Chapter 66 (Patreon)

“Let’s leave that topic there for now.”

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head and looked toward Yujiro.

“You’re not thinking about learning Wood Style, are you?”

“I told you before, didn’t I? Wood Style is a kekkei genkai. You can’t use it unless—”

“Wood Style: Wood Clone Jutsu.”

Before Jiraiya could finish, Yujiro calmly formed a hand seal.

The next instant, more than a dozen wooden clones split away from his body and appeared around him.

Yujiro tilted his head.

“Pervy Sage, what were you saying?”

Jiraiya froze.

The muscles in his face stiffened, and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

“Wo… Wood… Style?!”

After stumbling over the words for several seconds, he finally shouted.

Yujiro raised an eyebrow.

“It’s just Wood Style. Why are you making that face?”

He was not trying to show off.

At this point, Yujiro simply did not feel the need to hide it anymore.

With his current strength, he could already move through Konoha without fearing anyone.

The time for quietly developing in the shadows was over.

The current Yujiro already possessed enough power to destroy Konoha if he truly wanted to.

“Why am I making that face?!” Jiraiya swallowed hard, still staring at the clones.

“This is Wood Style!”

“Besides the First Hokage, no one has ever been able to use it!”

“Who said no one else can?”

Yujiro’s lips curved slightly as he pointed toward the people approaching from the distance.

“That guy with the mask on his face can use it too.”

“Huh?”

Jiraiya looked completely unconvinced.

At that moment, Minato arrived with Shisui and the others.

“Jiraiya-sensei, you’re here too?” Minato greeted him.

“I was just about to look for you.”

“What is going on here?” Jiraiya asked, his gaze landing on Yamato.

“This ninja is a Wood Style user Yujiro rescued from Root,” Minato said solemnly.

“Seriously?”

Jiraiya still found it hard to believe.

After all, this was Wood Style.

The legendary release that once suppressed the Nine-Tails and dominated an era.

“Wood Style: Wood Clone Jutsu.”

Yamato glanced at Minato, then formed a hand seal.

Slowly, a wooden clone separated from his body.

Compared to Yujiro’s, however, the entire process was far slower.

“It really is Wood Style…”

Jiraiya grabbed both sides of his hair.

He looked as though he had seen a ghost.

What was going on?

What in the world was happening?

Since when had Wood Style become so common?

This was Wood Style!

“Are those Wood Clones too?”

Suddenly, Yamato pointed toward the dozen clones standing beside Yujiro.

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone turned silent.

“Yeah.”

Yujiro walked over to Yamato and nodded.

“Wood Clones?”

Minato froze for a moment.

Then a terrifying thought crossed his mind.

His voice trembled slightly.

“Yujiro… don’t tell me you can use Wood Style too?”

“Yeah.”

Yujiro nodded again.

For a moment, Minato and the others all fell into stunned silence.

Yujiro could use Wood Style?

Even Yamato’s eyes brightened.

By now, he knew Yujiro was the one who had saved him from Root.

After learning that Yujiro could also use Wood Style, the loneliness in his heart eased a little.

“Yujiro…”

Minato looked at him seriously.

“You really may be the child of prophecy Jiraiya-sensei spoke of.”

“The entire shinobi world might change because of you.”

Yujiro had already heard similar words so many times that his ears were practically numb.

Jiraiya, standing to the side, looked completely lost.

For the first time in a long while, he felt as if he had no place in the conversation.

The shock had struck too deeply.

In the end, Jiraiya wandered away in a daze.

He even forgot why he had come to find Yujiro in the first place.

“Yujiro,” Minato said seriously, “from today onward, you will serve as the captain of the Anbu.”

“Please don’t refuse. Among everyone in Konoha, you are the most qualified.”

“Fine.”

Yujiro nodded and accepted.

Becoming Anbu captain would make his future movements much more convenient.

In any case, he had no intention of staying in Konoha quietly forever.

After obtaining the Wood Style kekkei genkai, Yujiro had already confirmed something important.

He could simulate and obtain kekkei genkai himself.

That meant Scorch Style, Boil Style, Magnet Style, Lava Style, and others could eventually become his.

Having more techniques would not weigh him down.

At worst, they would simply give him more ways to attack.

There was no reason to refuse.

Everyone left the area while still feeling somewhat dazed.

Yamato was handed over to Kakashi to guide.

The others also joined the Anbu.

Yujiro began using his enhanced mind to rapidly learn the Wood Style ninjutsu.

With his brain strengthened, learning these techniques was almost too easy.

In only half a day, Yujiro learned every Wood Style ninjutsu scroll left behind by Hashirama Senju.

At this point, aside from senjutsu-based Wood Style techniques, none of the remaining Wood Style ninjutsu posed any difficulty for him.

“You really are a monster.”

Inside his mental space, Kurama growled.

With a single thought, Yujiro entered the golden consciousness space.

“How did you get Wood Style?” Kurama stared at him with its massive fox eyes.

It had never sensed Wood Style chakra from Yujiro before.

Kurama did not believe its senses had been wrong.

That meant Yujiro had obtained Wood Style only recently.

Was such a thing even possible?

It felt almost the same as when Yujiro obtained Nine-Tails chakra.

“If I want it, I can get it,” Yujiro answered honestly.

And that was the truth.

It was only because he had used the rather unreasonable power of his third-stage Limiter enhancement.

However, the progress from the third stage to the fourth had not moved at all.

For now, if he wanted to become stronger, he needed to continue learning and refining his combat ability bit by bit.

After hearing Yujiro’s answer, which was hardly an explanation at all, Kurama could only lie back down in the golden space.

Wood Style.

That was a release capable of suppressing it completely.

After watching Yujiro learn those Wood Style techniques, Kurama felt its future grow a little darker.

For now, it was better not to provoke Yujiro.

It could only hope he would keep his promise.

Kurama fell silent.

Yujiro picked up his sword and left Training Ground Seven.

Now that he had become the captain of the Anbu, there were things he needed to consider.

Konoha’s Anbu headquarters was located near the Hokage building.

Yujiro carried his sword and walked there at an unhurried pace.

By the time he arrived, Kakashi and the others had already gathered.

When the Anbu learned that Yujiro would become their captain, no one questioned it.

After all, Yujiro’s performance on the battlefield had been far too shocking.

The Anbu who had followed him there and witnessed his strength had already returned to Konoha.

Word had spread quickly.

Combined with the accurate reports sent back from the battlefield, the entire Anbu had already been shaken.

Now, every Anbu member was gathered here.

Yujiro wasted no time.

“The Konoha Anbu is a place only the elite among Konoha’s elite can enter.”

“Later, I’ll ask the Fourth Hokage to establish an elite record.”

“Only the best of the best will be qualified to have their names listed.”

“Of course, those who make the list will receive proper rewards.”

“But more importantly, your names and achievements will be known throughout Konoha.”

“You won’t remain nameless shadows forever.”

Minato, who had just arrived, stopped in place when he heard those words.

Even he felt deeply moved.

That was right.

The Anbu did not have to remain unknown forever.

They could become a force known across the world.

“Fourth Hokage, I’ll leave that matter to you.”

Yujiro turned his head slightly and smiled.

Minato took two steps forward.

“Understood.”

Then he looked at the assembled Anbu with a serious expression.

“Everyone, listen carefully.”

“From today onward, the Anbu will no longer remain only in the dark.”

“The future of the Anbu will have light as well. I will make sure each of you can feel pride in serving as a member of this unit.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama! Captain Yujiro!”

The voices of the Anbu rang out together.

Yujiro smiled faintly.

“At the latest, a terrifying mission will arrive within three months.”

“And the minimum difficulty will be equivalent to five S-rank missions.”

“During this period, every Anbu member will train as if your life depends on it.”

“In three months, I will personally inspect your results.”

“Those who fail to meet the standard will be removed.”

“Yes, Captain!”

The Anbu immediately accepted the order.

If someone else had taken this position, there would have been some dissatisfaction.

But Yujiro was different.

Because he was Yujiro.

Yujiro nodded.

Why three months?

Because it was already July.

Around the end of the month, Sasuke would be born.

Three months after Sasuke’s birth, in October, Naruto would also be born.

Naruto’s birth meant the Nine-Tails attack.

Yujiro could not guarantee that Uchiha Obito would not come to Konoha.

The last time, he had let Obito escape.

This time, although Yujiro could not say with absolute certainty that he would kill him, he was at least ninety percent confident.

Two weeks passed quietly.

Konoha Hospital.

Yujiro received Itachi’s invitation and came there.

Today was also the day Sasuke was born.

On the hospital bed, little Sasuke slept peacefully in Mikoto’s arms.

“Fugaku, what should we name our son?” Mikoto asked softly, smiling as she looked down at the child.

Fugaku stood beside the bed and gave a faint smile.

“Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke.”

“Sasuke?” Mikoto looked surprised. “Isn’t that the name of the Third Hokage’s father?”

“Yes,” Fugaku said calmly. “I asked the Third Hokage about it long ago. He gave his permission.”

Standing nearby, Yujiro clicked his tongue inwardly.

Fugaku really did have a deep mind.

He had named his son after the Third Hokage’s father.

Indirectly, Fugaku was practically saying:

Sarutobi Hiruzen, from now on, you are the grandson.

Yujiro nodded slightly.

Not bad.

Now that Sasuke had been born, he might as well see what the future last Uchiha looked like as a baby.