RADG: Chapter 99/101

Chapter 99: Masked Man Appears
Shisui, the first true Uchiha genius acknowledged even by other shinobi villages, had committed suicide.

The news quickly caused an uproar in the village.

The last time a powerhouse of this level took their own life was over a decade ago, during the Third Great Ninja War, when Konoha's White Fang died by suicide.

Unlike other Uchiha, Shisui was considered the least Uchiha-like of them all. He often helped others and never displayed the Uchiha clan's typical arrogance. Instead, he was approachable and humble.

He was not only respected among shinobi, but even civilians held him in high regard.

For someone like him to suddenly commit suicide without warning felt unbelievable to many.

Within the Uchiha clan, the reaction was far more intense.

There was no body, only a suicide note. Shisui's abrupt death seemed highly suspicious.

Many elders, including some old relics who had lived through the Sengoku era and knew the clan's darkest secrets, began to direct their suspicions toward Uchiha Itachi.

Incidents like this had occurred in the Uchiha's past. For the sake of power, some would even raise a blade against their closest kin to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

It just so happened that Uchiha Itachi had been absent from the clan meeting that day, giving him both the time and potential motive. He quickly became the prime suspect.

In the face of these accusations, Itachi simply responded with indifference. He gave no explanations, but deep inside, he felt even more disillusioned with the clan.

No one truly mourned Shisui. They only lamented the loss of a high-level combatant.

Hokage Office

Sarutobi Hiruzen was grilling Danzō. "You summoned Uchiha Shisui that afternoon, and he disappeared afterward. Danzō, don't you have anything to say for yourself?"

"This has nothing to do with me."

Danzō responded calmly, having expected Hiruzen's accusations. "Yes, I met with him. I only confirmed the Will of Fire in his heart and whether he had the resolve to take action against his clan."

"You can check Root's duty logs. I only had about a dozen guards present, and Yami wasn't among them. Do you think any of them are capable of taking down the Shunshin Shisui with Mangekyō?"

"Besides, Shisui left a suicide note. Are you saying I forced him to write it? Hiruzen, don't push all the blame onto me."

Danzō's airtight defense left Hiruzen momentarily speechless.

But he still asserted his Hokage authority. "Regardless, you're the prime suspect in this case. To avoid provoking the Uchiha any further, Root is to cease all operations. You are not to deploy without my permission!"

"Hiruzen, isn't that a bit much?"

Mitokado Homura frowned and spoke up for Danzō. "Danzō clearly didn't do this. Why punish him?"

"That's right. This seems excessive."

This sort of thing had happened often.

Whenever Hiruzen pushed Danzō too hard, the two elders would always intervene to keep a balance of power.

Usually, Hiruzen would back down and give them face.

But this time was different.

Hiruzen was unshakably firm.

He was determined to keep Root dormant, no matter what.

The two elders could do nothing.

He was the Hokage. If he insisted, no one could stop him.

Danzō maintained his calm composure.

He simply acknowledged the order and left the office slowly.

He knew this was only temporary.

As long as darkness remained in the shinobi world, Hiruzen would always need him.

Lying low for now would let him focus entirely on his research.

Hyūga Residence

The crisp sounds of sparring echoed from the training room.

Yami was currently helping Hinata train in Gentle Fist.

It was a surprisingly enjoyable experience, feeling those small, tender fists striking him.

Ahem... it felt more like a relaxing massage.

Hinata's strength was just right.

"Master Yami!"

Hinata stopped when she heard the childish voice. A three-year-old girl came running over happily.

Yami smiled, picked her up, and held her in his arms. "Hanabi, sneaking off again?"

"Hanabi didn't!"

She shook her head seriously. "I came after class!"

"Good girl."

That simple praise made her beam.

Yami couldn't help but sigh. Hiashi and his father-in-law sure knew how to produce excellent daughters.

One was sweet and obedient, the other quirky and lively.

Most importantly, they were both incredibly adorable. When they grew up, they'd be stunning beauties.

Hinata, standing off to the side, watched their interaction enviously. With her shy personality, she couldn't act as boldly as Hanabi. She could only watch from afar.

At that moment, a large hand gently rested on her head, ruffling her hair.

"You're cute too, Hinata. You don't have to change anything."

Looking up and seeing the smile on Yami's face, Hinata's cheeks flushed again.

"Alright, Hanabi. Since your training is done, just sit here and watch your sister for a bit."

Setting down the little girl, Yami resumed judo practice with Hinata.

Before long, Hyūga Hiashi arrived. He didn't interrupt, merely watching quietly from the doorway.

Only after Hinata was covered in sweat did Yami signal to stop.

"Hinata, your fundamentals are solid, and your movements are textbook. But there's one thing you need to work on."

Hinata blinked at him. "Please tell me, Master Yami."

"Don't hesitate when you strike." Yami squatted and whispered, "I know you're gentle and don't like fighting. But in this world, sometimes it's unavoidable."

"If you have to hit someone, that person is your enemy. Don't hold back. Strike with everything you've got."

"Yami is right."

Hiashi walked over. "I've told you this many times. Now even Yami says so. You know what you must do. Don't let him down."

"I… I understand." Hinata nodded nervously.

"Don't be too strict, Hiashi-sama," Yami said, gently patting Hinata's head. "Change doesn't happen overnight. Give her time."

Hiashi said nothing more. He sent the girls out to play and brought Yami to the second floor for tea.

"Yami, Hanabi will soon be of age to receive the Caged Bird Seal…"

Hiashi sighed. "Now I understand what my father felt back then. It's truly… hard to decide."

He hadn't lost Hizashi, but he still hoped to abolish the Caged Bird system.

Unfortunately, as clan head, he lacked the power to change the minds of the other main house elders.

"I have a way you can try." Yami set down his teacup and said casually.

"What way?" Hiashi asked, surprised.

"Let Hinata and I get engaged."

Yami suggested something that left Hiashi dumbfounded. "Once we're engaged, Hinata will be part of the Shimura clan. Who would dare brand my fiancée with the Caged Bird Seal?"

"And with Hinata as heir, Hanabi won't be assigned to the branch house either. Everybody wins."

Hiashi's mouth twitched.

Everybody wins?

You steal my daughter, and of course you're happy!

Hinata's only six years old… how can you think like that?!

To be honest, Hiashi had thought about marriage ties with the Shimura family.

But not now. At least not until Hinata was older, had formed her own feelings, and could express her affection for Yami clearly. Then he'd support it.

As for Yami's prior engagement with Izumi, that didn't concern him. In this world, it wasn't unusual for nobles to have multiple wives.

Shinobi might not like it, but it wasn't forbidden.

Still, Yami's method was crude—but effective.

The main family elders wouldn't dare challenge Yami. Before, it was because of Danzō. Now, it was Yami's own deterrent.

Strong, well-connected, and utterly ruthless.

He'd killed Uchiha elders without consequence. No one in Konoha had ever been so brazen. Even Asuma, the Hokage's son, was just a rebellious youth who never dared cross the line.

"But… Hinata is still so young…" Hiashi hesitated.

"It's just an engagement. If Hinata isn't happy in the future, you can cancel it."

Yami shrugged. With Hinata's personality, even if he died early, she'd be a widow the rest of her life. There was no way she'd call off an engagement. He only said it to reassure Hiashi.

Sure enough, that promise helped Hiashi make up his mind.

"Alright, I'll make arrangements."

"Don't rush it," Yami said. "It's not the right time. Let's wait a few months."

Hiashi frowned. "Is it because of Uchiha…"

"Yeah." Yami nodded. "Shisui is dead. The Third is on edge. Let's not draw his attention."

"I understand."

Hiashi still couldn't hold back. "Was Shisui's death connected to the village?"

Yami took a sip of tea and replied flatly, "He awakened a genjutsu that could rewrite a person's will without them knowing."

"It's better that he's dead."

Hiashi blurted out, visibly shaken.

Such an illusion was terrifying. For people in high positions like him, it was worse than death.

Hiashi said sincerely, "I'll handle the Elders' Council as best I can. The rest is up to you, Yami-kun."

"Yeah. Don't be too hard on Hinata. Don't compare her to Hanabi. They're just different."

"…I understand."

After their conversation, Yami left the Hyūga residence and went to Anbu, where Kurenai gave him a piece of news.

"The Third Hokage has appointed Uchiha Itachi as an Anbu captain. He's been transferred to Hokage's direct Anbu."

Without Shisui, Hiruzen had lost his Uchiha observer. Now only Itachi remained.

"That transfer was expected."

"Don't worry about it. It's Anbu—Hiruzen's domain."

"They didn't even tell us when they placed him here, and now he's transferred. Really…"

Kurenai muttered, clearly displeased with Hiruzen's actions.

As a woman, she was more emotional. She already viewed the Third Anbu Division as Yami's. Hiruzen's behavior felt like a lack of respect.

Yami chuckled and gently reassured her. "Itachi's a headache right now. It's better if he's gone."

"If the Third asks me for more people, I'll definitely say no."

"Alright, I didn't come here to talk about that. You haven't trained in a while. Come spar with me and let's see how strong you've… hmm?"

Yami stopped mid-sentence and looked toward the distance.

Kurenai blinked. "What's wrong?"

"I found something. Wait here for me."

With that, he vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.

Naka Shrine

Uchiha Itachi stood before a masked man.

It wasn't their first meeting. This was the one who had killed his teammate, awakening his two-tomoe Sharingan.

"You said… you're Uchiha Madara?"

"That's right."

A scarlet Sharingan with three tomoe appeared through the mask. "Hard to believe, huh?"

"Uchiha Madara died long ago." Itachi said coldly. "If you're going to lie, at least come up with something better. This is laughable."

"Heh…"

The masked man chuckled hoarsely. His Sharingan rotated and morphed into a strange pattern.

Itachi's pupils contracted slightly.

He hadn't believed him before, but seeing the Mangekyō Sharingan now, he was 20% convinced.

"I understand your doubts. You think I died in my battle with Hashirama, right?"

The masked man mocked, "But as a Uchiha genius, surely you know… our clan has a forbidden technique to nullify death itself."

"Izanagi…"

"Exactly."

The man nodded. "I sacrificed one eye to fake my death and came to Konoha with a single goal."

"To take revenge on the Uchiha who abandoned me. The Nine-Tails attack years ago… was just a little gift."

Itachi's eyes sharpened instantly.

In his view, the Nine-Tails Rebellion was the root of everything. Without that disaster, the rift between Uchiha and the village wouldn't have deepened. Shisui wouldn't have died.

Whether or not this man was truly Madara, he was undoubtedly the source of it all.

"I sense your anger."

The masked man sneered. "But do you really think this is all my doing? The village was already hostile to the Uchiha. If you want to blame someone, blame that evil Senju Tobirama!"

Just as he was about to continue, his face suddenly shifted.

White Zetsu's voice rang in his head.

"Someone's coming!"

Swish!

A special kunai shot through the air, piercing the masked man's intangible form before clattering to the ground.

"Seems this conversation ends here. I'll visit you again, Itachi. After all… you're a lot like me."

The masked man vanished like a ghost, and a second later, Yami appeared in his place.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 100: Uchiha Itachi Stood Up, The Stupid Bloodline of the Uzumaki Family

"Uchiha Itachi, aren't you going to report to your superior?"

Yami picked up his special kunai and looked at the expressionless Uchiha Itachi with a half-smile. "Meeting with a suspicious stranger in secret like this… looks shady no matter how you explain it."

Yami didn't expect to catch the masked man—Uchiha Obito.

Kamui's ability was far too elusive. With just one eye, he had masqueraded as Uchiha Madara for over a decade, and barely anyone questioned his identity.

Yami had no way to crack Kamui for now.

He had only come to annoy him. Two birds, one stone.

Facing Yami's questioning, Uchiha Itachi furrowed his brow slightly, his tone colder than ever.

"Captain Yami, I now serve directly under the Hokage. The masked man I met is part of my current assignment. I will report to the Hokage, but you're not authorized to know the details."

Perhaps it was the impact of Shisui's death at Danzō's hands, but this was the most confrontational Uchiha Itachi had ever been toward Yami.

It could also be the confidence granted by awakening his Mangekyō.

After years of pressure, Uchiha Itachi now believed he had surpassed Yami.

The playful smile on Yami's face faded slightly. "Seems like you've grown a lot. Even your tone's got some edge to it now."

"So those rumors in the Uchiha clan are true? That to gain power, you killed Shisui in secret and awakened the Mangekyō?"

Itachi didn't believe for a second that Yami was unaware of Danzō's ambush on Shisui. Even if he didn't know in advance, he certainly knew now.

This man had once been their teacher in swordsmanship and ninjutsu. If he wasn't mourning, fine—but to use Shisui's death to slander him?

Itachi trembled with rage, the three tomoe in his eyes beginning to spin.

But in the end, he held it in.

"Yami, I have nothing to say to you. Think what you like. I still have to report to the Hokage."

With that, Itachi used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished without waiting for Yami's reply.

Hokage Building

Itachi knelt on one knee before Hiruzen and reported everything that had occurred.

He had considered hiding the encounter with the masked man. After all, if he told the truth and confirmed that the Nine-Tails incident was orchestrated by someone of Uchiha descent, it would only fuel the higher-ups' hostility.

But since Yami had shown up out of nowhere, if he didn't report it, it would eventually come back to bite him.

He had no choice but to speak—and to tell the full truth.

"Uchiha Madara…"

Hiruzen stood at the window, gazing out at the streets of Konoha in silence for a long time before slowly speaking.

"I can't confirm his identity either," Itachi added quietly.

"If he calls himself that, then let's refer to him as Madara. A name is just a codename."

Hiruzen turned to face Itachi. "You said he wants revenge against the Uchiha?"

"That's what he claimed."

Hiruzen nodded. "If he truly is Madara, that reasoning is plausible."

"Madara co-founded Konoha with the First Hokage. But when their ideals clashed, he left the village in anger. The Uchiha clan, accustomed to life in the village, refused to follow him."

"That could certainly be considered abandonment."

"And he had the power to control the Nine-Tails. In their final battle, it's said Madara used the Nine-Tails against the First Hokage. Though the exact details are unknown…"

"If this is all true, then his identity is not entirely impossible."

"Hokage-sama, should we send a team to capture him?" Itachi asked.

"No."

Hiruzen shook his head. "Our top priority is to uncover his identity. If he really is Madara, we can't be sure how much of his strength remains after all these years."

"If he contacts you again, continue the act. Try to uncover his power and true goals."

"I trust you won't be misled by him. But still, remain cautious."

"Thank you for your trust, Hokage-sama."

Itachi bowed deeply, then hesitated. "About Yami—"

"It's all for Konoha," Hiruzen interrupted. "I'll speak with him. I'll make sure he stops interfering with your missions."

With Hiruzen's assurance, Itachi finally felt at ease.

Compared to the mysterious "Madara," it was Yami who gave him more headaches. This guy didn't follow logic or rules—if he got annoyed, he might just flip the table.

"Madara, Uchiha Itachi has gone to see the Hokage."

A White Zetsu relayed the report to the masked man—Uchiha Obito.

"As expected."

Obito didn't show a trace of anger. He had anticipated this. "Uchiha Itachi is still clinging to the delusion of this filthy village."

"But that was part of the plan. Even if everything about me is exposed, what then? The village will just destroy Uchiha faster to prevent them from aligning with me."

Perhaps unable to stomach this smug tone, Black Zetsu rose slowly from the ground.

"But you haven't achieved your main objective yet. Shimura interrupted you before you could."

Obito's masked expression darkened. His aura turned cold.

"Shimura…"

"Relying on the Flying Thunder God to act so arrogant. Even Namikaze Minato wasn't this cocky!"

"I told you to get rid of him, but you didn't listen," Black Zetsu muttered with disdain. "You let him grow too big, and now you're paying the price."

"If you'd followed my advice during the Chūnin Exams, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"He doesn't conflict with us directly."

Obito still tried to justify himself. "That brat's the grandson of Danzō. He's hostile to Uchiha too. Why not use him?"

A glint of murder flashed in his eyes. "When everything's done and I've gotten what I want, I'll kill him immediately."

"Yami, what happened just now?"

Yami returned to Anbu, where Kurenai had been anxiously waiting in the office. She relaxed when she saw him safe.

"We detected an outsider sneaking into Konoha. He's strong, but he fled."

Yami warned her, "If anything unusual happens or you spot an enemy, use the Flying Thunder God mark immediately. I'll be there in a flash."

"Yes." Kurenai nodded firmly.

Anyone who could be considered dangerous by Yami was definitely beyond her ability to handle.

"Come on, let's not waste time. We'll start with taijutsu today."

Yami brought her to the training ground. Though Kurenai specialized in genjutsu, this training wasn't about fighting—just increasing her speed so she could react quickly and escape.

Yami also passed on Tsunade's super strength technique to her.

As a genjutsu user, Kurenai's chakra control was exceptionally precise—similar to that of a medical ninja.

Super strength would give her better burst speed when retreating.

Naturally, the other girls would be learning it too. Yami was also working on acquiring the Hundred Healings Mark technique from Tsunade.

That thing was a miracle for women. Once he had it, and he offered it as a "gift"…

Heh. With that temptation, there was nothing he couldn't do.

By evening, Yami was carrying an exhausted Kurenai back home.

On the way, she bit his shoulder several times in protest over being soaked in sweat. When they arrived, she bolted for the bathroom.

Izumi and Yugao returned from their mission that day as well, but something seemed off.

Izumi's usually slender oval face had become a full-on pouty face.

Yami sat next to her, puzzled. "What's wrong? Who upset you?"

When it came to women, the only thing Yami didn't study was what couldn't be studied. He preferred to just ask directly.

"Hey…"

Izumi looked at him, then slowly laid her head on his lap. "Was Shisui-senpai really killed by Uchiha Itachi?"

Yami had learned swordsmanship from Shisui, and Izumi had often accompanied him. Unlike other clan members, Shisui had never looked down on her for being a half-blood.

Izumi had always seen him as a good person.

But now, while on a mission, she had heard that he "committed suicide." The prime suspect was… Uchiha Itachi.

"Eh… forget it. I'll tell you."

Yami didn't intend to lie. He told her the truth, leaving out only the part about hiding Shisui's survival.

Izumi's mouth slowly opened in shock.

"Mangekyō Sharingan… Kotoamatsukami?"

This was the first time someone like Izumi, born into Uchiha, learned that there was an even greater power beyond the Three Tomoe Sharingan.

"Damn…"

She sighed. "I get it now. If you have to blame someone, blame Shisui's eye technique for being too terrifying. Don't blame Grandpa."

After the engagement, Izumi's thinking had fully shifted toward Yami's interests.

"Heh."

Yami kissed her soft cheek. "Our Izumi really is understanding."

She buried her face in his arms, too shy to look at him.

Shisui's death had been like a stone tossed into a still lake. At first, it stirred waves—but eventually, calm returned.

Before long, the village had all but forgotten about him. His name was rarely mentioned again.

Without Shisui, Uchiha's plans were stalled. Their ambitions cooled, but the pressure kept building… until it would one day boil over.

Yami was also summoned by Hiruzen for a talk—mostly just to ask him not to target Itachi anymore. From now on, Itachi was working under Hiruzen's authority alone.

In other words, Itachi had become Hiruzen's stand-in.

Yami readily agreed. He had more important things to deal with.

Uzumaki Naruto's House

"It hurts! Oww! Yami-nii, it hurts!"

Naruto clutched his bruised head and cried. "I can't do it, I just can't! Even if you beat me to death, I won't be able to learn it!"

Behind Yami, Karin trembled. Though she was doing better than Naruto, it wasn't by much.

In class, other than Naruto and Kiba, she was always at the bottom in written subjects.

"You can't learn it? You're not even trying!"

Yami smacked Naruto on the head with a ruler, visibly annoyed.

"You don't even remember the twelve hand seals! You're going to be a Genin forever! You won't even graduate!"

"Karin, don't think you're safe either. You forgot the first ten points of the mission code? What did you even do in class?!"

Yami suspected the Uzumaki bloodline came with an idiot gene. The more of them he met, the worse their grades seemed.

If that were the only issue, he'd let it go. But Iruka wanted to have a parent meeting.

Yami didn't mind fighting. But being scolded as a "guardian" over school grades? That was truly humiliating.

He had never suffered this kind of embarrassment, not even in front of the Hokage.

"Karin, I don't need you to be top of the class. Just pass the exams and I'll be satisfied."

"I'll do my best!" Karin clung to his arm tearfully. "Please don't be mad!"

"Always the same old act." Yami flicked her forehead. "If you fail any subject in the finals, I won't take you out with us. You'll be left home to study alone."

"No! Please don't!"

"As for you, Naruto…"

Naruto grinned awkwardly. "Yami-nii, it's fine. I don't like going out anyway."

Yami: "...."

You little brat.

"Then I won't treat you to ramen."

Naruto froze. He didn't really care about the ramen—it was about having someone to eat with.

"…But I really can't do it. It's too hard. Even if you add up my scores, I still fail."

Yami sighed. "Fine. Naruto, I don't care about your grades. But you must master the Clone Technique by graduation."

"If you can graduate, I'll tell you who your parents are."

"Yami-nii! You know who my parents are?!"

Naruto jumped to his feet in excitement.

The leaves rustled outside the window.

Yami glanced toward them but ignored it. He looked Naruto in the eye and said, "I know them."

"I'm not bragging. I know them better than you do."

Naruto had seen his parents maybe once at birth and once again in a memory.

Yami?

Yeah, he definitely knew them better.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 101: Ōtsutsuki and the God Tree

"Yami-nii, please tell me! Please!"

Naruto was so excited his whiskers were trembling, his eyes sparkling with hope.

Ever since he became somewhat self-aware, Naruto had always wanted to know who his parents were. Why did they abandon him? Why did the villagers call him a demon fox and treat him with such hatred?

But every time he asked the Third Hokage, the old man would simply smile and say, "It's not time yet. One day, you'll know, once everyone acknowledges you."

Now that Yami had said he knew, Naruto's excitement reached its peak. He was desperate for an answer.

"I can't tell you yet. You're still too weak," Yami shook his head. "When you become a real ninja, with the strength to protect yourself, I'll tell you."

"They were heroes of the village. That's why I have high hopes for you."

Namikaze Minato was indeed a hero of Konoha. It could be said that everyone in the village owed him their lives.

But that didn't necessarily mean anything to a child.

Yami could tell Naruto now, but his mindset hadn't matured yet. If he knew the truth now, it could stir up emotions he wouldn't be able to process.

So, Yami decided to treat the truth as a reward—something Naruto would earn after graduation. By then, his mentality would be more stable.

Whether he forgave easily like in the original timeline, or had a different reaction, would depend on how much Yami influenced him over the next few years.

"Heroes…"

Naruto slumped back down in disappointment, but quickly rallied again. "Brother Yami, I'll definitely graduate and become a great ninja!"

"You should at least memorize the twelve basic hand seals before saying that."

"C'mon! Can't there be a jutsu that only needs one seal or no seals?!"

After coaxing Naruto back into good spirits, Yami quickly took Karin and left.

Outside, he patted her head gently. "Karin, go home for now. I've got something to take care of."

"Okay, I understand, Yami-sama." Karin nodded obediently and waved goodbye.

Once she was gone, Yami said coldly, "You can come out now."

Swish! Swish!

Two Anbu in full gear appeared before him. Judging by their masks, they weren't from Yami's Third Division.

"Shimura, do not reveal too much information to the Jinchūriki. This is an—"

Before the Anbu could finish, Yami vanished in a blur. The next moment, the two felt searing pain in their chests as they were launched backwards, crashing into a street wall and leaving two large craters behind.

Yami reappeared in front of them. One of them was still trying to form a hand seal, so Yami kicked him viciously.

Crack—

"Ah!"

One Anbu's arm bent at an unnatural angle. The other was stepped on and pinned in place.

Yami looked down at them coldly. "Do I need you two to teach me anything?"

"Sh–Shimura… are you defying the Hokage?"

The Anbu with the broken arm was sweating profusely but still gritted his teeth and said, "The identity of a Jinchūriki is a top-secret matter. You had no right to tell him."

Yami sneered. "If it's so top-secret, then why do trash like you know about it?"

"Remember, your job is to protect, not to spy. And don't even think about controlling how I think. Not even the Third Hokage is qualified to do that."

"There's a lot you should forget. So forget this too, before you bring more trouble on yourselves."

He ignored the bond notification in his mind and left to visit another medical-nin on the street.

The two Anbu struggled to get up, fury hidden beneath their masks.

It was one thing to be looked down on—but he had insulted the Hokage!

"Too arrogant! Kishida, go get medical attention. I'll report everything to the Third Hokage!"

An hour later, Hiruzen heard the report and frowned deeply.

"I see. Bring Yami to me."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

The Anbu thought Hiruzen would punish Yami. Feeling smug, he delivered the message with an arrogant attitude…

And ended up being carried back unconscious.

Thud!

Looking at the unconscious Anbu dumped in front of him, Hiruzen's eyelid twitched violently.

"Yami, what is the meaning of this? Isn't it enough to injure an Anbu? You had to knock out the messenger too?!"

"Not my fault."

Yami blinked innocently, wiping his hands with a clean handkerchief. "This guy tried to enter my house without permission. If I don't teach him a lesson, what happens when others try?"

"Y-You…"

Hiruzen pointed at him, hands trembling.

He'd heard of Yami's peculiar household rule, that only familiar people could enter, and they were all women. Not even Danzō had ever been invited.

He thought it was just a joke.

But seeing Yami's attitude now… it was clearly real.

"I'll tell Anbu to be more careful in the future."

In the end, Hiruzen didn't press the matter. A man's home was his most private space. He could make whatever rules he liked. If Hiruzen pushed too hard, things might backfire.

"Now, let's talk about Naruto."

Hiruzen took a deep breath from his pipe and composed himself.

"What's there to talk about?"

Yami sat lazily on the sofa. "Isn't his father Namikaze Minato? Even the whole village knows the rumor about him being the Nine-Tails. It's no big deal to tell him who his parents are."

"It's not the right time."

Hiruzen's expression darkened under the shadow of his hat. "Naruto's still too young. If he learns too much now, others could take advantage of it. That's why I've kept it from him."

"You've already promised to tell him after graduation, so keep that promise. Don't give in just because he begs."

"Relax. I've got a tight mouth."

That odd metaphor made Hiruzen's eye twitch, but he waved Yami off and called for someone to come clean up the unconscious Anbu.

As for revealing Naruto's parentage, Hiruzen had his own plan—one that surprisingly mirrored Yami's.

They both wanted to influence Naruto during this formative time, to teach him the true meaning of the Will of Fire.

Then, when Naruto was old enough, they would reveal the truth to forge a sense of legacy.

Hiruzen hoped Naruto would grow up like his father—a ninja who would protect everyone.

Unfortunately, Hiruzen could never have predicted that Yami was secretly competing with him.

Let's see whose teachings take root first, Hiruzen's Will of Fire, or Yami's manipulation.

…

Outside of Konoha, in a dense forest dozens of kilometers from the village.

Training in the village made too much noise, so Yami preferred secluded locations now. Pakura and Samui were nearby, monitoring the perimeter to make sure no one disturbed him.

Yami was contemplating his future path. In simple terms—it was time to assign bond points.

The problem was… where?

In the past two and a half years, Yami hadn't used any bond points on himself.

After the Snow Ninja Village incident, he avoided mingling with too many people. He only formed deep connections with mission targets or allies in battle.

Bit by bit, he'd accumulated over 30,000 bond points.

But there were many places he could invest them:

Senju bloodline.
Uchiha bloodline.
Sage Mode affinity.
And… the Ōtsutsuki bloodline.

This world valued origin above all else. The only external powers besides bloodlines were Sage techniques.

"Forget Sage Mode for now."

Yami made a decision—he'd keep evolving his bloodline first.

He hadn't accessed any of the three Sage lands yet. He didn't have a training method for Sage Mode, so it wasn't useful right now.

Researching it himself was risky and inefficient.

Still, his efforts hadn't been in vain. Yami had made significant progress studying the Ōtsutsuki bloodline. He now understood why increasing its strength didn't interfere with his Uchiha or Senju bloodlines.

Ōtsutsuki was Ōtsutsuki. The God Tree was the God Tree.

The two weren't the same.

If broken down, the source of power for the woman sealed on the moon could be split into two parts.

The first was the Ōtsutsuki bloodline itself. These were high-tier lifeforms capable of space travel. They planted God Trees on planets and harvested Chakra fruits to grow stronger.

Even without consuming the fruits, they had incredible innate power.

For example: Byakugan, Shikotsumyaku, and superior physical strength.

Most importantly, they had unmatched adaptability to Chakra.

Normal people couldn't handle the power of the Chakra fruit. Even Obito nearly died trying to become Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki with only one Rinnegan.

But Ōtsutsuki could handle it without issue.

The second source of power came from Chakra itself—best described as the abilities derived from the God Tree.

Wood Release, Sharingan, and countless kekkei genkai were all gifts of the Chakra fruit, not the Ōtsutsuki genes.

It might seem like God Tree power was greater than the bloodline, but the latter was the container, and the former was the water inside.

Your bloodline determined how much Chakra you could carry—and how effectively you could wield it.

With a thought, Yami consumed 10,000 bond points.

Ōtsutsuki Bloodline — Advanced!

The moment he used the points, his body trembled. Every cell began to transform. His genes were being rewritten.

His dark pupils turned white. The world faded into black and white, but his vision expanded exponentially. He could now see Pakura and Samui, kilometers away.

This… is bad. He didn't want the Byakugan.

Yami cursed internally.

The Byakugan was too distinctive. If his eyes stayed like this, even a fool would notice something was off.

But the evolution had triggered a change.

Fine. He went all in and fused all his stored Byakugan-related traits.

His vision grew clearer, and an oppressive aura emerged, scaring nearby animals into a frenzy.

After a long time, the transformation was complete. Yami let out a slow breath and stretched.

His biggest gains were raw strength, speed, and reaction time.

He couldn't quantify the improvements yet, but the Chakra increase was visible on the [Status Panel]. Stronger cells meant greater Chakra output.

More good news—Yami could now deactivate his Byakugan at will. His pupils returned to normal, or he could switch to Three Tomoe Sharingan. The two didn't interfere with each other.

But they couldn't be used simultaneously.

Then…

Yami raised his palm. A sharp bone blade sprouted, growing 20 centimeters before stopping.

He had also gained Shikotsumyaku.

The Kaguya clan, were powerful physical fighters with deep ties to the Hyūga.

Though Shikotsumyaku was strong, it wasn't without flaws. Constant bone extension could bring impurities into the body, causing deterioration, just like Mangekyō Sharingan.

Yami didn't plan to fight using bones. That felt... unsettling.

Still, curious about their strength, he grabbed a kunai and struck.

Clang—

With a sharp snap, the kunai split in two.

"So hard…"

It felt like striking Susanoo with a kunai.

Ahem… Old man, that's not a dig at you.

He drew his Kusanagi Sword, infused it with Ultimate-level Wind Release, and cut off the bone blade. He decided not to use this ability again. The risk of infection was too weird.

Wouldn't want to mutate into some co-killing ash skeleton.

Checking his [Status Panel], Yami spent 20,000 bond points on the Senju bloodline.

Uchiha upgrades were still possible through other means. But pure Senju blood was rare in this era, and the only way to improve it was with bond points.

It took 5,000 points to reach Ultimate. Breaking the limit cost a full 20,000.

Boom!

A surge of Chakra erupted from Yami, sending gales whipping across the forest.

Even Pakura and Samui, kilometers away, felt it. They exchanged glances and rushed toward him.

(To be continued.)