"Huff… huff…"
Maintaining an even breathing rhythm, he kept training, forcing out the last bit of stamina from his body.
Since experimenting with opening the Fifth Gate yesterday, Uchiha Yun already understood well that physical training wasn't just about strengthening the body to lessen the aftereffects of the Eight Gates.
Part of it was also training one's mental will. Once the Eight Gates unlocked the body's limiters, the surge of chakra would make the user immune to genjutsu, but at the same time, fine control of chakra would become impossible.
Because of this, unless he pushed to the Gate of Death, it seemed somewhat not worth it.
Shua.
While doing one-finger push-ups, Yun didn't stop training. He only turned his head slightly when he sensed the Anbu behind him.
"Something?"
The Anbu nodded. "Yes, Lord Hokage requests your presence."
Yun rose to his feet, wiping off sweat with a towel Izumi had given him that morning.
"I'll head over now."
When the Anbu vanished, Yun scratched his head.At this hour, Minato calling him over… was it going to be about Kusagakure after all?
But wasn't he still on a training break?
Hokage Building.
"Yun, sorry to disturb your training leave. But this mission is safest if you're the one to handle it."
Yun glanced at the mission scroll in his hand.
"This mission, Hokage-sama, you issued it?"
Minato smiled faintly and lowered his voice.
"It won't be recorded. This request comes from Kushina, in the name of the Uzumaki clan."
"…Hah."
Minato exhaled helplessly. "There are still available ninjas in the village, and Kusagakure isn't strong enough to require someone of your caliber. But…"
His eyes drifted toward the advisors' office wing.
Those two old relics, huh?
Even though Konoha had won the war with Kumogakure, there were still losses, and compensation couldn't replace the lives taken.
If Konoha used military pressure to intimidate a minor village like Kusagakure now, the other villages might take it as a sign of aggression.
Yun, however, scoffed inwardly. With the deterrence of their victory against Kumo, no single village among the other three great powers would dare make a move right now.
Even if they did, Konoha was no longer the same as before. Neither the Fourth Kazekage nor Ōnoki were foes to be feared.
Minato gave Yun a wry smile.
"Konoha and the Uzumaki are deeply tied, but with Uzushiogakure destroyed, if Hiruzen and the advisors knew, they'd definitely block this."
Yun scratched his head.
"So the reason you need me is because I'm officially on training leave, I can leave the village with the records adjusted without drawing suspicion, right?"
Minato nodded apologetically.
"Yes. And once they're brought back, the standing alliance with the Uzumaki will justify it. The elders won't be able to object."
Knock, knock, knock.
A familiar chakra signature approached, and neither Minato nor Yun looked surprised.
The office door opened, and Kushina entered.
She bowed directly to Yun.
"Minato told me about your eyes' recovery ability. This request is also from me."
Yun eyed the scroll. "So these two Uzumaki… are they injured?"
Kushina shook her head and openly explained the unique regenerative ability tied to her clan's chakra.
"This ability, based on chakra, can heal others. Even among the Uzumaki, it was extremely rare. Grandma Mito said as much. So…"
"From both my personal wish and from the village's interest, they're of great importance."
"So… please!"
Yun sighed and nodded.
"I'll do my best. For me, Kusagakure shouldn't be much of a problem."
Minato reminded him, "Don't underestimate them. Kusagakure is skilled in binding techniques; be cautious."
"I understand. If I slip, rescuing them will become a lot harder. When do I leave?"
Kushina's eyes were anxious.
"The sooner the better. Please."
"Fine. Then I'll head out immediately."
With that, Yun's figure vanished.
Minato patted Kushina's shoulder.
"Don't worry. You saw his strength in battle. Telling him to be careful is just routine."
Konoha Gate.
Yun noticed the two "gate gods," Izumo and Kotetsu, dutifully keeping records.
Seventeen years old and already chunin gatekeepers… and still doing the same job eleven years later.
Yun approached.
"Lord Yun, I thought you were on training leave? On a mission?" Izumo greeted warmly.
Kotetsu hesitated, then asked, "Is taijutsu training like Might Guy's really useful? Why would even you train that way, Lord Yun?"
Yun smiled, pointing at his eyes.
"Because of these Sharingan, taijutsu training is the foundation for a certain forbidden technique."
The three tomoe swirled in his pupils.
Then Yun strode right out of the village, leaving the two chunin muttering in admiration.
"Even geniuses train that hard for a forbidden jutsu?"
Three days later, Kusagakure.
Under Sharingan genjutsu, Yun easily controlled a Kusagakure chunin, extracted information, tied him up, and tossed him in a trash bin. Then he used Transformation Jutsu to assume his identity and infiltrated the village.
The village wasn't prosperous. Injured shinobi were being carried toward the medical unit.
Soon, Yun overheard two Kusagakure chunin.
"Quick, that Uzumaki woman's still conscious! If we bite her while she's awake, our wounds will heal completely!"
"…You really want to rely on an outsider for that?"
"Idiot. In missions, small injuries can get you killed. Why waste the chance?"
They noticed 'Yun'. "Hey, Ōoka, you're hurt too? Come on, or you'll miss out when she faints."
Yun gave a noncommittal nod, but inside he frowned deeply.
'So, that's how they've been exploiting her…'
At the medical unit, Yun saw it firsthand.
A red-haired woman sat limply on a bed. Several Kusagakure shinobi were literally biting into her arms, legs, and neck, groaning in relief as their injuries healed, while she screamed in agony.
Yun's eyes narrowed.
"…Tch."
He couldn't just stand by.
When a comrade clapped him on the shoulder mockingly, Yun turned cold.
"Still pitying her? Next time you'll be the one to die on a mission."
Yun's low voice replied, "Is that so?"
Blood sprayed as his blade slashed the man's throat.
"Can't just sit back and watch. Our values are too different."
In an instant, he drew his short blade. Silver light flashed. Every shinobi feeding off the Uzumaki woman dropped with slashed throats.
The room erupted in chaos.
"You killed our comrades, Ōoka! What the hell are you doing?!"
"You bastard, surround him!"
"You're dead!"
The woman weakly raised her head, shocked. She remembered that this man had hesitated to bite her before.
But now… it meant she and her daughter couldn't stay here anymore.
Yun ignored the accusations.
"If you think siding with them keeps you safe, you're wrong. Die here, or your daughter will take your place."
She dropped her kunai in despair. "…Who are you?"
He showed her his Sharingan.
"Your clan member Uzumaki Kushina sent me. My mission is to take you and your daughter back to Konoha."
Her eyes widened. "…Kushina? She's alive? And you're with… Konoha?"
"Yes. Kushina, wife of the Fourth Hokage. That should be enough to trust."
Without further delay, he put her under genjutsu.
"No time to explain. Let's go."
Disguised, they left the building, only to run into shinobi carrying a stretcher.
"Make way! Lord Yasei is injured! Bring him the Uzumaki woman!"
The group halted. One sniffed the air. "…Blood. Too much blood."
They turned on Yun. "Ōoka… how many critical cases today?"
Yun sighed.
"You really shouldn't have come here."
Sharingan glared. Blood spurted. All four fell before they could react.
Yun prodded the stretcher. "Heavily wounded, yet conscious? Must be nice to flaunt your status for treatment."
A quick stab silenced the "lord."
Yun and the woman hurried to a shack, where a small red-haired girl, Karin, was clutching kunai at the door.
When she saw her mother, she rushed forward and hugged her tightly, crying at the sight of the bite marks.
"Quiet!" Yun barked.
Karin froze, realizing her mother's condition.
"What did you do to her?!"
Yun sighed awkwardly. "…Nothing."
The genjutsu lifted.
He addressed the woman.
"After what just happened, Kusagakure won't spare you. If you want your daughter to live, come with me."
She hesitated, but the truth was clear. As the only survivor of a massacre, she and her daughter were doomed here.
"…We'll go with you."
Karin tugged at her mother. "Mama, who is he?"
Her mother bowed to Yun.
"No matter your purpose, please… just let my daughter be safe."
Yun shook his head. "I told you, it's Kushina's request. I'm not after your abilities. And you don't have time to linger."
Karin grabbed her spectacles and clung to her mother's hand. Disguised, they followed Yun out of the village.
Behind them, chaos erupted as the bodies were discovered. Yun left shadow clones as decoys, transformed to mislead the pursuers.
Hours later, exhaustion caught up with the woman. She collapsed, telling Yun to leave her behind.
But Yun pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Secret Art: Restore."
Instantly, her stamina and chakra returned to full.
The woman gasped. "…What kind of technique is this? In just an instant, "
"Just a special ability," Yun explained, pointing to his eyes. "Like your clan's healing bites. We can slow down now. There's no rush."
She hesitated. "But Kusagakure…"
"My clones aren't just distractions. If anyone chases us, they'll die at the hands of 'Iwagakure ninja.'"
Karin flinched and hid behind her mother, peeking at Yun nervously.
But with his words, her mother finally allowed herself to relax just a little, as the three of them pressed forward,
while far behind, Yun's clones painted Kusagakure red.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu