Bonus for 400 PS
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Hearing this name that hadn't been mentioned for a long time, Kakashi's emotions became indescribably complicated.
In today's Konoha, fewer and fewer people remember the name "Konoha's White Fang."
After a moment of silence, Kakashi slowly said, "Your style is different from his. He used a short sword, combining it with Lightning Release at maximum speed for swift, close-range strikes.
"But you... You use a dominant type of swordsmanship. Powerful sword aura, ultimate Wind-natured chakra. Whether it's long-range or close combat, your potential far surpasses his.
"The only difference is, you haven't reached your limit yet."
As Kakashi spoke, Yugao and Hayate Gekko also listened intently.
Don't be fooled by Kakashi's current image as a jutsu specialist. Back before they graduated, it was well known—Kakashi had become a jōnin through his outstanding kenjutsu.
"Then why don't you use a sword anymore?" Yami asked, clearly lacking tact.
"Because my sword broke." Kakashi lowered his head. A flash of sadness passed through his eyes.
"I was too weak at the time. I couldn't even protect my comrades. So the White Fang's blade broke."
Yami sighed. "What a waste..."
Kakashi: "…."
It's not your family heirloom that broke. Why do you sound more heartbroken than me?
"Alright, restore your chakra as soon as possible." Kakashi, slightly speechless, changed the subject and stuffed a soldier pill into his mouth. "We move out in half an hour. The battlefield is dangerous. Try not to stay in one place too long."
Everyone nodded in silence and rested.
Only Hayate Gekko, behind his cat mask, looked at Yami with complicated emotions.
Just now, when Yugao said Yami could kill him with just one sword, he had scoffed.
But now, he understood. Yugao wasn't exaggerating at all.
In fact, even the strength Yugao had just displayed was stronger than his. She hadn't used Dance of the Crescent Moon, but a completely new sword technique.
Hayate sighed in his heart. He knew his old classmate had already left him far behind, and the small hope he held onto had completely vanished.
Soon, the half-hour break was over.
Everyone's chakra was nearly recovered, and they continued clearing the battlefield.
Although Kumo wasn't brainless when it came to strategy, their fighting style… was indeed very reckless.
Perception-type shinobi in Kumo were extremely rare. They usually charged straight into battle the moment they encountered an enemy. No ambushes or sneak attacks—just full frontal assault.
Otherwise... how could a full 8,000 Kumo ninjas have been taken by surprise by the enemy, even losing the Third Raikage and his troops? They had to let the Kage stay behind to cover the retreat.
So, perception-type ninjas had become Kumo's eternal pain.
This was also why they were so desperate to seize the Hyūga's Byakugan.
This time, Yami used perception ninjutsu to strike decisively.
His bond with Misa and her daughter Karin had already reached the second stage. From Karin, he was rewarded with the Adamantine Sealing Chains, and Misa had an excellent level Uzumaki physique.
In fact, Yami could have awakened the true Mind's Eye of the Kagura long ago, but he used Namikaze Minato's technique as a cover.
Moving in deeper from the battlefield's edge, the six-man team took out one Kumo squad after another.
Kakashi had fully acknowledged Yami's strength. As long as the number of enemies didn't exceed double theirs, or there weren't more than three jōnin, they could engage.
Over two days, they killed nearly a hundred Kumo ninjas. This naturally attracted the main force's attention, and search teams were dispatched to track them.
So Kakashi decisively stopped the sweep operation and quickly led the team back to the Konoha base camp to avoid being surrounded.
Nara Shikaku personally received them.
"Kakashi, you did a great job. You successfully diverted Kumo's attention, making the front line much easier to manage."
Nara Shikaku praised him right away. He was under immense pressure.
The number of Kumo ninjas arriving at the front had already exceeded 1,500, closing in on 2,000. Meanwhile, Konoha only had just over 1,000 troops.
It wasn't that they didn't want to send more—it was that they couldn't.
Once the number exceeded a certain threshold, it could trigger a chain reaction, prompting Suna, Iwa, or other observing nations to join the fight.
So their current numbers were already stretched to the limit.
Since the number of ninjas couldn't increase, the only option was to improve quality.
Shinobi of the Hokage guard level, like Kakashi and Yami, the Scorch Release user, were the best choices.
Sure enough, in just a few days, nearly a hundred active Kumo forces were eliminated.
Many among them were jōnin, essentially creating a blade on the battlefield.
However, in the face of Shikaku's praise, Kakashi simply shook his head and said calmly, "This wasn't my achievement. It's mainly thanks to Yami. His perception range is wide and his attack power is strong. That's the only reason we were able to reach this result."
Kakashi wasn't exaggerating at all.
Although he believed his strength wasn't inferior to Yami's, his chakra reserves were too low.
If he went all-out in battle, he'd need to rest for half a day afterward.
In every battle, Yami was the primary attacker, while he and Kurenai used genjutsu to disrupt the enemy and create openings.
Yugao and the others provided backup, blocking escapees and intercepting scouts.
Throughout the mission, Yami was the most indispensable member. Kakashi and Kurenai's roles could easily be filled by any two skilled illusionists.
For example, that kid from the Uchiha clan.
"Yami-kun."
Nara Shikaku looked at him, his gaze mixed with emotion. "Danzō-sama is really fortunate to have a descendant like you…"
The Ino-Shika-Chō, Shimura, Sarutobi, and Fūma clans.
These were second- and third-tier families during the Warring States period, far less powerful than the Hyūga, Uchiha, Uzumaki, or Senju. So they banded together early on for mutual support.
Shikaku knew the Shimura clan's situation well.
They were just a small ninja clan known for their experience with Wind Release. Who would've thought such a monstrous genius would emerge?
No, someone like this wasn't just a genius. He was already a powerhouse.
With the battle report Kakashi submitted, Shikaku was certain—Yami had elite jōnin-level strength.
Yami didn't care about Shikaku's sigh. He was more focused on another matter. "Uncle Shikaku, with the merits of this mission, can I become a jōnin when I return?"
"Huh?"
The fact that Yami, who always referred to the Third Hokage as "old man," called him "uncle" made Shikaku a little flattered.
But he still replied a bit awkwardly, "Yami… Even though you performed excellently, this is still just one mission. Of course, you'll get increased mission rewards."
"But to become a jōnin, you still need more accomplishments. You're still young. No need to rush."
"Tch." Yami clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Then just tell me what I need to do to become a jōnin. No, I want to be Anbu captain."
Kakashi's eye twitched.
"Well…" Shikaku couldn't give a clear answer. "If you can help us win this war decisively and perform exceptionally, I believe many jōnin will speak on your behalf."
"At that point, you'll have a good chance of being promoted to jōnin, maybe even becoming an Anbu captain."
Yami nodded, casually accepting his promise. "Remember what you said, Uncle Shikaku."
"I'm heading out."
"Go ahead." Shikaku chuckled.
When Yami arrived at the camp to set up his tent, he suddenly heard a familiar voice he hadn't heard in a long time.
"Hey, brat."
Jiraiya had just finished checking on the wounded. When he saw Yami, he called out immediately and walked toward him in large strides.
The ninjas he passed greeted Jiraiya respectfully. Their admiration was more sincere than what they showed to the Third Hokage.
Jiraiya jogged up to Yami with a wide grin. "Brat, I finally caught you!"
"What do you want from me?" Yami tilted his head, puzzled.
Looking around, Jiraiya patted him on the shoulder. "Follow me."
He led him to a sentry tower outside the camp.
Konoha's camp was set up on a hillside, across a river. Kumo's camp was 20 kilometers away, and the two sides were facing off across the water.
After confirming there was no one around, Jiraiya squatted down and scolded, "Do you know how much trouble you caused, brat?"
"I was having a nice time out in the ninja world, but the old man dragged me back to fight in this damned war."
"Damn it, now my book's delayed again!"
"You can't blame me for this." Yami looked innocent. "Shouldn't Kumo be blamed for trying to take out me and the Hyūga?
"Besides, why did the Third come back here? Why not go to the battlefield himself?"
"The enemy sent out their Kage. Shouldn't we send out a Kage too? Equal exchange, right?"
Jiraiya was silent for a moment and slowly stood up. The mountain breeze lifted his long white ponytail, giving him a hint of a sage-like aura.
"The old man… he's old."
"Since the name of us Sannin spread, he hasn't stepped onto the battlefield again."
"I don't know how much of his strength he still has after so many years. But he can still stabilize the village. The battlefield is for us younger ones."
"Hah, a young man in his forties," Yami muttered.
"You damn brat!"
Jiraiya's mouth twitched, his dramatic mood mostly ruined.
"Forget it, no point telling you all this."
"But listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
Jiraiya's face turned serious. "I know you're a genius. I know you've mastered Scorch Release. But this is the battlefield. Anything can happen.
"So… the most important thing is to stay alive. Not how many enemies you kill. You're Konoha's future."
[Bond with Jiraiya's Expectations has reached Level 2. Reward: Special Talent – "Writing"]
Yami was stunned.
First, he hadn't expected Jiraiya to call him over just to tell him to protect himself.
Second… What kind of reward was this?
Writing?
Was he supposed to publish a book to rival Icha Icha Paradise?
After two seconds of silence, Yami decided to pretend that reward didn't exist.
"I heard you've fought Fourth Raikage twice already. Can you take him on?"
"Do you even need to ask who I am?" Jiraiya flipped his hair with a smirk. "If it were the Third Raikage, I might still be cautious. But the Fourth?"
"He's got speed close to the Third, but he doesn't have that kind of defense. Once I use my Toad Oil Flame Bullet, he can only run."
"Oh." Yami stared at the bandage on Jiraiya's arm. "Then what's this? Don't tell me you fell down."
Jiraiya's face turned awkward.
"Well… he's still a Kage, so he's not entirely helpless. Anyway, the two of us ended up at a stalemate. No one could shift the battle's momentum."
"In that case…" Yami grew thoughtful. "Then you hold him back while I take out the rest of the Kumo shinobi. How about that?"
"You?" Jiraiya was stunned for a second, then burst into laughter.
"Kid, I know you're strong. You've killed a lot of ninjas lately. But this is war. No one can change the tide alone. Not even me.
"Only my former student, the Fourth Hokage, Minato, has done that."
Mentioning Namikaze Minato, Jiraiya's voice was filled with both pride and regret.
"You should train for a few more years before saying that."
Yami said nothing. He silently pulled out the Kusanagi sword and tossed it off the tower under Jiraiya's puzzled gaze.
Swish! Yami instantly appeared beside the Kusanagi sword.
Jiraiya froze, eyes wide, mouth slowly opening. "You…"
Swish! The Kusanagi sword flew back, grazing Jiraiya's hair. In the next moment, Yami reappeared at his side.
This time, Jiraiya saw the seal mark on the sword hilt and finally confirmed it.
"You… you learned Flying Thunder God?!"
"That's right," Yami nodded. "After three months of hard training. I'm not stronger than the Fourth Hokage, but I can keep up with him during the war period."
Although he hadn't yet mastered the third stage of Flying Thunder God's space transfer, the second stage—successive and even multiple teleportations—was something Yami could now perform with ease.
Jiraiya's view of him had completely changed.
Anyone who could master Flying Thunder God was already considered a powerhouse in the ninja world.
Not to mention Yami also had a powerful Scorch Release and swordsmanship, giving him both overwhelming offense and high mobility.
This was…
A full-fledged Kage-level shinobi, no question.
Realizing this, Jiraiya could no longer stay calm. He saw a glimmer of hope to end this war and grabbed Yami's shoulder.
"Let's go."
(To be continued.)
***
Deal for you guys:
Personally, I think this fic isn't bad + It's funny and all, so I don't know why it's doing badly in the PS section. Guess you guys are being stingy with the PS, hahaha.
Anyway, if we reach T50 by the end of this week, I'll release 5 extra bonus chapters. And if we surpass that, even more bonus chapters, I promise!
T50 shouldn't be too hard, right? Right???