A "forgotten squad" referred to a team that had, for various reasons, lost its captain. Without anyone to report to, they were gradually buried in paperwork and overlooked by the administrative system.
They survived by taking missions on their own.
But with no reputation—
No visibility—
Those in power didn't even know such a team existed.
Compared to them, even someone like Might Duy—a lifelong genin—had it better.
At least people knew he existed.
Some even tried to force him into retirement.
So a team like this not knowing even the most basic genin training methods…
—was understandable.
…My ass.
Yoru turned to Obito, disbelief plain on his face.
"Obito… even without a captain, what about you? Why don't you know tree climbing and water walking? Those are things every Uchiha learns."
"…Huh? That's a thing?"
Yoru stared at him.
Then gave up.
Completely.
No point continuing.
His hand moved.
A quick grab—
A white cat suddenly appeared in his grasp.
The three genin cried out in unison:
"Ah! That's the white cat we're looking for!"
"…That's possible through training too? That's amazing…"
Yoru gently stroked the trembling cat, calming it down. Once it settled, he handed it to Rin.
"Don't let Obito handle mission targets again."
"And have him go back to the Uchiha compound and actually learn something."
"Otherwise, all of you will suffer for it."
"Thank you."
Rin held the cat and bowed deeply.
"Thank you very much. You're really a good person!"
Yoru: "…"
…Why do I hate hearing that so much?
He didn't reply.
Just gave a small nod and walked away.
Behind him—
Obito immediately perked up the moment Yoru was gone.
"Tch. That guy hits me every time he sees me. Not friendly at all."
"Obito!"
Rin frowned.
"He just helped us complete the mission. That's not something you should say."
Obito muttered stubbornly:
"It was just catching a cat. I could've done it myself."
"If he hadn't stopped you, you would've rushed into the commercial district!"
"That wouldn't happen. I'm an Uchiha."
"…And that chūnin was also an Uchiha, right?"
"…I guess…"
"Hmph. Whatever. Let's go turn in the mission."
"Okay."
The nameless genin: "…"
The two continued arguing like no one else existed.
No one noticed—
Yoru had been walking away with his eyes closed.
…Found you.
White Zetsu.
…
"Hey, isn't that Uchiha Yoru also one of Madara-sama's targets? Why are we ignoring him?"
"Idiot. Madara-sama wants kind-hearted Uchiha. That one's just lazy. When he fights or patrols, there's nothing kind about him."
"Yeah… he talks nicely, but his methods are ruthless. Definitely not a good guy."
"Move. Don't lose sight of Obito. If Madara-sama gets angry, we're done for."
"Right, right… I still want to experience… you know… normal human sensations…"
"Exactly! If he gets mad, we're finished!"
…
Of course—
Yoru heard none of that.
All he caught—
Was a fleeting trace.
The range of All-Knowing Mind's Eye is still too small… I can't counter White Zetsu surveillance yet.
But at least… my home is safe now.
That's enough for now.
At home… I can finally do more things without holding back.
Absorbing the mind-ape strengthened both my intuition and perception…
There's hope.
One day… I'll drive them away.
Maybe even capture one.
But for now—
Focus on training.
Only a stronger body can support a growing mind…
And accelerate the awakening of the Mangekyō.
Yoru opened his eyes.
A faint trace of impatience flickered within them.
The Third Shinobi War had already begun—
But none of the Five Great Villages had officially declared war yet.
Instead—
They probed each other through proxy forces, rogue shinobi, and border skirmishes.
No one wanted to make the first move.
Because whoever did—
Might become the target of everyone else.
Konoha, in particular, had suffered enough multi-front wars.
No one wanted a repeat.
But this fragile balance—
Wouldn't last.
Yoru knew.
The disappearance of the Third Kazekage would ignite everything.
And that…
Would happen soon.
"This year… or next."
"…If only I had sensed natural energy earlier."
"If I'd completed foundation building three years ago…"
He exhaled.
"No use thinking about it."
"Make up for it now."
…
From then on—
Yoru's routine became fixed.
Every morning at five—
He ran along Konoha's outer wall.
After returning—
He trained in stance work, alternating between stillness and movement until noon.
Then he cooked.
Ate with Miwa Masayo.
Afternoons were for combat techniques, weapon practice, and throwing.
At night—
Under cover of darkness—
He practiced ninjutsu and his own techniques.
He called them—
Dao Arts.
To distinguish them from so-called Sage Arts.
His life was quiet.
Low-profile.
Another "training fanatic" appeared in Konoha—
And somehow—
Only Might Guy and his father knew.
But the results—
Were absurd.
His physical strength skyrocketed.
His speed increased day by day.
Two weeks later—
One lap around the village wasn't enough.
He had to run two—
Just to maintain three hours of training.
But—
There was a price.
Miwa Masayo lay on the table, watching him devour food like a monster.
She clicked her tongue.
"Seriously… I still can't get used to this."
"How can a human eat this much?"
Yoru swallowed a mouthful of meat and smiled.
"When you train hard, you eat more."
"More? This is fifty kilograms of meat! Fifty!"
"Jealous?"
"…N-no, I'm not jealous!"
"You could do it too."
"Meow? How?"
"Train with me. Increase intensity."
"No! Last time I barely lasted halfway before I saw my ancestors! Absolutely not!"
"You can skip the weights."
"No means no! I'm a ninja cat, not a dumb dog!"
Yoru chuckled.
"Watching me eat all this meat… really not jealous?"
"Hmph!"
Her eyes rolled.
Then—
She suddenly asked:
"Yoru… you buy all this meat, right?"
"…Of course. It's not like I can hunt inside the village."
"…Then how many days of money do you have left?"
"…"
"Money isn't something a cat needs to worry about."
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