For a reincarnator, knowing the plot in advance was naturally the greatest advantage.
And if one could remember even small details of the story, they could easily obtain things that ordinary people would take decades to achieve!
Kei Yamanaka had been living in the ninja world for nearly nineteen years now.
Back when he first reincarnated, he jotted down everything he could remember using sketches and phonetic notes.
Even now, he'd occasionally pull them out for a quick look.
But even then, what he could recall remained quite limited.
Mostly, he only remembered the broad strokes of the plot, rarely recalling specific details of individual events.
For example, he knew—
Danzo Shimura once discovered Akatsuki's threat and manipulated Yahiko into his death, directly leading to Nagato's corruption.
However, exactly how he did it, or whether others were involved—these details had long faded from his memory—it had been years since he'd first watched the series.
"It looks like I'll be busy soon enough."
A hard-to-hide smile appeared on Kei Yamanaka's lips.
The blue-tier skill he recently obtained, [Expert King of the Ninja World], sounded a bit odd at first glance.
But for him personally, it was far more valuable than any of his previous purple-tier skills.
If used properly, the benefits gained from this ability would be absolutely immeasurable.
"Sensei Kei~ The client's here~"
Kurenai Yuhi stood at the edge of the trap pit, waving enthusiastically on her tiptoes.
Her clear voice snapped Kei out of his pleasant daydreaming.
He leapt from the rooftop, landing smoothly in front of the large pit.
After having the client sign the mission contract, he motioned toward the three young genin nearby who had already collected the kunai, wires, shuriken, and other ninja tools used earlier, signaling it was time to head home.
The four figures swiftly darted through the dense forest, heading straight back to Konoha via the shortest route.
Taking advantage of the break during their journey,
Kei took the chance to go over the mission's mistakes and exposed flaws.
First and foremost—the single biggest mistake in this whole mission.
Upon meeting the client, the three genin didn't bother asking for important intel; they simply let the client lead them directly to the target without question.
Secondly, upon first sighting the target, they failed to properly observe it, which led to misjudging its defenses.
That wild boar bore many shallow cuts across its skin.
From the marks left behind, these injuries must have come from villagers wielding cleavers or shooting arrows.
Villagers who worked on farms all year long swung their blades with serious force, and their arrows carried strong momentum.
From these clues alone, they should've been able to guess the target's toughness and devise a better battle plan.
That way, they wouldn't have ended up stabbing the wild boar with kunai forever without actually killing it, only angering it further and nearly getting hurt themselves.
Last but not least, shinobi didn't rely solely on head-on attacks.
Genma Shiranami had over ten strong hallucinogenic smoke bombs clipped to his belt, while Kurenai Yuhi's small pouch held potent anesthetics.
Plus, beyond Chukichi Village on the rocky hills, there were also deadly poisonous plants and venomous bugs.
They were not just ordinary villagers—people who had lived for generations relying solely on ancestral wisdom and couldn't even read.
Capture two venomous insects and gather two highly toxic plants.
Mix them according to the formula taught in the Ninja Academy texts.
If used correctly, it could bring down not only a wild boar but even an elephant.
Kurenai Yuhi, Maito Gai, and Genma Shiranami all turned bright red at Kei Yamanaka's words.
Any excitement they'd felt from completing their mission successfully had completely vanished.
Seeing how dejected the three young ninjas looked, Kei realized that teaching children required both criticism and encouragement.
He shifted tone, highlighting their strengths.
"Let me say this—you all showed excellent teamwork. You trusted your teammates completely, and despite working together for the first time, each of you fully utilized your own unique abilities."
"You also showed strong adaptability. When you realized the original plan wouldn't work, you swiftly repurposed the dry water reservoir to dig a deep pit trap."
"And finally, during the mission, you made sure to protect the client's property and minimize unnecessary damage. That deserves praise as well."
"Overall... I'm fairly satisfied with your performance."
Kei smiled as he gave his final assessment.
"Got it!"
The trio high-fived joyfully, silently resolving to do even better on their next mission.
After some lighthearted teasing,
Ever observant, Kurenai gently brought the conversation back to the mission.
"Teacher Kei," she asked, "if you—when you were still a Genin—had been the one doing this mission, what would you have done?"
"Obviously. One Ninjutsu technique, and that beast would've been done for."
"What do you mean~ Earlier when Genma used Fire Release, it just left the stench of burnt pig hair! There's no way a Genin-level jutsu could take down a massive boar like that!"
"I'm from the Yamanaka Clan though. Getting the boar to jump into a river and drown or even controlling it to charge headfirst into a mountain—those wouldn't be hard at all."
"That kind of jutsu sounds way too underhanded~!"
"Hahaha~"
The four laughed and joked all the way until night fell and the sky turned pitch black, finally barely making it back to Konoha.
They grabbed dinner at Ichiraku Ramen, which had just opened, set a meeting time for tomorrow, and then parted ways to return home.
Walking along the road toward the Yamanaka clan estate,
Kei saw lights glowing from his house from quite a distance away, forming a question mark above his head.
He formed a single hand seal and activated the Yamanaka clan's sensory jutsu.
Feeling the immense chakra within the house—vast as a blazing sun—and the terrifying aura lurking beneath it,
He immediately recognized who was inside.
Only one person had such a uniquely powerful and unmistakable chakra signature.
Who else could it be but Kushina Uzumaki—the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki known as The Red-Hot Habanero?
Crash! Clatter!
A sound of something colliding came from within the house.
Detecting the intrusion of the sensing technique, Kushina—who noticed it immediately—didn't even stop to put on her shoes. Like a gust of wind, she flung open the door, leaped onto the wall,
and locked eyes with Kei standing at the end of the street.
"Kei~ I finally—finally got to see you again, dattebayo!"
Her excited, yearning voice was like that of a tragic heroine in a drama who'd endured endless suffering just to reunite with a long-lost love. It sent shivers down Kei's spine.
He nearly turned tail and ran.
Who would've thought Red Pepper would speak like that!
A rustling noise came from the houses on either side of the street.
It was obvious—the clan members had nothing better to do at night, and upon hearing the commotion, had begun silently gathering to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.
Kei Yamanaka covered his face with one hand and quickly performed the Shifting Body Technique.
Without a word, he dragged Kushina inside.
The moment the door clicked shut behind them, he instantly activated the Five-Directional Anti-Sensor Barrier inside the room.
He was sure that if he'd been even a second slower, by morning rumors of him and the Uzumaki orphan would already be spreading through the clan like wildfire.
"Eh—eh? Hey!"
Kushina stumbled as she was yanked inside.
Watching Kei activate the barrier so smoothly,
her tone shifted across just three words—from stunned, to puzzled, then to wary.
Instinctively crossing her arms over her chest, she wore a small, frightened expression.
Yet behind her eyes danced glimmers of joy and anticipation.
"Oh... my god..."
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