🎉🎉RADG: Chapter 123/125

Chapter 123: Birth of a Monster

For a serious person, doing everything with focus and concentration is the most basic requirement.

So even something as significant as awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan went unnoticed by the one who awakened it.

The two of them slept in each other's arms. When they woke up at noon, Yami brought up the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Still hugging the blanket, Izumi looked confused.

"Mangekyō? I awakened Mangekyō?"

Yami was completely convinced now. This girl was so focused that she didn't even realize she had awakened Mangekyō.

That was probably a first in the history of the Uchiha clan.

Izumi finally noticed the massive changes in her pupil power and discovered the ability residing in her eyes. Her Mangekyō pattern had transformed into a spiral, stunning and captivating.

"It's real!"

The girl was thrilled. She hadn't expected to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan without even realizing it.

"Come on, I'll take you somewhere to test the effect and power of your two eye techniques."

After they finished changing clothes, Yami opened Takamagahara and brought Izumi in, causing her to stare in shock.

"Yami, you…"

"I can't really explain this, but anyway, these aren't someone else's eyes."

As he spoke, Yami opened and closed his eyes repeatedly to prove that they were indeed his.

Izumi wasn't too concerned about what was going on with his eyes, just a little surprised that he had this kind of ability.

With the Uchiha clan's obsessive nature when it came to emotions, she already belonged to Yami in both body and mind.

After enjoying the relatively dull scenery of Takamagahara, Izumi was amazed after learning about the effects of the Temple of the Gods.

"You can actually copy other people's eye techniques? Yami, your eyes are really amazing."

After looking at the names of the eye techniques on the various palaces, the girl became even more excited. "Great! Yami, you should quickly copy my eye techniques. These two aren't on the list here."

"Oh?"

Yami became interested. "What are your two eye techniques?"

Izumi smiled mysteriously and didn't answer, choosing instead to demonstrate.

The Mangekyō in her right eye spun, and the temperature around them dropped rapidly. Giant ice spikes appeared in the air, each over three meters wide and nearly ten meters long.

As Uchiha Izumi willed it, five ice spikes struck a small hill. The summit of the hill became uneven, coated in white frost from the extreme cold.

Yami kept his Sharingan active to observe, and a palace on the Mountain rumbled up, standing at the same height as Amaterasu's palace.

He understood the essence of this technique.

Yukihime no Mikoto, a rare frost-type eye technique.

It could generate Ice Release attacks at any location within a certain range centered on the user. Its power was fairly standard, but like Amaterasu, it was hard to defend against. It could be used as a support technique to disrupt the enemy.

"What about the other eye technique?" Yami asked with curiosity.

Izumi summoned another massive ice spike, and her left Mangekyō began to rotate. The ice spike shrank rapidly, becoming almost invisible to the naked eye.

Then, in an instant, it returned to its original size.

"Sukunahikona?!"

Yami nearly shouted.

"Eh? Yami, you know this eye technique?" Izumi, who had just been about to explain, was stunned and pouted unhappily.

She had wanted to show off, but he already knew about it.

Yami smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the lips to comfort her, then held her in his arms. "You really gave me a huge surprise. With this technique, I'll never have to worry about your safety again."

If Yukihime no Mikoto was a standard Mangekyō-level technique on par with Amaterasu, then Sukunahikona was a pinnacle-level technique.

Sukunahikona could shrink any non-living object and instantly restore it to its original size. For living things, it could only alter their size temporarily.

The most broken aspect was that it could even shrink ninjutsu made from chakra not just compressing its mass, but weakening its power to near nothing.

However, when shrinking herself, her mass remained unchanged. A body as small as an ant could unleash the power of an elephant. Enemies wouldn't even detect her, much less counterattack.

This technique could also be paired with Yukihime no Mikoto, sending a minuscule ice spike into a hidden area and restoring it to full size.

Just thinking about that...

Yami couldn't help but shiver.

With these two techniques, Izumi could become a top-tier Kage-level shinobi as long as she used them properly.

No wonder Senju Tobirama feared the Uchiha clan. You never knew when an ordinary member would suddenly awaken terrifying abilities and become a villain-level threat.

Yami asked Izumi to demonstrate Sukunahikona once more, and he was so surprised he forgot to comment.

Soon, the palace representing Sukunahikona emerged from the ground, slightly lower than the Eight Thousand Spears Palace.

It seemed that, in the judgment of Takamagahara, this ability was even more unbalanced.

Yami reminded her seriously, "Don't use these two abilities casually. Mangekyō consumes a lot of pupil power, and it's not easy to recover. Wait until I find a solution before you start practicing with them."

Izumi nodded obediently. Yami sent her back to her room to continue resting, while he returned to the space to receive the "coming-of-age gift" from the system.

[Host has reached the age of sixteen. The third stage of "Mother's Love" has been activated. Current chakra amount doubled.]

Boom!

A terrifying aura erupted from Yami's body. Blue chakra surged into the sky, dyeing the already-blue sky an even deeper hue.

With Yami as the center, the ground shook violently. Cracks spread in all directions, only to be instantly repaired by the self-restoration ability of Takamagahara.

How terrifying was Yami's chakra?

He had the Senju bloodline at the Limit Break level, the Uzumaki bloodline at the Ultimate level, and the Ōtsutsuki bloodline of a standard Ōtsutsuki.

Though his chakra amount had already been immense in recent years, it was still within reason due to his young age.

Human bodies go through two rapid development phases. The first is from birth to around one year old, where most nutrition goes into body growth.

The second is during puberty, typically beginning at age twelve.

After age twelve, various hormones accelerate growth in bones, cellular activity, and brain development.

The same applies to shinobi. After twelve, strength rapidly increases until the end of puberty. Then, combat experience and awareness become more important.

Yami had been thirteen since the night of the Uchiha massacre. His chakra had grown wildly like a runaway horse, skyrocketing over the past two years.

Because the growth rate was too fast, and the chakra too unstable, he couldn't train in Sage Mode. He needed to wait until it calmed and stabilized.

And now it had doubled on top of that...

At this point, another monster comparable to the Sage of Six Paths had been born in the shinobi world.

Yami's cells began undergoing intense changes. Activity surged. Behind him, a massive tree burst from the ground, expanding outward to form a several-kilometer-wide forest.

This was due to chakra leaking uncontrollably from his body after the surge.

His skin turned a pale, cold jade-like white—a trait of the Ōtsutsuki clan. With his powerful chakra, even his physical traits were awakening.

His Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines were now nearly fully developed.

After half an hour, the overwhelming pressure finally subsided. Yami sat cross-legged for two more hours, working to stabilize his body.

Altogether, it took him two and a half hours to suppress the chakra fluctuations.

He had no idea how long it would take to regain precise chakra control.

"Damn…"

Exhaling a long breath, Yami opened his eyes.

He stared blankly at the dense forest in front of him for a moment, then quickly understood what had happened.

Raising his hand without performing any jutsu, he casually released chakra. The resulting force was like a typhoon, uprooting trees everywhere.

"System, open the [Status Panel]."

A light screen visible only to him appeared.

[Name: Shimura Yami]
[Gender: Male]

[Age: 16]

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

[Chakra Attributes: Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Thunder, Yang, Yin]

[Total Chakra: 3.6 Hashiramas (1 Hashirama ≈ 11 Narutos, 1 Naruto ≈ 100 Kakashis, 1 Kakashi≈ 5 Standard Jōnin Chakra)]

[Chakra Control Talent: Limit Break]
[Mastered Ninjutsu: Numerous Kekkei Genkai techniques]

[Nature Transformation: Wind, Fire, Earth (Limit Break), Water, Thunder (Ultimate)]

[Special Talents: Ōtsutsuki Bloodline (Standard), Senju Bloodline (Limit Break), Uzumaki Bloodline (Ultimate), Uchiha Bloodline (Ultimate, Eternal Mangekyō), Byakugan, Sage Arts Affinity (Good), Scientific Research Talent (Excellent), Swordsmanship Genius, Darkness of the Ninja World, Mother-in-Law's Expectation, Space Talent]

---

After several unit changes, Yami's current chakra level now stood at the top of the shinobi world at age sixteen.

Beyond this point were likely only the Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra.

From the system's comparison, he also understood the chakra levels of Kakashi, Naruto, and Hashirama.

Yami now had enough chakra that even casual movements could unleash devastating power but that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

The more chakra one had, the harder it was to control.

That's why Sakura was the first to finish tree climbing. The other two simply had too much chakra.

For safety, certain "activities" needed to be put on hold.

Yami comforted several girls who were giving him longing looks, and showed them his current state.

Though reluctant, even Yugao and the others had to let him go so he could focus on training.

Days passed one after another.

After two and a half months, Yami finally restored his chakra control to an acceptable level, though it was still far from his previous precision.

But it was enough for Sage Mode training.

Now, the only gap between him and Hashirama was Sage Mode. If he could achieve instant activation like Hashirama, he would become the new—and stronger—God of the Shinobi World.

After giving himself a half-month break, Yami used the time to turn some girls into real women. Then, he activated the Reverse Summoning Technique and arrived at Ryūchi Cave.

After a shift in space, Yami appeared in a rocky cavern.

It was hot and humid.

The perfect environment for snakes.

A massive, dark-green python slithered out from a shadowy crevice. Its eyes, initially filled with killing intent, instantly turned clear after seeing Yami and bowed low to the ground.

"Master Yami, what brings you here?"

"Still guarding the entrance?" Yami lightly leapt onto its head. "According to the agreement, I've come to learn Sage Mode from that old man. You can take me."

"Yes."

The green snake didn't dare disobey and carried Yami deeper into Ryūchi Cave.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Mittens for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 124: Yami’s Sage Mode

Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and the Shikkotsu Forest.

In terms of overall strength, it's hard to say which of the three sacred places is superior. Each is an ancient force with a long lineage of Sage Mode inheritance.

The old toad of Mount Myōboku is cunning and shrewd. He has two Sages under him and a group of massive toads. Even capital cities can only resist them for a short time.

Ryūchi Cave houses numerous giant snakes, some with two or even three heads. During the Konoha destruction plan, just these snakes alone nearly brought the village to collapse.

The most inconspicuous of the three is probably the Shikkotsu Forest.

Don't be fooled by Katsuyu's soft and polite demeanor. She addresses everyone as "sama" respectfully, but no matter who is summoned, it's always just a fragment of Katsuyu's body. No one has ever summoned her complete form.

This alone shows how terrifying Katsuyu truly is.

But if we talk about which of the three sacred lands is the most brutal, Ryūchi Cave is undoubtedly the answer.

The snakes here are cruel, not only toward enemies but even toward those who sign contracts with them. Some snakes will only follow orders if a living human sacrifice is made, even when Summoned.

The green snake Yami was riding was the gatekeeping snake of Ryūchi Cave and one of the higher-ranking ones.

The only reason it was being so polite was because it had encountered Yami before. Last time, it got a little too arrogant and was nearly roasted into snake jerky.

The other high-ranking snakes in Ryūchi Cave fared no better, including the three princess-class elders, who were nearly wiped out and caused quite a bit of chaos.

Yami sat on the green snake's head, sipping a bottle of milk. The White Snake Sage's dwelling was located deep inside Ryūchi Cave, at the heart of a shrine, a great distance from the entrance.

The path was long and winding, and it was easy to get lost on foot.

Originally, he had left two Flying Thunder God markers here during his last visit, but this time, he couldn't sense them.

That old white snake was something else.

After traveling for a while, the green snake suddenly stopped, eyeing a passage to the right with caution and shifting into a defensive stance.

Yami, who had finished his milk, was now munching on an apple.

"Why are you here?"

A red snake with one blind eye slithered out of the cave, casting a cold glance at the green snake before looking at Yami with a trace of warmth.

"I smelled your scent and came to see you."

"You're heading to see that old thing?"

"Yeah. I came to train in Sage Mode."

"I'll take you."

After the red snake finished speaking, it glared directly at the green snake. The green snake was clearly embarrassed, but before it could speak, Yami had already leapt onto the red snake's back.

"Sitting on Garaga is way more comfortable. Green Snake, your skin is too slippery. Train harder and grow some proper scales."

The green snake didn't dare to retort and slithered back along the original path, hissing in grievance.

The red snake, Garaga, carried Yami further in, and the two chatted casually.

In Ryūchi Cave, Garaga's strength was second only to the White Snake Sage, and on par with the three princess-class elders. However, he was highly antisocial, to the point that even the White Snake Sage found him difficult.

In his early years, Garaga had been a top-tier Summoning beast, but after a disagreement during a Summoning, he lost one of his eyes and has hated humans ever since. His attitude toward his own kind wasn't much better either.

The test that the White Snake Sage gave Yami included pacifying Garaga, the problem child.

Yami wasn't great at verbal persuasion, but he was very good at using force. After defeating Garaga and taking his reverse scale, the snake finally submitted.

After an unknown amount of time, Garaga finally brought Yami to a grand temple and stopped.

"You're not going in?"

"No, I don't want to see those guys."

"Alright, keep training those snakes for me. If any are too much trouble, let me know. I'll talk to them."

"Got it."

After dropping Yami off, Garaga left.

Yami entered the shrine and saw the White Snake Sage sitting cross-legged at the main seat, with the three princess-class snakes standing in front, each one as beautiful as a flower.

At that moment, the three snakes were clearly tense.

The White Snake Sage didn't even bother puffing from her pipe.

Seeing Yami approaching, she quickly raised her hand and said, "Yami boy, just stand there. I'm not that old toad. I can hear you perfectly fine right where you are."

The three princess-class snakes each took a discreet step back.

To learn Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode, one must pass the tests of the three princess-class snakes.

Tagorihime uses genjutsu to create a feast-filled castle. Eat anything, and you'll be eaten instead.

Ichikishimahime locks the examinee in a cave and tasks them with filling pits using crystal stones. Fail to complete it in time, and she'll devour you.

Tagitsuhime bites the examinee's neck like Orochimaru, flooding their body with hallucinations and heat to test willpower.

This is the normal procedure for seeing the White Snake Sage.

But Yami…

He stormed in atop a Wooden Golem, Dust Release in hand.

Castle? One punch from the Wooden Golem smashed it to bits.

Puzzle game in a cave? Dust Release erased everything.

Bite me? If the snake princess hadn't revealed her true form, he might've considered it—after all, they were beautiful. But once the true form came out, he was grossed out and passed through with Dust Release.

Somehow, Ryūchi Cave passed Yami's "test."

Ryūchi Cave still had value to survive, but the cost was high, nearly a third of the territory was destroyed and hadn't fully recovered.

Now it was easy to understand why the green snake had been so polite.

The White Snake Sage, who governed all of Ryūchi Cave, was already aware of Yami's purpose. Before he could even speak, she said, "Yami boy, you're indeed ready to train in Sage Mode now. But why did your chakra suddenly increase so dramatically?"

Under the perception of senjutsu, Yami's chakra was now four to five times stronger than it had been three years ago.

The sheer amount was enough to make even the White Snake Sage tremble.

Yami casually replied, "Puberty. Development speeds up. What's the issue?"

"…Sure. If you say so."

The White Snake Sage's mouth twitched. Even a pig wouldn't believe that. Yami was clearly just mocking her intelligence.

"To learn Sage Mode, just choose one of these three. If they don't understand something, ask me."

She clearly didn't want to deal with this little monster any longer and passed the responsibility off.

The three princess-class snakes turned even paler, but with the White Snake Sage being the boss, they couldn't object. They just hoped Yami wouldn't choose them.

Yami's gaze shifted between the three, each with different styles, and finally landed on one according to his preference.

"You. Ichikishimahime."

Two of the princesses breathed a sigh of relief, while the third cursed in her heart.

Ichikishimahime floated over with a wronged expression.

"Yami-sama…"

Inwardly, she was screaming.

Damn it.

"Good. Keep your current form. If you dare to show your true form, don't blame me if I can't control my own ninjutsu."

Ichikishimahime's smile turned stiffer than ever.

And so, under Ichikishimahime's guidance, Yami began Sage Mode training.

Sage Mode required absorbing natural energy and fusing it with chakra to form senjutsu chakra.

Once in Sage Mode, speed, strength, and perception are enhanced through natural energy. Jutsu powered by senjutsu chakra receive a massive boost, strong enough to even damage the Ten Tails.

Sage Mode was essentially the only path for ordinary shinobi to reach super Kage-level.

But not everyone could train in it.

First, you had to sign a Summoning contract with one of the three sacred places and be recognized by their Sage. That alone stopped 99% of shinobi.

Next, it required a large chakra reserve. Without it, natural energy would consume you and cause mutations.

Even someone like Namikaze Minato, with his considerable chakra, barely met the threshold. Every time he entered Sage Mode, it exhausted him, and he could only maintain it briefly.

Lastly, talent. Without talent, you'd never sense natural energy, let alone blend it with your chakra in the correct ratio.

Yami not only met all these conditions—he surpassed them.

Ichikishimahime brought him to a dripping cave.

"This place has the most abundant natural energy. It's best for sensing."

She handed him a bottle of purple venom. "This venom is natural energy condensed by the White Snake Sage. You'll need to take a drop before each session. If anything goes wrong, I'll help dispel the senjutsu chakra."

Yami nodded and created five Wood Clones behind him.

Despite everything, Naruto's Shadow Clone training method was a true cheat.

Yami hadn't used it for other jutsu before because they weren't difficult for him, but Sage Mode training needed to be accelerated.

Each clone took a drop of venom as instructed and began guiding the natural energy to blend with their chakra.

Soon after, one Wood Clone turned into a snake. Ichikishimahime flicked her tail and pulled the clone over, dispersing the wild energy.

That was the price of losing control of natural energy. Mount Myōboku's excess turned people into stone toads. Ryūchi Cave's turned them into mindless snakes.

As for the Shikkotsu Forest… The White Snake Sage once told Yami that those who failed there would become part of Katsuyu permanently.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

The sound of Wood Clones exploding echoed continuously.

Even with Sage Arts Affinity upgraded to Excellent, progress was slow for Yami.

His chakra quality was just too high.

Senju and Uzumaki life force, Uchiha spiritual energy… trying to blend that with wild natural energy was like forcing oil and water to mix.

Ichikishimahime secretly enjoyed punishing him.

Time flew.

After more than two months, one of Yami's clones finally succeeded in creating senjutsu chakra. It instantly dispelled itself and transferred the energy back.

Yami's body underwent dramatic changes.

Emerald green chakra enveloped him, a crystalline horn sprouted from his forehead, and several small chakra snakes coiled around him like a Tailed Beast's cloak.

His strength, speed, and perception increased severalfold.

(That brute actually mastered it? Finally, I'm free!)

Ichikishimahime's voice echoed in his mind.

She didn't even need to pretend to be happy anymore.

Yami stepped forward and flicked her on the forehead before she could react.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"If you dare talk smack about me in your head again, that'll be the least of it."

Ichikishimahime was stunned. Yami could hear her thoughts?

She soon realized that was part of Sage Mode.

After attaining Sage Mode, shinobi could sometimes gain unique powers. Yami's was mind reading.

She immediately cleared her thoughts, not daring to think of anything.

"Yami-sama, now that you've mastered senjutsu chakra, the next step is to absorb it on your own…"

Ichikishimahime explained the techniques and methods for sensing natural energy, finally getting rid of her duties.

---

Year 61 of the Konoha Calendar.

Yami completed his training in Ryūchi Cave.

He had mastered Sage Mode. On his own, he could enter the mode within 30 seconds, and maintain it for about five minutes. Heavy ninjutsu use shortened the time.

If he wanted to absorb senjutsu chakra during battle, he'd need further mastery to reach the level of Senju Hashirama.

That part of the training no longer required staying in Ryūchi Cave, so he returned to Konoha.

In one month, Karin's class would graduate. The story was about to begin.

Yami also planned to speak with the Third Hokage and become a lead jōnin, gradually stepping into the public eye.

But before he could visit Hiruzen, Danzō summoned him.

A white snake lay in front of them, and it spoke in human language:

"Yami-kun, it's been a while. How have you been?"

Yami smiled. "Orochimaru-sensei, you finally remembered the way home?"

Danzō wasn't surprised that Yami called him that. He already knew Yami had studied under Orochimaru years ago. He just glared coldly at the white snake.

"Orochimaru, you're an S-rank rogue ninja. Coming here… aren't you afraid I'll track down your real body and capture you?"

"There are no outsiders here, Elder Danzō. No need for pretenses."

Orochimaru wasn't fazed by the threat at all. He continued speaking calmly.

"I came to seek cooperation with the two of you."

(To be continued.)


Special thanks to Mittens for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 125: A New Version of Konoha’s Crush Plan

Orochimaru, a 50-year-old "young" entrepreneur, began pitching his proposal in hopes of securing early-stage support from two investors—Shimura Danzō and Shimura Yami.

For dramatic effect, he even gave the plan a name that sounded intimidating:

Konoha Crush Plan.

As Orochimaru slowly laid out the strategy, Danzō soon understood what he intended. Even Yami showed a rare look of surprise.

This plan was very different from the Konoha Crush Plan he remembered.

Ever since Yami slaughtered so many during a past Chūnin Exam, no other shinobi villages had dared to participate in the joint exams for years.

It was simply too brutal.

They feared another ninja like Yami would appear and wipe out their next generation. If it happened again, entire village lineages could be severed.

But as the era of peace continued, the joint Chūnin Exam evolved into a stage for demonstrating national power and subtle competition between the Hidden Villages.

Konoha's ninjas had become increasingly complacent in recent years. And with the Ninja Academy's reduced curriculum, their quality had gradually worsened.

Noticing this, other villages began rejoining the joint exams. It was cost-effective and good for national image—why not participate?

Just last July, Kumo sent representatives. Some envoys even tried to approach Samui in secret.

Before they could get near the Shimura compound, however, they were struck by lightning from above burned to charcoal on the spot.

Kumo suspected Shimura Yami was behind it. But without conclusive proof, they dropped the matter.

This year's event was even more ambitious.

In addition to smaller villages that had never missed a year, a new face—Otogakure—joined. Among the Five Great Nations, both Sunagakure and Iwagakure would participate too.

Through Orochimaru's coordination, all parties had agreed to the Konoha Crush Plan.

The scale was far larger than what Yami remembered.

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, would personally lead the Suna delegation. Representing Iwagakure was elite jōnin Monga.

That name was very familiar to Yami. He was the one who killed Yugao's father—the very man she swore to avenge.

The true trump card behind the scenes was Han, the Five Tails' jinchūriki, known as the Steam Ninja.

Add in Gaara, the One Tail's jinchūriki.

Two jinchūriki, one Kage, and a Sannin.

Orochimaru didn't want Konoha to collapse, he wanted it to die.

Fortunately, one thing hadn't changed: Orochimaru still planned to assassinate the Fourth Kazekage and use his identity to get close to Hiruzen during the exam, carrying out his plan in public.

This was effectively eliminating a Kage-level threat while gaining proximity to the Hokage.

Yami looked at the little white snake before him, eyes skeptical. "Orochimaru-sensei, aren't you going a bit too far?"

The white snake chuckled darkly. "This is just a normal scale of planning. With you here, Yami-kun, if I only relied on a throwaway village like Suna, they'd never agree to such a bold plan. I had no choice but to drag Iwa into it too. As it turns out, both villages are eager to weaken Konoha, so the collaboration was smooth."

Yami had to admit.

Orochimaru truly was the brains among the Sannin. With someone like Yami in the mix, if Orochimaru had only relied on Suna like in the original timeline, the plan would have failed outright. Suna likely wouldn't have even agreed to it.

But now, with both major villages involved, the plan looked far more plausible.

Yami silently praised Orochimaru's foresight, then stood up. "You can work this out with the Old Man. This has nothing to do with me. I only have one condition: when you assassinate Rasa, I want my people involved."

Orochimaru, speaking through the little white snake, frowned. "Yami-kun, dealing with one Kazekage is still within my capability."

He suspected that Yami wanted to steal Rasa's body to use in Impure World Reincarnation.

Yami saw right through his concern and sneered. "I'm not interested in Rasa's body. I just have a personal grudge. If you don't agree, we'll walk away."

After a moment's pause, Orochimaru agreed.

With his answer secured, Yami left.

Only Danzō remained in the room. Orochimaru already understood what this old man was after.

"Elder Danzō, once my sensei is gone, Konoha will fall into the hands of the Shimura clan. Who becomes the next Hokage... will be up to you, right?"

Danzō's lone eye flickered, then slowly closed.

"Root will stay out of this. I'll have Yami stand down from the main battlefield. You and Hiruzen will have the stage."

"But whether your allies and subordinates survive... that's fate."

"That's good enough."

Orochimaru grinned coldly.

The only true variable in the Konoha Crush Plan was Yami.

Through intel from Ryūchi Cave, Orochimaru already knew that Yami had mastered Sage Mode.

Combined with the Flying Thunder God Technique, even the Four Violet Flame Formation wouldn't stop him from intervening.

If Orochimaru could eliminate this unpredictable threat, he could give his sensei a grand funeral.

As for Suna, Iwa, or even his own men, Orochimaru didn't care in the slightest. He'd abandon them all without hesitation.

Shimura Residence.

When Yami returned home, he didn't find Pakura or Uzumaki Misa. The entire house was quiet, save for Hikari, who was lying on the sofa reading a novel.

"Oi."

Uchiha Hikari, so absorbed in her book she didn't even greet him, suddenly felt her body lift as she was scooped up like a plush doll.

"What are you doing, touching me the moment you get home?"

Hikari had filled out slightly. No longer fragile like when she first awakened.

Still small, still cute. Just holding her was addictively soothing.

When not out on missions, Yami's favorite thing was falling asleep with her or Izumi in his arms. They were sweet, soft, and comforting.

"You didn't even react when I came back," Yami grumbled, rubbing her spiky hair. "Where's Pakura? And Aunt Misa?"

"Misa-san went grocery shopping. Pakura's probably out on a Root mission."

Trapped in his arms, Hikari couldn't focus on reading anymore. She tossed the book aside and burrowed deeper into his embrace.

One thing led to another, and they went straight to the bedroom to "study the inlay technique."

Two hours later, Hikari lay fast asleep.

Just then, Pakura returned.

Yami tiptoed out of the room and saw her organizing ninja tools. He hugged her from behind.

"You only remember me when you're in the mood?"

Despite being the elder, Pakura never could resist Yami when he was being playful.

"What nonsense. Am I that shallow?"

"Just leave the door open tonight. I actually came to talk business..."

Yami explained Orochimaru's revised Konoha Crush Plan. At first, Pakura was unmoved. But when he mentioned Orochimaru's intent to assassinate Rasa, her eyes narrowed.

"I told him he has to bring my people along for that part."

Pakura frowned. "Why not let me handle it myself?"

Among everyone she despised, Rasa was at the top. The one who had betrayed her.

Though her emotional ties to Suna had long faded after following Yami for nearly ten years, the hatred still festered. She needed closure.

"An extra pair of hands means more certainty," Yami coaxed. "You know how strong Rasa is. If you go alone, there's a chance he escapes."

Pakura nodded reluctantly. Though confident she had surpassed Rasa, she wasn't an assassin, and slipping up was possible.

"Then I'll be the primary attacker. Orochimaru can assist."

"No problem."

Yami easily agreed.

Pakura smiled.

A sunny day in March.

The villagers of Konoha were going about their lives when someone's shouting echoed through the streets.

"You little brat! Stop right there!"

"Uzumaki Naruto! How dare you deface the Hokage Rock again! You're going in solitary!"

"Why is this brat so full of stamina? Block off the escape routes!"

Several chūnin chased after him, drenched in sweat.

It was bizarre. Wasn't this "demon fox" kid supposed to be dead last at the Academy? Why could he run so fast and for so long?

Eventually, they had to surround him like an actual enemy to subdue him.

The gathered villagers weren't even surprised. But when they saw the garishly painted Hokage Rock, many frowned in disgust.

Pinned down by several chūnin, Naruto's teacher Iruka finally arrived on the scene.

Without a word, he smacked Naruto's head, then turned and bowed repeatedly to the other shinobi.

"Iruka-sensei, that hurt!"

"Shut it! We'll talk back at school!"

Iruka apologized again, then grabbed Naruto by the collar and dragged him back to class.

In the classroom, Naruto's disheveled appearance drew laughter.

"Not bad, Naruto. Iruka caught you in just thirty minutes today."

"Yeah, didn't you last a full hour last week? Getting slower?"

Inuzuka Kiba mocked, and Akamaru barked twice for added effect, prompting a round of laughter.

Everyone was used to Naruto's antics by now. But he wasn't embarrassed. He grinned.

At least classmates laughed. The villagers just ignored or hated him. This was better.

In truth, Naruto's school life wasn't bad.

Like all places, the Academy had its cliques.

Other than the aloof "cool guy" Sasuke, the most prominent clique was made up of Karin, Ino, and Hinata.

Thanks to Yami, they were all friends with Naruto, which boosted his social standing.

Unlike the villagers, his classmates didn't treat him with contempt.

"All right, let's go over the important points for the exam."

Iruka restored order to the classroom and briefed everyone on the schedule.

Naruto's smile faded when he heard the Clone Technique would be tested tomorrow.

It was the one technique he struggled with most.

Despite being good at the Transformation Technique, his Clone Jutsu attempts were always a mess.

He didn't realize that his massive chakra pool—mixed with Nine Tails' chakra—was to blame. Clone Jutsu required precise chakra control, and Academy training wasn't enough for someone like him.

After school, Karin invited Ino and Hinata to her house.

That area had basically become Yami's private domain, complete with training facilities, a private cinema, and even hot springs.

Ino and Hinata visited Karin's place more than they stayed at their own homes.

Hiashi didn't mind. Since Hinata was engaged to Yami, spending more time together was good for bonding.

But Ino's father was worried.

His precious daughter was completely under Yami's spell. Whenever he tried to lecture her, she'd plug her ears and run off. And with his wife constantly defending her, he had no way to stop it.

He watched helplessly as Ino and Yami grew closer, just as Shikaku had warned years ago.

Worst of all, Yami wasn't even doing anything on purpose. He could only stew silently at home.

The next day, the final exams began.

One by one, students passed the test.

When Uchiha Sasuke appeared, all the girls swooned. One pink-haired girl in particular was especially excited.

When Naruto stepped up, Iruka offered him encouragement.

"Believe in yourself, Naruto. You've got this."

Unfortunately, Naruto produced only a collapsed, limp clone. Laughter filled the room.

Iruka sighed and marked him as unqualified.

Watching Naruto shuffle out of the room, Iruka felt conflicted. But rules were rules. Passing him anyway would do more harm than good.

Meanwhile, another examiner—Mizuki—took keen interest in Naruto.

Hokage Office.

Hiruzen was discussing this year's genin team arrangements with Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

Most candidates would be randomly placed under chūnin or special jōnin.

But clan heirs required careful consideration, both for training and political balance.

"This year's Ino-Shika-Chō will go to Asuma," Hiruzen said.

Neither elder objected. They knew Hiruzen was securing political support for his son.

Individually, the three clans weren't particularly powerful. But together, their influence rivaled even the Hyūga.

All three clan heirs had graduated this year.

Normally, someone like Asuma wouldn't qualify to lead such an important team. Someone like Kakashi or another elite jōnin would've been better.

But Hiruzen was determined to give his son something meaningful.

Satisfied, he moved to the next team. "Then for the perception team... Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and..."

Bang!

The door burst open.

Yami strode in.

"Oi, Old Man. Did you assign me a team yet?"

(To be continued.)