As a shinobi, Pakura instinctively reached for her kunai pouch, attempting to draw a blade.
But just as she sat up halfway, a powerful force pinned her back to the bed.
The lines on the floor twisted like snakes, reinforcing the seal on her body. In the end, Pakura could only turn her head, her chakra as still as stagnant water—unable to gather at all.
"Looks like I need to give you some time to clear your head."
Yami helped tuck the blanket over her again. "Don't worry, I've got plenty of time today, you can take your time."
After that, Yami pulled out a comic book from his pouch and started reading.
The entertainment industry in the shinobi world was actually quite developed, with both comics and movies.
Konoha even had special stunt shinobi to take on filming jobs.
The ninjutsu they used looked spectacular, but had no real lethality.
Pakura turned her head to glance at Yami's tender young face, then looked away and closed her eyes, lost in thought.
After an unknown period of silence, a hoarse voice came from her lips.
"Is this Konoha?"
Pakura recalled the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness, the flash of a Konoha forehead protector and the scarlet Sharingan.
Yami put down his book and nodded gently. "Remember now? You're indeed in Konoha. This is the Root base. Don't even think about escaping. Not even at your peak could you manage that."
"Root?" Pakura's expression shifted slightly. She'd encountered Root operatives during missions before.
Those Root shinobi weren't as strong as her, but they were terrifying in how they carried out missions, willing to sacrifice their lives without hesitation.
They didn't seem like shinobi anymore, more like emotionless machines.
Pakura couldn't help but scrutinize Yami.
"You don't look like a Root shinobi at all… you're completely different from them. For a kid this young to be in a place like this… you must be some high-ranking officer's child?"
"Strictly speaking, I'm not a Root shinobi."
Yami picked up an apple from the windowsill and started eating. "My name is Yami. Danzō is my grandfather. You're alive today because of me."
"At the end of last month, I took a mission and captured a spy from the Land of Water. From her, I learned that you were betrayed."
The glint of surprise in Pakura's eyes at hearing his identity quickly dimmed.
She tried to force herself to forget what had happened before she lost consciousness, to face Yami as a Sunagakure shinobi.
But that was impossible.
"Onee-san…"
Yami took a bite of the apple and sighed like a little adult. "You're really pitiful."
"You're a Kage-level shinobi, and there's not a single person in Sunagakure who wants to protect you."
"They all wanted you dead."
Pakura clenched her teeth.
[Host has established a hostile bond with Pakura. Reward: Wind Attribute Chakra (Ultimate)]
Kekkei Genkai refers to special chakra formed through the fusion of different chakra natures.
They aren't constrained by the Five Element theory, and their power is generally far greater than that of standard ninjutsu.
Most kekkei genkai users are genetic anomalies who naturally possess the ability to combine chakra natures. However, there are rare cases where intense effort, talent, and training can achieve the same result.
Scorch Release is a fusion of wind and fire attributes.
Yami wasn't concerned about Pakura's hostility.
This was only the beginning.
He didn't have Naruto's gift of persuasion. If he wanted to win Pakura over, he needed to use some explosive information to completely shatter her worldview.
"You went to great lengths to have that Uchiha risk his life to save me. What, you want me to serve Konoha?" Pakura asked, her tone more composed.
"Not Konoha—me," Yami patiently explained. "The guards my old man assigned to me are average at best. They're just cannon fodder to take a kunai for me. I think you're perfect."
"Don't be delusional." Pakura snorted coldly. "Do you really think saving my life means anything to me? Worst case, I die. Don't think you can control me."
"I already said—don't worry." Yami finished his apple, stood up, and stretched.
"I just came to make friends today."
"There are still plenty of days ahead."
"I've got time."
As he spoke, Yami reached out to pinch Pakura's lips. Despite her struggling, he began forming seals with one hand.
The Shimura clan's ancestral technique — Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.
It could not only prevent subordinates from "speaking carelessly," but also seal chakra.
After he finished, Yami waved to Pakura.
"You can give up on escaping. Even if you succeed, where would you go?"
"There's no home for you in this world."
As soon as he finished speaking, the door shut again.
Inside the room, Pakura stared up at the ceiling, her heart full of conflicting emotions.
Yes… even if she escaped—where could she go?
…
Outside the door, Yami was startled to find someone waiting.
Danzō stood in the shadows, leaning on his cane with both hands.
"Old man, how long have you been there?"
"Since you went in."
After Danzō finished speaking, he began walking ahead. Yami followed helplessly behind.
"Yami, you didn't learn any good habits from Hizashi, but you did pick up his hesitation."
Danzō snorted coldly, clearly dissatisfied with Yami's attitude toward Pakura earlier.
"Too soft! What you need are tools, subordinates who obey your every order, not liabilities with emotions and thoughts!"
"Countless shinobi have failed missions because of their feelings… Hatake Sakumo is the best example!"
The moment Hatake Sakumo's name was mentioned, Yami, who usually listened to Danzō half-heartedly, became animated.
"Old man, since you brought it up, tell me everything."
Yami's face was full of nosy curiosity. "When I was going through Root's files, I saw a lot of villagers saying you were the one who killed Hatake Sakumo. Is that true?"
Danzō paused, his expression momentarily unnatural.
"Nonsense. He committed suicide. Everyone knows he was denounced for abandoning the mission. What does that have to do with me?"
"Why do you care about someone who's been dead for over a decade?"
"You brought him up first, so I asked," Yami replied, pouting.
Danzō didn't respond. He simply walked toward a deep cave.
A long time later, his voice echoed from within.
"A tree doesn't just have trunks and leaves, it has roots. Though they never meet, they are still part of the same whole."
Yami understood the implication.
Hiruzen and Danzō—one light, one dark. Danzō had supported many of Hiruzen's so-called "achievements," but Hiruzen pretended to stay innocent while letting Danzō do all the dirty work behind the scenes.
Suddenly, Yami had a thought.
There may never have been a real "Danzō", he was merely a scapegoat for all the hidden sins, a shadow created so the village could remain pure on the surface.
"Interesting."
Yami didn't follow Danzō into the cave. He stood there, chuckling.
"The old man has borne so much for Konoha… it's time for me to enjoy some sunlight."
"If Sarutobi Hiruzen can be Hokage, why can't I, a Shimura?"
…
The next day.
Hizashi's team still didn't take on any missions, they continued training.
Yugao and Kurenai naturally asked about what happened yesterday.
Yami had no intention of exposing Pakura's existence, so he casually brushed them off with an excuse.
After lunch, Yami returned to the Root base.
Pakura had regained the ability to move, but her chakra was sealed, so her strength was only at the level of a normal chūnin.
The Root operatives had locked her in a room—not a prison cell, but an ordinary single room. Someone would bring her food regularly.
Seeing Yami again, Pakura didn't act coldly. Instead, she asked calmly, "Don't you have missions or training? Why are you so free, coming to see me, a powerless prisoner?"
Yami pulled over a chair, sat across from her, and placed the lunch box he brought on the table. "There are so many shinobi in Konoha. I can afford to slack off."
"That's true." Pakura nodded, her tone tinged with jealousy. "The Land of Fire has a unique geographical advantage. Unlike the Land of Wind, where even surviving is a challenge."
That's why Konoha had to open multiple war fronts every time.
The best land in the shinobi world was all under Land of Fire's control. Who wouldn't be envious? Especially the Land of Wind, which was almost entirely desert, where people even struggled to feed themselves.
That's why, even as the weakest among the Five Great Hidden Villages, they were often the first to start wars.
If they didn't vent their internal problems externally, they'd be crushed by the harsh natural environment.
"Still thinking about Sunagakure?" Yami asked curiously.
Pakura was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "Just a subconscious comparison, I guess."
"After all, I lived there for almost twenty years."
"You're not even twenty yet?"
Yami looked surprised, clearly suspicious.
These legs, that back, that intensity...
No way you're not even twenty.
Pakura was immediately annoyed by his stare. "Do I look old to you?"
"Uh…"
Yami instinctively glanced at her perfect figure. "Not really."
Pakura's mood lightened a little. She raised her head proudly. "That's just my natural talent."
"True…"
Yami nodded sincerely.
To have that kind of figure before twenty—that was definitely talent.
"So what exactly is your grudge with Rasa that made him hate you enough to betray you with the entire upper echelon?"
"How should I know?! He used to be my teammate!"
Yami didn't stay long. After watching Pakura finish her meal, he left.
…
In the days that followed, he continued to visit occasionally. He also instructed the Root shinobi that as long as Pakura didn't leave the base or approach any important areas, she could move freely within the restricted zones.
Danzō was extremely dissatisfied with Yami's insistence but didn't stop him.
In his eyes, this was destined to be a futile effort. Even if successful, it wouldn't last.
Pakura had betrayed Sunagakure, she could betray Yami one day, too.
The reason he didn't intervene was that he wanted Yami to learn a lesson through this.
Once Yami suffered a setback because of Pakura, he would mature—and gradually grow into the kind of person Danzō expected.
…
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
The intensity of the war had decreased further. More shinobi returned to the village from the front lines.
It was clear that the coming years would be relatively stable, entering a period of peaceful development.
However, the major villages didn't dare let their guard down. The shinobi wars had broken out too frequently, the Third Shinobi World War had started just a few years after the Second. No one wanted a repeat. The arms race never stopped.
That day, Hizashi's team gathered as usual.
"Yami, congratulations on completing your 300th mission."
Once everyone arrived, Hizashi smiled and said, "The village's forces are now sufficient. The Chūnin Exams haven't been held in over a year. Yesterday, the Third Hokage gathered the jōnin and discussed resuming the exams soon."
"You'll be promoted to chūnin in no time."
"The Chūnin Exams are finally back." Yami, who had grown significantly taller and now stood nearly 1.5 meters, complained lightly.
With excellent living conditions and his Senju bloodline developing well, his growth far outpaced normal children.
He was only eight but looked more like ten.
For comparison, Uzumaki Naruto was about the same height when he graduated.
Yami was very happy about his upcoming promotion.
Promotion meant accelerated training speed.
Lately, he had been focused on his swordsmanship, which was starting to take shape.
He hadn't paid much attention to what was going on in the village.
Kurenai and Yugao were both happy for him.
They knew just how strong Yami was.
Not only was chūnin well within reach—even jōnin wasn't out of the question.
He was stronger than Kakashi had been at the same stage.
There simply hadn't been an opportunity for him to be promoted until now.
However, there was one thing that made them uneasy.
Yugao asked softly, "Hizashi-sensei, Kurenai and I are both chūnin. Normally, the Chūnin Exams require a full team. What will Yami do? Should he join another team?"
Hizashi was momentarily stunned.
He hadn't thought of that.
He'd just assumed this sort of thing wouldn't be a problem for the Shimura heir.
But since Yugao had brought it up, he began to panic a little. "I originally planned to take you all on another mission first and let Yami take the exam after we returned."
"Let's go ask the Hokage about this together."
"Kurenai, didn't Kakashi take the exam alone back then?" Yami asked curiously.
Kurenai thought for a moment and shook her head. "No. Kakashi had two teammates, but they both failed during the first two rounds. Only he made it through and got promoted."
Yami didn't fully understand, so he just shrugged and followed along to ask Hiruzen how to resolve it.
The group arrived at the Hokage's office. With Yami as a living signboard, they were quickly granted entry and met with Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama." Hizashi respectfully voiced his concern.
After listening, Hiruzen looked at Yami with a smile. "I've already arranged teammates for you."
"As it happens, someone from Uchiha Itachi's team died. Since you're classmates with Itachi, you'll form a temporary team with him."
Hearing this, Yami's brows slowly furrowed.
(To be continued.)
***
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