Naruto: I Traveled with a Max Level Account
Ch 40- 49

-Ch40

Before he could even utter the word “eyes,” the Sand Jonin suddenly felt the world spin around him. In an instant, he found himself in a picturesque place, surrounded by blooming cherry blossoms. The serene setting, coupled with the gentle music that began to play, made him feel an irresistible urge to dance.

“Captain!!”

Seeing their captain suddenly freeze and fall silent, the three Sand Chunin were dumbstruck.

Did the captain get caught in an enemy genjutsu?

Just as they were about to step in and break the spell, their captain suddenly moved. The Jonin, now trapped in the large-scale “Sakura Fall” genjutsu, raised one hand in a delicate gesture, placing his other hand on his hip. His feet came together, knees bent, and he began to perform an embarrassingly awkward dance.

“Captain...”

Watching their normally stern and serious leader dancing like that, the three Sand Chunin were left utterly speechless. They had never imagined that their strict, no-nonsense captain would ever dance—and certainly not in such a... cringe-worthy way.

“You wake up the captain, we’ll go take down that brat—”

One of the Chunin began to issue orders, but then he suddenly felt a chilling whisper in his ear.

“Trying to take me down, are you?”

The ominous crimson of the three-tomoe Sharingan glowed in the darkness like the eyes of a demon, the tomoe slowly spinning.

Shunk!

A ninja blade pierced through his back, slicing cleanly through his heart and out his chest, blood still dripping from the sharp edge.

“When... did you...?”

“Did you all underestimate these eyes?”

Takuya’s figure seemed to materialize like a ghost as he withdrew his blade, swiftly cutting down the other two Chunin who were already caught in his genjutsu.

Has it really been so long since the Sand Ninja faced off against an Uchiha Jonin?

To be this sluggish? They should’ve known better. When facing someone from the Uchiha clan, especially one with the three-tomoe Sharingan, the best course of action is to run.

Pathetic.

Takuya finally understood why, later on, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi could cut down enemies like it was nothing. With one genjutsu, their foes were as helpless as lambs to the slaughter.

You could even take your time deciding which angle to strike from.

No wonder the Uchiha clan dared to claim the title of the strongest clan in the ninja world—they had every right to. Especially after the Senju clan had essentially faded into the general populace, the Uchiha’s claim to being the number one clan was hard to dispute.

As for the Hyuga clan, who always seemed to be competing with the Uchiha for that top spot...

Takuya just smirked and said nothing.

He admitted the Tenseigan was impressive, but the Byakugan...? Well, it was just okay.

Comparing the Byakugan to the Mangekyo Sharingan, or even just the three-tomoe Sharingan, wasn’t really fair. If anyone in Konoha wanted to argue that the Hyuga were on par with the Uchiha, they were welcome to, but it was better not to take such claims too seriously.

“Honestly, that was one ugly dance,” Takuya muttered, watching the Sand Jonin continue his awkward performance. With a flash of his blade, the Jonin’s head was sent flying.

Takuya quickly sealed the body in a scroll before slinging the corpse over his shoulder and chasing after Minato and Mikoto.

A double-layered genjutsu had wiped out an entire Jonin-led squad.

Even if it was just a standard Jonin squad and not an elite one, this was still an impressive feat for Takuya.

Once he brought back the body of the Sand Jonin, he’d earn himself quite a bit of merit and accolades.

The “Sakura Dance of Social Death” was even more effective than he had imagined—the Jonin hadn’t even had time to react before he was caught.

Takuya had activated his Sharingan with the intent of targeting the three Chunin, not the Jonin. One specialized genjutsu had been enough to deal with the Jonin.

Even the genjutsu control he exerted with his three-tomoe Sharingan exceeded his expectations.

“Maybe I should start focusing more on genjutsu,” Takuya mused to himself. He then thought, Snowy, if anyone approaches, alert me immediately.

“Got it, Master,” replied Snowy, the little white fox who had shrunk down to a small size in Takuya’s sealed space. Though she appeared lazy, yawning as she lay there, she was actually keeping a close watch on their surroundings. Any sign of an enemy, and she would alert Takuya right away.

And if he couldn’t react in time, Snowy would jump out of the sealed space and join the fight.

“Any issues?” Takuya soon caught up with Minato and Mikoto, his Shunshin no Jutsu far faster than theirs.

“No issues,” Takuya grinned. “Just a squad of Jonin—they were taken care of in no time. When we get back, I’ll have racked up quite a bit of merit.”

“But it looks like the Third Kazekage might be on our tail, so we’d better pick up the pace—unless you guys want to face off against the so-called strongest Kazekage.”

I swear, I’m going to kill you!

A Jonin squad, taken out in no time? Minato almost choked on his own spit, feeling an overwhelming urge to punch Takuya.

Mikoto also looked exasperated, clearly irritated by Takuya’s casual boasting.

Luckily, Takuya’s mention of the Third Kazekage startled both of them into picking up speed—no one wanted to stick around to face the man known as the strongest Kazekage.

The fact that the Third Kazekage wasn’t personally chasing them down was already a blessing—they wouldn’t dare linger.

Seeing the two of them panic and speed up, Takuya couldn’t help but chuckle.

He wanted to tell them that even if the Third Kazekage did catch up, their squad could still retreat safely. But Minato and Mikoto needed to learn not to rely on him for everything. Giving them a bit of a scare was probably a good thing.

“Hmph!”

When he found out the squad he had sent to pursue the enemy had been completely wiped out, the lead Jonin missing, the Third Kazekage’s expression turned dark and dangerous. The surrounding Sand Ninja held their breaths, terrified of drawing his ire.

They had gathered some basic information about the escort squad from the people at the camp.

Just three kids, and only at Chunin level.

Yet a squad led by a Jonin had been wiped out while chasing them down.

Anyone would find that hard to swallow.

If this information got back to Konoha, the Sand Village’s plan to ambush Konoha would be completely ruined.

“Keep pursuing them! We can’t let them get this information back to Konoha!” the Third Kazekage ordered, as a large cloud of iron sand gathered at his feet, lifting him into the air as he flew in the direction Takuya and the others had fled.

“Master, someone’s chasing us from the sky!” Snowy’s voice suddenly alerted Takuya. He paused for a moment before continuing to run, calling out to the panting Minato and Mikoto, “Hey, did you know the Third Kazekage can dance?”

“Huh?”

Minato nearly tripped over his own feet, almost crashing into a tree.

Are you seriously making jokes at a time like this? Who the hell knows if the Third Kazekage can dance or not? No one would waste time gathering such useless information.

“Takuya, that joke wasn’t funny,” Mikoto said, gasping for breath. She felt like she really needed a break.

If they didn’t need to explain themselves when they got back to the village, she would have gladly tossed the heavy burden she was carrying to the ground.

Why did this guy have to be so heavy? It’s killing me!

“No, I’m serious—because the Third Kazekage is here,” Takuya said, stopping in his tracks.

“The Third Kazekage?”

Minato and Mikoto’s faces went pale, their sweat-drenched expressions filled with shock.

-Ch41

The Third Kazekage, known as the strongest Kazekage in the history of the Sand Village, possessed the powerful Magnet Release bloodline limit. These were the basic facts they all knew.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he was the strongest ninja in the Sand Village. And now, this strongest ninja was personally hunting them down.

It’s over.

This time, it was truly over.

Minato felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. Mikoto’s lips quivered, her fear palpable.

“This is so heavy... I swear, if I ever take on another mission like this, I’m not calling myself Takuya Yagami anymore!”

With a frustrated grunt, Takuya dropped the person he was carrying onto the ground, stretching his stiff neck as he cursed, “The Third Hokage really is a piece of work, giving us such a crappy mission.”

“...”

Normally, Minato would have stepped in, correcting Takuya and stopping him from speaking ill of the Third Hokage. After all, insulting the Hokage was a serious offense.

But right now, Minato wasn’t in the mood to care.

We’re about to die anyway. What does it matter if Takuya curses out the entire Konoha leadership?

“Ready to watch the Kazekage dance?” Takuya grinned back at the two of them.

But neither Minato nor Mikoto could bring themselves to smile.

“So it really is just three kids. Were you the ones who killed Akagiri?”

The Third Kazekage descended from the sky on a block of condensed iron sand, landing not far from the trio. His gaze scrutinized them with curiosity.

“We’re really done for!”

It was definitely the Third Kazekage.

Minato’s lips trembled as he said, “Takuya, run! I’ll hold him off. You have to get the intel back to the village.”

“Run, my ass. Get out of the way.”

Takuya shoved Minato aside, though he was genuinely touched that Minato was willing to sacrifice himself to save him.

But Takuya didn’t need Minato to throw his life away.

The Third Kazekage watched silently as Minato prepared to sacrifice himself. The scene reminded him of his own childhood, back when he had two loyal teammates who were ready to lay down their lives for him.

“There’s no need to argue. None of you are getting away,” the Third Kazekage said, his voice cold and serious. He wasn’t one to toy with his enemies, not even when they were just three kids.

Giving someone hope only to crush it was not something he indulged in.

The Kazekage’s words sent a chill down Minato and Mikoto’s spines.

But Takuya seemed unfazed, instead questioning him, “Is the Kazekage really here, making such a big show of chasing down three little Chunin all by himself?”

“There’s no need for emotional appeals, nor for trying to provoke me.”

Crossing his arms, the Third Kazekage looked at Takuya with cold indifference. “You’re not going to escape from me.”

“But I will make sure your bodies are returned to Konoha at the appropriate time. Consider it a courtesy from a senior to his juniors.”

“No thanks, I’ll pass.”

Return my body to Konoha? Takuya thought. Who knows how many times you Sand Ninja will dissect it before sending it back? I’d rather avoid that.

“Oh?” The Third Kazekage looked at him, surprised. “Do you actually think you can escape from me?”

His gaze, once indifferent, now held a trace of contempt. After a pause, he added, “Is that even possible?”

“Anything is possible! I hope you enjoy the gift I have for you,” Takuya said with a wide grin.

“Hope your mental strength is up to par, or this could get really embarrassing for you.”

The fact that Takuya wasn’t the least bit afraid—actually laughing—seemed to throw the Third Kazekage off.

“?”

Is this kid insane, or has he just lost it from fear?

At that moment, Takuya’s eyes flashed red, and the Third Kazekage suddenly felt his body being pulled into a picturesque place, surrounded by blooming cherry blossoms.

“...”

It seems I’ve fallen into his genjutsu.

The Kazekage remained calm, though he was slightly amazed. A kid like this, able to catch me in a genjutsu?

He wasn’t concerned about his safety. He knew he’d break free soon enough.

“But... why do I feel like dancing?”

What the hell is going on?

Outside, Minato and Mikoto saw Takuya’s eyes flash crimson. The Third Kazekage, in turn, froze as if struck by a paralysis jutsu.

But that wasn’t all. The formidable Third Kazekage began to... dance!

What the... is this for real?

Am I dreaming?

Minato rubbed his eyes, even pinching himself on the leg. The sharp pain that followed made him suck in a breath, confirming that everything was indeed real.

He wasn’t dreaming.

“I told you the Third Kazekage could dance, but you didn’t believe me,” Takuya said with a shrug, tossing a kunai toward the Kazekage. But the iron sand swirling around him blocked it.

“Too bad.”

Magnet Release that automatically protects its master? Guess it’s not exclusive to Gaara after all.

Takuya had to hand it to Sasori. The guy had managed to kill the Third Kazekage without anyone noticing, probably by using poison.

“Let’s get moving. His Magnet Release is too good at defense. Taking him down would be tough, and the Sand Village reinforcements will be here soon.”

Takuya hoisted the man onto his shoulder and started walking away.

Still in a daze, Minato and Mikoto quickly followed.

They had been certain they were about to die, yet not only were they still alive—they were saved.

Takuya had used a single genjutsu to control the Third Kazekage? This is unbelievable.

Ridiculous.

How did you even do that?

Minato and Mikoto stared at Takuya with awe and disbelief.

“Why can’t I break free of this genjutsu?”

Trapped in the genjutsu’s world, the Third Kazekage tried to dispel it as he normally would, but nothing worked.

The worst part was that, under the influence of the falling cherry blossoms and the gentle music, he couldn’t help but start dancing.

Takuya would’ve liked to say, Magnet Release is powerful, but that doesn’t mean your mental strength is unbeatable.

Regular genjutsu dispelling methods won’t work on “Sakura Dance of Social Death.”

So, you might as well just keep dancing.

If only Snowy had reached her second stage of growth, Takuya would’ve loved to let her blast the Kazekage to bits with a Tailed Beast Bomb.

Let’s see if your iron sand can block that.

But since Snowy wasn’t fully matured yet, Takuya would keep her a secret for now.

Besides, with the Sand Ninja army closing in, Takuya wasn’t looking to start any more trouble. So, he made the wise decision to get out of there.

Enemies like the Third Kazekage are better left to the Third Hokage to handle.

Let the bigwigs deal with each other—I’m just a kid, after all.

-Ch42

“Argh!!”

No one knew how much time had passed, but when the Third Kazekage finally broke free from the genjutsu, veins bulged on his forehead as if he was barely containing his rage. Gripping his head, he roared like a wild beast.

Even though he managed to escape the genjutsu, it wasn’t without a cost—he had suffered significant mental damage.

If it was just about an embarrassing dance, why would so many players keep pouring money into that game to get ‘Sakura Dance of Social Death’?

This genjutsu inflicted serious mental damage, almost comparable to Itachi Uchiha’s Tsukuyomi if you calculated it in terms of game damage values.

Panting heavily, the Third Kazekage half-kneeled on the ground, his narrow eyes bloodshot. The constant stabbing pain in his mind nearly made him pass out.

“That damned brat... I swear I’ll kill you!!”

His current state was all Takuya’s fault.

Although he didn’t know Takuya’s name, the Third Kazekage vowed that if he ever got the chance, he’d kill him first.

Not only had he suffered severe mental trauma, but he had been forced to dance!

Just thinking about the way he had just danced made him so embarrassed he wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide in it.

This kind of humiliation could never get out, or he’d be socially dead.

The strongest Kazekage, brought down by a kid’s genjutsu, then forced into a ridiculous dance...

If that gets out, how could I show my face in the shinobi world?

“Kazekage-sama!”

Before long, the Sand Village reinforcements arrived.

The Third Kazekage clutched his head, crouched on his iron sand platform, and flew into the sky, leaving behind only a single order:

“There’s no need to chase those kids any further. Start the operation immediately. We must secure enough resources before Konoha has a chance to react.”

He didn’t want his village’s ninja to see him in such a pathetic state, and he wasn’t about to send anyone after Takuya.

If that brat could use that genjutsu again, who knows how many Sand ninja would end up making fools of themselves?

They might end up dead just like Akagiri—without even knowing how.

The thought of Takuya’s kunai nearly reaching him sent a cold sweat down the Kazekage’s back.

Thank goodness for the iron sand’s automatic defense. If it weren’t for that, I’d be dead.

The time it took to break free from the genjutsu would’ve been more than enough for Takuya to kill him countless times.

“Damn it! That brat’s genjutsu... the way to break it was completely backward!”

With his head feeling like it was about to explode, the Third Kazekage sped up, looking for a quiet place to recover.

The Kazekage himself couldn’t even take them down? And he ordered us to stop chasing them? Those kids must be seriously dangerous.

The Third Kazekage fled, leaving the remaining Sand ninja to exchange confused looks, none of them understanding what had just happened.

As they kept running, putting as much distance between themselves and the Sand forces as possible, Takuya felt that the Kazekage had given up the chase.

“Let’s take a break,” he said.

Mikoto was at her limit, and Minato wasn’t in much better shape.

Running wouldn’t have been so exhausting if they weren’t each lugging around a fat pig from the Daimyo’s entourage.

Honestly, how do these officials manage to get so outrageously fat?

Carefully setting his burden down, Minato collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. His clothes were soaked with sweat—partly from the run, partly from the sheer terror of being chased by the Third Kazekage.

It was terrifying... the Third Kazekage personally hunting us down. Just thinking about it is horrifying.

Thank goodness Takuya was able to defuse the situation; otherwise, my grave would have grass a meter tall by next year.

Mikoto wasn’t doing much better, sinking to the ground with no energy left to move.

“Here, drink some water,” Takuya offered them a canteen, glancing back in the direction they had come from. “It seems the enemy has given up the chase. We’ve got enough time to make our way back to Konoha at our own pace.”

I’d love to just get rid of these three fat pigs right now.

If they weren’t our clients, I’d have ditched them ages ago.

“Takuya, how did you do it?”

After resting for a bit, Minato and Mikoto had recovered enough to ask the question that had been burning in their minds. Both of them stared at Takuya, as if trying to see through all his secrets.

Sitting on the grass, Takuya handed out some spare rations. As he ate, he replied casually, “I just did it, that’s all. I developed a strong genjutsu, and the Third Kazekage was careless enough to fall for it.”

Careless enough to fall for it?

Come on, who are you trying to fool? It was a direct hit; we’re not blind!

Minato rolled his eyes at Takuya, munching on his rations.

Glancing at the unconscious trio on the ground, Takuya said to Minato and Mikoto, “I hope you can keep what happened today under wraps. Just tell them we ran into Sand Village enemies, but don’t mention anything about the Third Kazekage.”

“I won’t say a word,” Mikoto promised firmly.

Even if Takuya hadn’t said anything, she wouldn’t have told anyone.

Unless Takuya brought it up himself, this was staying a secret.

“Got it,” Minato nodded. He wasn’t the naive, curious kid he used to be.

He understood enough about the darker side of the village to know why Takuya didn’t want anyone to know.

If the word got out, it wouldn’t do Takuya any good.

In fact, it would only make certain people more wary of him. They wouldn’t believe it was just a genjutsu; they’d stubbornly insist it was the power of the Sharingan.

Especially the ever-suspicious Third Hokage and the always-paranoid Danzo.

“Let’s go. The sooner we get back to the village, the safer we’ll be. The news of the Sand Village’s invasion needs to reach Konoha as soon as possible.”

After a bit more rest, the three of them picked up their burdens and continued their journey.

“Who goes there?”

As they approached the heart of the Fire Country, they headed straight for a checkpoint. The fastest way to get the message to Konoha was to find the ninja on duty there.

They could use messenger hawks to send the news back to the village.

“Sir!”

Minato dropped his burden to the ground, raising his hand as he called out, “We’re from Takuya’s team, escorting clients to the Land of Rivers. We encountered a Sand Village strike force on the way. Their army has invaded the Land of Fire. Please send word to the village immediately.”

“What?”

The on-duty ninja was stunned.

Two of his comrades quickly checked Takuya and his team’s identities. Once verified, they attached the message scroll to a messenger hawk and released it into the night sky.

“Caw!!”

With a loud cry, the hawk spread its wings and flew into the darkness, carrying the urgent message.

“Rest here for now. If your information is accurate, you’ll be heroes of the village.”

-Ch43

Seeing that Minato and Mikoto were so exhausted they could barely stand, the sentry ninja quickly brought over water and some rations. The sentry captain, Natsuki Kozou, turned to the three and said, “I’m Natsuki Kozou, the captain of this outpost. Could you please give us a detailed account of the enemy encounter? We need to relay this information back to the village.”

“No problem,” Minato replied after catching his breath. He began recounting the events while Takuya sat off to the side, too tired to bother talking.

Truth be told, he was also exhausted, mostly from helping Minato and Mikoto bear the burden along the way. If it weren’t for the potential complications, Takuya would have gladly chopped up those three deadweights.

Why did they have to be so fat? he thought. They can’t run, and now we’re the ones left dragging them around, nearly killing us in the process.

“You took out an entire jonin squad by yourself?”

The outpost ninja were shocked when they heard that Takuya had single-handedly wiped out a jonin squad. They eyed him with a mix of disbelief and awe.

“This is the enemy jonin’s body. It should provide the village with valuable intelligence,” Takuya said, producing a sealing scroll.

The sentry captain quickly unsealed it, verifying the body’s identity. When he saw the face, he confirmed both the identity and the validity of the information.

Minato hadn’t lied, though the details were a bit off.

Indeed, an entire jonin squad had been annihilated, and it was Takuya who had done it—though the enemy probably had no idea how it happened.

Not that it mattered much; even the Third Kazekage himself was still puzzled over how he had been caught off guard.

Not only had he been injured, but he had also come dangerously close to making a fool of himself.

Fortunately, the Sand Village reinforcements had arrived only after he broke free from the genjutsu.

If they had come any sooner, the Third Kazekage would’ve been a laughingstock.

The deceased was undoubtedly Akagiri, a jonin from the Sand Village, but how had Takuya managed to kill him?

The sentry captain apologized, saying, “I don’t mean to doubt you, but I need to verify the truth of this matter. I hope you understand.”

“I understand, sir,” Takuya replied, acknowledging the captain’s concerns. Falsely claiming credit for a kill could spell trouble for both Takuya and the captain relaying the intel.

Takuya closed his eyes briefly, and when he reopened them, the captain found himself staring into a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan.

The captain fell silent.

This kid’s so young—could he be a genius from the Uchiha clan?

But then again, is he even really an Uchiha?

When did the Uchiha start having members with white hair?

The three-tomoe Sharingan alone was enough to validate everything Takuya claimed. No one would doubt the power of the Sharingan’s genjutsu control—no one in the entire shinobi world.

“I’ll send this intel and Akagiri’s body back to the village immediately. You’ve done well; get some rest. The village won’t forget your contributions,” the captain said.

With messenger hawks at their disposal, the intel scroll would reach Konoha in no time.

With that, Takuya’s team had officially completed their mission—they could finally rest.

The three Daimyo officials they had rescued were overwhelmed with gratitude upon learning that Sand ninja had surrounded the camp and that Takuya’s team had saved them.

They were endlessly thankful and showered the team with praise.

“Ugh...” Takuya, finding them annoying, quickly pushed Minato—the team’s diplomat—forward to deal with them.

Mikoto leaped up to a tree branch, sitting beside Takuya. She turned her head slightly, gazing at his youthful profile with a gentle smile.

“Takuya, after this gets out, the Uchiha clan will probably try to persuade you to return to the family,” she said.

“Just ignore them,” Takuya shrugged. “It’s not like they can force me to go back and change my name or something.”

The Uchiha are a ticking time bomb. Anyone who gets involved with them is asking for trouble. Takuya had no interest in getting mixed up with them.

Mikoto smiled softly, not pushing the matter further.

She respected Takuya’s choice. Whether he chose to return to the Uchiha or not, she would firmly stand by his side.

The messenger hawk, carrying the intel scroll, flew swiftly back to Konoha, where it was delivered directly to the Third Hokage’s desk.

In an instant, the entire Hokage’s office erupted in chaos.

Upon receiving the news, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado rushed to the Hokage’s office immediately.

“Sarutobi, is it true? Has the Sand Village really invaded?”

For once, Koharu and Homura, usually composed as elders, were frantic. They didn’t even bother knocking, instead barging straight into the office.

“The information is accurate; there’s no mistake. It seems the Third Kazekage himself is leading the attack on the Land of Fire.”

The Third Hokage, his face grim, handed the intel scroll to the two.

“Hokage-sama,” one of the ANBU appeared in the office before they could examine the contents of the scroll. He handed the Hokage another freshly retrieved intel scroll.

The Third Hokage quickly opened it, scanning its contents before standing up in shock.

“It really is the Third Kazekage leading the charge!”

The body of Akagiri, whom Takuya had killed, had been sent back to Konoha, and the Intelligence Division had extracted several critical pieces of information from his brain, confirming the Third Kazekage’s involvement.

“This...”

Koharu and Homura’s faces turned pale, their words stumbling. “How could he dare?”

After so many years of peace, the Sand Village had launched a sudden, unprovoked attack on Konoha.

Their ninja army had already invaded the Land of Fire.

If not for Takuya’s team quickly relaying the intel, Konoha would have been completely blindsided.

The enemy could have been at their doorstep, and they wouldn’t have had a clue.

From the intel they had received, it was clear that Takuya’s team had performed a great service—especially Takuya.

He had killed Akagiri, and the Intelligence Division had extracted valuable information from his brain.

Akagiri’s body had arrived just in time.

“Calm down,” the Third Hokage said, frowning slightly at Koharu, who was beginning to panic.

The enemy’s already inside the Land of Fire. Panicking now won’t help anything.

It’s better to think of a strategy and figure out how to deal with this imminent threat.

“Should we negotiate with the Hidden Rain Village?” Homura suggested.

Compared to the Hidden Rain, he was more concerned about the Sand Village.

Even if the Hidden Rain’s military might had grown, the village was still small.

Despite having Hanzo, who was known as a demi-god, few took the Hidden Rain seriously.

The Five Great Nations were still more focused on rivals of equal stature.

The Sand Village carried far more weight than the Hidden Rain.

“It’s difficult,” the Third Hokage replied. Negotiation was a good idea, but with Konoha and the Hidden Rain currently locked in a stalemate, neither side willing to back down, negotiating now was nearly impossible.

They would have to either achieve a decisive victory or wait until the Hidden Rain could no longer sustain the war before negotiations could begin.

Rushing to negotiate with Hanzo because of the Sand Village’s attack would only result in Konoha being at a disadvantage.

That was not an outcome the Third Hokage was willing to accept.

And with Hanzo on the front lines, he would likely refuse any negotiations.

“No matter what, we must drive the Sand Village’s forces out of the Land of Fire. We can’t allow them to plunder our territory.”

The Sand Village was poor and lacked resources, while the Land of Fire was a prime target.

Even if they couldn’t seize land, the Sand Village’s goal was clearly to plunder as many resources as possible.

If their ninja were allowed to rampage through the Land of Fire, the country would be thrown into chaos.

The Fire Daimyo wouldn’t stand for it.

Koharu’s words made sense. The Third Hokage nodded slightly, agreeing that they should prioritize expelling the Sand Village’s forces.

“Issue a conscription order immediately. We must organize our ninja army and drive the Sand Village out of our territory, no matter the cost!”

The Third Hokage, still in his prime, was a true warrior—not yet the old man who would later be more inclined to negotiate and make concessions.

At this moment, his power was at its peak, and his resolve was unwavering.

If he said it was time to fight, he meant it—no half-measures.

“I’ll make the preparations,” Homura said, standing to leave.

Koharu added, “I’ll coordinate with the Logistics Division to ensure all necessary supplies are ready before the army departs.”

The Third Hokage nodded without expression, his gaze fixed on the intel scrolls spread across his desk.

The conscription order was issued overnight, sending shockwaves through Konoha.

The Sand Village had launched an unprovoked attack, directly invading the Land of Fire. Their army was already within their borders!

This is outrageous!

Anger erupted throughout the village, with countless citizens flooding the streets, shouting at the Hokage’s office.

They demanded that the Third Hokage send troops to drive out the Sand Village invaders.

With the conscription order in effect, Konoha sprang into action.

Ninja from various clans began gathering, joining the army according to the set quotas.

Though the village had many civilian ninja, Konoha’s true backbone was still the many clans, big and small.

These clans were the foundation that allowed Konoha to maintain its position as the leading nation among the Five Great Nations.

Sometimes, quantity couldn’t replace quality.

Take the Uchiha, for example—the clan had over thirty jonin.

Considering that Konoha had only a few hundred jonin in total, the Uchiha clan alone made up about a tenth of that number.

What was even more remarkable was that Uchiha jonin were nearly unbeatable in one-on-one combat against civilian jonin.

Except for prodigies like Orochimaru and Jiraiya, of course.

-Ch44

There were not only Jonin but also a significant number of Chunin and Genin. And that was just within the Uchiha clan. When you factor in the other clans, it’s easy to see just how much weight these families carry in Konoha.

It's no wonder the Third Hokage and Danzo were so bent on weakening the clans—it was a complete brainless move. If they were worried about the clans growing too powerful and threatening their authority, they should have just said so, instead of hiding behind the excuse of fostering civilian ninja.

The most ridiculous part? They kept talking about weakening the clans and promoting civilian ninja, but only other clans were weakened while the Shimura and Sarutobi clans grew stronger.

That’s how we ended up with that infamous scene during the Fourth Great Ninja War—when the Sarutobi clan alone could mobilize thousands of ninja.

Thousands of ninja—what kind of concept is that?

The entire village of Konoha was in an uproar, but none of that had much to do with Takuya and his team. After resting, the three continued their journey back to Konoha.

As for the deadweight Daimyo officials, their own people would come to escort them back.

Even though the escort mission had technically failed, delivering the intel and earning battle merits meant Takuya and his team came out big winners.

“Takuya’s team, please report to the Hokage’s office immediately,” came the message.

As soon as they returned to the village, it was clear that the atmosphere had become much more tense. The scent of war hung even heavier in the air.

The moment the three entered the village, an ANBU member appeared, summoning them to the Hokage’s office.

Dragging their weary bodies, they made their way to the Hokage’s office.

The building was buzzing with activity. With a new war looming, the Hokage’s office was far from peaceful.

Knock, knock, knock.

Minato gently rapped on the door.

“Come in,” came the Third Hokage’s voice. The three opened the door and entered.

The office was packed with people, and one white-haired figure with a short sword on his back stood out.

It was Sakumo Hatake, Konoha’s future White Fang—a man so powerful that even the Sannin would respectfully call him “senpai.”

At this point, Sakumo hadn’t yet earned the title of White Fang, but his strength was already that of an elite Jonin, far surpassing the Sannin.

When Takuya entered the room and locked eyes on him, Sakumo raised a hand and scratched his hair—the same color as Takuya’s—before offering him a friendly smile.

Takuya blinked in surprise and nodded back in acknowledgment.

“Hokage-sama, Takuya’s team reporting in,” Takuya said, stepping forward as the team leader.

“Well done, children,” the Third Hokage said, the tension on his face easing as a gentle smile replaced it. He raised a hand, beckoning Takuya to come closer.

Me?

Takuya glanced around to make sure the Hokage was addressing him before he stepped forward.

These are the kids who discovered the enemy?

It was said that this boy, Yagami Takuya, had wiped out an entire Jonin squad.

Takuya looked so young—barely in his teens, with a face still full of innocence. It was hard to believe he had taken down a Jonin squad.

Even if it was just a standard Jonin squad, with one Jonin leading three Chunin, it was still hard to imagine.

Many of the Jonin present wouldn’t be able to take down such a squad single-handedly, especially considering how notorious Sand Village puppet masters were.

At the Jonin level, those puppet masters were especially tricky, with their poisons and endless attacks that could leave you flustered and vulnerable. One wrong move, and you’d be finished.

But this kid had managed to take down one of those puppet masters—something that seemed almost unbelievable.

“Child, could you tell us about your encounter with the enemy?” the Third Hokage asked. Even though the intel scroll had detailed everything, he still wanted to hear it from Takuya himself.

What a pain.

I’m exhausted. All I want right now is a good meal, a hot bath, maybe a soak in the hot springs, and then a long, deep sleep.

Takuya grumbled internally.

Under the watchful eyes of the Jonin and the Third Hokage, Takuya began, “Our team was escorting the Daimyo’s officials to the Land of Rivers. We made camp near the border, where I was in charge of the night watch during the latter half.”

“While setting traps, I noticed a large group of unknown ninja approaching. Realizing the danger, I woke my teammates and we evacuated the three important officials from the camp.”

“Not long after we left, the camp was thrown into chaos as a Jonin squad pursued us.”

“I told my teammates to keep moving while I stayed behind to cover our retreat.”

“The intel says you used a genjutsu to control the enemy?”

A Jonin with the Shimura clan’s crest on his uniform stepped forward, questioning Takuya.

“I’m sorry, but I need to confirm the accuracy of the intel. I mean no offense.”

You question me like that, and you say you mean no offense?

What is it with people connected to Danzo—why are they all so disgusting?

Shimura clan, huh?

“And how exactly do you plan to verify it?” Takuya asked coldly, glaring at the man.

This is going too far—why are you giving a kid such a hard time?

Even if this Yagami Takuya’s feat of taking down a Jonin squad seems unbelievable, publicly questioning him like this is over the line.

Sakumo Hatake shot the man a disapproving look, wanting to step in on Takuya’s behalf.

But the Third Hokage remained silent, so Sakumo held his tongue.

You’re not going to intervene?

At a moment like this, the Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—was just sitting there, saying nothing.

Takuya understood. This Shimura clan jerk might not be acting on the Hokage’s orders, but the Hokage was definitely doubting the intel’s accuracy.

How infuriating!

Daring to doubt Takuya!

Minato glared at the man, and Mikoto puffed out her cheeks in anger, wishing she could slap him.

Takuya wasn’t wrong—the Third Hokage did have his doubts.

Takuya was so young, after all. Even for a prodigy, this kind of achievement was almost unbelievable.

Not to mention, the intel stated that his Sharingan had already advanced to the three-tomoe stage. What kind of insane progress is that?

So when the Shimura clan Jonin stepped forward with his doubts, the Third Hokage chose to remain silent, not stopping him.

He wanted to see if it was all true.

Is Takuya really an extraordinary genius, or is he lying?

“What’s the matter? Is this genjutsu difficult for you to perform?” the Shimura Jonin pressed, seeing Takuya’s icy stare.

“Kid, don’t even think about—”

As he continued his sneering remarks, a red light flashed in Takuya’s eyes—the three-tomoe Sharingan spinning to life. The Jonin’s consciousness was instantly dragged into a genjutsu.

“Whoa! It really is a three-tomoe Sharingan, and the kid’s only nine, right?”

“The Uchiha have birthed a real monster.”

“But he’s not Uchiha—he’s the sole heir of the Yagami clan. Apparently, he tried to rejoin the Uchiha but was turned away.”

“...”

As they watched Takuya’s three-tomoe Sharingan and the now-dazed Shimura Jonin, the gathered Jonin began to murmur among themselves.

When someone mentioned that the Uchiha had rejected Takuya’s return, their expressions became rather complicated.

Are you Uchiha people crazy?

You’re pushing away a prodigy like this?

In a corner of the office, the Uchiha clan representative, Jonin Uchiha Kaze, wore a face so dark it was like the bottom of a pot.

Inwardly, he cursed certain elders of his clan to high heaven.

There was no doubt that by tomorrow, the Uchiha would be the laughingstock of the other clans.

This kid is something else.

So young and already with a three-tomoe Sharingan, and his genjutsu is terrifyingly powerful.

Look at that Shimura Jonin—he’s already trapped and doesn’t even realize it.

Wait! What is he doing?

It’s all true!

The Third Hokage felt a mix of surprise and resignation.

He was thrilled to see a true prodigy emerging within the village.

But at the same time, it was frustrating because this prodigy carried Uchiha blood, even if he hadn’t officially rejoined the Uchiha clan.

“Has Shimura Hideitsu gone mad?”

Under the influence of Takuya’s genjutsu, Shimura Hideitsu began to move like a puppet—he spun in place and then broke out into an awkward dance.

To be more precise, it was a cringeworthy dance.

His movements were stiff and awkward, clearly not the kind of person who knew how to dance.

And yet, under the spell of the genjutsu, he continued to dance awkwardly—a real cringe-fest.

“...”

“Pfft—”

In the Hokage’s office, many Jonin began to stifle their laughter.

Shimura Hideitsu’s dance was truly something that burned the eyes.

This kid, Yagami Takuya, is really something. Faced with doubts, he directly forces the guy to dance himself to death.

You could already imagine the aftermath—Shimura Hideitsu’s cringe dance in the Hokage’s office would soon become famous throughout Konoha, if not the entire ninja world.

“Hahaha...”

The first to break into open laughter was Sakumo Hatake.

-Ch45

It was like a chain reaction—Sakumo Hatake's laughter set off the other Jonin, and soon the entire room was laughing. Even Uchiha Kaze, who had been in a terrible mood, couldn't keep his stoic expression.

The hearty laughter lightened the tense atmosphere in the Hokage's office.

However, this lively atmosphere didn't sit well with the Third Hokage.

Once this incident gets out, not only would Shimura Hideitsu be the laughingstock, but the entire Shimura clan would be dragged into it as well.

Pfft.

Even Minato and Mikoto couldn't help but laugh.

Only Takuya and the Third Hokage didn't join in. Takuya had expected this reaction, while the Third Hokage, though he wanted to laugh, held back out of propriety.

Ahem!

To avoid bursting out in laughter, the Third Hokage cleared his throat. "Takuya, go ahead and release the genjutsu. Regardless of the situation, he is still your senior. You've already proven that you have the strength to fight and defeat a Jonin."

"Tsunade was right about you."

"Sorry, I can't undo it," Takuya said, shrugging his shoulders and spreading his hands. "I only know how to cast genjutsu, not how to release them."

"..."

The Third Hokage hadn't expected this. He had extended an olive branch, but Takuya wasn't having it. Instead, he simply said, I can't, I don't know how.

This kid's doing it on purpose, isn't he?

Just because I doubted him? Because I wanted to test him?

"Help him out of the genjutsu," the Third Hokage ordered, his facial muscles twitching as he watched Shimura Hideitsu dance more and more energetically.

As soon as he spoke, an ANBU operative appeared in the Hokage's office and attempted to release the genjutsu on Shimura Hideitsu.

"Huh?"

The usual method didn't work!

What's going on?

The ANBU operative was puzzled and instinctively looked to the Third Hokage for guidance.

Now the Third Hokage had a headache.

The Jonin in the room stopped laughing, realizing the gravity of the situation. If the ANBU couldn't release the genjutsu, it meant that if Takuya ever used this on them and they got caught, they wouldn't be able to break free like they could with other genjutsu.

If they couldn't break free, it meant that while they were trapped in the genjutsu, Takuya could launch a deadly attack.

This... this kid's genjutsu is something else.

The Jonin's gazes toward Takuya shifted, filled with a mix of awe and caution.

"Don't look at me. I really don't know how," Takuya said nonchalantly. "This genjutsu is called 'Sakura Fall.' Anyone caught in it will start dancing uncontrollably. Beyond that, I'm not too sure since I just developed it recently."

Let them think what they want—I really don't know how to release it. So what?

Go ahead, try to bite me. If you question me, you're going to suffer!

If I don't leave you lying in the hospital for half a month, I'm not Yagami Takuya.

"Takuya, are you serious?" The Third Hokage's expression turned serious.

Takuya answered calmly, "Hokage-sama, everything I've said is the truth."

This is a mess.

The Third Hokage was beginning to regret not stopping Shimura Hideitsu earlier. If he had, things wouldn't have escalated like this.

But Takuya was adamant that the genjutsu was newly developed and couldn't be released.

Even if it was a lie, the Third Hokage had no way to force him to undo it.

"How long does the genjutsu last?"

"The stronger the person's mental strength, the shorter the genjutsu's duration and the harder it is to control them," Takuya said, making things up on the spot.

Believe it or don't—Sakura Fall is a guaranteed hit.

Even if Madara Uchiha were here, he'd get caught.

The difference is that someone like Madara could easily break free.

Even if Sakura Fall's weaknesses were exposed, Takuya wasn't worried.

The power of his special ability grew with his strength.

Right now, the Third Kazekage could break free from Sakura Fall. But when Takuya gains the Mangekyō Sharingan, or even the Eternal Mangekyō, it wouldn't be so easy, even with double the time.

Need help?

I don't care—break free if you want, but your mind will take a severe hit.

This kind of genjutsu would be a nightmare for any ninja who wasn't a powerful Uchiha or a shinobi with extraordinary mental strength.

"Ah!"

Just as the Third Hokage was about to have Shimura Hideitsu taken away, the man suddenly screamed, blood spurting from his mouth as he collapsed, convulsing violently.

Shimura Hideitsu's extreme reaction shocked everyone.

All eyes turned to Takuya, who calmly explained, "Sakura Fall causes significant mental trauma. Given his Jonin-level strength, he should be able to recover in ten days or so with some rest in the hospital."

"You little..."

The ANBU operative, who had rushed to check Shimura Hideitsu's condition, was about to accuse Takuya of being too harsh, even towards a fellow Konoha ninja.

But before he could finish, the three tomoe in Takuya's eyes began to spin.

"Enough!" the Third Hokage shouted angrily. "Shimura Hideitsu brought this on himself by questioning Takuya. The genjutsu was used to prove Takuya's abilities, not as an attack on a comrade. This matter is settled. Get him to the hospital."

Mental trauma isn't so easily treated.

Anyone could guess that the days ahead for Shimura Hideitsu would be far from pleasant.

"Yes, sir." The ANBU quickly complied, carrying Shimura Hideitsu away.

The other Jonin looked at Takuya with a newfound wariness, fearing that he might turn his genjutsu on them next.

Dancing was one thing—embarrassing, sure.

But the real problem was the mental trauma, which wouldn't be easy to heal.

"Takuya, you've done well. I'll make sure your contributions to the village are recognized. You've worked hard, so go and rest," the Third Hokage said.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Minato and Mikoto quickly bowed, but Takuya turned and left without a word.

Bow to you?

Forget it.

You tested me and now expect me to show respect?

"Takuya?" Minato and Mikoto were stunned, glancing at the Third Hokage, whose face darkened, before hurrying after Takuya.

The Hokage's office fell into an uneasy silence. You could hear a pin drop.

No one dared to breathe too loudly. It was clear to everyone that the earlier test and doubts had left Takuya bitter towards the Third Hokage.

Sigh...

The Third Hokage sighed, his mouth twitching slightly. "The child has clearly misunderstood me. It can't be helped. He's still young—he'll understand my intentions in time. Let's continue the meeting."

His explanation earned the respect of many Jonin present.

The Hokage is truly compassionate, even towards a disrespectful child, always willing to forgive and protect them.

"Takuya, you shouldn't have acted that way. No matter what, the Hokage is still the Hokage," Minato said as they left. He was still angry about Shimura Hideitsu's challenge and the Third Hokage's silence, but he was concerned about Takuya's blatant disrespect hurting his reputation.

"He allowed, even hinted for others to question me, and I should be grateful?" Takuya snapped. "Screw that."

He cursed openly, making no effort to hide his anger, and then dragged Mikoto along without looking back.

"Wait up..." Minato sighed, hurrying after them.

He's already cursed him out. What can you do?

It is what it is—at worst, he'll get a reprimand.

Still, the Hokage wasn't exactly fair here.

We risked everything to get that intel back, only to be questioned like this. Who wouldn't be pissed?

No wonder Takuya lost his temper.

Could the Third Hokage hear Takuya's cursing?

Of course, but the Third Hokage, now committed to his image as a benevolent leader, had no choice but to endure it.

Otherwise, he'd contradict his own public persona.

After all that, Takuya wasn't even in the mood for a soak in the hot springs.

After saying goodbye to Mikoto and Minato, he headed straight home.

An hour later, just as he was finishing a meal after a bath, Takuya was alerted by Snowy that someone was approaching.

He looked up, his face expressionless, toward the window.

The visitor, realizing they'd been noticed, sighed and opened the window, stepping inside.

"Kid, you were too rash. No matter what, you shouldn't have cursed out the Hokage."

-Ch46

Sakumo Hatake sat down directly across from Takuya, his eyes drifting to the food on the table. He took a deep breath and asked, “Mind if I join you? I’ve been busy all day and haven’t had a chance to eat.”

Takuya got up to fetch some extra dishes and utensils, and also took out some prepared food he had set aside for the next day. As he sat back down, he gritted his teeth and said, “I thought I was the village hero. But instead, all I got was doubt and distrust!”

Why is Sakumo Hatake here?

Is it because he likes me?

No, no, no—he’s here because the Third Hokage sent him. I can tell.

So Takuya didn’t bother hiding his dissatisfaction, letting all his emotions show. I’m upset—so what? I got accused and doubted, and now I’m supposed to just take it?

“No, you are a hero of the village,” Sakumo said, talking through a mouthful of food. “Without the intel you guys brought back and the enemy’s corpse, the Land of Fire would have suffered significant losses. Shimura Hideitsu’s doubts weren’t endorsed by the Hokage. He’s just a narrow-minded guy who can’t stand anyone being better than him. He’s always been hostile toward geniuses.”

What the hell!

Shimura Hideitsu must have some serious issues.

What did I ever do to you?

The entire Shimura clan must be filled with jerks.

Seeing that Takuya remained silent, Sakumo continued, “He’s been like that since school. I hope this incident teaches him a lesson. Anyway...”

Takuya’s expression said it all: I don’t believe you, and I don’t care. This left Sakumo at a loss. He was here on the Third Hokage’s orders, hoping to smooth things over with Takuya, but it wasn’t working.

“No matter what, you shouldn’t curse out the Hokage, got it?”

“Curse the Hokage?” Takuya’s eyes widened. “Don’t make things up. I never did that!”

You didn’t?

Sakumo couldn’t help but laugh. Then who was that outside the Hokage’s office, yelling and cursing? If the Hokage hadn’t intervened, the ANBU would’ve been all over you.

And you say you didn’t curse?

You think just because you didn’t say his name, it doesn’t count?

“Anyway, I didn’t curse,” Takuya insisted. Believe it or don’t. I said I didn’t, so that’s that.

And if you take it personally, then you’re just admitting you’re a hypocrite!

“Sure, sure, you didn’t curse,” Sakumo said, finally giving up. He wasn’t one to usually tolerate such behavior, but Takuya... Takuya was different.

Remembering the fate of Shimura Hideitsu, Sakumo decided it was best not to provoke this kid. Who knew what kind of genjutsu Takuya might unleash, leaving him dancing awkwardly and suffering mental trauma?

Sakumo wasn’t even sure he could resist Takuya’s genjutsu. If it was purely Sharingan-based, he could avoid eye contact, but if it wasn’t... that could be a real problem. Until they figured out the weaknesses of this “Sakura Fall” genjutsu, it was best to tread lightly.

From the way Takuya had unleashed his genjutsu on Shimura Hideitsu without hesitation, Sakumo believed he’d do the same to him.

It’s best not to mess with this loose cannon.

“Kid, you’ve done something impressive this time.” Sakumo set down his bowl, satisfied, and leaned back in his chair. “Your teammates contributed, sure, but the major credit goes to you. The Hokage wanted me to tell you that the village won’t forget your contributions.”

“When the time is right, your achievements will be formally recognized, allowing you to trade them for things like jutsu scrolls.”

With that, Sakumo stood and headed for the window.

“Oh, and the main forces are heading out tomorrow. Do you want to go to the battlefield and earn some more merits?”

“No thanks. I don’t want to come back from killing enemies just to be accused of lying again,” Takuya scoffed. “Please use the door.”

“Uh... right, sorry, my bad.” Sakumo’s face flushed with embarrassment. He hadn’t even realized he was about to climb out the window again—getting caught doing that earlier was embarrassing enough. If he did it again now, he’d lose all his dignity.

After leaving Takuya’s house, Sakumo returned to the Hokage’s office and recounted his conversation with Takuya.

“It seems the boy has a deep misunderstanding of me,” the Third Hokage sighed.

“Hokage-sama, I think the kid’s actually pretty decent. It’s just unfortunate that Shimura Hideitsu’s personal issues escalated things to this point,” Sakumo said. Despite the difficult interaction, Sakumo still felt Takuya was a good person at heart.

If it weren’t for Shimura Hideitsu messing things up, this wouldn’t have turned out so badly.

The Third Hokage smiled slightly and said, “Tsunade has always said this child is worth nurturing. She wasn’t wrong. Takuya isn’t difficult to get along with; today’s events just left him disappointed. I’m confident things will improve.”

“Let’s hope so. I believe it won’t be long before he becomes one of Konoha’s pillars.”

“Hokage-sama, I’ll take my leave now,” Sakumo said. With the main forces departing for the front lines the next morning, he had to prepare. His mission was to lead several Jonin squads in clearing out the enemy forces that had infiltrated the Land of Fire.

“Go ahead,” the Third Hokage said, waving him off.

Sakumo bowed and left.

The war between Sunagakure and Konoha had officially begun. Sunagakure had sent a massive number of shinobi into the Land of Fire. Konoha responded by deploying numerous squads to engage and push the Suna ninjas back toward the Land of Rivers.

In just a short time, villages across the Land of Fire were attacked, their wealth pillaged, and resources stolen. The country was scarred by the invading forces.

Sakumo Hatake’s unit was part of the second wave of reinforcements. The number of Sunagakure shinobi far exceeded the Third Hokage’s initial estimates. To curb their looting, Konoha had to keep sending out more and more squads for support.

If they think I’m just going to sit back and let this happen, they’re in for a rude awakening.

After seeing Sakumo off, Takuya finally lay down to rest. The past few days had taken a toll on him; he was just as exhausted as Minato and Mikoto.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Who the heck is it now?” Takuya grumbled as he was rudely awakened by loud knocking early the next morning.

Still in his pajamas, he yanked open the door.

“You... Uchiha Fugaku?”

The person standing at the door surprised Takuya. It was none other than Uchiha Fugaku, the future spineless clan leader.

Oh wait, he’s not the clan leader yet—just the heir.

At first glance, Takuya didn’t even recognize him. If it weren’t for that distinctive drooping mouth, Takuya wouldn’t have connected him to the future Uchiha Fugaku.

Even as a teenager, Fugaku looked far too mature. His maturity wasn’t the issue—it was the lack of any other expression on his face combined with those drooping lips. The whole look was just... off-putting.

People always said the Uchiha clan produced handsome men and beautiful women, but Fugaku seemed to have missed out on those genes. It was clear that both Itachi and Sasuke got their good looks from their mother, Mikoto.

As for Fugaku... well, let’s just say the world’s better off that neither Itachi nor Sasuke took after him. If they had, fans wouldn’t be able to look at them the same way.

“It’s me,” Fugaku said, forcing a small, awkward smile that did nothing to make him look more approachable. In fact, it made him look even worse.

“What do you want?” Takuya asked coldly. Apart from Mikoto and her mother, Takuya didn’t have a good impression of anyone from the Uchiha clan.

Seeing Fugaku only reminded him of the time his mother had begged the clan to take them back, only to be rejected because of his white hair.

To the Uchiha, his white hair was an eyesore.

What a ridiculous reason to be rejected.

Good thing Tobirama wasn’t born into the Uchiha clan. If he had black and white hair, they’d probably think he was a freak.

“May I come in?” Fugaku gestured toward the house, clearly wanting to continue the conversation inside.

“No, you may not.” Takuya didn’t give him an inch. He didn’t care whether Fugaku was here on behalf of the clan leader or some elder—Takuya wasn’t going to treat him kindly.

If it weren’t for not wanting to cause trouble for Mikoto and her family, Takuya would have slammed the door in his face.

“...”

Fugaku’s awkward smile froze. He hadn’t expected Takuya to be so blunt, not even allowing him to step inside.

Uchiha is the most powerful clan in Konoha, but I’m not someone you can just use to your advantage. So please, don’t disrupt my life.

With that, Takuya began to close the door.

“But you have Uchiha blood! Your mother is from the Uchiha clan!” Fugaku protested, his rigid expression returning.

“Yeah,” Takuya said with a cold smile. “And when my mother needed help, when she begged to return to the clan, you rejected her. Just because I have white hair.”

Pointing at his own hair, Takuya’s smile faded, replaced by a cold, hard glare.

“This is the first time you’ve come here, and I hope it’s the last. If I see any more Uchiha at my door, I won’t be so polite.”

“The blood in my veins comes from my mother. Since you didn’t accept us back then, there’s no need to try now. You walk your path, and I’ll walk mine.”

Bang!

The door slammed shut, nearly hitting Fugaku’s nose, forcing him to take a step back. His face turned ashen with humiliation.

I’m the heir of the Uchiha clan. I swallowed my pride and came here, and I wasn’t even allowed inside. I was even threatened!

This was a disgrace.

And the worst part was, Fugaku couldn’t do anything about it. Even if he wanted to retaliate, he’d have to wait for the right opportunity, maybe when Takuya left the village.

But Takuya wasn’t an easy target.

Shimura Hideitsu’s infamous dancing incident had already spread throughout Konoha. No one wanted to risk provoking Takuya.

Clicking his tongue, Takuya thought, Some people are the same no matter what world you’re in.

When they don’t like you, they’ll step all over you, maybe even kick you while you’re down. But when they see you as valuable, they’ll come running, wagging their tails.

So what if I refuse to give Uchiha Fugaku any respect?

When I didn’t have the strength to protect myself, I avoided them. Now that I have that strength, why should I be polite?

Let’s see how that works out.

Shimura Hideitsu’s name was infamous now, and the Shimura clan would have preferred to remain unknown. Because of one man’s actions, the entire clan found it hard to hold their heads high.

Some of the more hotheaded members even swore they’d make Takuya pay. But for now, it was all just talk. They knew they couldn’t openly confront him in Konoha; that would be considered infighting, which was unacceptable.

Even later, when Danzo gained control and acted behind the scenes, he never dared bring his schemes out into the open.

Takuya wasn’t concerned with any of this. All he wanted was a good night’s sleep.

But the world didn’t seem to be on his side. Just as he was finally dozing off, he heard the sound of the front door opening.

A head of bright red hair peeked in, a small, mischievous face scanning the room.

It was Kushina.

After making sure Takuya wasn’t around, Kushina relaxed and placed a bento box on the table. She quietly closed the door, unaware that the person she was trying not to disturb was watching her with a headache, rubbing his temples.

“What are you doing?” Takuya asked.

“Ahhh!” Kushina shrieked, leaping into the air like a startled deer. Already on edge, she was terrified when Takuya suddenly spoke.

In that moment, she was just a scared little girl—no chakra chains, no enhanced perception, nothing.

“Don’t scare me like that!” Kushina huffed, glaring at Takuya and stomping her foot.

Yawning, Takuya rolled his eyes at her and headed for the bathroom. “How did you get a key to my house?”

Looks like I’m not getting any more sleep.

“Because I live next door,” Kushina said proudly, shaking the key. “I told the locksmith I locked myself out, and he helped me open the door and made me a copy.”

Takuya nearly choked on his toothpaste foam.

What kind of sneaky move is that?

You’re so good at this, why not just become a thief?

Even thieves don’t have it this easy—just walk right in and take the key.

-Ch47

With a cheerful grin, Kushina opened the bento box and sat down at the table, resting her chin on one hand as she said happily, “I heard this morning that you taught that jerk from the Shimura clan a lesson, so I asked the ANBU guys tailing me and confirmed you were back in the village. That’s why I brought you this lunch.”

“...”

“So, you’re getting along well with the ANBU,” Takuya remarked as he finished washing his face and brushing his teeth. Glancing at the bento, he sat down and picked up a grilled chicken wing, taking a big bite.

Last night, after Sakumo Hatake had unexpectedly dropped by, Takuya had ended up bringing out some extra food he had prepared. But who would’ve thought that white-haired glutton would eat so much, leaving Takuya still hungry?

Now, this lunch was hitting the spot.

Seeing Takuya eat with such enthusiasm made Kushina feel very pleased with herself.

“How did you know I was opening the door? I was being so careful,” she asked, curious.

With the giant Nine-Tails inside you, how could I not notice? Snowy was practically ready to jump out at the sensation. And besides, I was already awake.

Takuya casually tossed the chicken bone onto the table. “Before you came, Uchiha’s heir was banging on my door. Woke me up, and just as I was about to get back to sleep, I heard the door open.”

“Oh, I see,” Kushina replied, a little embarrassed as she stuck out her tongue.

Grilled chicken wings, grilled drumsticks, grilled beef! Takuya had to admit, Kushina’s bento was quite the feast. What surprised him even more was that the taste was almost identical to that of the Akimichi clan’s famous grilled meat.

“This flavor seems familiar,” he said as he chewed on the beef. “It’s just like the Akimichi clan’s grilled meat. Where did you get the recipe?”

“I bought it from the Hokage,” Kushina said, scrunching up her nose in a smug expression. “That big fat guy from the Akimichi clan wouldn’t sell it to me, no matter how much I offered. So, I went to the Hokage, and after promising I’d only use it for myself, he let me buy it for a hundred thousand ryo.”

Takuya: “...”

The Akimichi clan probably cried themselves to sleep over that one.

They must be praying you never share that recipe with anyone.

Takuya couldn’t help but give Kushina full marks for her resourcefulness. She actually went to the Hokage to get the recipe—something no one else could have managed. If anyone else had tried, they wouldn’t have stood a chance.

But when the Hokage himself got involved, the Akimichi clan had no choice but to comply, making Kushina sign a guarantee not to share the recipe.

Just imagining the pitiful faces of those Akimichi fatties made Takuya burst out laughing. Kushina was really something else.

Kushina kept giving Takuya little signals, hoping for some praise, but Takuya wasn’t paying attention. Instead, he looked toward the window.

Click!

The window swung open, and a blond-haired boy squeezed through, still half-hanging out of the window. The smug look on his face quickly froze when he saw the two people in the room staring at him.

“Uh, I didn’t want to wake you, so I figured this way was more convenient,” Minato said awkwardly, trying to explain himself.

“Minato, how could you climb in through the window? That’s so rude!” Kushina scolded him, playing the victim.

Minato was instantly mortified.

Takuya rolled his eyes. You sneaked in with a locksmith, had him open my door, and even made a spare key. How is that any better than Minato climbing through the window?

“Something smells amazing!” Minato started to make excuses but was suddenly distracted by the aroma. His eyes locked onto the bento, and he couldn’t look away.

It smelled like grilled meat.

“Takuya, you really know how to live it up!” Minato scolded Takuya as he reached for a drumstick.

Smack!

“Ouch!” Minato yelped, clutching his hand, which had turned red. Kushina stood with her hands on her hips. “I made this breakfast for Takuya! If you want some, go get it yourself.”

“Ah! Mikoto’s here?” Minato suddenly exclaimed, his eyes darting toward the door.

“What? Mikoto?” Kushina turned to look, caught off guard.

But there was no Mikoto. Minato quickly snatched the drumstick and retreated to a corner to eat it in big bites.

“You...” Kushina was furious, ready to pounce on him.

Takuya watched the two of them with amusement, enjoying the show. As for Minato’s pleading looks for help?

Sorry, I didn’t see a thing.

You’re on your own.

After Kushina left, Minato sat there nursing his bruised face, wincing in pain. Kushina had given him quite a punch—his face still hurt, and tears were welling up in his eyes.

That girl sure hits hard.

But he had brought it on himself by tricking her, which was why she hadn’t held back. Over time, Kushina had started to show signs of turning into Tsunade 2.0: If in doubt, punch it out. If one punch didn’t work, hit it again.

Takuya was just grateful that Tsunade hadn’t taught Kushina her super strength technique yet. If she had, and Kushina combined that with her natural strength...

Well, let’s just say a lot of people would be in trouble.

“You deserved it! You know how much Kushina hates being deceived, yet you went ahead and tricked her anyway,” Takuya laughed, showing no sympathy.

His laughter was utterly carefree.

“Who told you to hog all the good food?” Minato retorted, still nursing his wounds. “By the way, you’re famous now, you know? That, and the whole deal with that stuck-up Jonin from the Shimura clan.”

“Where did you pick up that tone?” Takuya asked, raising an eyebrow.

“From you, obviously! If you can talk like that, why can’t I?” Minato shot back.

“...”

Famous, huh? Takuya wasn’t too concerned. After all, not many people in Konoha really knew who he was. As for his signature white hair, that wasn’t exactly rare in Konoha, so he wasn’t worried about being recognized on the street.

“Takuya.”

“What?”

There was something off about Minato today—he was acting all jittery. Takuya eyed him suspiciously. What could have gotten him so worked up this early in the morning?

“With a new war on the horizon, do you think we’ll be sent to the front lines?” Minato finally blurted out after a long pause.

“...”

I thought you were going to say something deep, and that’s what you came up with?

“Get lost!” Takuya snapped, kicking Minato out of the room. “Whether we go to the front lines or not is up to the higher-ups, not us. So what if a new war’s coming? It’s not like we can do anything about it.”

You’re worrying over nothing. Instead of stressing about this, why not think about what to have for lunch?

If the Third Hokage isn’t freaking out, why should you?

No matter how intense the fighting got, there was no way it would reach Konoha. The thought of the village being attacked was just ridiculous. As for everything else, why waste time worrying?

“Are we having a group meal today?” Minato asked, his eyes lighting up as he saw Takuya opening the fridge to check the ingredients left inside.

Takuya often bought extra meat to store in the fridge, just in case he didn’t have time to go shopping. That way, he could always cook something up when he wanted to.

“You’re cooking?” Takuya turned to look at Minato.

Minato’s smile faltered for a moment before he scratched his head. “Well, uh, I’d love to cook, you know how much I enjoy it... but my cooking isn’t as good as yours, and I’m worried Mikoto and Kushina would be disappointed.”

“How about we stick to the usual plan? I’ll buy the ingredients, and you handle the cooking?”

“Alright, fine.” Takuya thought it over and agreed. It wasn’t a bad idea to get together and relax a bit, especially after their recent mission, which had left Minato and Mikoto pretty shaken up. They could use a good meal to soothe their nerves.

“Great! I’ll take care of the shopping, then,” Minato said, perking up. He dashed out the door, forgetting all about the bruise on his face.

“Kushina really didn’t hold back. Hopefully, Minato’s face doesn’t swell up too much,” Takuya muttered, shaking his head as he started preparing some of the ingredients. He could already guess what Minato would bring back—it was always the same stuff. In the world of shinobi, people didn’t care much about gourmet cuisine, and there wasn’t a huge variety of ingredients to choose from.

Is it the village’s intelligence?

-Ch48

In a concealed cave, Orochimaru removed the scroll from the carrier hawk's leg and casually released the bird back into the wild.

"The old man?" A dirty, unshaven Jiraiya yawned, looking a bit out of sorts. The constant battles between Konoha and Amegakure were taking their toll on the trio, leaving them exhausted.

Tsunade sat silently on a wooden log nearby, her face tired and drawn. Of the three, she was the most worn out. Not only did she have to fight, but she also had to treat the injured and concoct various potions and medicines. Given a rare moment of respite, all Tsunade wanted was some rest, far away from the village's affairs.

After all, the Third Hokage had made the ridiculous decision to put Danzo in charge of the front lines. Absolutely absurd.

What was wrong with using the Shikaku leader ? He has the intelligence, strategy, and experience needed for such a role. But no, they put Danzo in charge—a recipe for disaster.

Yet, despite her frustrations, the Third Hokage had appointed Danzo as the commander of the front lines.

"Hm?" Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed as he read the scroll.

"What is it?" Jiraiya noticed the change in Orochimaru's expression and leaned closer, while Tsunade, though fatigued, opened her eyes and glanced over as well.

"Suna has declared war on Konoha. The Third Kazekage, leading a force of ninja, has invaded the Land of Fire." Orochimaru's lips curled into a playful smile as he tossed the scroll to the stunned Tsunade. "That kid you've taken a liking to is something else. Despite his age, he's already unlocked the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and managed to wipe out an entire squad of Jonin. His expertise in genjutsu allows him to control even seasoned Jonin. However, the old man thinks the boy is a bit too rebellious and wants you back to temper him."

In the eyes of the Third Hokage, Takuya's actions were seen as insubordination. The only saving grace was that Takuya showed no interest in siding with the Uchiha, nor did he entertain any thoughts of rejoining the clan. Thus, the Hokage had sent word to Tsunade, informing her not only of Suna's declaration of war but also of the directive for her to return to Konoha.

Upon her return, she was to take Takuya under her wing, hoping that through her mentorship, he would develop a stronger sense of loyalty to the village.

"What?" Jiraiya couldn't help but be shocked.

"Is it that kid, Yagami Takuya?" Jiraiya tried to grab the scroll, only to be met with Tsunade's fist. With a yelp of pain, Jiraiya was sent flying into the rocky wall, his body twitching before he slowly slid down to the ground.

Tsunade was in no mood for games. She was eager to see the scroll's contents, and anyone trying to interfere was just asking for trouble.

Pre-darkness Orochimaru was actually quite amiable. He would sometimes joke around with Jiraiya and Tsunade, but the tragic fate of Nawaki would later harden his heart, setting him on a darker path.

Tsunade examined the scroll, her face thoughtful. "I didn't expect that brat to grow so quickly. His Sharingan has already evolved to the Three-Tomoe stage, and his genjutsu is advanced enough to control Jonin. No wonder the old man is getting anxious."

"When do you plan on heading back?" Orochimaru leaned against the rocky wall, staring out at the rain that continued to pour outside the cave.

"As soon as possible." Tsunade didn't want Takuya getting too close to the Uchiha. If that happened, Kushina might have to sever ties with him altogether, a prospect Tsunade wasn't eager to see. She didn't want to witness Kushina's heartbreak.

Honestly, what's so special about that brat besides his good looks and talent? Why is he so attractive to girls? Kushina's such a fool. She could have chosen anyone, but she had to pick him.

"Take… Minato along… too…" came a weak voice from the ground. Jiraiya, still sprawled out from Tsunade's punch, slowly raised his hand.

Tsunade: "..."

Orochimaru: "..."

"I brought a friend along. I hope that's okay," Minato said apologetically, pulling a slightly nervous Nara Shikaku into the room.

"Takuya, it's been a while," Shikaku greeted.

"Come in, don't just stand there blocking the entrance. You're not strangers," Takuya replied, glancing outside but not seeing the rest of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. It seemed Shikaku had come alone with Minato.

This generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had started at the academy at the same time as Takuya and Minato, though they had been in different classes. Eventually, Takuya and Minato had skipped ahead.

"They didn't come. I ran into Minato at the market, and after chatting for a bit, I accepted his invitation to join you for dinner," Shikaku explained.

"Perfect timing. Go help Minato with the vegetables," Takuya said, casually pulling Shikaku inside and pushing him toward the kitchen.

"Wash… wash vegetables?" Shikaku hadn't expected that as a guest, he would be put to work washing vegetables.

Minato wasn't surprised in the least. He just chuckled. "That's Takuya's rule. We can have dinner together, but we all have to pitch in. I usually buy the ingredients, Takuya cooks, and Kushina and Mikoto handle the cleanup."

Whew, for a moment there, I thought every guest would have to do chores.

Shikaku breathed a sigh of relief, but his relief was short-lived. Washing vegetables turned out to be more of a hassle than he'd expected, and Minato had bought a lot of food. Even with the two of them working together, it was a daunting task—definitely not something Shikaku excelled at.

Sigh… Looking at Minato already hard at work, Shikaku let out a long sigh and reluctantly joined him in the kitchen.

Crash!

Barely two minutes after entering the kitchen, there was a loud crash, followed by Minato's exasperated voice. "You better get out. Letting you help was a mistake—you ruined everything I just washed!"

"Sorry, it wasn't on purpose," Shikaku said sheepishly as he backed out of the kitchen, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Ha ha ha…" Takuya doubled over in laughter. The idea of the esteemed heir of the Nara clan struggling to wash vegetables was too much. Shikaku looked more tense in the kitchen than he did during combat drills, his nerves on edge the whole time.

"Have a seat. Don't be so stiff. The more, the merrier," Takuya finally said after a good laugh. He invited Shikaku to sit down, handing him a bottle of water. "You've graduated, right?"

"Yeah, we just graduated. But with the war breaking out, the village is short on Jonin, so they haven't assigned us a sensei yet," Shikaku answered.

For legacy clans like the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, there was never any concern about finding a sensei. The village would always assign them a top-tier Jonin to guide them. It wasn't like other squads where they had to compete for the best mentors.

"You clan kids sure have it easy," Takuya remarked with a touch of envy.

Shikaku gave a wry smile. "From what I heard, the village was planning to have Lady Tsunade be your mentor, but you turned her down. Honestly, I should be the one envying you."

"Takuya, we're here!" Kushina's voice echoed as she burst in, dragging Mikoto behind her and carrying a box of snacks. She stopped short, noticing Shikaku sitting in the living room, and asked curiously, "Who's this?"

He looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place him.

The Nara clan was well-known in Konoha, but Kushina had never paid much attention to these things. She had seen Shikaku with his signature spiky ponytail at school but had never interacted with him. That's why his face was familiar, but she couldn't remember who he was.

"This is Nara Shikaku, one of our classmates from a different class," Takuya introduced him.

-Ch49

Kushina flashed a look of realization and laughed, "Hello, I'm Kushina, nice to meet you."

"I'm Nara Shikaku, pleased to meet you as well," Shikaku replied, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

His discomfort stemmed mainly from the legendary tales of Kushina’s fiery temper that persisted throughout the school. He'd always heard from other students how fierce Kushina could be, so his nerves in finally meeting her were understandable.

"I'm Uchiha Mikoto," Mikoto introduced herself next.

Compared to Kushina, Shikaku felt Mikoto might be easier to get along with since she was known for her gentle demeanor during their school days.

Is it my imagination, or does this guy with the ponytail seem a bit scared of me? Am I really that frightening? Kushina wondered, observing that Shikaku seemed perfectly normal when interacting with Mikoto but somewhat intimidated by her.

Kushina’s gaze towards Shikaku shifted slightly—there was a hint of murderous intent.

While engaged in a conversation about recent events with Takuya, Shikaku suddenly felt a chill down his spine and instinctively turned around, only to meet Kushina's fist-clenched, hair-floating fierce demeanor.

I haven’t done anything wrong, have I? Is the fiery Kushina about to explode? Is this directed at me?

"Cough, cough, alright, Kushina, Shikaku is visiting for the first time; you're scaring him," Takuya intervened just in time, seeing Shikaku almost ready to bolt, possibly fearing a beating was imminent.

"What happened? Who upset Kushina?" Noticing the tension in the living room, Minato shook off the water from his hands and rushed out from the kitchen.

He was immediately met with Kushina’s nearly blazing gaze.

"...."

"The vegetables aren’t washed yet; I’ll go back to washing. You all carry on, carry on."

Decisively, Minato retreated back to the kitchen, acting as if he hadn’t seen anything, implying it was none of his concern.

Seriously... Shikaku was dumbfounded by Minato's exaggerated escape.

"Alright, let’s go get the desserts out," Mikoto, always understanding, smiled and pulled Kushina away.

Crisis averted.

Phew... Shikaku thought, I really shouldn’t have come. The fiery Kushina is too dangerous. I must stay away from her in the future.

After the meal, which Shikaku ate with his heart in his throat and sweat on his brow, he quickly found an excuse to leave, looking as if something dreadful was chasing him.

I never want to see him again! If you invite such a friend next time, I’ll beat you up!! Kushina fumed internally, the meal leaving her with a simmering anger.

She felt something was off. It seemed as if Shikaku was deliberately avoiding her, always dodging around. Am I a monster? How dare he!

"Ahaha... well, I've got something else to do, I'll head out first, see you tomorrow!" Originally planning to drag Takuya along for training, Minato thought it wise to make a quick exit, lest Kushina actually start throwing punches.

"You’re lucky you’re fast!" Kushina snorted and flicked her nose, clearly unhappy.

It took some persuasion from Mikoto to finally calm her down.

"Father, Yagami Takuya has refused, not even giving me a chance to persuade him," Fugaku reported, kneeling ashamedly in front of the Uchiha clan head, his head bowed.

He didn’t dare look up at his father, fearful of seeing disappointment.

Glancing at his trembling son, the Uchiha clan head spoke evenly, "If his mother were still alive, there might have been a chance, but unfortunately..."

He shook his head and poured himself a cup of tea.

"You needn’t worry about this matter anymore. Focus on taking over the police force. Our Uchiha clan won’t decline just because we lost one genius. I believe he will come around one day, after all, no one understands the Sharingan better than us Uchihas."

"But what about the elder’s opinion..."

"Idiot!!" The clan head slammed his tea cup onto the table, sternly chiding, "Your concern should be how to take charge of the police force and how to convince its members to follow you, not the elder’s opinions."

"Yes."

Fugaku kept his head even lower after being scolded.

With his son chastised, the Uchiha clan head felt somewhat appeased.

"Go talk with Mikoto’s mother at her house. Tell her I suggest her daughter join the police force."

If they couldn’t sway Yagami Takuya, why not pull Mikoto into the police force? As long as Mikoto was part of the police force, Takuya wouldn’t openly oppose the Uchihas, unless they provoked him first. After all, the Uchihas had only refused to let him return, without actually harming him.

With Mikoto and her mother’s maneuvering, even if Takuya continued to rise, he wouldn’t likely cause trouble for the Uchihas in the future.

What did it matter if Takuya held some grudges against the Uchihas? Could the leading ninja clan of the village really fear one child?

"Yes, I will visit immediately."

Fugaku breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how many times he faced his father, he always felt nervous, always worried about disappointing him.

In the dead of night, Fugaku, carrying gifts, set out to visit Mikoto’s home, conveying the clan leader’s intentions.

How should I convince Mikoto? At the same time, Takuya was at home, troubled by the same issue.

With the new war breaking out, even if Sunagakure's ninjas flooded into the Land of Fire, they would eventually be driven out. Konoha would never allow the battlefield to reach its doorstep.

Pushing the battlefield into the Land of Wind was a certainty; if not, then into the Land of Rivers.

Sooner or later, whether at the River Country or Rain Country battlegrounds, Takuya might be deployed to either. The village wouldn’t let him idle away his days doing nothing.

Takuya wasn’t afraid of war, but he needed to consider those around him, like Mikoto.

Minato might well look after himself on the battlefield, under Jiraiya’s watchful eye, but if Mikoto were to be deployed to the front lines with him, she could face many dangers.

Thus, Takuya hoped she could stay in the village, or, to be straightforward, join the police force first.

Joining the police force would ensure that even if the village called up ninjas, they wouldn’t call on her.

It was a good plan, but convincing Mikoto was another matter altogether. Takuya feared she might explode the moment he broached the subject.

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