🎉RADG: Chapter 33/36

Chapter 33: Two Women?

"Where did you hear this name?" Yugao looked at him anxiously.

"Is he your relative?" Yami didn't answer directly but continued asking.

Seeing Kurenai watching her with a gossipy expression, Yugao immediately grabbed Yami and dragged him into his room.

Yami: "..."

"Yami, can you tell me where you heard about Uzuki Shinji? This is really important to me."

Inside the room, Yugao pleaded with him.

Yami nodded. "I can tell you, but you also have to tell me about your connection to him and what exactly happened."

He wanted to hear the whole story.

"Alright."

Yugao agreed and began explaining her relationship with Shinji. He was her uncle—her father's younger brother and the most talented genius of the Uzuki clan. At thirteen, he had already become a Tokubetsu Jōnin.

However, during the Third Shinobi World War, he was reported as "dead" in battle against Iwagakure. His body was never found, just his name listed in the casualty records.

For almost ten years, Yugao had believed her uncle was gone. No wonder she was so emotional upon hearing his name from Yami.

"I see..."

Yami thought for a moment before revealing a bit of information about Shinji.

"He's still alive and still in Root?" Yugao stood up abruptly, eyes wide with shock. "Then why hasn't he come home all these years? Not even a single letter?"

"Maybe he had some sort of agreement with my old man," Yami casually blamed Danzō.

"Let me make one thing clear—Anbu is Anbu, and Root is Root. The two are completely different."

Yugao frowned in confusion.

"Isn't Root just a division of Anbu?"

Yami sighed. At this point, Yugao was still a rookie and didn't understand Konoha's true power structure. He had no choice but to explain the difference between Anbu and Root to her.

Upon learning that even the Hokage couldn't interfere with Root's actions, Yugao's expression changed.

With such authority, Danzō was practically another Hokage in the village. In some ways, he had even more freedom than the actual Hokage.

After all, the Hokage led openly, with every action under scrutiny.

But in the shadows, there were no restrictions, Root could act as they pleased, unchecked.

"So once someone joins Root, they can't send any messages back?" Yugao still couldn't wrap her head around it.

"People in Root don't have names only code names."

Yami explained, "You said he was listed as dead, right? That means his survival is tied to my old man."

"If I hadn't forced him, he wouldn't have even told me his real name."

"Then... can I meet him?" Yugao asked nervously.

The war had left the Yuki clan nearly extinct, and Shinji was her only remaining elder.

"Not right now," Yami refused. "I need to go back and ask the old man first. I'll let you know after that."

"Alright."

Although disappointed, Yugao understood. She looked at Yami gratefully.

"Thank you, Yami. If you hadn't told me, I never would've known I still had family left in this world."

[Bond with Uzuki Yugao has reached the second stage. Reward received: 'Swordsmanship Talent (Good).']

That fast?

Yami was a bit surprised. Reaching the second stage of a bond usually wasn't so easy. With Izumi, he had to use some special methods.

But this reward... well, it's better to have it than not.

At least it proved that Yugao was truly grateful, not just saying empty words.

Nightfall

As the night deepened, Tanshō Street became alive with the chaos of nightlife. Even past midnight, while the number of pedestrians dwindled, the sounds of bars and entertainment houses remained lively.

Fortunately, the residential areas of the upper class were much quieter.

A signal flashed.

Hizashi had sent the signal, and soon, Yami and his two teammates jumped out of the window, following behind him.

Using the darkness and rooftops as cover, they stealthily approached the residence of their target—smuggler Fujimoto Keisuke.

In assassination missions, the challenge isn't the kill itself, it's making sure no one notices.

But for Yami's team, that wasn't an issue.

After all, their leader was Hyūga Hizashi.

"Byakugan—!"

Outside the walls of a lavish mansion, veins bulged around Hizashi's eyes as he activated his Byakugan.

The Sharingan was powerful, but for the village, the Byakugan was of far greater strategic value.

Unlike the scarce Sharingan, the Byakugan was readily available, and its intelligence-gathering capabilities were unmatched.

Ninjas with Byakugan made for the best reconnaissance operatives, capable of mapping out entire battlefields while barely expending chakra.

Of course, this excluded the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Not only was it rare, but no successful transplant cases existed. Other than old-timers like Ōnoki, most shinobi villages considered Mangekyō Sharingan nothing more than a legend.

Inside the Mansion

Hizashi quickly scanned the area, then took out a scroll and began sketching a rough map on the ground.

"There are three people in the master bedroom on the second floor—one man and two women. Two guards are posted at the door.

"Three more bedrooms on the first floor, each occupied by two people.

"And two more in the basement."

He paused, then heavily circled one of the bedrooms near the master bedroom.

"This room is the most important. There's a shinobi inside, judging by his chakra, he's a Chūnin. And he's still awake."

"Our target is most likely in the master bedroom, but there's always a chance he has multiple hideouts. So we need to secure everyone for identification."

Hizashi then looked up at Yami and his teammates to assign roles.

But after a quick glance, he froze.

"...What the hell?"

Staring at Yami's chakra, which was several times larger than his own, Hizashi almost thought his Byakugan was malfunctioning.

Meanwhile, Yami wasn't paying any attention.

His mind was fixated on one particular detail.

"One man and two women..."

He clenched his fists in frustration.

Damn it.

Even with all his advantages, he hadn't enjoyed such treatment.

And yet, this measly smuggler dared to.

Very good.

You've already found your way to the afterlife.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Vladimir Zakrevski for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉

Chapter 34: Yami, You’re Too Extreme

"What's there to discuss?"

Yami drew his Kusanagi sword, his voice cold and murderous.

"The best stealth is to leave no witnesses. Killing them all solves everything. Let me handle it."

"Yami, calm down! This method is too extreme!"

Hizashi had just recovered from the shock of Yami's overwhelming chakra when he heard this terrifying statement. He quickly grabbed him, his expression tense.

"We are shinobi, not butchers.

Aside from the target, there are ordinary people in this house.

They're innocent."

Yami sneered.

"Innocent? Anyone who aids criminals is no better than the criminals themselves.

In Root, there are no such rules.

Anyone who interferes with a mission is disposable."

"That's too extreme—even for Root!"

Cold sweat trickled down Hizashi's forehead.

"Yami, we're a standard shinobi team, not an underground assassination unit.

If you really do this, you might be fine, but Yugao, Kurenai, and I will all be punished.

You can't drag your teammates down with you."

At that moment, Hizashi finally saw Danzō's shadow within Yami.

Until now, Yami had always seemed like a playful, slightly arrogant but generally good-hearted child.

Sure enough—Byakugan could see through bodies, but not hearts.

A "kind" child who casually suggests slaughtering an entire household? Impossible.

Yugao and Kurenai were even more numb.

Why did it feel like they were the ones being punished when it was Yami doing the killing?

This darkness... was too deep.

Fortunately, Yami hesitated, his expression loosening slightly.

"Alright. Then what's Hizashi-sensei's plan?"

Seeing that he had convinced him, Hizashi let out a quiet sigh of relief and quickly explained.

"The civilians are easy to handle, Kurenai's Genjutsu will take care of them.

Yami, you will handle the Chunin.

Yugao will complete the assassination.

I'll stay outside in case anything unexpected happens."

It was a well-thought-out plan, making full use of the team's strengths.

Hizashi had chosen not to participate in the combat directly, allowing the younger shinobi to gain experience.

Neither Yami nor Yugao had any objections.

Only Kurenai looked troubled.

"Hizashi-Sensei, most of the Genjutsu I've mastered are single-target techniques.

I know the Narakumi no Jutsu, but I'm not proficient yet...

The people in the basement might not be affected."

"I see..."

Hizashi frowned, realizing he had overlooked this point.

"Then I'll—"

Before he could adjust the plan, Yami interrupted.

"I'll handle it."

"Yami, you can use large-scale Genjutsu?"

Kurenai was surprised.

Although her Genjutsu had been ineffective against him before, Yami had explained that it was due to the vast difference in their mental strength.

"I can't.

But my Summoning Beast can."

Yami pulled out a small vial of blood from his ninja pouch, smeared it onto his palm, and formed a series of seals before slamming his hand onto the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A puff of white smoke exploded.

A small, pink piglet appeared before them.

But unlike a regular piglet, this one had an elongated nose, resembling an elephant's trunk.

"Tapir! Tapir!"

The little piglet immediately leaped into Yami's arms, rubbing against him affectionately, as if complaining about not being summoned sooner.

"Alright, alright. I've been busy with missions lately.

I'll take you to eat your favorite octopus balls once I'm on break."

Yami lifted the piglet slightly.

"...You got even fatter."

"Tapir~!"

"So cute!"

Kurenai's eyes sparkled as she stepped closer, looking like she wanted to snatch the piglet away.

Yugao didn't move, but her gaze was locked onto the creature, unable to look away.

"Is this... the Dream-Eating Beast? Baku?"

The Hyūga Clan had a long history.

Alongside their powerful jutsu, they also maintained extensive records on Summoning Beasts.

Hizashi quickly recalled the information.

"That's right.

Baku, which he calls Tapir from the sound it makes, is a dream-eater.

Yami patted the little creature and noticed Hizashi's lingering confusion.

He continued explaining.

"Most dream-eaters specialize in Wind Release, but Tapir is different.

Its specialty is Genjutsu, specifically putting people into deep sleep instantly."

"Though it's still young, it's more than enough for regular people."

"Tapir~!"

The Dream Tapir lifted its head proudly, waving its small trunk.

Both Kurenai and Yugao smiled at its adorable display.

"Alright, let's give the Dream Tapir a try," Hizashi decided quickly.

"Kurenai, follow up and check for any stragglers to make sure everyone is unconscious."

"Yes!"

Although it was a bit embarrassing to be outperformed by a Summoning Beast, Kurenai was still eager to contribute.

Otherwise, she felt she would have zero presence in this team.

"Tapir, it's time to start."

Yami placed the little Tapir onto the ground before leaping over the mansion's high wall, alongside Kurenai and Yugao.

"Tapir~!"

A strange sound resonated from the Tapir's mouth, vibrating through the air.

The sound waves penetrated the mansion's walls, accurately targeting its inhabitants.

Through Byakugan, Hizashi could see the results clearly.

The two guards at the master bedroom's door collapsed instantly, slipping into a deep sleep.

Aside from the Chunin, everyone else had also succumbed to the Genjutsu.

However, the Dream Tapir was still too young.

While its sound waves worked on ordinary people, the Chunin quickly detected something was off.

He stood up, instantly alert.

But Hizashi wasn't worried.

Because Yami had already entered his room.

Silent Execution

BANG—!

The door burst open, sending dust into the air.

The Chunin immediately reacted, throwing several shuriken toward the entrance.

A series of metallic clangs echoed as the shuriken were deflected.

And then—Yami walked in, blade in hand.

"Hello.

My name is Shimura Yami.

What's yours?"

"My name is Nakamura—"

The Chunin responded instinctively, but his expression froze the next second.

Realizing his mistake, he rushed to form a hand seal.

"Nice to meet you, Nakamura.

But I'm afraid we won't be seeing each other again."

This is why reducing seal count and increasing speed is critical.

Just as Nakamura formed his fourth seal, a blade pierced through his back, straight into his heart.

His eyes widened.

"You..."

"It's just a simple combination of Shadow Clone and Body Flicker Technique."

Yami's voice was indifferent.

Nakamura's body collapsed to the floor, lifeless.

[Host has established a Life-and-Death Bond with Nakamura. Reward: Standard Chunin Chakra Unit +1]

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Vladimir Zakrevski for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉

Chapter 35: Yami’s Goodwill

There was still a huge gap between rogue ninjas and those trained in a shinobi village.

Poor Nakamura probably never attended a ninja academy and didn't know the most basic rule, if there's smoke near the enemy, always be cautious.

Instead of securing a safe position to defend and counterattack, he recklessly rushed to attack first.

His battle instincts were seriously lacking.

Yami turned around, searched the room, and found over 400,000 Ryō.

After pocketing them, he walked out and headed straight for the master bedroom.

The two guards at the door were still sleeping soundly, undisturbed even when Yami kicked them aside.

Without hesitation, he pushed open the door.

Yugao had already completed her task.

She stood by the window, calmly wiping the blood from her sword.

Yami ignored her and turned his attention to the massive bed, nearly four or five meters wide.

Two beautiful women lay there peacefully, completely unaware of what had happened.

A faint smile lingered on their lips as if they were enjoying a wonderful dream.

Tch.

This bastard deserved to die.

Yugao followed Yami's gaze, then turned her eyes toward the bed.

The moment she saw the two half-naked women, her face flushed red.

With a quick movement, she used her sword to pull the blanket over them.

Then, she swiftly covered Yami's eyes.

"Yami, don't look at things you shouldn't.

Or else, you'll get a stye in the future!"

Yami smirked.

"I was looking at them with a critical eye. What do you know?"

Yugao let out an exasperated sigh.

Kids these days... how do they even come up with excuses like this?

Clearly, their guardians weren't educating them properly.

Suddenly, she recalled a certain old pervert lurking around the village recently.

Could he have been the one who corrupted Yami?

Far away in Konoha, Jiraiya staggered out of a Kabuki Hall, his steps unsteady.

Out of nowhere, he suddenly sneezed, nearly falling over.

After steadying himself, he rubbed his nose and chuckled.

"Hehe... must be those lovely ladies talking about me."

"Ahh... being too charming is such a burden."

Lost in his own narcissism, he hummed a tune and wobbled home.

His off-key singing filled the streets, earning him a barrage of curses from annoyed villagers.

Back in the mansion, Yugao warned Yami again.

"Stay away from that white-haired uncle who hangs around the women's bathhouse."

Yami, of course, knew exactly who she was talking about.

He nodded in agreement.

After confirming their mission's completion, Yugao opened the window and threw a kunai outside, a signal for Hizashi and Kurenai to come in.

Hizashi entered first, immediately taking out a camera to snap a photo of Fujimoto Keisuke's corpse as proof of the assassination.

Then, he began searching the room.

With Byakugan, all hidden compartments and secret stashes were fully exposed.

Even before entering, Hizashi had already memorized the best places to search.

In just over ten minutes, they gathered all valuables in the house.

"A total of 1.2 million Ryō in cash, along with several land deeds," Hizashi announced.

"We can't cash in the land deeds easily, so we'll hand them over to the village.

As for the cash, we'll give the village half—leaving us with 600,000 Ryō.

We'll split it evenly. 150,000 per person.

Is everyone okay with this?"

It was an unspoken rule among shinobi, missions often had extra profits, and the village usually turned a blind eye, as long as they paid their cut.

Hizashi followed the standard practice, offering half to keep the higher-ups happy.

But Kurenai frowned.

"I took too much," she said.

"I didn't contribute at all in this mission.

I won't take a share, you three can split it instead."

"You can't say that," Hizashi shook his head.

"We're a team—a unit.

There's no such thing as 'who contributed more' in any single mission."

"Exactly."

Yami casually grabbed the Ryō from Hizashi.

"If you don't take it, how can I take it?

If I don't take it, how can Hizashi-sensei take it?

What, are we supposed to just take the money and then report ourselves to the Third Hokage?"

"Yami!"

Kurenai glared at him, fuming.

Her beautiful eyes burned with frustration.

"If you don't know how to talk properly, then just shut up!

What kind of person do you take me for?!"

"Then just take the money already."

Without hesitation, Yami pulled out 250,000 Ryō and shoved it into her hands.

Hizashi's eyes widened.

"Yami, I said 150,000 per person. You calculated wrong."

"No, you calculated wrong."

Yami divided another 250,000 per person, keeping the land deeds for himself.

"We'll just give 200,000 to the Hokage as a gesture of goodwill.

Why give him more?"

"If he has a problem with it, he can talk to my old man."

"This..."

Hizashi hesitated, but ultimately didn't argue.

Shinobi work was expensive.

While he didn't necessarily need the extra 100,000, he couldn't decide for Kurenai or Yugao.

Besides... if trouble came, they had...

A little guy to take the fall.

After dividing the loot, the team swiftly left Fujimoto Keisuke's mansion and returned to their hotel for the night.

The next morning, everyone except Yami woke up early.

Yami slept in until 10 AM.

Hizashi didn't scold him.

Children in their growth phase needed plenty of rest, after all.

Since the Third Hokage hadn't given them a strict deadline, there was no rush.

Once they left Tanshō Street, their travel pace slowed.

They camped in the wilderness for two nights and arrived at Wildfire Town by midday on the third day.

Before entering, Hizashi gave instructions.

"Remove your forehead protectors.

I'll use Henge no Jutsu to disguise myself as a civilian.

We're investigating a spy, we need to keep a low profile."

Since the Byakugan and Konoha forehead protectors were dead giveaways, it was safer this way.

Even Yugao and Kurenai changed out of their ninja vests, opting for regular clothes.

Yami's eyes lit up at the sight.

Without warning, he ran toward Yugao, arms outstretched.

"Big sis! Hug me!"

Before Yugao could react, Kurenai snatched him up first.

She pinched his soft little cheeks with a smirk.

"What, so big sis Kurenai can't hold you too?"

Yami suddenly didn't mind.

Looks like... he won this round.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Vladimir Zakrevski for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉

Chapter 36: I Didn't Expect You to Be Like This, Hyūga Hizashi!

Compared to Tanshō Street, Hinoko Town was much smaller in scale, with fewer outsiders due to the ongoing war.

Hizashi fabricated an identity for their group, posing as a wealthy merchant from the Land of Fire traveling with his family.

This mission was vastly different from their previous assassination. They didn't even have a confirmed target yet. Their first objective was investigation, screening potential suspects. This meant the mission would take significantly longer.

Hizashi rented a small courtyard for a month at the cost of 10,000 Ryō and took Yami and the others out to purchase supplies while familiarizing themselves with the town.

Over the next few days, everyone except Yami, who was too young to move freely went out early and returned late, working separately to identify suspicious individuals.

The intel had come from Konoha's spy in Kirigakure, indicating that reports were being sent from Wildfire Town every week. The earliest letter dated back three months ago.

Thus, Hizashi's primary focus was investigating people who had suddenly appeared in town during that timeframe, or locals whose behavior had recently changed.

Not all spies were strong ninjas with noticeable chakra levels, making this investigation especially difficult.

But after a few days, Yami and the others began noticing something off.

"I feel like something's not right with Sensei Hizashi..."

Sitting around the living room table, Kurenai propped her chin on one hand, murmuring thoughtfully.

"Every night when he comes back, he smells like alcohol."

"That's normal," Yugao replied calmly.

"The tavern is the best place for gathering information. It's expected that he'd drink while socializing."

"But he always comes back smiling, even when there's no progress," Kurenai argued.

"And that smile is very..."

She paused, struggling to find the right word.

Finally, Yami filled in the blank.

"Rippling."

"That's it!"

Kurenai clapped her hands and gave Yami a thumbs up.

"Not bad, Yami. Your vocabulary is pretty impressive."

Now even Yugao fell silent.

She also felt that Hizashi had been acting strange lately.

"Why overthink it?"

Yami rubbed his smooth chin.

"We'll know for sure if we follow him tomorrow."

"Following our sensei… isn't that a bit much?"

Kurenai hesitated.

"Besides, Yami, you're the best at stealth, so you should do it."

Yami shot her a disdainful look.

"You're just passing the job onto me."

But in the end, he agreed.

---

The next day, after Yugao, Kurenai, and Hizashi left as usual, Yami blended into the shadows.

He moved seamlessly between different figures in the town, finally merging with Hizashi's shadow.

During the day, Hizashi's actions were completely normal.

In the morning, he visited a local gathering spot where elderly men played shogi, smoothly integrating himself. While playing chess, he subtly extracted information from conversations.

In the afternoon, he hid and observed suspected targets.

But once night fell, Hizashi's demeanor changed completely.

Standing at the entrance of a shop with a flashing neon sign, Hizashi's face lit up with excitement.

He rubbed his hands together, grinning as he stepped inside.

A middle-aged woman, caked in heavy makeup, immediately greeted him with a warm smile.

She playfully scolded him as she walked alongside him.

"Mr. Hizashi, you're late today.

Ayame has been waiting for you~!"

"Something held me up," Hizashi replied smoothly, stuffing a few bills into her hands before eagerly entering a private room.

Yami: "..."

Alright, alright. I really didn't expect you to be this kind of person, Hyūga Hizashi.

The way he moved and the woman's familiarity made it painfully obvious.

In just a few days, he had already become a regular customer.

Meanwhile, I'm stuck practicing ninjutsu alone every night...

But you? You're off enjoying the nightlife?!

You even have two girls with you?! Playing drinking games?!

Inside the room, cheerful voices rang out.

"Hahaha! Meiko, you lost! Your turn to drink!"

"Hey, Ayame~ exchanging drinks is fun, but let's raise the stakes!"

If Yami had mastered Flying Thunder God, he would have teleported straight to Konoha, dragged Hyūga Hiashi over, and made him witness his little brother's shameful behavior firsthand.

Unfortunately, his spatial ninjutsu talent was still incomplete, so he had no way to teleport back.

Wait a Minute…

Just as Yami was contemplating how to expose Hizashi, something caught his eye.

He took a closer look at Ayame's face and immediately sensed that something was off.

In an instant, Yami leapt from the shadows, startling Hizashi, who was midway through a drinking game with two women.

"Yami?! WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

[Bond with Hyūga Hizashi has reached the second stage. Reward received: Yang Attribute Chakra (Excellent).]

Good grief.

He was so shocked that he triggered a bond reward on the spot.

"Hizashi-Sensei, you're really something else."

Yami's smile was eerily cold.

Before Hizashi could react, Yami knocked out Meiko with a swift blow and tied up Ayame.

Hizashi was completely confused.

"Yami, what are you doing?!"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Yami crossed his arms and sneered.

"This girl is the Kirigakure spy we've been looking for."

"That's impossible!"

Hizashi's face paled in shock.

Yami scoffed.

"I overheard your conversation just now.

She's been probing your background, asking business-related questions to confirm if you were really a merchant."

A brief flicker of panic crossed Ayame's eyes.

Hizashi didn't notice it, but Yami did.

The alcohol-fueled haze in Hizashi's mind suddenly cleared.

"Is that all? But I already investigated her. Ayame has been in this town for half a year!"

"Sure. But there's one crucial flaw in your reasoning..."

Yami dramatically adjusted his non-existent glasses, then pointed at Ayame, who was still pretending to cry pitifully.

"Look at her.

A girl of this caliber would be top-tier even in the best custom houses in Konoha or Tanshō Street.

Are you telling me she'd willingly stay in a small, backwater town like this?"

Not a chance.

Yami had seen enough in his previous life to judge a place's quality based on its hostesses alone.

Hizashi's mouth fell open as realization hit him like a brick.

He slumped to the ground in defeat.

(To be continued.)