Chapter 130: Hikari Is Almost Eighteen

Leaf Village, Yuzhi's home.

Seeing Lin, who was bustling back and forth together with Hikari, Yuzhi couldn't help but pat his head.

"Lin, you're at least a guest, and now you're Tsunade's disciple, so don't waste time cleaning the house for me."

"It's nothing, just helping out."

Lin smiled indifferently, while Hikari beside her wore a stern face.

"Isn't it because you're dead lazy? Otherwise Lin wouldn't have come to help!"

Hikari's words made Yuzhi a bit uneasy; after all, she had already taken charge of these tasks, so why were they being shifted onto him?

But Yuzhi dared not say anything; lately Hikari had been somewhat irritable.

Since a month ago, Yuzhi displayed the allure of the Eternal Eye and flew through the skies with Hikari.

That truly gave her a harsh jolt, and after returning she plunged into a state of diligent effort.

In fact, it wasn't just Hikari; Zhisui, after returning from Mist Village, entered that state even earlier.

"Alright, no need to do it anymore."

Yuzhi pulled Hikari down to sit, then also pulled Lin beside them, and said with a smile.

Hikari didn't want Yuzhi to acquire a bad reputation, and these matters weren't difficult to begin with.

But Zhisui lagged far behind their progress; the kid still hasn't reached White Absolute Cells saturation, and his path is still long.

The qi I generate is my own; after all, my progress has been far too slow.

"The weather's nice today, huh?"

"A little chaos is fine," Yuzhi shrugged. "If it really doesn't work, I'll just use Shadow Clone Jutsu to tidy up."

However, since Hikari was immersed in hard work, and Yuzhi himself needed the changes brought by the Eternal Eye and glorious evolution, the household situation was somewhat neglected.

Hikari pursed her lips, while Lin smiled and held onto Hikari.

"Abusing authority—aren't you the Clan Leader and a department head?"

Moreover, she thought, this is her home; how could she let strangers just waltz in and cause trouble?

Lin is a friend of hers and Yuzhi, and they are quite close; otherwise she wouldn't want Lin to meddle in these matters.

Yuzhi, seeing Hikari's persistence, couldn't say more; he could only lament the loss of a great amount of labor.

"Also, even you aren't allowed to do that, understand!"

In fact, even on ordinary days, if Yuzhi tried to act, Hikari would block him, and over time he grew too lazy to try.

Yuzhi muttered to himself, after all he already possessed the Eternal Eye; just in terms of eye level, he already outclassed Hikari.

"Alright, isn't it better that he's gone, so you don't have to watch him get angry?"

"Actually it's not much; Hikari can just rest a bit, I can handle it completely."

They're all free labor; let them clean the house, who would dare be dissatisfied? They might even compete to do it.

From his perspective, Hikari, using the Four-Tails' chakra, will probably soon fully master the fusion with Molten Escape!

"No need to make it so complicated, Yuzhi."

"Why so polite? Come on, we're friends."

"Though it's a bit messy, it's no big deal; you're not here to do this anyway. I'll arrange for someone to come clean later."

Stepping out of the house, Yuzhi glanced at the day's weather, smiled and nodded at the clan members who greeted him, then hurried outside.

Yuzhi really left the household matters to Hikari.

This made Lin, who had come to visit the two of them, feel awkward for a moment, and even made Hikari unable to hold back.

Hikari rolled her eyes and then flatly refused.

Seeing Yuzhi still looking idle, Hikari suddenly recalled his earlier words and couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

Lin glanced at Yuzhi and Hikari, then shyly spoke.

"Alright, alright, I got it."

Yuzhi let out a chuckle.

And Hikari's words

Yuzhi no longer wanted to mention her; he feared it would hurt him.

At this speed, Yuzhi could only describe it as breathtaking, finding no other words.

Hikari was momentarily speechless at that; the qi I generate isn't his.

Yuzhi immediately released Hikari's hand, then stood up and walked toward the doorway.

"Lazybones!" Hikari snorted lightly. "Sounds nice, but did you actually do anything? You just dumped all these broken tasks on me now."

Yuzhi rolled his eyes, then looked somewhat skeptical, as if he didn't quite trust Hikari, and said with a smirk.

"But it still fell short of me by a lot."

"Um, I have to go out for something."

"Also, didn't you say you'd help? Why are you still sitting here? Get up!"

"Lazybones."

"Besides, the entire Uchiha Clan, even the whole Police Department—once I give an order, someone will definitely come to do it."

"As long as Hikari hasn't broken through, Yuzhi can already start showing off."

Lin's coming to help at the house was purely accidental; she came looking for Hikari, and naturally was happy to lend a hand.

Moreover, she still felt grateful to Yuzhi, whether for being able to go to Tsunade or for rescuing her last time.

Even if Yuzhi didn't mind, he wouldn't block such things.

After all, having Lin help is fine; it relieves Hikari's pressure and prevents Yuzhi from having to do it himself.

He hasn't done housework for a year or two; he's worried he's become a bit unaccustomed.

Moreover, he's not actually being lazy; he really does have some matters that need to be taken care of.

"Although it may be a bit early timewise, this matter should indeed be carried out now."

Junmaro is in place, and he also possesses the clan's Byakugan, so now is the time to make some arrangements.

Yuzhi has been training the medic Yenoyu and Dou for over two years; Dou is now eleven, and he has formed a deep bond with the Police Department.

Moreover, at Yuzhi's request, he has been diligently studying various medical ninjutsu, and now it is time for him to try some things.

As for the trust issue, Yuzhi feels this matter truly warrants some contemplation.

What pleases him, however, is that Dou is a smart and mature child; this kid is very clear about the choices he should make.

He casually asked a Police Department staff member to fetch Dou, and Yuzhi turned and walked toward a tea house.

"Sir, you called for me."

Before long, Dou arrived; his face was a bit flushed, unsure whether from excitement or rushing.

"Please sit; there are indeed some matters I need to discuss with you."

Yuzhi smiled and nodded; after Dou sat down somewhat awkwardly, he continued.

"How is your study of medical ninjutsu progressing now?"

"Although I'm still far from the director's level, I think I can handle some tasks now."

Dou blinked; he seemed to realize something, then spoke slowly.

"Thank you, Sir, for providing this environment that lets me do what I enjoy."

Yenoyu did not hide anything from Dou at the start; she would naturally tell him the pros and cons, especially since Yuzhi had mentioned other secret missions.

Dou would not oppose such matters at all, though he might have harbored a bit of resentment at first.

But over such a long period, he truly watched the orphanage improve, and his director improve as well.

Everything around him was filled with sunshine; that lingering resentment had long vanished.

Deep down, he actually yearned to do more, to repay Yuzhi properly!

"Don't be modest; I heard Senior Yenoyu say your talent is exceptionally high."

Yuzhi chuckled softly, then stroked his chin.

"I do have some missions to assign you; this one is extremely important, and the matters involved are highly classified.

Dou, do you understand what this means, and can I trust you?"

Dou immediately rose and half‑knelt before Yuzhi, bowing his head earnestly.

"Sir, I understand; I have always understood, and I have always been waiting for this moment.

As long as you need, Sir, I will give everything, I."

"Alright, I'm not asking you to do anything that violates Leaf Village regulations or breaks its rules."

Yuzhi looked at Dou's expression and was momentarily at a loss.

What is this brat doing? I haven't even spoken, yet he instinctively sees himself as a villain like Orochimaru?

Is a medical ninja doing experiments automatically a rule violation?

Thinking of this, Yuzhi couldn't help but curse the two guys, Danzo and Orochimaru; if it weren't for their research, the atmosphere wouldn't have become so foul.

"I'll inform you of the research project's details later, and I may cast a genjutsu on you so you can't reveal anything, but you can rest assured."

Yuzhi pursed his lips, then, seeing Dou's bewildered expression, continued.

"It won't involve live‑subject experiments, there won't be any innocent people dying because of this.

It's only because this experiment involves me that strict secrecy is required; do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir!"

At this moment, Dou completely relaxed his mind, though he also blushed a bit.

He felt his previous performance was truly terrible.

"Do your best; I look forward to your performance, and later I will teach you a new technique as a reward."

Yuzhi waved his hand for Dou to stand up; this tea house is property of the Uchiha Clan.

He naturally has an absolutely quiet environment here, so he doesn't need to worry about others seeing anything.

As for the reward for Dou, Yuzhi is considering Sage Mode.

In the original work, Sage Dou left a deep impression on Yuzhi, even though the current Dou will no longer transplant massive cells into himself.

But this guy's exquisite chakra control and extraordinary combat IQ, after mastering Sage Mode, will certainly make him a powerful combatant.

"Besides that, your skills still need polishing."

Yuzhi thought for a moment, then continued.

"Senior Yenoyu is an excellent medical ninja, but her primary occupation is actually a root‑level spy."

"You still need to keep improving to do more, so I think you can go to Tsunade for proper training."

"Yes, Sir."

Dou is smart; he knows that once Yuzhi decides, it won't be easily changed, and he also longs for these benefits.

And he believes the best way to repay Yuzhi is to study hard, work diligently, and flawlessly complete his own mission.

Doing all this is far more practical than other verbal promises.

However, he does have some worries; although confident and mature, he is only eleven.

Moreover, Tsunade is indeed somewhat unfamiliar to him; after pondering a moment, he cautiously asked.

"Sir, will Lady Tsunade accept me?"

"Don't worry; I'll handle this. All you need to do is report later and study diligently."

Yuzhi let out a light laugh, completely ignoring Tsunade's issue.

After all, dealing with Tsunade, he's already quite familiar, especially since Tsunade owes him a lot of money!

He was thinking in his mind, Yuzhi lifted his teacup and gently took a sip, when suddenly he saw a white‑haired fellow walking toward him from afar—

Police Department, Medical Training Room.

After finishing his conversation with Yuzhi, Dou came straight here, while Ye Naiyu took the spare time to help the orphanage children mend their clothes.

Although the Police Department's support makes it unnecessary, Ye Naiyu still hopes the children become self‑reliant and not develop a sense of "it's taken for granted" in their hearts.

The days are better now, but one must not forget the past; she has persisted like this for two years, and the orphanage children's character and quality are also outstanding.

Dou does not wish to disturb Ye Naiyu, but thinking of the mission he has taken on, he feels it necessary to give a brief explanation.

"Are you saying it started on Yuzhi's side?"

Ye Naiyu was startled for a moment, pursed her lips, and then suddenly spoke.

"Could you reveal what Yuzhi said?"

"Sorry, Director, I cannot say."

Dou was taken aback by the question; after a moment, he lowered his head like a child who has erred, saying nothing.

The two remained silent for a while, then Ye Naiyu suddenly laughed.

"Very good, Dou, you've grown up and look like a ninja."

"Director."

"Don't worry, I'm not angry; on the contrary, I'm pleased."

Seeing the uneasy Dou, Ye Naiyu set down the garment in her hands, walked slowly to his front, cupped his face, and smiled.

"A ninja must have bonds, but likewise a ninja must have his own ninja way, convictions, and the perseverance of a ninja.

Yuzhi trusts you; there are matters he does not permit to be disclosed, so you must not tell anyone, not even me."

"I'll remember, Director."

Dou looked at Ye Naiyu's sincere and pleased eyes, and at that moment he finally eased his mind.

He nodded earnestly, and Dou said firmly that he now fully understood what he must do.

"That's good."

Ye Naiyu smiled, though in her heart she didn't truly wish such things to happen.

However, she also knows that every child has his own path to walk.

Through more than two years of contact and observation, she understands in her heart that Yuzhi genuinely intends to change certain things.

For example herself, and the orphanage, have shed Danzo's grip, and everyone now has a smile on their face.

In Ye Naiyu's view, Yuzhi truly is a trustworthy person, and she actually feels somewhat indebted to him.

Even though these children will eventually join the Police Department, she can't fail to see the Department's promising development and how much protection and investment it currently offers them.

"This might be a good thing, and also"

Looking at Dou's beaming face, Ye Naiyu couldn't help but think silently.

"I should also do something, whether it's cultivating talent or something else.

Only then can I repay his care and protection for us."

——

"So, you came here?"

"Kid, a ninja's life isn't just about fighting and killing; there should also be a side that enjoys life!"

Yuzhi isn't aware of Ye Naiyu's inner changes; otherwise he would be very pleased now.

Unfortunately, he doesn't know that Ziraiye is sitting there, his body fully immersed in the hot spring, eyes closed contentedly.

He sighed dejectedly, wondering how he ever believed that guy's nonsense.

After finishing his talk with Dou, Yuzhi was surprised to find Ziraiye, recalling that in previous meetings the guy always seemed lost in thought, which piqued his interest.

As a result, when he had a chance to greet Ziraiye, the lecherous old man simply dragged him out to "enjoy life".

"What's bathing in a hot spring for 'enjoying life'? No 'third floor', no foot massage, it's boring."

Though he internally complained, Yuzhi simply immersed his body in the spring and began to enjoy the different sensation.

Anyway, Ziraiye pays, so whether he enjoys it or not is irrelevant.

Moreover, Yuzhi can also reflect, after this 'Hikari Evolution', on the issue of spiritual enhancement.

The spiritual uplift is extremely subtle; that ultimate expansion of mental power instantly granted Yuzhi a massive ultimate Shadow Release.

This is also the key that allowed him to activate the Fifth‑stage Susanoo with little time.

According to his estimate, the amount of ultimate Shadow Release he gained this time truly doubled his original base.

This is definitely good news, as for the Uchiha Clan, the benefits of ultimate Shadow Release are indescribable.

As long as one uses the Sharingan, one cannot escape the passive use of these ultimate Shadow Release techniques.

Moreover, possessing the abilities of Six Paths Technique and Yin‑Yang Training, he now also has some realizable ideas.

For example, overlaying Shadow Release onto certain ninjutsu to achieve his own "Bloodline Elimination"!

He actually had this idea long ago, but his limited Shadow Release, without control, only barely fits when combined with the Sharingan.

If he were to use it for further bloodline elimination attempts, that would be unnecessary in many cases.

However, the benefit is there, the boost is there, and the thing he feared has also occurred.

"Kid, come soak in a hot spring with me—does that make you that uncomfortable?"

Ziraiye watched Yuzhi leaning there in silence, and couldn't help but scratch his head in puzzlement.

"Not really, I'm just pondering something else."

Yuzhi shook his head; although wandering aimlessly with Ziraiye was rather boring, he was still puzzled by this Hikari Evolution.

As he thought, the Hikari Evolution boosted his basic abilities, and likewise his potential!

This is a good thing, but for Yuzhi it is also a "not‑so‑good" piece of news.

Spiritual power and Shadow Release directly connect to the Mangekyou Sharingan, and Yuzhi's "expanding potential" means he has to "fill pits" even more!

Even though he had already anticipated this result at the Mangekyou Sharingan stage, it now appears he still underestimated just how deep the nightmare of "filling pits" truly is.

"The more I advance, the more I have to fill, even more—this damn."

From the Mangekyou Sharingan to the Eternal Eye, Yuzhi has been filling pits for two years; from the Eternal Eye to the Reincarnation Eye, plus the expansion of his potential.

Thinking of that, Yuzhi felt completely deflated.

"Honestly, I can't figure you out."

Ziraiye watched Yuzhi become increasingly "morose", which only made him more baffled, but he quickly broke into a mischievous grin.

"Your Police Department keeps getting better, doesn't it? What are you fretting about—did your little girlfriend stop talking to you?"

"Little girlfriend?"

Yuzhi blinked, intending to explain a word, but Ziraiye seized his arm.

"Alright, stop dwelling on these things; a man shouldn't hang himself on a tree."

"Today I'll open your eyes; come with me."

Ziraiye raised a finger, winked at Yuzhi, and then carefully led him to the partition wall of the mixed-gender hot spring pool.

Immediately, Yuzhi saw him stuck to the wall, his face breaking into a strange goofy grin.

"Eh hey?"

"Don't splash that on me…"

"You're developing really well…"

"Yeah, it's huge…"

Even without pressing his ear against it, Yuzhi could hear a series of silver‑bell‑like female voices coming from next door.

Just seeing Ziraiye grin stupidly, drool about to drip from his mouth, Yuzhi couldn't hold back either.

"If you want to be humiliating, don't drag me in; you have no shame and I still have to?"

"Tch, boring little brat."

Still amused, Ziraiye shook his head, took a towel to wipe the drool from his mouth, and then spoke earnestly.

"Being boring like this won't make you popular, you know."

"If you knew my past experiences, you couldn't say that; my biggest trouble is that I'm too popular."

Yuzhi let out a faint sigh, looked at Ziraiye helplessly and said.

"Also, what I'm worried about is my eyes, not anything else.

As for that little girlfriend you mentioned, it should be Ying, right? She's currently at my place."

"."

"And she's with another one of my friends, also a girl."

"."

For a moment, Ziraiye truly wanted to give Yuzhi two punches—'Bang Bang'—and it was his first time realizing this kid was so annoying.

"Just because he's handsome, does that mean he has combat power?"

"Damn, he really does."

Ziraiye immediately flopped into the hot spring; he was now a bit vulnerable.

"Speaking of it, senior Ziraiye, did you call me here for something today?"

Seeing Ziraiye's standard three‑panel expression of "forget it, I'm tired, let's destroy," Yuzhi stopped joking and asked curiously.

Ziraiye seemed absent‑minded at the last meeting; this time, with just a greeting, he pulled himself out, so he must have some thoughts and motives.

He doesn't mind helping this Ziraiye fellow; after all, in the original story that guy fought Pain and made him shed many tears.

"Hmm, indeed there are some things I want you to help with."

Hearing Yuzhi's question, Ziraiye simply emerged from the hot spring and then, embarrassed, said.

"Isn't the Police Department your department? I want you to see if you can do me a favor—keep an eye on some people in Leaf Village, those with special eye techniques."

Ziraiye is still clever; although he doesn't want to spread the prophecy too much, Leaf Village is also his home turf.

Now the 'local bigwig' of Leaf Village dominates every aspect of the Police Department, so he naturally thinks of seeking help.

"Special eye techniques?"

Yuzhi looked at Ziraiye bewilderedly, not knowing what this guy was thinking.

"Are you looking for Hyuga, or for Uchiha?"

"I don't know either, but keep an eye out for me."

Ziraiye awkwardly scratched his head, and could only say this.

"Alright, I understand; I will pass the order down."

Yuzhi pursed his lips, then simply nodded; if any person with special eye techniques actually appeared, he would naturally be extremely interested.

But he also guessed that this guy might have obtained new intel about that so‑called "Prophecy Child," right?

Actually, Yuzhi truly thinks the Prophecy Child is just a boring lie.

Naruto, as the Prophecy Child, seems to have truly driven change in the ninja world, but sadly it appears the Asura‑like fate is playing out again.

What he walks is nothing but the old path of Senju ZhuZhang; essentially he hasn't changed anything at all.

But Yuzhi can't really criticize that; after all, everyone chooses a different path, and Ziraiye also has his own destiny.

"I just don't know if Naruto, this so‑called Prophecy Child, can still be the same as before?"

Yuzhi stroked his chin, looked at the delighted Ziraiye beside him, and suddenly flashed a mischievous grin.

"Whether that kid ends up mixing with you or with me, I can't say."

Perhaps having solved a small problem, Ziraiye now feels upbeat, and he also tells Yuzhi many interesting things.

Both of them are natural social butterflies, and this conversation feels like they've been stealing erasers since childhood all the way to picking a burial site in old age.

Even Ziraiye has started making dirty jokes, but after a few lines he loses interest and shifts the topic.

It's not that Yuzhi is boring; rather, he discovers that he actually can't outtalk that kid Yuzhi.

This brat knows more than I do.

The unstoppable Ziraiye also begins talking about other things, and their conversation finally returns to normal.

"Honestly, I never expected that Hanzo guy would die so mysteriously. I was planning to go see, but I never got the chance, and I have no idea what's going on over there."

"Is that so? But some things truly can't be changed by human effort."

Yuzhi shrugged; Hanzo's death surprised him a bit but didn't shock him, after all that guy died dry‑handed, and surviving would be a miracle.

Still, he felt Hanzo seemed to have died a little too early, which made him slightly curious about the situation in Rain Country.

After pondering, he thought perhaps he should find a chance to visit Rain Country.

After all, he's still watching Chiyo's "Self-born Reincarnation," and he could also check on Orochimaru's condition. ——

Rain Country.

Nagato and Konan are in the same room, but their mental states differ.

Nagato is still mulling over other issues, while Konan keeps her head down, staring at the documents in her hands.

"Konan, how much credibility do you think Orochimaru's words have?"

Watching the drizzle outside, Nagato, after an unknown length of silence, suddenly asks.

Nagato also knows about Orochimaru and Scorpion's trip to Water Country, but those two brought back a truly shocking piece of news.

Apparently a mysterious organization has emerged in the ninja world; are they called "Flame" or are the members codenamed "Flame"?

These people, operating inside Mist Village, have almost single‑handedly crippled the entire village, causing massive losses and casualties!

Nagato feels he could handle such a situation, but according to Orochimaru's description, that raging fire‑style would even leave him somewhat powerless.

"I don't know either, but I doubt Orochimaru would joke about something like this."

Konan puts down the document and sighs.

"But now isn't the time to dwell on these issues; we still have an important matter unresolved."

"I know, it's just that the emergence of people like this makes me uneasy."

Nagato shakes his head, his expression turning serious as he speaks.

"These guys are targeting Mist Village now; who knows if they'll later strike Rain Country."

"No one knows their purpose, how could anyone not be worried about this?"

Konan frowns at his words; indeed, such matters demand vigilance.

The problem is that there's virtually no intelligence on this group—aside from knowing they're members of the Uchiha Clan, everything else is a mystery.

"Perhaps we could ask that guy."

After half an hour of thought, Konan tentatively speaks.

"Is that guy, who isn't an Uchiha, perhaps the one with some information?"

"Are you talking about the real deal or a fake?"

Nagato pauses at the question, then asks with an odd expression.

He still hasn't seen the so‑called real deal, which leaves him rather helpless.

He's long wanted to experience the strength of the so‑called "real deal," at least to feel its bearing.

Unfortunately, the person is too mysterious; after a single encounter with Konan and Scorpion, he has never shown his face again.

If it weren't for his absolute trust in Konan, he might even think she's hallucinating.

"Of course it's the real deal; aren't you clear on what the fake looks like?"

Konan looks at Nagato, sighs again, and continues.

"But that guy is too mysterious; finding any trace of him is hard, though I think he'll come looking for us."

"After all, he probably needs us to do something for him, and he's likely been watching Sand Village's resurrection technique."

"Resurrection technique, Self-born Reincarnation?"

Nagato can't help but murmur softly at that, still not forgetting the impact Konan's words had on him.

Even now he isn't sure whether to use that technique to revive Mi Yan.

It's not that he doesn't want revival; he wants to create a brand‑new, war‑free, peaceful world first, then let Mi Yan return from the pure land.

He hasn't forgotten how Mi Yan once blocked his contact with Madara Uchiha; in the end, the current Akatsuki Organization has long diverged from Mi Yan's will.

"And you, what's your purpose? Telling Konan about this technique—are you trying to sow discord or do you truly not care?"

For some reason, Nagato suddenly thinks of the so‑called true Madara Uchiha.

He truly doesn't understand what that guy is thinking, but he is genuinely looking forward to meeting him. ——

"Could a massive amount of chakra cause a temporal reversal?"

The Land of Fields, a clean laboratory hidden beneath a village.

Orochimaru looks at the documents in his hands, and his mind inevitably sinks into deep thought.

After returning from Water Country, besides reporting some necessary matters to Scorpion, he has become absorbed in two issues.

One is searching for the key that might let those people appear in this world; the other is Impure Earth Reincarnation.

Yuzhi has also taken an interest in the Impure Earth Reincarnation technique, though he hasn't yet handed over the complete data.

But that's only a matter of time; besides, he's especially interested now and certainly needs to examine it carefully first.

Moreover, the message the guy transmitted truly captured Orochimaru's intense attention.

After spending a great deal of time flipping through countless books in his collection, he finally found information on a person!

"It's ambiguous, but at least it's better than having nothing at all."

With this information, Orochimaru can also make some reasonable inferences; chakra is something both familiar and utterly alien.

No one can clearly state to what extent its energy can be manifested, not even Orochimaru.

Moreover, when those two mysterious people left, the soaring pillar of chakra light is still fresh in Ziraiye's memory; that level of chakra might actually be capable of something!

"Still reading the data; it seems you haven't even conducted experiments during this period."

While Orochimaru was pondering, Scorpion entered through a side door, glanced at Orochimaru, and asked curiously.

"Hmm, some data indeed needs to be examined carefully."

Orochimaru nodded, and suddenly thought of something.

"By the way, I think I recall that Sand Hidden Village has a Loulan; it seems to hide some special power?"

"A dragon vein, indeed."

Scorpion found it odd why Orochimaru suddenly asked this, but he still nodded.

"Are you curious about this power?"

"Indeed curious; is it massive?"

"Massive, beyond imagination, and according to some legends that power seems able to let a person break the limits of time and return to the past."

Facing Orochimaru's question, Scorpion thought carefully before speaking.

"But those are just legends; more records say that when someone probes that power, they never return.

I feel they didn't confirm the legend; rather, they are already dead."

The speaker was indifferent, but the listener was attentive; hearing this, Orochimaru's eyes flashed with a glint.

Can the power of the dragon vein reach this level?

If that's true, then some matters seem truly explainable!

Moreover, he suddenly recalled a previous incident: the Sand Hidden Village's dragon vein was assaulted by mysterious people, leading to its theft.

Connecting this a bit, Orochimaru suddenly felt he had truly grasped the key—

"So, she came to host in order to find her missing husband; damn, she even made me happily waste my time."

"First, shouldn't your focus be completing the commission? Secondly, isn't marriage better? A married woman, sigh?"

"."

Under a hazy moon on Konoha Main Street, Yuzhi and Ziraiye chatted idly all the way.

They had been playing all day, though Ziraiye kept complaining that bringing the underage Yuzhi limited what they could do.

But the guy only complained; after a day of eating and drinking, he covered everything and also recounted all his own affairs.

Sometimes, male friendship is that strange; as long as everyone can speak freely, a whole day of idle chat is fine.

Even without knowing each other, if something clicks, they can instantly become 'surface brothers' and spend a day together.

In his past life, Yuzhi met many such people at internet cafés; sitting next door, discovering the game was in the same server, even strangers could get hyped.

However, now Ziraiye is somewhat broken by Yuzhi; wherever he goes, female ninjas respect him, but their lecherous gazes don't change.

And Yuzhi, this guy, is respected by both male and female ninjas, but why do those female ninjas' eyes all flash with golden light?

"That kid is clearly a deeply hidden lecher!"

Ziraiye roared inside, but he couldn't voice it; even if he did, who would believe him?

For example now, he laments that other people's wives have to do something for their husbands, while sighing that he himself has encountered a married one.

Consequently, Yuzhi's odd mind actually finds married women appealing.

What kind of madness is this!

"Forget it, little brat; when you grow old you'll understand that staying forever eighteen is fine."

"Is that so, Ying is arriving soon."

"."

"Lin seems to be arriving soon as well."

"."

Ziraiye was too lazy to care whether Yuzhi was joking; he really couldn't hold back.

He turned, waved casually to signal 'farewell', and left without looking back.

"You don't even understand the elegance of Jian'an's spirit; no wonder you wrote the meaningless 'Paradise of Intimacy', you'd be better off as your teacher."

Watching Ziraiye leave without looking back, Yuzhi muttered a snort; he is now considering whether to...

Anyway, he happened to have a secret collection from Asuma intended for the Third Hokage; handing it to Kakashi to truly open his eyes doesn't seem impossible.

Anyway Hikari doesn't like that book, at most it's just to let Asma taste the feel of a belt, but that third‑generation old man doesn't seem to need a belt either, does he?

The Third Hokage doesn't need a belt, but he does use a staff; perhaps this could give Asuma a profound lesson.

With a wicked smile inside, Yuzhi felt he should go home.

Having been out for a day, he didn't know what his home had become now.

Today's chance encounter with Ziraiye clarified many things for Yuzhi, and he also made several decisions.

"Find time to go to the Rain Country, check the situation there, and also use this period to study some bloodtrace elimination issues."

The outbreak of Shadow Release made Yuzhi feel he truly needed to act; in the original, Madara Uchiha once used the technique 'Shadow Release: Thunder Style'.

Essentially this shows that Shadow Release can merge with other chakra.

Moreover, Wood Release has also performed excellently; then why can't Yuzhi give it a try?

"After returning, discuss it properly with Hikari."

Yuzhi really respects Hikari, and he had long decided to tell her about anything.

Thinking of this, he immediately activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, and the next second he was already at his own home!

Sometimes, Yuzhi thinks the Flying Thunder God Technique is an excellent way to deliver parcels, and even for sightseeing it's quite good.

Buzhihuo Xuanjian and the four of them only know the broken Flying Thunder God Technique; expecting them to fight is not very possible, but using it for transportation is very useful.

Ninja techniques are actually not only usable for combat; improving livelihood is also a good way, but unfortunately this world seems not to have such an idea.

"However, this isn't something I should be thinking about now; maybe there will be some changes later, after I become Hokage."

Thinking about that, Yuzhi walked into the living room; he found the whole house had been cleaned spotlessly!

Although not spotless, it also makes one feel cheerful.

"You're back?"

Hikari was sitting on the sofa, her hair wet, obviously just having taken a bath; seeing Yuzhi return, she raised an eyebrow.

"If you didn't come back for a day, I thought you weren't planning to come back."

"How could that be? Unless there's something else, how could I not come back?"

Yuzhi's face was all smiles; he then walked up to Hikari and naturally hugged her.

"Are you tired? Let's go rest."

"No, I'm not tired; don't mess around!"

Hikari was startled by Yuzhi's move; is this guy just going to pull this stunt as soon as he's back?

"As an old couple, let me help you blow-dry your hair."

Yuzhi didn't stop; while saying that, he held Hikari and headed toward the room.

"Ying, thanks, still fits well. Yuzhi, you're back?"

However, when Yuzhi was holding Hikari and arrived at the room doorway, the door of the room originally belonging to Hikari opposite opened, and Lin walked out from inside.

She stared blankly as Yuzhi held Hikari and walked toward another room; Yuzhi also stared blankly at her, while Hikari, face flushed red, looked at Yuzhi with shame and anger.

For a moment, the three stared at each other, and the whole room fell silent.