Three days before the final round of the Chūnin Exams.
Yami finally emerged from the underground training room, giving Pakura quite a scare.
"What kind of ninjutsu are you training that you're working this hard?" she asked.
"I'm starving. I want beef."
Yami rubbed his stomach and sat down at the dining table. "If it were just ninjutsu, that'd be fine. But it's all book reading, theory, and stuff... it's killing me."
"You're still growing. Can't you take things slower? Why's a child like you in such a rush?"
Pakura had no way to deal with him and could only sigh as she put on her mask and went to grill some meat.
Before long, she returned with a full spread of grilled meat and sauces, using the opportunity to try and persuade Yami while he ate.
"Don't worry," Yami said, stuffing a large piece of beef into his mouth and speaking vaguely. "I've already gotten the basics down. I won't be pushing myself like that anymore."
"I just want to rest properly for a few days. Let's go check out the new house together tomorrow."
Pakura smiled and nodded gently.
The next day, Yami took Pakura to the new house he had purchased.
The house had a prime location, situated near the central axis of Konoha Village, close to the bustling commercial district, yet shielded by a side street, giving it peace amidst the noise.
It was only three kilometers from the Hokage building and equally close to the ninja academy. Shopping and eating were also extremely convenient.
Originally, the house belonged to the Senju clan, including several neighboring properties.
One could only say… thanks to the Senju clan for producing such a fat sheep. Aside from the ancestral home, the rest had all been sold.
Yami used Root's connections to buy this house from a noble of the Land of Fire. It covered an area of 3,000 square meters, and he also took over the two adjacent courtyards, renting one of them to Izumi.
Izumi's mother, Uchiha Kiyomi, finally agreed to her daughter's request to move out of the Uchiha compound.
All parents want what's best for their children.
As the clan's dissatisfaction with the village grew and more people leaned toward the radicals, Kiyomi realized that staying would only end with one of two outcomes—either Izumi would be assimilated into the radicals, or she would be ostracized further.
Neither result was acceptable. So moving out was better. Besides, they never really benefited from the clan anyway, so there was nothing to be sentimental about.
However, one troubling issue remained, once the other clan members found out, they might create trouble or even try to stop it.
That would be left to Yami to handle.
He planned to talk to Itachi during the Chūnin Exams. If Itachi agreed, he could ease up on him in their match.
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the Chūnin Exam finals.
The exam was held in a massive stadium on the outskirts of the village. Early in the morning, a sea of people flooded into the arena.
To civilians, it was a rare opportunity to witness actual ninja combat.
Even Konoha villagers usually only saw shinobi darting around but rarely got to watch them train, since those areas weren't open to the public.
So not only locals came, but also tourists and nobles from the Land of Fire and even beyond.
That was Konoha's original intent in hosting the joint Chūnin Exams.
It wasn't just a competition—it was also business.
Soon, the massive circular stadium was packed. On the top floor, the daimyō of the Land of Fire and several smaller countries had arrived and were chatting cheerfully.
Below, the VIP seating area also began to fill.
Uchiha Shisui sat there with a cute boy just over three years old. The little one twisted in his seat, stretching his neck to look around. When he didn't spot the person he was looking for, his mouth puckered.
"Nii-san! I want Nii-san!"
"Sasuke," Shisui said patiently, trying to calm the restless child. "Itachi is getting ready for his match. Once he's done, he'll come be with you."
"Then… can Nii-san practice shuriken with me?" Sasuke asked with wide, hopeful eyes.
"..."
Before Shisui could respond, a voice cut in.
"Probably not~"
Yami had appeared behind them at some point.
Sasuke turned to look at the smiling Yami and said angrily, "Who are you?! Why won't you let Nii-san practice shuriken with me?!"
"My name is Shimura Yami," he introduced himself. "I'm your brother's classmate. We were in the same class."
He raised two fingers. "When I graduated, I beat him twice in a row."
"Impossible!"
Little Sasuke instinctively shouted back, but Yami just smiled. "Why don't you ask Shisui-senpai and see?"
Sasuke turned to Shisui, eyes full of hope.
Shisui smiled bitterly and nodded helplessly. "Sasuke, Yami is a very talented ninja. Itachi still needs to work hard to catch up to him."
Little Sasuke's world collapsed.
To him, Nii-san was the best. He never imagined Nii-san could lose.
His face fell, nose crinkled, and he was on the verge of tears.
"Don't cry just yet. Do you know why Itachi won't be able to practice shuriken with you?"
Yami interrupted the moment. Sure enough, Sasuke's attention shifted.
"Why?"
"Because… I'll probably injure him pretty badly in a little while. So he won't be able to train with you."
"You'll see for yourself."
"Waaah—!"
Sasuke finally burst into tears.
[Host has established a hatred bond with Uchiha Sasuke. Reward: One-time appearance enhancement (gradually effective over the next thirty days).]
Yami: "..."
With this face, I still need to be more handsome?
Damn. Sasuke really is a certified pretty boy… what rotten luck.
"Yami." Shisui chuckled helplessly. "Why are you here bullying kids instead of waiting in the contestant area for the match?"
"The matchups are already drawn. It's boring there."
Yami casually pulled out a lollipop and popped it into Sasuke's mouth. The crying immediately died down. He continued, "Everyone there was trembling when they saw me. What am I supposed to do? Watch them all shake?"
Shisui couldn't argue with that.
It was normal for those Genin to be nervous. Even he had gone silent for a while after hearing of Yami's exploits.
"By the way, why did you bring this brat with you? Where are his parents?"
Looking at Sasuke, whose nose was twitching and who had forgotten to suck the lollipop, Yami felt relieved.
Usually, everyone called him a brat. Now it was finally his turn to call someone else a brat.
Shisui explained, "A lot of foreign dignitaries came today, so Clan Head Fugaku is out patrolling with the Security Division."
"What a responsible clan leader."
Yami nodded.
At the top of the stadium, Hiruzen's voice echoed, announcing the matchups and rules.
There were twelve finalists.
First, six would be selected through one-on-one matches. The two who finished their battles the fastest would advance directly to the semifinals. The remaining four would fight again for the last two semifinal spots.
Then came the semifinals and the final match.
Winning wasn't the only path to promotion. Any standout performance could still earn a promotion to Chūnin.
When the first-round matchups appeared on the giant screen, sighs filled the crowd.
Many had hoped to see the battle between Uchiha Itachi and the now-infamous Genin Killer, Shimura Yami.
Unfortunately, the two weren't matched up.
Itachi's opponent was a Konoha Genin. Yami's opponent was from Suna.
Yami's match was the last of the first round. After Itachi smoothly defeated his opponent, Yami stepped onto the stage, greeted by cheers even louder than Itachi's.
Hidden in a corridor, Danzō showed a proud smile.
So it was just hype, huh? Who couldn't do that?
Didn't Hiruzen use the same tactic to promote his three students?
The "Sannin" title was something given by Hanzo after they lost, but now it had become legendary.
He had suffered because he was too honest. He wouldn't let Yami make the same mistake.
From now on, he would push the image of Shimura Yami—genius and powerful—deep into the hearts of the villagers. It would help in the future… especially in competing for the Hokage position.
"Third round, sixth match: Konoha's Shimura Yami versus Suna's Nagashi!"
The referee was a special jōnin Yami hadn't seen before. After the announcement, he retreated to the sidelines.
"Shimura… Genin Killer, huh?"
To prevent being ambushed by Yami, Nagashi cautiously put some distance between them.
Seeing that Yami had no intention of attacking, he began to taunt. "I heard you mastered Scorch Release.
But it just feels like a trick by Konoha."
"Scorch Release belongs to our village hero, Pakura. How could a little kid like you learn it?!"
Nagashi had entered the match ready to die. His mission was to force Yami to use Scorch Release and confirm its authenticity.
"Hero?"
Yami chuckled. "Your village has a unique way of treating heroes. But since you want to see it, I'll show you your hero's ultimate technique."
He said something Nagashi couldn't quite grasp.
Then Yami raised his hands.
Three fiery orange-red spheres spun rapidly above his head. Once they had stored enough kinetic energy, they launched like arrows toward Nagashi.
"Scorch Release!"
Nagashi's face twisted in horror as he felt the moisture in his body evaporating. He tried to form hand seals, but before he could finish even half, the fireball was already upon him.
Too fast!
Boom! A prepared Substitution Jutsu allowed him to escape, but before he could react, the other two fireballs followed his new position.
"Wind Release: Compression!"
The fierce wind pinned Nagashi against a stone wall. He couldn't move as the final fireball swallowed him whole.
"No!!!"
Boom!!
No surprises this time.
When the smoke cleared, Nagashi's withered corpse collapsed to the ground and crumbled to ash, proving the power of Scorch Release with his life.
After a moment of silence, the stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.
"Amazing! So that's Scorch Release?!"
"Way stronger than Fire Release. I've never seen Fire Release actually kill someone!"
"Konoha's genius, without a doubt! I'm looking forward to seeing Shimura grow up. He'll definitely become a legendary figure like the Sannin!"
While the people of the Land of Fire were fired up, spies from other nations sat in discomfort and heavy silence.
Konoha truly was a village where geniuses never stopped appearing.
At the top platform, Hiruzen sat with the daimyō and smiled faintly.
Strong, right?
He'll be under my command soon.
The referee announced the result, and Yami returned to the stands, where he resumed teasing little Sasuke.
Thankfully, there were Konoha shinobi around, so no fans dared to approach him directly. Still, many shinobi watched him curiously.
The optimization from the newly updated bond system was fully at play. Even with people Yami didn't know, the awe from Scorch Release had earned him over 100 bond points and several basic rewards.
If only the audience were made up of all shinobi.
Someday, I'll gather all the shinobi in the world… and make them look up to me.
Yami made this resolution silently, ruffling Sasuke's hair in the process, making the boy scream in protest.
Second round.
Yami and Itachi had finished their first matches the fastest, so they advanced directly to the semifinals.
Third round.
Both defeated their opponents.
Yami was a bit annoyed that another Suna Genin was sent to Itachi. It felt like a wasted matchup.
Finally, the finals.
The entire stadium erupted.
A perfect script.
Who would've thought the two youngest participants would make it all the way to the end? Rumor had it they were classmates in the academy.
People pictured a fierce, respectful clash between dragons and tigers.
Who would win?
Only laymen asked that.
Anyone who knew the inside story… knew there could only be one winner today.
Amid the thunderous cheers, Itachi and Yami entered the arena, standing across from each other, just like when they graduated a year ago.
"Itachi, this must be our third match, right?"
Yami sighed. "I wish Shisui-senpai was standing here instead. At least he'd get me excited.
But I can't really work up any interest fighting you."
Itachi frowned at the mocking tone. "I'll surprise you."
"No, you won't."
Yami replied seriously. "How can you impress me if you haven't even awakened three tomoe yet?
But your brother… he's not bad."
Yami suddenly licked his lips, and Itachi's expression turned tense.
"What are you saying about Sasuke?!"
"Nothing."
Yami shook his head. "He told me just now that after this match, Nii-san would practice shuriken with him.
I told him no."
Yami's smile deepened. "Because I'm about to beat up his Nii-san."
"And he started crying."
Clang~!
Itachi drew his short sword with a blank expression.
"Shimura Yami, no need for more words. I'll show you the progress I've made in the past year!"
(To be continued.)
***
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