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35
"This is… Permeation Release?"
That night, after burying the bodies of the rogue ninja, Uchiha Ying walked alone to the lakeside, quietly watching the moon and his reflection on the water.
Then, as he activated Permeation Release, the reflection vanished from the lake surface, and even his shadow beneath his feet disappeared.
"A perfect stealth technique… but attacking causes visibility."
To be precise, sudden chakra movement and physical acceleration interfere with its sustain.
"This would be really useful for escaping."
Though ideally, he'd never have to fight battles requiring him to flee…
"Hm?"
Just as Uchiha Ying was about to return to camp, faint blue lights began floating above the burial site.
What was that?
Will-o'-the-wisps?
Curious, Uchiha Ying approached.
"No… not will-o'-the-wisps… these are… souls?"
The pale blue translucent figures floated around the burial ground, and Ying could vaguely make out their appearances—it was the rogue ninjas he had just buried.
"I can actually see souls?"
But it didn't stop there.
Instinctively, Ying reached out. From his palm came an invisible suction force.
In just moments, all the wandering spirits were absorbed into his body.
"Wait… where did they go?"
If this power came from fusing with the Shinigami Fragment, then…
Uchiha Ying quickly touched his stomach—did the souls go in there?
No… it didn't feel like that.
Then suddenly, a strange dizziness surged through his mind.
When he next opened his eyes, the familiar 'Dream Realm' surrounded him.
"I can enter without sleeping now?"
This was the first time he'd entered without being asleep.
And unlike previous times, where he started inside Konoha's townscape, this time he could clearly see the village walls in the distance.
He was outside the village.
"So the souls were drawn here…"
Looking up, Ying saw the wandering spirits of those rogue ninjas floating in the skies outside Konoha.
[1. Devour]
[2. Revive]
And as he looked at the spirits, two system options appeared in his mind.
[Devouring souls increases Mental Energy]
[Revival consumes Chakra and Bond Points]
"So this is what the Shinigami's true ability is…"
But… is the revival real?
And the Bond Points… they had this function too?
Looks like he'd need to work harder to deepen 'bonds' with the kunoichi.
Using some Chakra and Bond Points, Ying randomly picked one soul that looked alright and chose to revive it.
"You—! No! Please don't kill me again!"
The revived rogue ninja trembled in fear, standing before him.
"So they retain their personalities and awareness… their strength seems the same as before. But…"
They couldn't return to the real world?
Upon reopening his eyes, Ying confirmed the revived soul didn't follow him—just an empty graveyard and the distant lake.
Makes sense. If resurrection was that easy, this power would be too broken.
Accepting the limitation, Ying returned to the Dream Realm and began studying the revived ninja.
"Seems like I can decide their life or death with a single thought… even wipe their memories, inject new ones, and control them like puppets… and their movement is restricted…"
Becoming increasingly familiar with the Dream Realm, Ying casually carved a boundary around a forest outside the village, then used chakra to build a small settlement.
He soon found that once he tossed a revived soul into the village, they couldn't escape it—unless he removed them personally.
They didn't seem to need food either.
As expected…
"This Dream Realm shares a lot of similarities with my old Mangekyō Sharingan space."
But this was far more versatile and powerful.
He revived a few more rogue ninja and tossed them into the nameless settlement.
Same result—they couldn't leave.
To be safe, Ying erased their old memories and inserted new, simple instructions.
"It's like… a paradise created by a god… with new citizens to toy with."
Watching the soulless ninja chopping wood, fetching water, chatting—like dolls inside a sandbox—Ying couldn't help but think of the NPC Tsunade in the Hokage building and the Hinata in the Hyuga estate.
Could it be…?
No, Tsunade maybe, but that Hinata was clearly older than the real Hinata. Definitely not the same person.
"Better not overthink it."
Shaking off the thought, Ying turned to the last soul and selected [Devour].
There wasn't much feedback, but he did feel his mind become clearer.
"So Mental Energy really is a hidden stat… But I'm almost out of Bond Points now. Time to…"
He got four Action Points per night. Most nights, he converted them into Bond Points.
Nowadays, doing something at night had become a habit.
With a thought, Ying's form flew across the Dream Realm—past forests, over Konoha's walls—returning to the familiar village streets.
[Instance World Updating…]
Just like before, the Instance wasn't ready yet.
So, he visited Hinata, Tsunade, and Kaguya to savor their warmth and softness again—body and soul alike.
"Wait… why is there a new building?"
After finishing a sparring session with Hinata and heading toward the Hokage building, Ying noticed a new little apartment with a nameplate that read "Yuhi."
"…Don't tell me…"
Spending a bit of Action Points, he pushed open the door.
Sure enough, inside stood a familiar kunoichi in a loose, sleeveless dress, greeting him like a wife welcoming her husband home.
"Time to get revenge for the headpats."
Ying wrapped the woman in a fierce embrace—**cough**, no, he fiercely lifted her into a hug and stepped inside.
——
"Red?"
Asuma looked at the absentminded kunoichi and called her name again.
"Huh? Asuma? Oh… did you say something?"
Yuhi Kurenai was clearly distracted.
Not because of anything else—but because of the strange dream she had last night.
In it, that troublesome student actually dared to…
No—did she really fantasize about her own student doing that to her?
Was she… lonely?
Worse still, when she woke up, her sheets were soaked…
Even now, in broad daylight, her thoughts ran wild.
Words like "butterfly" and "spring water" made her blush instantly.
She remembered being pinned down by her student's tongue in the dream, vividly aware of how thoroughly he described her body and how intense her reactions were…
"I've been talking to you this whole time… Are you okay?"
Asuma was puzzled. Kurenai's expression was like they just met for the first time.
Too distracted. Was something wrong?
Could it be…
"Is it lingering trauma from the fight with Uchiha Itachi and the Mist rogue ninja?"
Worried, Asuma grabbed her hand.
"No—I… I'm fine. I mean… I'm good."
Definitely not sick.
Definitely not!
Kurenai quickly pulled her hand back.
She probably dreamed that because she saw that bastard tear off his shirt during the fight with Itachi, exposing that lean, well-toned upper body…
Every time she recalled that moment, the image stuck in her mind.
"Maybe Anko was right… Maybe I really should get a boyfriend?"
Anko was always crude, but sometimes what she said made sense.
Maybe Kurenai's loneliness had made her mind wander.
Normally, she'd never have those kinds of thoughts about her own student.
"Red… what are you muttering?"
Asuma caught her mumbling.
Boyfriend?
She doesn't have one yet, right?
"Nothing—I probably just haven't been resting well."
Kurenai gulped down a full glass of water to mask her flustered state.
"Let's go walk around town. No need to sit in the shop all day."
Asuma had finally managed to ask her out again, and she didn't want to disappoint him.
Maybe… Asuma really could be a good partner?
But…
She quickly shook her head. She wasn't in the right state to be dating anyone.
"Sure!"
Phew…
The old Kurenai seemed to be back.
Asuma's anxious heart finally settled as they walked through the Konoha streets.
But sadly, Kurenai quickly returned to her dazed state.
She even bumped into a passerby.
Asuma missed the perfect timing to hand her the bouquet he'd been hiding.
"That guy… was weird."
After bumping shoulders, Kurenai looked back and noticed the stranger.
"His whole face was wrapped in bandages. Was there anyone like that in Konoha before?"
"Definitely suspicious, but…"
Left with no choice, Asuma prepared to give her the flowers anyway.
"He had a forehead protector… probably a Leaf shinobi. But to be safe, let's ask Lord Hokage."
She sensed something off about the man.
"Alright…"
With Kurenai already rushing to the Hokage building, Asuma sighed and hurried to catch up, flowers in hand.
——
"Why hasn't Kakashi-senpai arrived yet?"
Days had passed, yet Yugao and Ying's team still hadn't seen him on the island near the Whirlpool Country.
"What was in his last message?"
Hayate also felt something was wrong.
Wasn't Kakashi just handling a C-rank mission in the Land of Waves?
"It said he encountered Zabuza and might be delayed. We're to stay in the Whirlpool region."
"Zabuza? The Demon of the Mist, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
Hayate was shocked.
"So now what?"
As expected, Kakashi really did run into Zabuza.
Though Ying had predicted it, the wait was becoming irritating.
"I'm not sure. This reconnaissance mission into Mist Village was supposed to be led by Kakashi-senpai…"
Yugao was feeling stuck too.
"How about I go check the Land of Waves? I might be able to help—and maybe collect some soul fragments from Zabuza or Haku."
Ying was already eager to make a trip.
"You? Alone? You won't be much help. And Kakashi-senpai told us to stay here."
Hayate instinctively pushed back—still salty about being outplayed by Ying earlier.
"Then how about Hayate-senpai goes, and I stay here with Yugao-nee?"
"I—"
Wait… if that guy goes, it'll be just me and Yugao here?
Damn! Why'd I argue with him!?
Hayate instantly regretted it.
"Enough. We're all going together to the Land of Waves."
Yugao opened the scroll tied to a messenger hawk—it was a new order from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Lord Hokage says the Mist intel mission has changed. We're to return to the village with Kakashi-senpai as soon as possible."
"The mission changed?"
Ying was caught off guard.
Did something happen in Mist Villag
e… or in Konoha?
A strange premonition stirred within him.
"Well that's great—uh, I mean… let's find Kakashi-senpai together."
Not having to infiltrate the Mist was a relief. Hayate exhaled slightly.
S-rank missions were too much for him.
"No—you stay and guard our supplies. Ying and I will head to the Land of Waves."
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