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Time goes back to the day Yami left.
After realizing that his own recklessness had caused a disaster, Killer Bee immediately began rescue operations after a brief moment of rage.
The good news was that, due to Yami's earlier destruction, Kumo had already entered a state of war preparedness, and many civilians had been evacuated to underground shelters as part of their practiced emergency protocols.
In addition, the Tailed Beast Bomb's direct target was the Raikage Building on the mountain. The ground below only suffered from the resulting shockwave, so the casualties were not as severe as they could have been.
But even so… it was still a massive explosion inside the village. The chakra scattered by the Tailed Beast Bomb was stronger than most of the ninjutsu used by Chunin-level shinobi.
The actual death toll reached close to a thousand, with most of the dead being civilians.
The over one hundred shinobi who died were mostly Genin.
But before Killer Bee could even catch his breath, another incident occurred that very night.
The Iwa forces, led personally by Ōnoki, bypassed the strait and landed, running into Kumo's support troops that had rushed back to the village.
If not for Killer Bee's timely arrival, and the Fourth Raikage abandoning the main force to rush back to the village out of concern for its safety, those thousand shinobi would have been surrounded by the Iwa forces.
With the combined strength of the AB brothers, they managed to repel the Iwa troops.
Upon returning to the village, seeing the devastation, and learning that his subordinate had been kidnapped by Yami, the Fourth Raikage was so furious that his gums bled.
"Raikage, we cannot afford to continue fighting!"
Although Dodai was filled with hatred as well, he clearly understood that Kumo had already been gravely wounded. Continuing the fight would only risk triggering another full-scale shinobi war.
Their generation had already spent their lives in battle. They did not wish to throw away more lives in a meaningless conflict.
"Raikage-sama, the village's economic loss is in the billions of ryō, and we have lost a significant number of shinobi. If we could win, it might be worth it… but Konoha has Yami."
"What difference is there between him and Namikaze Minato back then?"
"We cannot sacrifice the elites of Kumo for the sake of so-called righteousness."
After Dodai finished speaking, not only the Fourth Raikage but also the surrounding elite shinobi fell silent.
Objectively speaking, Kumo no longer had the strength to suppress Konoha. With Iwa putting pressure on them from the outside, they had no allies to turn to.
Suna was already in decline, on the verge of falling out of the Five Great Nations. Kiri had shut itself off from the outside world, choosing isolation.
Kumo was now isolated, without support.
The Fourth Raikage understood all this, but the heavy losses Kumo had suffered were too hard for him to accept.
But reality was cruel. No matter how unwilling, he was forced to swallow it.
Boom!
The Fourth Raikage erupted with intense lightning chakra, punching the ground beneath him. The surrounding damaged houses completely collapsed from the force of the blow.
After venting his anger, the Raikage prepared to return to rest.
But when he looked up, the once grand and imposing Raikage Building was gone. The mountain behind it had been flattened.
For a moment, fury surged again.
"Yami! I curse you! I curse you to die young like Namikaze Minato!"
Land of Hot Water.
After learning about the current situation in the Land of Lightning, Nara Shikaku finally relaxed completely.
Kumo no longer had the ability to wage war, at least for several years.
This war had already pushed them to their limits. If they had won, it would have been worth it, but losing meant disaster.
It was just like Suna's defeat by the daimyo, which led to massive budget cuts, severely weakening their military power. All they could do was watch helplessly.
As expected, a few days later, Kumo sent an envoy expressing their intent for peace talks.
However, due to the heavy damage to the village, they had no manpower to spare and would only be able to send an official delegation in a month.
Upon receiving this news, the Konoha army immediately began to withdraw, leaving behind only a small team of sensory shinobi to patrol the border.
Yami also returned to Konoha with the army.
After this battle, Yami completely became Konoha's new hero. At the same time, a new title began to spread throughout the shinobi world—Konoha Shinigami.
In just one mission, with one surprise attack, he had killed nearly 500 shinobi.
Even Namikaze Minato had never achieved such a record.
Not to mention, during the previous Chunin Exams, this kid had already shown his ruthless side, shamelessly chasing down and killing a group of Genin. His murderous intent was something rarely seen in the shinobi world.
He truly deserved the title of Shinigami.
At first, due to his young age, some called him Konoha's Little Shinigami.
But considering how he would grow stronger in the future, those five words alone were not enough. Simply calling him Konoha Shinigami was more fitting.
After hearing about this new title, Yami felt somewhat pleased.
At least it wasn't something like "Genin Killer."
One week later.
The ninja army returned to Konoha.
Seeing the familiar scenery of home, many shinobi's faces showed excitement.
Unlike regular missions, every battle on the frontlines carried the risk of death. Every fight was like walking through the gates of hell. Coming back alive and seeing home again felt completely different.
But despite the excitement, everyone maintained formation and pace, resisting the urge to rush home.
Sure enough, when they arrived at Konoha's gate, they saw a huge crowd gathered.
Led by the Third Hokage, Danzō and the two elders stood at the front. Behind them were the shinobi who had remained in the village and many villagers who had come to welcome them.
As the army returned, thunderous cheers echoed through the sky. People shouted the names of their loved ones and the heroes of the battle.
Among those names, Yami's voice even outshone Jiraiya's, one of the Sannin.
Flying Thunder God changed the battlefield. The night raid on Kumo Village destroyed half of the enemy's main base.
In this war, the performance of the eight-year-old boy was far too dazzling.
Nara Shikaku quickly pulled Yami out of the carriage, where he had been enjoying an intimate massage from Yugao, and led him to walk side by side with himself and Jiraiya.
At the front, Danzō smiled unconsciously.
He was used to living in the shadows and never liked standing in such bright, celebratory scenes.
But this time was different. The hero was his grandson, Yami.
So he came anyway.
Hiruzen was also smiling, though his expression was more complicated.
Too strong… I can no longer suppress him.
I cannot give you the position of Hokage, but I can grant you status and power second only to that of the Hokage.
After comforting himself with that thought, Hiruzen's smile became more natural.
Finally, the army reached the gate of Konoha.
Hiruzen stepped forward and patted Nara Shikaku on the shoulder.
"Shikaku, thanks to your leadership, Konoha suffered minimal losses this time."
"Hokage-sama, you're too kind," Shikaku replied humbly. "This was the result of everyone's efforts. Everything was done for Konoha."
"That's right. Everything is for Konoha."
Hiruzen nodded with a smile, then turned to his beloved disciple.
"Jiraiya, you worked hard. The Raikage was no easy opponent, was he?"
"Eh, he's about third in the world," Jiraiya answered, using the playful tone he had learned from Yami. He tossed his long hair flirtatiously toward the young women in the crowd.
"Old man, don't waste your praises on me. The real hero is over there."
"Of course, I know. But we should take this one step at a time."
Hiruzen smiled and leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.
"Jiraiya, if you are willing, I can hand over my position to you today."
This would be the best outcome. Jiraiya had the strength and the reputation to become Hokage.
No need to search for another successor.
Jiraiya stared at him in shock for a moment, then quickly shook his head.
"Don't joke like that, you know me. I'm not suited to be Hokage. Besides…"
Jiraiya's expression turned somber.
"I still have to find him."
Hiruzen paused, then sighed, saying no more.
As they continued, Hiruzen's gaze fell on Yami, who was exchanging glances with Danzō. Hiruzen bent down slightly.
"Yami, why didn't you tell me you had mastered Flying Thunder God?"
Yami retracted his gaze and answered casually, "Do I need to announce every jutsu I learn?"
"This is different. It's Flying Thunder God."
"Well, for me, there's no difference. I learned it in just a few months."
Hiruzen was amazed.
Is this what the world of geniuses looks like?
No.
He himself had been a genius back in the day, but he was never as proud as Yami.
Still, this wasn't the time to lecture a child. Hiruzen forced a smile.
"At least in the future, when you learn something this powerful, let your grandfather know. It helps us be prepared."
If Danzō knew, given that old man's personality, he would surely brag to him. So it would be the same as telling Hiruzen anyway.
After giving that small reminder, Hiruzen straightened up and raised his voice.
"Yami is the new hero of the village!"
As his words echoed out, the crowd erupted into cheers.
"Hero! Hero!"
"Konoha Shinigami!"
"Speedster! Invincible!"
A new powerhouse had emerged in Konoha. This meant their safety was once again assured, and naturally, everyone was delighted.
Hiruzen also watched the scene with satisfaction.
He wouldn't obstruct Yami's path to greatness. Instead, he would take this opportunity to offer some compensation.
As the cheering gradually subsided, Hiruzen gave another impromptu speech.
He was the first person to be fully brainwashed by the Will of Fire. After just a few words, his eyes were red with emotion. Many of the shinobi present were also stirred, eager to head straight back to the battlefield to offer their strength to Konoha.
Among them, Uchiha Shisui was visibly moved. Standing beside him, Uchiha Itachi's eyes burned with emotion.
This was the true meaning of a Kage. This was the vision a shinobi should strive for, not the narrow interests of a single clan.
A new seed of thought quietly took root in Itachi's heart.
The welcoming ceremony continued. Surrounded by villagers, the expeditionary force entered the city.
System notifications continued ringing in Yami's mind. This was the benefit of fame. Simply meeting people now left a strong impression and formed preliminary bonds.
Yami's relatives and friends had all come. Izumi stood with her mother among the crowd, shouting his name excitedly.
Next to them were Karin and Uzumaki Misa. When Yami glanced their way, Karin waved energetically, calling out, "Yami Onii-chan!"
"Yami Onii-chan! You're so cool!"
A childish voice rang out. Yami turned to see Uzumaki Naruto excitedly waving at him from ten meters away, happily bouncing around.
Leaving the ranks, Yami walked over and playfully ruffled Naruto's golden hair.
"Naruto, did you finish reading the books I gave you?"
Naruto's eyes flickered guiltily, but he still nodded. "Of course I finished them."
"Good. Then I'll test you tomorrow."
"Ah? No way!"
"What do you mean no way? If you can't pass, I'll tell the ramen boss to cut back your portions."
"Woo~!"
Naruto whimpered like a little animal, immediately running home to start reviewing, completely ignoring the welcoming ceremony.
The army continued to the Memorial Stone, paying respects to the seventy-three shinobi who died in the war. After the memorial, the team officially disbanded.
Yami was notified to report to the Hokage building at two o'clock the next afternoon.
Back home, Uzumaki Misa had already prepared a large feast to celebrate Yami and the others' safe return.
Anko, who hadn't participated in the war, also came to join the meal.
It had been a while since Yami last saw Anko, and her figure had become even more exaggerated.
When the drinking started later, Kiyomi, worried about her daughter's innocence, took Izumi home early.
Sure enough, after about two and a half bottles of shochu, the group of kunoichi began showing their true colors.
"Yami, you even learned Flying Thunder God. I'm so jealous."
Anko clung to Yami, nearly smothering him with her chest, leaving him gasping for air.
"Yami Onii-chan!"
Karin quickly pulled him free, glaring at Anko.
"Little girl, are you jealous?" Anko teased.
"Jealous of you? I might as well be jealous of Kurenai."
"Who says that?" Kurenai, lying on the table half-drunk, suddenly sat up. "If you're going to be jealous, you should be jealous of Yugao. Don't you know—"
Seeing the two drunkards getting out of hand, Yami couldn't be bothered to listen to their nonsense anymore. He grabbed Karin and headed upstairs.
"Come on, Karin. I'll reward you today. You can be my pillow for the night."
"Really? Thank you!"
The next morning, after being tormented by Karin until late at night, Yami swore never to let a child be his pillow again.
He visited Naruto's house in the morning and found that after a night of cramming, Naruto barely managed to pass his test. Yami then took him to Ichiraku Ramen as a reward.
Seeing that it was Yami, the ramen boss offered the meal for free, calling it a treat for Konoha's hero.
Naruto was visibly envious, vowing that one day he too would become a hero and earn free ramen.
After their meal, Yami sent Naruto home and then headed for the Hokage building.
Pushing open the office door, he saw Konoha's four elders all gathered.
Upon seeing him, Hiruzen smiled and waved.
"Yami, you're here? Come on in."
(To be continued.)
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