Quick event this week. If we're in the T20 by the end of this week, at least 5 bonus chapters or more. Go wild xD.
---
After the eighth bowl of ramen, Yami was finally full.
Kakashi handed the money to Ayame with a pained expression.
It wasn't that he minded paying for ramen. It was the massive gap between what he expected to spend and what he actually did that left him feeling bitter.
Once they finished eating and drinking, Yami got down to business.
"I've heard about your performance over the past two years."
He tapped the table casually with his index finger.
"You've repeatedly sent students back to the academy for retraining. If it weren't for your special status and decent strength, the Old Man would've kicked you out long ago."
Kakashi didn't refute it.
He knew he'd gone too far.
Saying that people who didn't understand teamwork weren't qualified to be ninja? That was nonsense.
The academy had never taught anything like that. Bonds were forged through missions, again and again.
Who could trust their life to someone they'd just met? And if they could, they were either too naïve or too dumb, both of which made them unsuitable to be ninja.
Truthfully, Kakashi was just stuck on the guilt of Uchiha Obito's death. He had always hoped to find a team that could redeem that loss.
"What you did before isn't my concern," Yami said flatly. "But now that the Old Man assigned you the new generation of Ino-Shika-Chō, and since Uncle Shikaku and Uncle Chōza are on good terms with me, I'll offer a piece of advice."
"I've watched Ino grow up. Some things are best done in moderation."
"If you want to instill your ideals, do it slowly and patiently."
He glanced at Kakashi. "What do you think?"
Kakashi nodded.
The kids he rejected in the past were all civilians. But if it were Ino-Shika-Chō… even without Yami saying anything, he wouldn't dare mess with them.
Still, there was one thing he couldn't help but feel bitter about.
"I heard the Old Man originally wanted me to lead Naruto. One of them is my teacher's son, the other the last heir of a teammate's clan. But someone interfered, and now…"
Naruto and Sasuke meant a lot to him. Missing the chance to guide them felt like a real loss.
Yami patted Kakashi on the shoulder. "The more capable you are, the more work you should take on."
"But your half-baked chakra can't suppress the Nine Tails with just one Sharingan, right? So let me handle it."
"Don't worry, I'll teach Sasuke your specialty—Raikiri. That way you'll feel like you were involved."
…What kind of twisted sense of involvement is that?
Kakashi felt disgusted and didn't want to talk to him anymore.
He stood up and walked toward the ninja school classroom.
Inside, Hinata and Ino were chatting quietly. Chōji was lying on the desk after finishing his snacks. Shikamaru was already asleep, and even Naruto bouncing around didn't disturb him.
"Seriously, are both teachers late kings or what?"
Naruto was getting impatient. He had been looking forward to asking Yami-nii about his parents after team assignments.
To take revenge on the late instructors, he set a simple trap at the door.
Sasuke, sitting coolly with his hands under his chin, scoffed.
"A Jōnin sensei wouldn't be caught by such a simple trap."
But just after Naruto set it up, a white-haired head poked into the room.
Thud!
The blackboard eraser hit him square on the head.
The illusion Sasuke had of Jōnin was instantly shattered.
"…Tch."
Kakashi entered, his dead-fish eyes scanning the room and landing on Naruto, who was now laughing.
"…How should I put it? I don't have the best first impression of you."
Naruto and Sasuke: "…"
"But it doesn't matter," Kakashi continued. "You're not my students anyway. Someone else can deal with you."
"Yamanaka Ino. Nara Shikamaru. Akimichi Chōji. Follow me."
Chōji quickly nudged the sleeping Shikamaru.
"Don't block the door if you're not staying," Yami said as he arrived.
"…Ah, right. I forgot you were still behind me." Kakashi moved aside awkwardly.
Yami walked in, drawing surprised looks.
"Yami-nii!"
"…That name." Sasuke frowned. It felt familiar, but he couldn't quite remember why.
Ino's excitement quickly turned to disappointment. "Why isn't Yami-nii my instructor?"
"Don't say that in front of me," Kakashi sighed, rubbing his forehead. "At least give your actual teacher some face."
"Come on."
Later, on the rooftop of the academy building…
Yami leaned on the railing, enjoying the early spring breeze with his eyes half-closed.
"This is my first time as a teacher, so let's stick to the basics."
"Introduce yourselves—what you like, what you hate, and your dreams for the future."
"I'll go first! Me!"
Naruto raised his hand and practically bounced up.
"My name's Uzumaki Naruto! I love Ichiraku Ramen! Especially when people treat me to it!"
"I hate Sasuke, and my dream is to become Hokage!"
Sasuke's face twitched but he didn't argue. He was still staring at Yami, trying to figure out why he felt so familiar.
Next up was Hinata. Yami had never deliberately changed her personality over the years, but with a loving family and a clear goal in mind, she had grown far more confident.
"My name is Hyūga Hinata. My hobby is embroidery, and the person I like is…"
Her voice got a little quieter, but she still spoke firmly.
"…Yami-kun. My dream is to be a good wife."
"I believe you will." Yami patted her head gently, and Hinata smiled shyly.
Honestly, Yami thought short-haired Hinata was more unique. Long hair could wait for when she was older.
"Your turn, cool guy."
Yami raised his chin toward Sasuke.
Sasuke's mouth twitched.
Cool guy? He was just deep in thought!
"…Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like anything. There are a lot of things I hate."
He glanced at Naruto.
"And my dream is… to kill that man."
"…Eh?!" Naruto stepped back, wide-eyed. "You're gonna kill your teammate?! That's messed up!"
"Naruto, he's not talking about you." Yami chuckled. "I know exactly who he means."
"Who?" Naruto asked.
"His brother. Uchiha Itachi."
Sasuke's eyes immediately turned cold and sharp.
"I'll definitely kill him!"
Yami shook his head.
"Hatred, like love, isn't something to be shouted. It's something to be done."
"A true avenger quietly builds strength and waits for the perfect opportunity to strike."
"Those who just scream about it seem immature and superficial."
Sasuke snorted softly in agreement and stared intently at Yami.
The meaning was clear: your turn.
Yami clutched his chest in mock pain. "So you've really forgotten…"
"Sasuke, I held you in my arms when your brother took the Chūnin Exams."
A flash of lightning struck Sasuke's mind. His memories flooded back. He suddenly remembered those few scattered moments.
He stared at his Jōnin sensei in disbelief.
"Shimura Yami?!"
After the massacre, Sasuke had subconsciously forced himself to forget everything related to Itachi. He focused only on vengeance.
Plus, he had been just a kid then, and Yami had changed a lot over the years.
He had never expected… that the one who beat Itachi senseless back then would now be his sensei.
"Remember now?"
Yami chuckled, locking eyes with the stunned Sasuke.
"Anyway, let's finish this."
"My name is Shimura Yami. I'm 17 years old, a Jōnin of Konoha."
"I used to love beef, but I'm sick of it now. I hate everything and everyone that defies me."
"My dream… is to establish bonds with everyone in the ninja world."
"Yami-nii!"
"You should call me 'Sensei' while on duty, Naruto. I'm your teacher now."
"…Okay, Yami-sensei." Naruto scratched his head. "Why does Sasuke want to kill his brother?"
Yami looked at Sasuke, who remained silent, then smiled.
"That's personal. When Sasuke is ready to share it, you'll know."
"Alright, that's it for today."
"You're not official genin yet. You'll only be recognized once you pass tomorrow's test."
"Meet at Training Ground 1 at 5 a.m. No breakfast allowed."
"Also, Naruto. I'll tell you about your parents after tomorrow's test."
Naruto nodded, though he looked reluctant.
"Dismissed."
"Wait!" Sasuke called out.
But Yami had already helped Hinata to her feet and vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
"…So fast!"
Sasuke's pupils shrank. He hadn't even noticed the technique activate.
He remembered Itachi once told him that Yami had been a disciple of Uchiha Shisui—who was famed for his Body Flicker.
Sasuke clenched his fist. He had a strong hunch that whether he could gain true power… would depend on Yami.
"In tomorrow's test, Hinata, you can eat breakfast. Just show up by five."
At a diner, Yami reminded Hinata while feeding her.
"Eh? But you said…"
"That was just to mess with them. Don't worry about it."
"Okay." Hinata nodded and offered a moment of silence for her two teammates before enjoying more of Yami's attention.
He knew Hinata was a heavy eater. Since she was shy about eating freely at home, he always took her out to indulge.
Just as Yami was enjoying feeding her, Sasuke showed up.
"Yami, I have something to ask."
Glancing at Sasuke, then at Hinata, Yami gave him a chance.
"Hinata, wait here a moment."
She nodded sweetly.
Yami took Sasuke to a quiet corner.
Before Sasuke could speak, Yami punched him straight in the gut.
"Gah—!"
Sasuke dropped to his knees, acid rising in his throat.
"As your teacher, here's your first lesson."
Yami crouched beside him, raising Sasuke's head.
"Not everyone in this world is your parent. Not everyone will tolerate your attitude. No one is obligated to spoil your rudeness."
"If you want to be arrogant, you need capital. That means power… or background."
"Now… do you understand your mistake?"
"…I was out of line, Yami-sensei." Sasuke clenched his jaw and nodded.
"Good." Yami smiled, satisfied.
"You used to be an adorable kid. One candy and you'd smile like the sun. It's not too late to fix that. I've got plenty of patience."
As Yami brought up Sasuke's embarrassing childhood, even the cool Uchiha couldn't help but blush.
"Let's not talk about that… I want to ask about Uchiha Itachi."
"Go on," Yami said casually.
"Where did he go after leaving the village? Does Konoha have intel on him?"
Yami answered truthfully.
"He joined an organization made up entirely of S-rank missing-nin. It's called Akatsuki. I don't know their base."
He recalled that the last time he'd contacted Kisame had been six months ago. Akatsuki had been quiet, doing missions and earning funds.
"…Akatsuki."
Sasuke repeated the name under his breath, burning it into memory. He looked at Yami again with fire in his eyes.
"Yami-sensei, help me become strong. I'll pay any price, as long as I can kill that man."
He felt lucky to have landed in Yami's team. The white-haired guy had looked unreliable.
"…Uchiha always seeks shortcuts."
Yami saw the hatred in Sasuke's eyes and slowly shook his head.
"I don't like Itachi either. But his strength is near the top of the ninja world."
"You can't defeat him any time soon."
Sasuke lowered his head. He already expected this answer, but it still hurt.
"…If you really want revenge, then perform well tomorrow."
Yami turned to leave.
"If you become my student, even Uchiha Itachi won't dare to look down on you."
"I can give you the opportunity to gain true power. The only question is—do you have the courage to bet your life?"
As Yami disappeared around the corner, Sasuke punched a wooden fence and clenched his teeth.
"Just wait. I'll pass your test no matter what!"
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves
(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)