Chapter 9 — Training! Ignite!
The three of them didn't stay long at Ichiraku Ramen.
Yami's barbecue from noon hadn't fully digested yet, Minato had never been a big eater to begin with, and only Kushina seemed a little unsatisfied. Still, out of shyness, she didn't order another bowl—despite Yami repeatedly telling her it was fine.
After paying the bill, Yami had Minato walk Kushina home, while he himself put on the appearance of someone strolling leisurely to aid digestion, wandering slowly through the village.
In reality, Kagura's Mind's Eye had already been activated in secret.
His perception spread outward like invisible ripples, carefully probing Konoha for areas with abnormal chakra fluctuations—or places where perception was blocked by barriers.
He silently memorized several locations clearly concealed by sealing techniques, then ended his "post-meal walk" and headed home.
---
As soon as he returned, Yami took out the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique scroll and began training.
The basic Shadow Clone wasn't difficult. After a brief attempt, he grasped the chakra circulation without trouble.
The opening section of the Multiple Shadow Clone scroll, however, was filled with warnings—stern reminders urging practitioners to use the technique with extreme caution.
Yami skimmed right past them.
Naruto uses this thing like a basic attack. I'm his cool uncle—no way I can't handle it.
Following the scroll's instructions—circulating chakra and forming seals—even while deliberately holding back, more than a dozen clones still appeared with a loud poof.
At the same instant, Yami felt hollowed out.
His chakra plunged close to empty, the sensation of being drained dry in a split second extremely unpleasant.
Ever since acquiring the Uzumaki Sage Body, that reborn feeling had even given him the illusion that his chakra was inexhaustible.
But when it was instantly divided among dozens of shadow clones, even he couldn't quite handle it.
And squeezing more than ten clones into such a cramped room was… uncomfortable in every sense.
He dispelled the clones.
In the next instant, a flood of memories from multiple perspectives surged back into his mind, making his head throb.
No wonder the scroll warned that some people had gone insane—or even developed split personalities—from excessive use. This technique truly wasn't meant for anyone lacking mental fortitude.
"Guess my big nephew's protagonist halo really is cracked," Yami muttered.
"Probably not just his physique—looks like he inherited Minato's neural processing power too."
---
As for the other ninjutsu scrolls, Yami decided to take the shortcut.
If he could pay-to-win, why grind like a fool?
"Pawn."
---
[Scan complete. Pawnable items detected:]
Unrecorded ninjutsu ×4 — 5 points each
Unrecorded advanced ninjutsu ×1 — 40 points
"Pawn everything."
---
[Current Pawn Points: 2130]
[Redeemable Items:]
Uzumaki Clan Sealing Secret Arts — 4000 points (can be redeemed separately)
Yuki Clan Bloodline — 600 points
Kaguya Clan (Basic Bloodline) — 100 points
Rapid Bodily Regeneration — 500 points per use
Swordsmanship (Mastery) — 200 points
Longblade Ninja Art (Nuibari) — 200 points
Forbidden Technique: Multiple Shadow Clone — 80 points
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough — 10 points
Lightning Release: Earth Flow — 10 points
Earth Release: Hiding Like a Fish — 10 points
Genjutsu: Fox Mind Technique — 10 points
"All good stuff," Yami couldn't help but sigh.
If he hadn't struck it rich in the Land of Whirlpools, he'd be staring helplessly at this price list right now.
He re-redeemed the four ninjutsu he'd just pawned, then exchanged points for the Swordsmanship Mastery he'd obtained.
A total of 240 points vanished.
In return, streams of training memories poured into his mind. Every technique clicked into place instantly, perfectly integrated.
"All set. Full elemental coverage."
Yami grinned faintly.
"Once I figure out how to copy Lightning Cutter… Kakashi's nickname is gonna be Little Namikaze Yami."
After finishing all his preparations, night had already fallen. Having burned through a huge amount of chakra during testing, Namikaze Yami felt a deep, unmistakable fatigue. He collapsed onto the bed and fell into a heavy sleep almost instantly.
---
The Next Day
Once again, he slept until noon.
Staring at the glaring sunlight outside the window, Yami felt a wave of guilt rise in his chest.
Is it because I have a system now that I've become this lazy?
The next second, he slapped himself hard across the face.
No—never think like that again.
If I still have to grind like a dog even with a system, then what was the point of getting it in the first place?
Whether out of consideration for Yami, or simply because the front lines were stretched too thin, no new jōnin instructor had been assigned to him for quite some time.
By Konoha's rules, a genin without a team leader couldn't accept missions independently.
Ironically, this left Yami with a rare stretch of free time.
Perfect.
After casually dealing with lunch, he began roaming the corners of Konoha, searching for that precious beast he had in mind.
"497… 498… 499…"
When a familiar counting voice—mixed with heavy breathing—echoed from deep within a wooded area, Yami's spirits lifted. He followed the sound.
There, in the forest clearing, was a ninja dressed in a green bodysuit with a bowl-cut hairstyle, pushing himself to the limit in relentless training. Whenever he was on the verge of collapsing, he would mutter words like "youth" and "burning passion" under his breath.
Yami's eyes lit up.
The figure before him slowly overlapped with a memory from his past life.
Might Duy.
A living legend of Konoha—known as the most unprovokable genin in history. One man, one life, charging headfirst into the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. With all Eight Gates opened, he had kicked a full-powered elite lineup straight out of the top tier.
At this point in time, Might Duy still looked relatively young. His signature stubble wasn't that obvious yet, and he was fully focused on doing push-ups.
Yami remained inconspicuous, walking a short distance away and quietly starting his own training.
When Duy noticed someone else in the forest, he had initially planned to move away. But seeing that it was just a young boy doing the same kind of basic physical training, a competitive spark ignited in him instead.
He trained even harder.
Just like that, one big and one small figure began an unspoken contest in the woods.
Yami relied on his superior physique and rapid recovery, needing only brief rests before throwing himself back into training.
Duy, on the other hand, made up for his lack of ninjutsu talent with years upon years of relentless conditioning, possessing an astonishing level of physical endurance.
They didn't exchange a single word, yet it was as if some tacit understanding had been reached.
They trained all the way until the sun sank below the horizon.
By then, even Yami had reached his limit. Beads of sweat poured down like rain.
Midway through, he had considered stopping early to strike up a conversation with Duy.
But he soon realized that this kind of extreme, limit-breaking training made his body behave like a sponge—absorbing growth continuously. Even the circulation and refinement of chakra within him had noticeably accelerated.
Without realizing it, Yami became fully immersed.
Following Duy's rhythm and pace, he poured himself into even the most basic exercises with absolute focus.
Only when hunger came in waves, and he snapped back to awareness with soreness in every inch of his body, did he realize it was time to stop.
The two of them halted almost simultaneously and looked at each other.
Having already accepted Yami as a kindred spirit, Might Duy spoke first, flashing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth.
"Ah, youth! Boy—can you feel it burning?"
Yami thought for a moment, then replied honestly:
"I feel like… my stomach is burning."