We did well last week, so here's a little extra chapter. Can we go much higher this week?
--
This was a battle without suspense.
Although Chiriku had mastered the secrets of the Fire Temple, he was still no match for Izumi, who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Yukihime no Mikoto's ice spears were difficult to defend against, and Sukunahikona erased all long-range attacks while also shrinking herself to avoid detection entirely.
In front of the daimyo and nobles, Izumi beat Chiriku until his face looked like a pig's head, effectively preventing them from suspecting the true history of the Fire Temple.
In the end, the daimyo of the Land of Fire settled the long-overdue military payments all at once and even gave Konoha an additional 10 billion ryō in exchange for the four Chūnin teams who had taken over.
Four Jōnin and twelve Chūnin were definitely not worth that much money, but the daimyo also took the opportunity to repair relations.
He wasn't a fool. He noticed the new Hokage didn't seem to have any fondness for the capital, and assumed it was due to the overdue funds.
What he didn't know was that whether they owed money or not, when the time came, they'd all be heading to the Pure Land to accompany the Sage of the Six Paths.
The goal was achieved, and a rare smile appeared on Danzō's usually stern face.
"Izumi, you did well this time."
After they left, Danzō offered praise.
At first, he hadn't been satisfied with this granddaughter-in-law, but over time he realized Izumi was truly devoted to Yami, and his dissatisfaction disappeared.
Danzō understood the Uchiha clan and their highly emotional nature, so he had been able to exploit Itachi's weakness and use Sasuke as leverage.
What he hated was the unstable kind of Uchiha, not those who belonged to the Shimura family.
Uchiha Izumi gave a shy smile. "Grandpa, you're flattering me. Chiriku's strength wasn't that great. If it had been Pakura, she could've taken care of him easily.
Yami's judgment is much better than mine."
Even Danzō, who had never been one to admit defeat, praised him.
From childhood to adulthood, Yami had made almost no mistakes in judgment, while Danzō himself had made plenty. He couldn't help but acknowledge it.
"Let's go. There's still a lot to handle in the village, and I don't know when that kid will stop messing around."
Meanwhile, Yami and his companions had returned to Konoha.
Seeing the familiar village gates, Naruto's face broke into a wide smile.
Although Sasuke hadn't returned with him, it was different from the original timeline where Sasuke defected. This time, Sasuke was officially allowed to study abroad, so Naruto naturally didn't feel sad.
He just felt a little reluctant.
The most important part was that Yami had promised him that upon returning, he would be able to meet the Fourth Hokage.
Even though Naruto didn't know what method would be used, he never doubted anything Yami promised him.
...
Yami headed straight toward the Hokage Building.
Not to work, but to check on the progress of his Hokage Rock.
Becoming Hokage meant having your own Hokage Rock.
Although Yami personally opposed the idea of personal worship, if it was worship directed at himself, he could accept it.
So after taking office, the thing he cared most about was the construction of his Hokage Rock. He not only hired skilled craftsmen from Konoha, but also brought in artisans from other nations to speed up the process.
Not only did he want to build it, he wanted it built faster and bigger.
It had been a few months since he became Hokage, and so far, only the rough outline had formed. But it was clearly two circles larger than the previous four Hokage statues.
What a shame... He couldn't tear down the previous Hokage statues to claim half the mountain for himself.
But in the future, he could build one in every hidden village, letting ninjas from other nations witness the true Will of Fire.
Naruto followed behind Yami, staring enviously at the statue. Suddenly, he noticed something and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Yami-nii, why is your head so big? Will there be room for me in the future?"
Bang!
Yami slapped him without hesitation. "You're dreaming about being Hokage before you've even beaten Sasuke."
Then, as if remembering something, Yami pinched Naruto's ear and warned, "If you ever splash paint on my statue, I'll make you use the Sexy Technique to attract customers at a red-light district. Understand?"
Naruto had the guts to vandalize his own father's Hokage Rock, so he had to be extra cautious.
Naruto scratched his head awkwardly and said, "I'm an adult now. I wouldn't do something that childish anymore."
Pfft!
A burst of laughter rang out as Anko landed beside Yami, casually slinging an arm over the boy's shoulder. "You're already acting full of yourself just after returning to the village. And your students aren't any better—already reserving the Hokage seat. This must be your influence, huh?"
Yami grinned. He hadn't even gotten around to settling the score with Anko for spilling his black history to Naruto, and now she came right to his door.
He waved his hand. "Naruto, head home first. I'll come find you tonight."
"Okay!"
Naruto responded and left. Yami instantly teleported Anko back to the super-sized master bedroom at home.
Anko's face turned slightly red as she began removing her gear. "Why are you in such a rush?"
Yami's mouth twitched.
Do you not see who's rushing here?
He reached out to stop Anko's actions and looked at her neck. "Let's put off chatting for now. We need to handle something more important."
Anko instinctively covered the mark on her neck, slightly embarrassed. "Why are you staring at that?"
Yami reached out and touched her neck. A large seal formation emerged in a circle around it. "I've completely finished studying the curse seal. It's time to remove it."
"So soon?" Anko was a little surprised. "Then what are you waiting for? Let's do it."
The red-haired kunoichi wrapped herself around Yami like a beautiful snake, exposing her snow-white neck.
The curse mark Orochimaru had left before leaving the village had become Anko's nightmare. Even though Yami had sealed it, she wouldn't feel truly at peace until it was completely removed.
Yami condensed natural energy and entered Sage Mode, then placed his hand on the curse seal and gently pulled.
A stream of purple chakra emerged, and upon seeing it, Anko's face immediately showed hatred.
Yami tightly held Anko in place so she wouldn't move, focusing all his attention on the chakra.
This wasn't just any ordinary curse mark. It also contained a fragment of Orochimaru's soul. Every person bearing the Cursed Seal of Heaven was essentially a resurrection point Orochimaru had left for himself.
Once it sensed danger, the chakra began to resist.
But with Yami's powerful perception combined with the strongest Yin Release in the world, Orochimaru's chakra couldn't escape. Even if it wanted to sever a piece to survive, it couldn't. It would be completely uprooted.
Suddenly, the hovering purple chakra condensed into a hideous snake head resembling Orochimaru, silently roaring at Yami.
"Yami..." Anko, rarely showing her softer side, buried herself in his chest.
"It's just a soul fragment."
He sneered, extending his Yin Release-covered hand and gripping Orochimaru's neck—then squeezed!
A shrill scream echoed in the room, and the purple chakra evaporated, turning into wisps of black smoke and vanishing completely.
"It's over?" Anko reached up to touch her neck, finding the dull pain gone along with the three tomoe pattern.
"How could I possibly mess up?" Yami said proudly.
Anko stared blankly for a moment, then her expression turned fierce and she pounced.
"Take it off, now!"
---
At the same time, in a secret base in the Land of Frost, Orochimaru—who had been conducting experiments—suddenly felt as if his head had been split open. The moment of his fragment's destruction played out vividly in his mind.
"Shimura Yami!!!"
His shrill scream echoed through the base and soon drew Yakushi Kabuto over.
"Lord Orochimaru, what happened?"
Seeing Orochimaru slump to the ground, Kabuto's eyes flashed with something strange, but his hands remained quick as he fed a pre-prepared medicine into Orochimaru's mouth.
Not long after, the unconscious Orochimaru awoke to find himself lying in bed.
"Lord Orochimaru, are you feeling better?" Kabuto asked with concern.
"I'm fine," Orochimaru replied coldly after taking a deep breath.
The destruction of the soul fragment inside Anko wasn't a major loss, since it had been separated long ago and the pain had faded.
What truly irritated him was the emotional outburst that triggered his old injury from the Reaper Death Seal.
And of course, the growing threat that was Shimura Yami.
"Lord Orochimaru, what happened?" Kabuto asked curiously. "I heard you yelling Yami-sama's name. Did he find our base?"
"Not yet."
Orochimaru frowned at Kabuto calling Yami "sama," but still replied, "He destroyed the Cursed Seal of Heaven I left on Anko. I've now lost ten spies in Konoha."
Unable to reveal the resurrection secret to Kabuto, he could only offer this excuse.
"As expected of Yami-sama."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses and sighed. "No ninjutsu can stop him. Even your technique was broken."
The more he listened, the angrier Orochimaru became. He wanted nothing more than to kill Kabuto.
But he knew the current situation. Kabuto's medical ninjutsu was still useful, and as a double agent, he still had value. He could only suppress his anger and dismiss him.
After leaving the room, Kabuto's fake smile faded.
He muttered to himself, "It seems Lord Orochimaru's hatred for Yami-sama is only growing stronger."
He needed to redirect Orochimaru's focus, get him to concentrate on studying Impure World Reincarnation.
He couldn't keep getting distracted like this.
What should I do...
Kabuto recalled news he had received days ago—Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, had begun traveling the ninja world again, looking into Akatsuki.
If he leaked Orochimaru's whereabouts to him, Jiraiya would surely come knocking.
At that point, Orochimaru—already in poor shape—would panic again.
Then he would channel his rage and failure into pushing forward with Impure World Reincarnation, and Yami's plan would succeed.
Having made up his mind, Kabuto didn't hesitate. He quickly exited the cave and sent a scroll via a fierce eagle.
(To be continued.)
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