Chapter 79: Danzo's Plan, a New Subplot (Ten‑Thousand‑Word Chapter)

Yuzhi actually had thought that in the future he would be harshly scolded with the phrase "evil Uchiha brat".

For example, that second‑generation Hokage might actually say that.

But he never expected that he would be scolded by Hikari, who is also of the Uchiha Clan.

This left Yuzhi momentarily bewildered, wondering if he had said something wrong.

Thinking carefully and recalling what he had said, Yuzhi couldn't help but laugh and cry, wondering if it was his remark "likes older people".

Although it's true, saying that in front of a girl seems somewhat inappropriate.

"And I even, in front of Hikari, played the villain before Uchiha Mikoto—could it be."

Thinking of this, Yuzhi almost lost his composure; can't he think of something better?

Why not think about eighteen‑year‑olds? After all, men of any age like eighteen‑year‑olds.

"Forget it, just find time to explain clearly; at least she shouldn't think I'm a pervert."

Yuzhi touched his chin; he really hadn't given this trivial matter much thought.

As for the evil Uchiha brat, he already is one, so it's no big deal.

Moreover, strictly speaking, Hikari is still the evil Uchiha old ghost, so no one needs to mock anyone else. ——

"Is Minato Namikaze the chief examiner for this Jonin test?"

Leaf Village, inside an Underground Laboratory.

Orochimaru stared at the scroll in his hand and couldn't help falling into contemplation; although the chief examiner of the Jonin test is not a particularly important position.

But this also takes into account some external factors, such as the fact that it is the critical period of the Fourth Hokage election.

Regarding the Hokage, Orochimaru's thoughts are very complicated.

As a member of Leaf Village, almost everyone harbors a dream of becoming Hokage, and he is no exception.

Moreover, in his view, no one in Leaf Village can compete with him.

As for the Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru could say, "Who else but me!"

However, the situation has dramatically changed; as rumors continue to spread through Leaf Village, this dream seems to be drifting away from him.

He can be certain that he is now growing farther from the Hokage, and unsurprisingly, the one responsible for all this is that guy Danzo.

"You've truly underestimated your ambition, Danzo."

Orochimaru's gaze grew somewhat gloomy; he never expected that Danzo, with whom he had always cooperated, would pull such a move against him.

Yet for some reason, he felt a faint sense of relief inside.

He does care about the Hokage, but that is merely his childhood dream; however, in war he has witnessed too many lives and deaths.

His heart has already undergone subtle changes; sometimes he asks himself what he is truly pursuing.

Is it that childhood dream, or the thing his heart truly desires now?

"Perhaps this could be an opportunity for change?"

Orochimaru casually set the scroll down, stood up, looked at the laboratory before him, then shook his head and walked outward.

A night of experiments has left him feeling fatigued, and he wants to rest a bit.

At the same time, he is pondering what he will do for this Jonin test.

Exiting the laboratory, Orochimaru entered the forest outside.

Leaf Village's laboratories are generally hidden within this dense, lush forest, the verdant woods serving as their best cover.

"But Danzo hasn't returned yet, and the people at the root have basically been reassigned by him—are they busy with Hokage matters?"

Orochimaru looked outside the laboratory and saw no one stationed there, and he couldn't help to think silently.

Although Danzo set him up, Orochimaru doesn't harbor much resentment; he knows well the principle that the winner becomes king, the loser a bandit.

Failure is one's own responsibility, a sign of insufficient attention or skill, and there's no need to find excuses to shirk.

Of course, Danzo also possesses the research material Orochimaru wants, so there's no need to completely fall out with Danzo.

"However, Danzo can never become Hokage; he's only fit to be the deep underground 'root', but unfortunately he lacks self‑awareness."

Though he doesn't hate him, Orochimaru will not hold any friendly thoughts toward Danzo.

Such a person will eventually dig his own grave and jump into it, so there's no need to reckon with him.

"Hmm?"

A person was walking slowly through the forest when Orochimaru suddenly heard some movement and headed in that direction.

Before long, he suddenly saw a child standing in the forest, and the child looked somewhat familiar.

"It seems to be the son of Uchiha Fugaku, Itachi Uchiha?"

Orochimaru silently thought that this brat had once asked him about the meaning of life.

And he had also revealed some of his own thoughts, which made Orochimaru remember this brat.

"Training?"

Orochimaru thought to himself, and at that moment Itachi Uchiha leapt down from a large tree.

While descending, he suddenly hurled several Kunai into the sky.

These Kunai had no pattern, as if colliding randomly, scattering across the sky, then falling straight down.

At that moment Itachi Uchiha was directly beneath those Kunai, hovering midair with no chance to dodge.

"This brat is too chaotic."

Seeing this scene, Orochimaru frowned; he was already prepared to act.

However, at that instant Itachi Uchiha's eyes turned an intensely scarlet.

His eyes scanned rapidly, and at the same time he retrieved a matching number of Kunai from his ninja tool pouch.

Ding, Ding, Ding

In an instant, countless Kunai flew out of his hand, racing toward the Kunai in the sky.

Metal clanging rose and fell, echoing through the forest, and the Kunai that struck each other traced strange arcs before scattering away.

The moment he landed, the Kunai had already hit all the targets placed around with precise and graceful accuracy.

Even the target hidden behind a tree was struck by the refracted Kunai!

It was all so perfect, like art that intoxicates the viewer.

Orochimaru stared blankly at the scene; he could hardly imagine a child achieving such a feat.

"Is this the Sharingan?"

Looking at Itachi Uchiha's crimson eyes, Orochimaru's mind filled with further thoughts at that moment.

At that instant, his gaze shifted ever so slightly!

*Clap, clap, clap—*

Suddenly, Orochimaru couldn't help but clap his hands, the crisp sound instantly pulling Itachi Uchiha's emotions back.

In that instant, he even felt a chilling sensation as if a venomous snake were staring at him!

Following the sound, he froze for a moment, then bowed respectfully and said, "Lord Orochimaru."

"You are quite impressive."

Orochimaru continued to stare intently at Itachi Uchiha; after a while, his gaze finally returned to calm.

At some point, a Kunai had appeared in his hand—the same Kunai Itachi Uchiha had thrown earlier.

"Excellent throwing technique; many Jonin would feel ashamed seeing you toss Kunai—truly worthy of the Uchiha Clan."

"Lord Orochimaru, you flatter me."

Itachi Uchiha remained exceedingly respectful, yet a hint of wariness rose within him.

The earlier feeling of being stared at by a venomous snake was terrible, seemingly coming from the man before him.

But that sensation vanished, like an illusion, leaving his mind a little dazed.

"This isn't flattery; you seem even more gifted than Uchiha Haori was back then."

Orochimaru let out a light laugh; when Haori was in Whirlpool Country, he was already seven or eight, and his eye‑opening came later than this kid.

Of course, it was merely praise—talent is one thing, but its realization is what truly matters.

"Speaking of that, have you found the meaning of your life yet?"

"The meaning of life?"

Itachi Uchiha pursed his lips, hesitated, and ultimately said nothing.

"I'm still searching, Lord Orochimaru."

"Is that so?"

Itachi Uchiha's subtle emotional shift could not escape Orochimaru's observation, which piqued his interest.

But Orochimaru, being one of the Legendary Sannin, would never trouble a youngster.

"Then you must work hard; life is inherently vague and will always be plagued by countless troubles.

Finding one's own life's meaning is extremely difficult, because sometimes you don't even know if what you think now is truly what you want.

Perhaps only by stepping out of a circle and looking back can you realize what you truly desire."

Orochimaru sighed as he finished, unsure whether those words were for Itachi Uchiha or himself.

In truth, he couldn't tell, but speaking them out was far better than keeping them bottled inside.

He glanced again at Itachi Uchiha, especially his crimson eyes, then turned silently and walked deeper into the forest.

Only Itachi Uchiha remained standing, seemingly recalling Orochimaru's earlier words.

"Is what I think now truly what I want?"

Itachi Uchiha murmured softly, his mind appearing a little dazed.

He pursed his lips, gathered the Kunai on the ground, and prepared to return home; Orochimaru's words left him somewhat unmotivated to train.

He walked along the forest toward the Uchiha Village, his mind continuously pondering the question.

But he was still young; his experience, perspective, and knowledge were insufficient to grapple with a problem even Orochimaru couldn't resolve.

Nevertheless, he did not stop; the question seemed truly valuable, and he yearned for an answer.

"My current goal is to find the true culprit who killed my father, but what I will want later remains unknown."

He kept wrestling with the issue, and when he reached a small hilltop, he suddenly halted.

Autumn's arrival did not make Leaf Village look desolate; the lazy sunlight spread over it, giving a unique beauty that reflected in his mind.

"How beautiful."

Itachi Uchiha's mind went blank at that moment; he didn't want to think about anything.

He just wanted to stand quietly there, admiring all of Leaf Village's autumn sights——

"What a strange little brat."

Perhaps having voiced what was on his mind, Orochimaru felt considerably better now.

How to proceed is a matter for later; whether he has already found an answer may already exist, but ultimately it depends on his teacher's final decision.

Now he wishes to re‑enter the experimental state, which would keep him from overthinking too many irrelevant things.

"However, I should still go see the Jonin test, at least to confirm my attitude."

Orochimaru muttered to himself, but as he returned to the lab, his brows suddenly knit.

"Has anyone been here?"

He scanned the surroundings quickly, and upon noticing some inconspicuous insects on the large tree in the area, he understood what was happening.

"Are you back?"

Orochimaru thought to himself, then proceeded straight into the lab.

Sure enough, upon entering, he soon saw Danzo sitting in a chair, and Oil Girl Ryuuma standing beside him.

Really, a rare guest.

Orochimaru's eyes were somewhat vacant, and he then laughed with a hint of mockery.

Lord Danzo's gracious presence truly makes me feel honored and startled.

Orochimaru, this old man has no time to joke with you.

Danzo's face was somewhat grim; he knew Orochimaru wouldn't give him any pleasant look, but he now had to come, and Danzo absolutely could not give up!

Be more mature; as one of the Legendary Sannin, you surely know that sometimes to achieve one's goals, one can use any means necessary, right?

Moreover, as a ninja, when facing enemies, you wouldn't be any different; if you hold a grudge against this old man over such matters, then this old man would truly be disappointed.

Danzo's words were so righteous-sounding, but he himself knew they were utterly baseless.

All he truly needs now is to urgently seek renewed cooperation with Orochimaru and to secure a dominant position.

During his absence from the Leaf Village, the village experienced events that left him utterly astonished.

For example, the entire leadership of the Uchiha clan was wiped out, which almost made him, still reeling from the loss of Root, burst out laughing.

Good that they died!

Although he couldn't laugh out loud, he couldn't help feeling excited inside, and moreover this matter was known throughout the Leaf Village, with everyone discussing it.

This must be the work of Rizhan, which largely reduced the heat of discussion surrounding Orochimaru.

This truly helped him greatly; he deserves to praise it with a 'good death'!

An explosive public opinion can only be overshadowed by another or multiple explosive opinions; now the matter of Orochimaru has somewhat subsided.

Then, in Danzo's view, Orochimaru is promising, which inevitably reignites his ambition.

Speak, what business do you have with me?

Danzo was thinking something; Orochimaru could probably guess, but he had no interest in it, merely shaking his head calmly and asking.

Moreover, your Root—only Younu Longma showed up, tsk tsk.

Root needs rebuilding; this time we've encountered a fellow with very special eyes.

Danzo was nearly at his breaking point inside, yet he maintained a calm and composed demeanor.

That fellow instantly defeated and even killed Root, the Rain Ninja, and even Hanzo all together.

The Leaf Village cannot lack Root; I think you should know, and since I have lost this time, I will naturally support you.

Orochimaru, don't you want the position of Hokage?

Orochimaru raised his brows at these words; he was indeed interested in what Danzo said, but only in the initial parts.

He instantly killed all of Root, even finished off Hanzo, and yet is a person with strange eyes?

Hanzo left a deep impression on him, and the Sharingan just now also made something unforgettable.

Combined, he finds it hard not to be interested.

We can cooperate again, but I cannot lack even half of the experimental materials I need, and I require detailed information about your actions this time.

No problem, but I also have a condition.

Danzo nodded directly; cooperating with Orochimaru is just that straightforward and decisive.

I want the Dark Division; rebuilding Root needs fresh blood, and the Dark Division is the best supplement.

As you wish.

To Orochimaru, such matters are utterly indifferent; any post is merely a chip, and giving it away as long as it suits his needs is no big deal.

Moreover, as he spoke with Itachi Uchiha earlier, his thoughts have become increasingly clear!

Good, pleasant cooperation.

Danzo nodded in satisfaction; the rest is up to his performance.

However, he still has some doubts now, because he has not been in the Leaf Village, so his information is limited.

Orochimaru, what's going on with the Uchiha side? How did Uchiha Fugaku and Uzhibo ChaNa and those people all die?

How would I know? I'm not interested either.

Orochimaru shook his head, suddenly thought of something, and then couldn't help laughing.

But speaking of which, I happened to meet an interesting little brat; that brat is now quite confused.

What do you mean?

Itachi Uchiha, son of Uchiha Fugaku, seems to be in a confused stage now; perhaps you could try, but

Uchiha? Hmph, fine, but what do you want?

I want the Sharingan; I know you have plenty of material there.

——

Danzo's return was extremely secret; few in the Leaf Village knew of his situation.

Yuzhi is the same; even if he knew, he probably wouldn't feel any worry about the current Danzo.

A Danzo without Root is like a toothless wild dog; maybe he could still bark wildly with the title of Hokage Assistant, but it's hard to cause any real harm.

Moreover, this guy should be pondering how to cooperate again with Orochimaru, and also lacks the time, energy, and ability to cause trouble.

Hurry up; if I'm not mistaken, it's today—do you really want to be late?

In Yuzhi's home, the fully dressed Hikari watched Yuzhi, who was still hanging a toothbrush and brushing his teeth slowly, and couldn't help shaking his head and speaking.

Hikari's energy comes and goes quickly; although he earlier scolded Yuzhi as an evil Uchiha brat.

But after a few days, she herself also gradually recovered, although sometimes she still had some emotions.

"Alright, I'm coming right away."

Yuzhi, hearing Hikari's words, also quickened his pace; before long, after he finished washing up, the two set off together.

This Jonin test is extremely important for Leaf Village, perhaps because more participants are involved, perhaps to boost Leaf Village's morale.

The test uses an open viewing format, which also means anyone can come to watch this competition.

Even Yuzhi had heard that the Third Hokage seemed to intend to invite the daimyo to come watch the match, but whether it was true or not remained unknown.

If it's true, I'm afraid this is also Minato Namikaze's stage...

Yuzhi secretly thought, after all, this time Minato Namikaze is the chief examiner, the most conspicuous role besides the contestants.

If the daimyo comes, he can naturally see him clearly, which would be of unimaginable benefit to Minato Namikaze's Hokage dream.

But these aren't his concerns; he's already said what needed to be said, and if nothing unexpected happens, things will proceed as he remembers.

Moreover, his main priorities now are, on one hand, the clan, and on the other hand, naturally his own experiments.

"What are you thinking about? Are you worried about this exam?"

Walking along the road, Hikari saw Yuzhi's absentminded look and asked strangely.

"No, the exam shouldn't be too difficult."

Yuzhi heard that and casually found an excuse to explain.

"I've been thinking about our experiment; Heavenly Subjugation is very useful, but its interval is really long, and the consumption is not small either."

"I'm also worried that before we find the correct solution, my eye power won't be able to hold out."

Heavenly Subjugation is indeed an excellent technique, but its cooldown and consumption also make it somewhat difficult for Yuzhi to bear.

Although the ability he has been using, 'Custom Precondition Future Prediction,' consumes relatively little and has a slightly faster cooldown,

but even the shortest cooldown requires three to five days, and the consumption is tied to the number of simulated segments, which isn't very friendly.

"Is it very difficult?"

Hearing it was about the experiment, Hikari also immediately became somewhat serious.

"If the consumption is too great, I suggest we not continue, or adopt a more stable approach."

"You can't sacrifice your eyes over something so illusory; that would be a loss outweighing the gain."

"Don't worry; I've actually accumulated quite a bit of experience from all those simulations."

Yuzhi nodded, smiled, and said.

"You've also seen the simulation segments; isn't the situation getting better each time?"

"Even so, I still hope you can pay a bit more attention."

Yuzhi has always done this experiment together with Hikari, so she naturally has witnessed the progress in the simulation segments time and again.

But deep down she still worries that Yuzhi's eyes might have problems, and she actually doesn't fully believe in this technique.

Fate is changeable; who knows if there will be any mishap midway when we set a precondition to simulate the future?

Uchiha Fugaku is the owner of this eye technique, but in the end wasn't he taken down by them!

"Yuzhi, Ying, over here, over here!"

The two hurriedly walked toward the exam's training ground; just as they reached the gate, Lin waved at them from afar.

"Morning."

Yuzhi walked over, smiling and speaking, while Ying also lightly nodded at everyone.

"Why did you two only just arrive? We're about to go backstage to prepare."

Asuma saw Yuzhi and the other two and asked curiously, 'This kind of thing almost made them late; they really don't take this exam seriously.'

"He's too slow; I've been waiting for him."

Hikari glanced at Yuzhi beside her, and Yuzhi just shrugged speechlessly.

"You two live so close together; that's really convenient."

Akai also laughed and said from the side, 'In his view, living so close to Yuzhi means they can spar often!'

He currently most wants to challenge Yuzhi, although he knows he has no chance of being a match.

But Yuzhi had told him that he inherits his father's will; his father wasn't he unafraid of hardship, never ceasing?

"Hah, not bad."

Yuzhi smiled, but thought: 'If not close, she would just live at my house.'

"Really envy you, guy; I think you two will probably get engaged someday."

Asuma at the side pursed his lips; he also wanted to live that close to Hong.

But his words made Yuzhi and Hikari involuntarily glance at each other, then they quickly looked away.

If Uzhibo ChaNa and the others were still alive, this might be possible, after all Yuzhi is already of age.

But now everyone's dead; who among the remaining would dare arrange an engagement for Yuzhi?

"Who knows what the future holds; we're still young." Yuzhi shrugged and replied.

"Tch, you guy."

Asuma looked at Yuzhi's face, suppressing the urge to go up and punch him, then spoke softly.

"Right, Yuzhi, I heard the old man say he plans to give you your battle merit reward together this time."

"Battle merit reward?"

Yuzhi heard that, stunned for a moment, then realized he still hasn't received the Leaf Village's reward!

From the war's end to now, he's basically been dealing with internal clan matters, while the Leaf Village, since the war hasn't fully ended, is also preparing for the Fourth Hokage.

Everyone is busy to the point of being overwhelmed, so this matter naturally stalled at the stage where the Leaf Village frantically promotes him but the actual reward hasn't been issued.

Yuzhi also became curious about what reward the Leaf Village would give him.

After thinking it over, he felt it might just be some money and secret techniques or the like.

After all, he's an Uchiha; even if the Leaf Village wanted to give him some positional reward, his family's police department basically shut that down.

Thinking of this, Yuzhi lost interest; although having something is better than nothing, for him the utility is too low.

However, although he thought that, others were especially envious.

Naturally, what ninjas pursue is strength and fame; a war hero's reward certainly won't be poor, and those secret techniques can definitely allow one to improve again.

For a moment, this group kept congratulating Uchiha Haori, but no one was jealous.

After all, Uchiha Haori's achievements were truly concrete!

While they were chatting, the ANBU soon arrived to inform them they could enter and begin preparations.

"Come to think of it, this exam is a random draw, and we don't know if we'll be drawn together."

Asuma muttered softly from beside him, glanced at Uchiha Haori and, with a slight headache, said.

"First, let's agree—if you're drawn, don't go overboard; Red should be watching from the stands, so don't embarrass me."

"I think the Third Hokage wouldn't let you draw me."

Uchiha Haori shrugged, smiled, and replied, but his words made Asuma's face turn dark.

Previously he didn't want to be drawn with Uchiha Haori; that time in the Grass Country left a deep impression on him, and he knew he was definitely no match.

But now he actually wants to be drawn with Uchiha Haori, at least that proves there's no foul play. ——

"This Itachi Uchiha is rather interesting."

Inside the Root base, Danzo stared at the documents in his hand, lost in thought.

The Root was now so desolate that, apart from a few clerical and reserve staff, there was no combat power left to speak of.

However, Danzo had already calmed down; after returning, he had already met the Third Hokage.

Though he was harshly scolded, his goal was ultimately achieved—his Root was preserved.

Many times, Danzo felt that his old friend was far too weak, so many matters had to be handled by him.

But now he thinks that his old friend being a bit weak at times is actually better.

The Root can be retained, but rebuilding its combat strength will still take time.

Quality talent won't come here; those great families have a poor impression of him, so he must secure the ANBU!

"My roots are buried deep underground, serving the Leaf Village; this shallow crowd will never understand!"

Danzo thought to himself that, of course, he could also use the toughest methods to force those great families to hand over people.

It's just that he now has confidence in the ANBU, so he hasn't done that; however, now he can also start selecting talent for himself early.

Itachi Uchiha was recommended by Orochimaru; although he looks down on Orochimaru, he still believes in the mutual respect among geniuses.

He still knows Itachi Uchiha's situation; the kid seems to be a prodigy, having already fought on the battlefield at a young age.

Moreover, his current situation appears dire: his father is dead, and a brutal power struggle has begun within the Uchiha Clan.

After all, the clan leader position in his family wasn't hereditary, so after Uchiha Fugaku's death, Itachi Uchiha still lacked sufficient ability, and naturally no one paid him any heed.

"Moreover, the deaths of Uchiha Fugaku and Uzhibo ChaNa and others were already suspicious—was it an internal coup?"

Danzo was very perceptive; although the Uchiha are a bunch of lunatics, he doesn't buy the outside story.

He prefers to believe it was premeditated, aimed at the clan's power.

"Orochimaru said this kid has fallen into confusion, probably because he sensed unease; this is a good opportunity."

Danzo set the documents aside and quickly contemplated how to proceed.

Itachi Uchiha's anxiety and confusion are ideal, so he can appear and tell the kid—he can mentor him, help him find the murderer and take revenge.

As for who the murderer is, that doesn't matter; anyone can be it—whoever stands out in the Uchiha Clan is the one to label as the killer.

"Moreover, he's even asking Orochimaru about the 'meaning of life,' a lofty topic, but I can define it for him."

Everything is for the Leaf Village; helping me is for the Leaf Village, and being loyal to me is loyalty to the Leaf Village!

Danzo already had a complete picture in his mind; although he despises the Uchiha, he also knows their strength.

Recruiting such a Uchiha prodigy and fully training him as his own is something Danzo is very eager to do!

"And he has already awakened the Sharingan; his future achievements will at least not be inferior to Uchiha Haori's, especially under me."

Uchiha Haori, the war hero, disgusts Danzo to the extreme, though he acknowledges everything Uchiha Haori has done.

But any Uchiha beyond his control, whom he would never trust, could, in his eyes, become the next Uchiha Madara!

He knows, however, that becoming Uchiha Madara is a concept—inheritance of Madara's ideas, not his power.

To reach the level of Uchiha Madara, even all the Uchiha of the Leaf Village combined could never achieve it.

After all, they don't even have a pair of Mangekyou Sharingan now!

"That Uchiha Haori may be a genius, but this chaotic clan now will likely hinder his progress, which is better."

Danzo thought to himself that he didn't know whether Haori could awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, but even if he did, he was overly worried.

The Second Hokage left many methods to counter the Uchiha, even the Mangekyou Sharingan; this is a safeguard against that clan.

If Itachi Uchiha comes here, he could try to make him open his eyes, thereby gaining the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Ryoma." At that thought, Danzo whispered, "Go monitor Itachi Uchiha; I want all his movements."

"Yes, sir!" Ryoma nodded, then vanished into the darkness.

"Itachi Uchiha." Danzo murmured softly, "I hope you won't disappoint me."

——

"There are actually that many people?"

Standing at the entrance to the arena's participants' corridor, Hikari looked at the densely packed crowd inside the arena.

Below, several fields were divided, where people fighting fiercely for selection and promotion were battling, and she couldn't help but whisper.

It's still just a selection, after all there are far too many contestants, so a portion must be eliminated.

Yet even for a selection, there were so many spectators, which she found somewhat puzzling.

Especially since most of the audience were ordinary people and those not very strong; could they really understand a ninja's combat?

"Of course there are many, after all this is a morale‑boosting measure."

Though the crowd was noisy, Uchiha Haori still heard her voice, and smiled as he gave an explanation.

"The war is too brutal, and even now there is still a village that hasn't signed a cease‑fire agreement."

Leaf Village itself also suffered great losses, so it needs to use various means to consolidate and boost morale.

This Jonin examination is obviously the same; as for whether others understand or not, it doesn't matter.

All they need to see is their own village's ninja displaying strong combat, and that is enough.

Hearing Yuzhi's words, Hikari thoughtfully considered them; Yuzhi's words were plain and easy to understand, so she naturally could comprehend them.

But after saying all that, it gave her a strange feeling.

"Why do your words make me think of when I used to watch animals hunt in the forest?"

"Um, are you talking about the monkeys in the zoo?"

"Zoo? What is that, a place for people to view animals?"

"Well, that's right."

Yuzhi realized he really hadn't taken Hikari to the zoo, although strictly speaking he himself hadn't been there since his transmigration.

But Hikari's statement is indeed not wrong; it's just unpleasant to say, though it's also a fact.

"Forget it, I don't really understand what you two are thinking, but you said we might end up together?"

Hikari also seemed too lazy to continue this topic; instead she gave a somewhat amused look at Yuzhi and asked.

"Although my memory is a bit fuzzy, do you remember when you first rescued me? You looked rather disheveled then."

"How can you even say that? I rescued you, but you almost ended up killing me."

Not mentioning it would be fine, but as soon as this came up, Yuzhi also felt depressed; back then he really was in great danger!

"Who knows what kind of person you are; I only know you use the Sharingan, that's all."

Hikari looked at Yuzhi, shrugged her shoulders, and then spoke seriously.

"This time let's have a proper match, without Mangekyou Sharingan; I want to see just how this so-called hero of yours really is."

"Of course we can't use that, but I think I can win."

Hearing Hikari's words, Yuzhi also couldn't help but feel pleased; he really hadn't properly sparred with Hikari before.

"You really are confident."

Hikari lightly shook her head, thought for a moment, then said.

"How about this: if I win, you'll be in charge of washing dishes; if I lose, you can decide what to do."

"If I win, you handle cooking; as for washing dishes, I'll still do it."

Yuzhi really wanted to say, 'Even if we move, you'll still live with me,' but he didn't dare say it out loud.

Moreover, considering his skill points seem to have been misallocated, having someone help him cook would also be quite nice.

【New Side Quest】

While Yuzhi was thinking, the system in his mind suddenly refreshed.

This made Yuzhi stare for a moment, then he curiously looked at his mission interface.

【1, Defeat Uchiha Guang and complete the examination with a perfect record】

【2, Intentionally lose to Uchiha Guang to complete the examination】

【Unknown Task Reward】

Seeing these two mission options, Yuzhi's mouth twitched involuntarily; this damned system really keeps giving him two opposite choices all the time.

Although he had accepted the side quest, Yuzhi was still happy inside; his previous side quest was when he met that Shisui kid.

Now another side quest has finally appeared, and it's for dealing with Hikari, which means he can extract benefits from her!

Hikari's eye technique is so abnormal that she's completely convinced; if he could get something from this, for Yuzhi it would really be a huge profit.

"Looks like I must win this time."

Although losing to Hikari is also possible, the key is that if he intentionally loses, Hikari would probably get angry.

She, like other Uchiha, also has a certain pride; she can accept her own failure, but she probably doesn't like being given a victory through mercy.

Especially since this examination means nothing to her; she still has the Sharingan and can see Yuzhi's details.

"The most important thing is that, aside from not overly revealing my eye technique's abilities, everything else I share with her."

Thinking this, Yuzhi basically confirmed he truly needs to fight seriously.

"What are you thinking about? It's your turn."

Yuzhi secretly made a decision in his heart, and then Hikari suddenly pushed him to remind him.

At that moment, cheers suddenly erupted across the training ground, the huge sound wave even made those fighting elsewhere stop.

"That fast?"

Hearing those enthusiastic cheers, Yuzhi couldn't help but smile slightly, then he said to Hikari.

"I was thinking about what to eat tonight."

"You say it as if you've already got me."

Hikari rolled her eyes, then urged him.

"Hurry up, don't keep people waiting."

"Yeah."

Yuzhi nodded, then he seemed to think of something, so he whispered.

"By the way, you actually misunderstood me last time."

"What misunderstanding?"

"I like people older than me, but I haven't even gotten engaged yet, so how could I be interested in someone with a kid? Don't get the wrong idea."

After saying that, Yuzhi walked into the arena without looking back.

And as he appeared, the cheers became even more intense at that moment, while Hikari stood blankly on the stands.

Recalling Yuzhi's words, after a while her face suddenly turned slightly red, but also with a hint of confusion.

Ah?

Thanks to the big shot of Arctic Storm EX for the reward, thank you, thank you!