Chapter 63 (Patreon)

It was a bright, clear day in the mountains behind Konoha.

Yujiro stood alone in the training grounds, drawing out the chakra inside his body.

Ever since he obtained the Nine-Tails’ chakra in the previous simulation, the nature of the chakra flowing through him had changed completely.

Every trace of chakra in his body had been dyed in Kurama’s power.

And the Nine-Tails’ chakra was on an entirely different level from ordinary chakra.

Yujiro raised his right hand and began gathering chakra into his palm.

A crimson glow slowly appeared above his hand.

The chakra rotated, compressed, and grew denser until a dark reddish-brown Rasengan formed in his grasp.

“Kurama, how about calling this the Kurama Rasengan?”

Yujiro’s voice echoed inside his mind.

“Don’t you dare name that thing after me!” Kurama roared from within the mental space.

Yujiro shrugged.

This mental space had existed ever since his connection with the Nine-Tails had been established. However, if he wanted to, Yujiro could also shut it off from his side.

Taking a slow breath, Yujiro hurled the Rasengan forward.

The sphere of chakra shot straight into the valley ahead.

Boom!

The moment it struck the rock wall, the entire cliff trembled.

A deep crater nearly ten meters wide was carved into the stone.

“The power’s decent.”

Yujiro nodded.

That Rasengan just now had reached the peak of A-rank ninjutsu.

For Yujiro, the path to becoming stronger was very simple.

Use skill simulation and obtain his opponent’s ninjutsu.

However, he had also discovered a problem.

Although Konohagakure was known as the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, there were almost no kekkei genkai users left inside the village.

Aside from the Byakugan and the Sharingan, there was nothing else that stood out.

Yujiro had no choice but to rely on luck. If he was fortunate, he might run into Yamato.

Judging by the timeline, Yamato should still be under Danzō’s Root right now, using the codename Kinoe.

After finishing his training, Yujiro left the mountains behind Konoha with his black sword on his back.

As he walked through the streets of the village, the ninjas and civilians around him looked at him with open respect.

What happened on the battlefield had already spread across the entire shinobi world.

Yujiro had defeated the Three-Tails by himself and heavily injured both the Eight-Tails and the Two-Tails.

One man had faced three tailed beasts alone.

And he had returned victorious.

That kind of strength was enough to make anyone feel awe.

At that moment, a man carrying a cold, snake-like presence slowly walked toward him.

“Yujiro-kun… it seems I didn’t misjudge you after all.”

Orochimaru smiled faintly.

Yujiro sensed Orochimaru’s presence and said, “Looks like your forbidden jutsu experiment is complete, Orochimaru.”

Orochimaru’s lips curved slightly.

“That’s right. My Living Corpse Reincarnation has finally been perfected.”

“So you came to capture me?”

Yujiro smiled.

“No.”

Orochimaru shook his head.

“I know very well that I’m no match for you right now.”

His golden eyes narrowed slightly.

“I only came to tell you one thing. Danzō is about to make his move.”

“And it will happen soon.”

Yujiro’s eyes remained calm.

Orochimaru continued, his voice low and amused.

“Also… Yujiro-kun, this village is not as peaceful as it appears. There are truths buried beneath it that would make even you pause.”

“I will be leaving Konoha soon.”

“How about it? Are you interested in coming with me?”

A faint, dangerous smile appeared on Orochimaru’s face.

“Only by leaving this village can your strength grow without restraint. You understand that too, don’t you?”

Yujiro felt the ambition pouring from Orochimaru without the slightest attempt to hide it.

He replied lightly, “Orochimaru, I understand Konoha’s darkness better than you do.”

Orochimaru’s smile thinned.

Yujiro continued, “And the reason you’re leaving Konoha is because you don’t have the power to stand against that darkness.”

His tone remained calm.

“But I do.”

Orochimaru’s expression shifted slightly.

Yujiro’s words had struck the truth.

Minato had already obtained a large amount of evidence regarding Orochimaru’s human experiments.

The only reason no action had been taken yet was because the Third Hokage was still handling the matter himself.

If Minato applied real pressure, Orochimaru could be arrested within a day.

That was why he had to leave Konoha.

Only outside the village could he continue advancing without restraint.

Orochimaru looked deeply at Yujiro.

This boy saw far more than most adults.

“But maybe I’ll come looking for you too,” Yujiro said with a faint smile.

After saying that, he walked past Orochimaru.

Would he really go to Orochimaru one day?

Maybe.

If there was no way to keep improving his strength inside Konoha, then his only choice would be to search for shinobi with kekkei genkai.

After all, the more bloodline limits he mastered, the stronger he would become.

Becoming stronger was still Yujiro’s goal.

Orochimaru watched Yujiro’s back, greed flickering in his eyes.

Grow stronger, Yujiro-kun.

Otherwise, the vessel might kill the one who wants to claim it.

Inside the Hokage’s Office…

“Sandaime-sama, I’ve already made my decision.”

Minato frowned as he looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen standing before him.

“Yujiro will be assigned to the Anbu. I will not allow him to join Root.”

“Minato, that isn’t something you can decide alone.”

Hiruzen picked up his pipe and took a long drag.

“I watched Yujiro grow up. That child must enter Root.”

“Pfft…”

The moment Minato heard those words, he could not hold back a laugh.

“Sandaime-sama… you watched Yujiro grow up?”

Minato lowered his head slightly, but the laugh still escaped him.

“Hahaha…”

Hiruzen’s expression gradually darkened.

“Minato. What exactly are you laughing at?”

His voice grew heavier.

“Don’t forget who passed the position of Hokage to you.”

“Sandaime-sama.”

The smile on Minato’s face slowly faded.

“Why do you think I’m laughing at you?”

“I never meant to mock you. Please don’t misunderstand.”

His eyes sharpened slightly.

“But Yujiro will not join Root.”

“More than anyone, Sandaime-sama, you should know what kind of place Root is.”

“Absurd!”

Hiruzen slammed his voice down in anger.

The Minato standing before him today was completely different from the Minato he knew.

This was the first time Minato had shown such a firm attitude toward him.

Was his word no longer enough?

“Sandaime-sama, I respect you as Jiraiya-sensei’s teacher.”

Minato’s voice remained calm.

“But this matter ends here.”

A heavy sigh passed through Minato’s heart.

Yujiro was his disciple.

Minato had even thought that one day, the position of Hokage might be passed to Yujiro.

But now, Hiruzen had actually come to demand that Yujiro be handed over to Root?

Anyone who joined Root would eventually stop being a shinobi and become a tool that obeyed orders without thought.

That was why Minato, who usually swallowed his thoughts and kept the peace, refused to back down this time.

“Hmph. So you still remember that I am your teacher’s teacher.”

Hiruzen snorted coldly.

“Sandaime-sama, please return for today.”

Minato gave the order to leave.

“What?”

Hiruzen’s chest tightened with anger.

“You’re telling me to leave?”

“If you do not wish to leave, that is also fine.”

Minato sighed inwardly.

“Then let me ask you something else.”

His gaze turned colder.

“Two months ago, you said the matter of capturing Orochimaru would be handled by you.”

“Now two months have passed.”

“May I ask, have you taken action?”

“This…”

Hiruzen’s face darkened.

“I am still preparing. The arrest will begin soon.”

“Haha…”

Minato shook his head.

“While you were preparing, how many of our own people died at the hands of one of our own?”

Hiruzen snorted but did not answer.

“You always say that you trained the Legendary Sannin.”

Minato’s voice grew heavier.

“But what about now?”

“Tsunade-sama is still missing.”

“Jiraiya-sama wanders across the world. If Konoha wasn’t pushed to the edge of life and death, would he even return?”

“And Orochimaru?”

Minato’s eyes sharpened.

“He turned his blade toward his own comrades.”

As he spoke, his emotions rose.

He quickly pulled a thick stack of documents from his desk and threw them down.

“Every name written here was a life.”

His voice became low and furious.

“The youngest was only three years old.”

“These people… did you know about them?”

Hiruzen’s face flushed red.

He had turned a blind eye to these things.

But he had never expected Minato to confront him so directly today.

This was completely outside his expectations.

“I know you believe you are doing everything for Konoha.”

Minato’s voice slowly steadied.

“But sometimes, that kindness becomes the knife that kills your own comrades.”

He did not say the rest aloud.

Besides, this is no longer kindness.

Even so, Minato would not completely tear away the last layer of respect between them.

No matter what, Hiruzen was still his elder.

“I see…”

Hiruzen seemed to age more than ten years in that instant.

He turned around and silently left the Hokage’s Office.

Only after Hiruzen was gone did Minato finally exhale.

Those words had been buried in his heart for far too long.

Now that he had finally spoken them, he suddenly felt as though the Hokage cloak on his shoulders had become much lighter.

Yes.

Much lighter.

“Shisui, come out.”

Minato suddenly spoke.

A moment later, a figure in Anbu attire appeared before him.

“It seems asking Fugaku to transfer you into the Anbu was the right decision.”

A gentle smile returned to Minato’s face.

“Thank you, Hokage-sama.”

Shisui took a deep breath.

Everything that had just happened had played out before his eyes.

Now he finally understood.

The Sarutobi Hiruzen he believed in…

The Will of Fire he had been taught…

None of it was as clean as he once thought.

He still remembered how, one month ago, Hiruzen had personally approached him and told him to join Root.

Fortunately, Minato had stopped it by force.

“Don’t thank me.”

Minato smiled.

“If you want to thank someone, thank Yujiro.”

Shisui looked up.

“Yujiro?”

“Yujiro told me a long time ago that, if the chance came, I should bring you into Konoha’s Anbu.”

Minato’s expression softened.

“Now it seems he had already thought further ahead than I realized.”

Shisui’s eyes widened slightly.

So it was Yujiro.

The one who had questioned the Will of Fire was Yujiro.

And now, the one who had saved him from Root was also Yujiro.

“Looks like I didn’t interrupt anything.”

At that moment, a familiar voice came from the doorway.

Shisui and Minato immediately turned.

Yujiro stood there with his black sword on his back.

“Yujiro!”

Shisui looked at him with clear gratitude.

Yujiro smiled.

“How is it, Shisui? The Anbu should be more comfortable than Root, right?”

He had heard their conversation just now.

And he really had mentioned that matter to Minato before.

He simply had not expected Minato to remember it so seriously.

“Thank you, Yujiro-san.”

Shisui lowered his head slightly.

“Today, I finally saw Sandaime-sama’s true intentions clearly.”

Yujiro glanced at Minato and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Sensei, what you said just now wasn’t bad.”

“When it comes to something like this, I won’t back down.”

Minato’s expression was serious.

“Yeah.”

Yujiro smiled.

“So, why did you call me here today?”

Minato also smiled.

“I want you to take command of the Anbu.”