"Is there darkness within the Hidden Leaf?"
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed as he answered with calm detachment.
"First, you must acknowledge the diversity of the human heart.
There are good people and evil people—this is an undeniable truth. Evil acts are inevitable.
Second, some use dark methods to achieve noble goals, while others use seemingly noble methods to reach dark ends.
Many things that appear bright are tainted by shadows, and sometimes, what seems dark hides a purpose that is ultimately pure.
Nothing is absolutely right or wrong—it all depends on which stage of the matter you're looking at."
The two students from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans stared at him, utterly confused.
Nawaki, however, nodded. What his teacher said was undeniably true, yet something in him refused to accept it.
Why couldn't everyone in the village simply work together to make it better? Why did darkness have to exist at all?
He pushed away his thoughts and crouched down, pressing two fingers to the ground. Using the Senju clan's secret sensory technique, he began detecting vibrations in the earth.
"Enemy attack! One o'clock—behind that boulder, someone's hiding!"
Nawaki rushed forward immediately, with his two teammates following behind.
As the de facto squad leader, he would never allow his comrades to take the greatest risk. The most dangerous spot was his responsibility alone. That was his resolve—the conviction of someone who aspired to be Hokage.
Sounds of battle erupted behind the boulder.
Orochimaru advanced unhurriedly, his expression unreadable.
Moments later, the noise ceased.
Nawaki dragged out the corpse of a Hidden Stone ninja from behind the rock.
"Sensei, there might be a Hidden Stone scouting unit nearby."
Orochimaru nodded. "You take command—eliminate them."
The three students quickly departed, while Orochimaru continued walking forward at his slow, deliberate pace.
With Nawaki's current strength, ordinary Hidden Stone ninja were no match for him. Unless a jōnin or elite jōnin appeared, Orochimaru had no need to intervene.
The second Hidden Stone ninja was far trickier, moving underground using Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique.
But Nawaki's sensory ability could still detect the faintest tremors in the ground—there was no escape.
Deep beneath the earth, Yagami feigned ignorance of the approaching Senju heir. He waited until Nawaki drew close, then burst out from the ground and used Body Flicker to flee toward the trap's direction.
Captain Yellow Dog had personally laid the ambush and retreated a full kilometer away to avoid Orochimaru's detection.
As long as Yagami lured Nawaki into the trap, the mission would be complete.
Ahead lay a small valley. The entrance was blocked by rocks, and just behind the turn lay the deadly trap.
Hearing the sharp whistle of projectiles slicing the air, Yagami spun around, deflecting three kunai with his own.
Nawaki appeared in front of him in a blur and threw a powerful punch straight at Yagami's face.
Yagami raised his arm to block, and a tremendous impact jolted his elbow.
The Senju clan's taijutsu was fierce and overwhelming, their movements bold and full of raw power.
For someone who hadn't even taken the Chūnin Exams yet, Nawaki's strength was terrifying.
Nawaki himself was startled as well.
From the feel of the impact, this Hidden Stone ninja's body was incredibly sturdy. His strength wasn't inferior at all, and the feedback through his fist told him—this man's body was not trained through ordinary means.
His entire muscular and cellular structure was durable, resilient—almost superhuman.
Yagami carried the bloodline of the Senju, even if it was only an ordinary form of it, giving him far greater physical resilience than a normal human.
Just then, another Hidden Stone ninja appeared from behind the rocks, attempting to assist.
Yagami turned his head and shouted, "Don't worry about me! Deliver the intel! I'll hold them off!"
The ninja immediately obeyed and fled around the rocks.
Hearing that the enemy intended to deliver intelligence, Nawaki quickly formed hand seals—no more testing.
What intel did they discover? he wondered. Could they know the command post is preparing to advance?
His earlier suspicions were confirmed. After the meeting with the Hidden Cloud, Mitokado Homura had ordered the Leaf's command camp to prepare for movement.
The Hidden Cloud was restless, eager to strike a weakened Hidden Stone.
Such information was critical—it must not be leaked.
Nawaki hurled a shuriken and rapidly formed hand seals. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
From afar, Orochimaru nodded in approval. Nawaki had already mastered this complex A-rank technique—truly a genius of the Senju clan.
That idiot Jiraiya still hadn't learned the move their teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had personally created.
Countless shuriken filled the air like a swarm of locusts, whistling toward Yagami at terrifying speed.
They spun so fast they shrieked like spinning saw blades.
Yagami deflected a few with his kunai, dispersing some of the shadow clones in puffs of white smoke.
But many more struck him.
His head, throat, chest, and abdomen were all pierced by the barrage.
Yagami fell.
Nawaki exhaled, confident in his jutsu. The enemy had taken several fatal hits—he couldn't possibly survive.
Just before Yagami's consciousness faded, he saw Nawaki charge past the rock formation, turning the corner into the valley.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted!
Captain Yellow Dog's trap had been set with layers of explosive tags—so intricate that even Orochimaru might not have noticed them at first glance without getting a bit closer.
Nawaki was still too inexperienced.
And Yagami… was dead.
...
Darkness fell. Vision blurred.
When Yagami opened his eyes again, a bright full moon hung in the night sky.
He found himself ten days earlier—on the road chasing Senju Haku.
[Arc of the Moon activated!]
The host may revive once per month, returning to life under the last full moon.
Reward: One random draw.
1. A-Rank Ninjutsu – Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique (Basic)
2. Senju Sensory Secret Technique
3. Senju Bloodline (Mid-High, Purifiable)
All three options were tempting.
The Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique was a hallmark of Hiruzen Sarutobi's lineage—mastered by Hiruzen himself, Orochimaru, and even Minato Namikaze.
It was one of the finest techniques in all projectile-based combat.
The second option, the Senju Sensory Secret Technique, was just as valuable.
Sensory ninja were treasured members of any squad—often the key to survival and strategy.
The Hyūga, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans produced many such shinobi who formed the tactical cores of their teams.
Sensing had always been Yagami's weakness. If he could master this secret technique, his survival chances would rise dramatically.
The method involved pressing one's fingers to the ground and detecting enemy movements through vibrations in the earth—a perfect match for someone with Earth Release.
Yagami's gaze, however, lingered on the third option.
Senju Bloodline.
This was no longer the ordinary version he'd obtained before. It was mid-high purity—on par with the stronger members of the Senju clan, like the very Senju Haku he had once pursued.
At this level, one could reach jōnin strength by around the age of twenty.
After a long pause, Yagami made his choice.
Jutsu and secret techniques could always be learned later—but a powerful bloodline was rare and precious.
With the Senju clan's extinction imminent, opportunities like this might never come again.
While the squad rested, Yagami calmly selected the third reward—the Senju Bloodline.
***
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