Two Days
"Two days? What can you even do in just two days?"
Yuichi glanced at her clone and smirked. "There are plenty of things you can accomplish in two days."
Leaving Konoha and ending up in this place was, to him, nothing short of the perfect chance to raise every ninjutsu in the system to their peak.
No worries about being watched.
No worries about drawing attention.
No worries at all.
"Two days later—"
"Back to Konoha!"
"Back to Konoha? Are you insane?! The Third Hokage wants you placed under Danzo's Root. Even if you return, even if you fake compliance, do you think they'll just leave you alone?"
"Why does the Third Hokage want to push me into Root? Doesn't he see the talent I've already shown?"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying there's more to it—something else that makes him wary of me."
If not, then why wouldn't the Third Hokage treasure someone with such ability and temperament?
No, he pushed Yuichi away precisely because training him would create someone beyond his control. By sending him to Danzo, he could keep his distance—hide his fears—while still ensuring Konoha retained a powerful asset.
Yuichi smiled faintly at his clone. It was important she understood. After all, she was the one who would be walking back into Konoha as him.
"I entered Danzo's game with the Third Hokage's tacit consent."
"But here's the problem—it was Heya who struck first. Which means… Danzo even accounted for the Hokage in his plan."
If Danzo dared to manipulate the Hokage, then it was impossible the two of them had sat face-to-face, calmly agreeing on such a deal.
And for Yuichi? Neither man would waste their breath sitting down over him.
"So at most, the Hokage turned a blind eye, while Danzo pulled his usual tricks in the shadows."
The two had never truly spoken about it.
"Which means," Yuichi said, eyes gleaming, "it isn't impossible for me to return to Konoha. Not only return—but return openly."
When someone who should have been erased in darkness walks back into the village, bathed in sunlight and welcomed by the breeze…
What will the Hokage think?
What will Danzo think?
Danzo will likely assume the Hokage blocked his scheme again.
But Yuichi's real aim was the Hokage's thoughts.
If the Hokage feared him enough to push him into the dark, wouldn't he also fear Danzo discovering the truth?
That's why Yuichi had to walk back into Konoha with his head held high.
The clone's expression hardened. "You're gambling."
Yuichi's smile widened. "It's a gamble."
"If you lose, you could die."
"That's why you'll be me. I'll be the insurance."
The clone stared silently, then muttered, "…That's way too optimistic."
"Leave it to you. Take them to the Land of Iron for a stroll."
"Give me more chakra first."
"Fine."
Yuichi pressed his hand forward, sending chakra into the Wood-Style clone.
Unlike Shadow Clones, who shared his chakra evenly, a Wood-Style clone worked like a battery—it only had what he gave it.
And Yuichi had chakra to spare.
His reserves grew daily. What once trickled out at a hundred points per second now surged like a flood, over a thousand points every heartbeat.
Ten minutes later, the clone was brimming with power. Two days would be no problem at all.
Yuichi then created three more Wood-Style bodies, shaping them into Heya and the two clients.
"Then we're off."
The four clones turned and walked away with practiced ease, leaving Yuichi behind.
He stayed put, focusing on memorizing Kazuki's face, voice, and mannerisms. For the next two days, he would need them.
Two days—enough time to not only strengthen himself, but to let the Land of Waves' story wrap up. Naruto and the others would return to Konoha.
And then—the Chūnin Exams.
That was the moment Yuichi had been waiting for.
If the Hokage acted sooner, at worst his clone would vanish. But Yuichi could still hide within Konoha under Kazuki's name, waiting for the Exams… waiting to shatter Konoha alongside Orochimaru.
And while doing so, he'd reclaim the S-rank techniques stolen from him.
The sealed scroll.
The Chūnin Exams would be the best time to take it.
Even if he had his system, who wouldn't want more ninjutsu? Forbidden Techniques weren't things you left behind.
Yuichi opened his system interface, glancing at his stats.
"Wood Style inheritance—eighteen percent. The first stage covers Wood Style ninjutsu… then what about the second stage?"
"Two days. That's all I need."
He looked at the endless yellow sand around him, the desolate plain stretching far and wide.
Yuichi grinned. "Time for some large-scale civil engineering. I've wanted to try that jutsu for ages."
"Let's test it."
"Wood Style—Deep Forest Emergence!"
The ground trembled violently.
Thick vines tore through the earth, swelling into towering trees within seconds. In a blink, a forest surged outward from Yuichi's feet, spreading wider and wider.
[Wood Style proficiency +1]
[Wood Style proficiency +1]
[Wood Style proficiency +1]
Yuichi grit his teeth, hands locked together, forcing chakra out in a torrent. A reckless flood.
Even his clones in the distance felt it.
One of them paused, frowning as the ground shook beneath his feet.
"What the hell is the main body doing? Using a Wood Style of that scale…"
The blazing wasteland was gone.
In ten minutes, the plain had become a dense, living forest. The sun could no longer pierce the canopy.
Yuichi exhaled slowly, lowering his hands.
The system panel flashed before his eyes.
[Wood Style: 20% inherited]
[Second Stage unlocked…]