Are you certain?
Yes!
…Alright, then.
Seeing the determination burning in the boy's eyes, the Third Hokage feigned a helpless nod.
And so—
The assessment was set to take place that very night.
The moment the news spread—
Konoha boiled over.
"Is the Uchiha clan about to rise again?"
"Place your bets! Place your bets! Will this kid pass the Special Jōnin exam?"
"Look at that face—he's going to be a total heartthrob in the future! I've decided, when he grows up, I'm marrying him!"
"Put some clothes on, girl!"
From the great shinobi clans to the gamblers in the taverns, to the ordinary villagers, everyone was talking.
After school that afternoon—
Uchiha Jiyue finally managed to break free from the blockade of curious underclassmen crowding the school gates. Just as he slipped away, he spotted Kakashi standing by the roadside, face buried in Icha Icha Paradise.
He was waiting for him.
Jiyue's expression turned resigned.
For the past two months, Kakashi had been visiting his home almost daily. At first, Jiyue didn't mind chatting with him, but as time went on, it became downright irritating.
This guy wasn't just concerned about his training and daily life—he even kept an eye on him when he went to the bathroom!
Who could stand that?!
What was he going to do, stand there with a sword and cut him down mid-dump?
From the looks of him, Jiyue seemed calm enough.
Probability of self-harm: 75%.
After a quick mental assessment of Jiyue's current condition, Kakashi stepped closer and began giving away "test tips":
"Don't let the title fool you. A Special Jōnin might sound like a jōnin, but in reality, they're just chūnin with some unique abilities."
"Jiyue, you don't need to worry. Tonight's exam won't be too difficult. Just perform normally."
"Of course, if you can demonstrate some mature tactics to the Hokage, then even if you lose, it's still possible to be promoted…"
They walked until they reached a narrow, winding ridge between two paddies.
Kakashi noticed that Jiyue seemed distracted. With a helpless sigh, he asked, "Jiyue, are you even listening to me?"
Stopping at the edge of the ridge, Jiyue turned to him and said:
"Kakashi-senpai… thank you."
"Your careful attention over the past two months—I've felt it. But do you see this ridge ahead? My path is just like it. It can only be walked alone…"
With that, Jiyue stepped onto the ridge and quickly vanished from Kakashi's sight.
"…It's over. It's over…"
Watching the boy's back disappear, Kakashi's face grew deeply grim.
"This child… Jiyue…"
"He's still trapped in the darkness."
"What I feared most… has come to pass."
While most Special Jōnin weren't much stronger than a chūnin, the title granted the right to take on A-rank—and even S-rank—missions.
If Jiyue left the village and encountered Itachi, whether he was killed… or, like Orochimaru, lost himself in the pursuit of power and betrayed Konoha—it would be a disaster.
Truth be told, Kakashi had no fondness for the arrogant, insular Uchiha clan. And yet… his most precious comrade had been one of them.
That contradiction tore at him.
On one hand, as someone who'd once had a Sharingan taken from him, he wished to keep far away from these "madmen."
On the other hand, he couldn't help but search their faces, hoping to catch a glimpse of Obito's shadow.
Now that he'd met Uchiha Jiyue, he couldn't bear to see him follow the same doomed path as the others.
"No."
"I need to speak to the Hokage immediately."
"If possible, I must stop tonight's assessment."
If Jiyue's heart was set on the light, Kakashi could accept almost anything he did.
But if he had stepped into darkness…
Then Kakashi would have no choice but to strike first.
Even if it meant breaking his wings, he would keep this child in Konoha.
Because the road they'd once walked together—
Had been far too dark.
Later, back at home—
Using the memories of Aoki Hiro, Jiyue reviewed the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi.
Basic abilities:
[ROOM – Space]
It could be used as a sterile operating table or a combat domain.
Its range expanded in proportion to the user's physical strength.
[ROOM – Slaughterhouse]
Allowed the user to cut apart and rearrange anything.
Within the ROOM, anything cut by the user's blade—living or not—would not die, bleed, or even lose nerve connection.
In short, everything remained alive.
Intermediate abilities:
[ROOM – Scan]
Lock onto a target, making it impossible to evade.
It could also be used to quickly search a target's body for small items and steal them.
[ROOM – Shamble]
Swap positions with air, objects, or creatures inside the ROOM, or pass through walls.
Advanced abilities:
[ROOM – Takt]
Point upward and cause the chosen object to levitate.
With enough physical strength, this ignores limits of mass, size, or quantity.
[ROOM – Transplant]
Extract a target's heart from a distance, or exchange hearts between two targets to swap their minds.
Ultimate ability:
[Perennial Youth Surgery]
Bestow immortality upon someone.
"No wonder this is the most precious Devil Fruit… such versatile, eerie abilities—there's no counter to them."
After a deep breath, Jiyue adjusted his state of mind, put on his coat, and stepped out the door.
Before heading to the training ground, he planned to stop by Granny Cat's Ninja Tools Shop to collect the medicines and weapons he'd ordered last month.
If he was going to challenge the impossible—
He had the confidence to back it up.
Underground, in the Empty District Ruins—
This area belonged to no country, no village.
Only those who passed the trials of the wandering ninja cats could be led to Granny Cat's shop; all others would wander the twisting tunnels forever.
Inside the shop, intelligence, tools, and medicines were sold at prices marked in black code—how much you were overcharged depended entirely on Granny Cat's mood.
Even though this wasn't his first visit, walking through the dim tunnels still gave Jiyue an urgent "need-to-pee" feeling.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before he met the same ninja cat as last time. Tossing it the Tenmokuryo drink he'd prepared in advance, Jiyue followed the cat—named Fat Tiger—straight into the shop.
"Oh, it's little Jiyue."
Seeing him enter, Granny Cat sat up on her cushion and greeted him.
Jiyue stopped in front of her. "Granny Cat, I need to trouble you again."
"In business, we don't talk feelings, little Jiyue. No matter how polite you are, I'm not giving you a discount."
She pointed at the cushion at his feet for him to sit, then gestured toward the clerk at the door.
The clerk understood and went into the warehouse.
"Oh, by the way—about what you asked me to investigate." While the clerk fetched the goods, Granny Cat lowered her voice: "Itachi left Konoha and joined a terrorist organization called Akatsuki."
As expected…
Jiyue let out a breath.
Good—so he hasn't gone running around aimlessly.
"But… you really intend to…"
Granny Cat trailed off.
"No. It won't be that simple."
Jiyue knew what she was trying to say and gave a cold smile. "Do you think killing a man means he's truly dead?"
"What do you mean?" Granny Cat frowned.
Jiyue only smiled without answering, took the tools and medicine the clerk brought over, paid, and prepared to leave.
Before stepping out, he paused. "Granny Cat—the scroll I left here last month, please take good care of it. It contains my father's keepsakes, so…"
His father's keepsakes…
Jiyue's father had been a regular here—Granny Cat had practically watched him grow up.
Thinking about how the mighty Uchiha clan now had only three children left, and how so many familiar faces would never return, left her with a heavy heart.
After a moment's silence, she said toward the doorway, Don't worry. I'll keep it safe.