasuke's path.

"Hahaha! Yami, Lee is my proudest student!"

Might Guy, who had been silent until now, suddenly became passionate. He clenched his fists and rushed over to Yami.

"He will prove to you that hard work can surpass geniuses!"

If it were anyone else, Yami would have seen it as provocation and struck back mercilessly.

But this was Might Guy. Not only was Yami not annoyed, he felt quite pleased.

Damn, how many years had it been?

This guy finally remembered his name.

"Guy, why do you think hard-working people aren't also geniuses?"

That question stunned Guy.

"What's the relationship between hard work and genius?"

Yami spread his hands. "Hard work isn't just about trying. It takes real blood and sweat.

Anyone can work hard for a day on a whim. But to keep it up for a year or ten years takes persistence and resilience.

You think ordinary people have that?"

Yami had never considered Lee, Guy, or even Dai to be mediocre. Their talent just wasn't in ninjutsu—it was in taijutsu and sheer determination.

What was a truly average person?

No talent. No drive. No intellect. No background.

That's a real ordinary person.

Lee had persistence far beyond normal, and he had an Elite Jōnin like Guy to train him. With proper physical conditioning and guidance, how could anyone call that "ordinary"?

No one would believe it.

After hearing Yami's logic, many of the Jōnin fell into deep thought. Guy, meanwhile, was completely stunned.

He had always believed he got where he was through effort alone, and that Lee would follow the same path.

But now Yami was saying effort itself was a form of talent?

It actually made sense, and Guy couldn't find a way to argue against it.

Is that true?

Guy stood there in a daze, his entire worldview shaken.

Yami pushed him aside so he wouldn't block the screen.

Exam Hall.

Lee introduced himself and said he was the strongest among Konoha's Genin. Sasuke couldn't take that.

His sensei wasn't here, and someone else dared show off?

He rushed forward to fight.

However, things didn't go as expected. Sasuke's body couldn't keep up with Lee's speed and he got beaten down.

The effects of Lightning Release in activating cells were significant, and Maruboshi Kosuke's training wasn't wasted.

Sasuke and Lee traded blows. Once Sasuke realized Lee was no pushover, he pushed his Lightning-style stimulation further.

His speed surged, surpassing even Lee with weights on. With a heavy kick, he sent Lee sliding back more than ten meters.

"As expected of an Uchiha genius."

Lee grew serious. He began unwrapping the bandages on his arms.

"Sorry, Guy-sensei, but I—"

"Stop right there, Lee!"

Guy, seeing Lee's actions through the monitors, burst into the room and punched him square on the head, leaving Sasuke frozen in place.

Wait, why did Big Watermelon hit Little Watermelon?

"Lee! You were going to use a Forbidden Technique on a fellow Konoha ninja?! Have you forgotten everything I taught you?!"

"I'm sorry, Sensei. I just wanted to prove that hard work could surpass a genius…"

"No, I was wrong! You are also a genius of hard work!"

The two hugged and cried. The watching Genin all got goosebumps.

What are these two weirdos? Does Konoha have a zoo?

"Excuse me, Hinata-sama."

Hyūga Neji appeared with Tenten, greeting Hinata politely. "Sensei and Lee are like that, but they're good people."

"Neji…, I told you, stop calling me that," Hinata said softly.

"Etiquette can't be ignored," Neji replied firmly. "Whether it's the clan head's care or Yami-sama's kindness, I can never repay it. How could I be disrespectful to you?"

Neji's fate had completely changed. Though the Caged Bird Seal remained, it only interfered with the Byakugan and nothing more.

All the elders of the main house had passed away, and the younger generation was suppressed by Hiashi. The Hyūga clan was essentially under his full control.

The previously forbidden techniques were now fully open to Neji, and he received treatment equal to the main branch.

Neji understood that all of this was thanks to Yami. His respect for Hinata came from the heart.

Hinata sighed helplessly. She had tried persuading Neji many times, but never succeeded.

After the episode, the examinees arrived at the real exam room.

In the monitoring room, Morino Ibiki, the chief examiner for the first test, stood up to preside over the exam.

"Ibiki."

Yami suddenly called out. Morino Ibiki stopped immediately, turned, and stood at attention.

"Nothing big," Yami said casually. "Just be strict with the proctoring. I know you always save a final question to test team cohesion, but you can't let that be the only filter. Otherwise, Anko will curse you out later."

"Understood, Yami-sama."

Ibiki nodded and left.

Although Ibiki wasn't a direct subordinate of Yami in Anbu and technically only answered to the Hokage, Yami's strength and status spoke for themselves.

More importantly, he'd heard rumors that the Third Battalion's captain had a bit of a petty streak.

With something this flexible, Ibiki felt it was best to go with the flow.

Soon, the first written exam began.

Ninjas from several villages used various methods to cheat, dazzling the instructors watching.

"Tch, that puppet is so fake, and nobody caught it?"

"For Genin, that's good enough."

Kakashi thought back to how absurd his own behavior was during his exam. He couldn't help but speak up on behalf of the rookies.

Then he lowered his voice. "You taught Sasuke Chidori?"

As his own prized jutsu, Kakashi could tell even from the monitor. Sasuke had already completed the cell activation process.

"Yeah."

Yami didn't hide it and nodded. "He has talent with Lightning Release. He learned it after the Wave mission, though he's not very proficient yet."

"Isn't that too early?" Kakashi frowned.

He wasn't trying to hoard his techniques, but felt that right now, mental stability was more important for Genin.

"You Third Generation faction types are so full of it. You don't train them properly, and when danger comes, all you do is preach the Will of Fire?"

Yami sneered.

That was Hiruzen for you. Kakashi too. And don't even mention Jiraiya.

All of them thought brainwashing was more important than strength.

After training with Jiraiya for two and a half years, Naruto had barely progressed. It was just physical growth.

If he'd faced Sasuke under Orochimaru, he would've died instantly.

Then, after Jiraiya died, Naruto's power skyrocketed. He'd been held back for two years for nothing.

"How I teach my students is my business. After your students get beaten, feel free to heal them with the Will of Fire."

Yami said coldly and lost interest in continuing the conversation with Kakashi.

He stretched and walked out of the monitoring room.

The first exam was almost over, and there was nothing left worth watching.

Just then, the familiar cold chakra entered the range of his Mind's Eye of the Kagura.

Yami figured it was time to let Orochimaru know which people could be touched… and which ones absolutely couldn't.

(To be continued.)