This world was not without ways to recover quickly. Tsunade's Mitotic Regeneration, the Uzumaki Clan's vitality, and the First Hokage's Sage Body all possessed exceptionally powerful restorative abilities.
So there was room to explain a bug-level recovery ability like Super Regeneration. Perhaps he could make it a contingency plan...
"The ominous, evil power of the Hollow Mask seems to share some similarities with this world's Tailed Beast Chakra..."
After thinking for a moment, Yei took the vicious-looking black-and-white Hollow Mask from the bead space and examined it in his hand. "After that, the Hollow Mask could no longer be used. Did the power of the 'Hollow' contained within it run out?"
"I wonder whether Tailed Beast Chakra can power it... Tch, that's too fanciful..."
"I also need to find a way to increase my Chakra. This body is far too weak..."
"That part should be feasible. In the Naruto World, there are ways to improve one's constitution. First Hokage Cells... Natural Energy... the Flesh Regeneration Secret Technique... All of those should be possible..."
"But where could I find them? Orochimaru should have First Hokage Cells... Natural Energy is tied to senjutsu, so I'd have to go to one of the Three Great Sage Locations... The Flesh Regeneration Secret Technique should be with Shinnō... None of them will be easy..."
"Forget it, I should take it slow for now... I'll write it down first. Once I'm strong enough in the future, I can consider this whole pile of things..."
Shaking his head, Yei tucked the notebook recording all sorts of matters back into his pocket. Thinking carefully about it, he still had quite a lot to do.
However, his current strength was insufficient, and many of his ideas could only remain in his mind for now, unable to be put into practice.
Yei was not in a hurry. He could take things slowly. The Fourth Hokage had only just taken office, and Yei still had a long period of peace ahead of him to build up his strength.
Once his Chakra had mostly recovered, Yei carefully left the Forest of Death.
Half an hour after Yei left, a man appeared where he had just been. He wore a white kimono, with long black hair falling to his waist. His skin was as pale as a sick man's, and he had golden vertical pupils and purple eyeshadow, giving him an incomparably sinister appearance. His long tongue flicked like a venomous snake's as he casually licked his face...
If Yei had still been there and seen this person, the corners of his mouth would definitely have twitched as he cursed his bad luck!
Because the newcomer was none other than one of the Konoha Sannin—Orochimaru!
Orochimaru looked in the direction Yei had left. His long tongue licked across his face once more as he sensed the Chakra fluctuations lingering around him. A strange smile hung on his lips as his hoarse voice sounded. "How interesting. A member of the Hyuga Branch Family? These Chakra fluctuations... such an ominous, evil aura. It feels somewhat like Tailed Beast Chakra, yet it is also somewhat different..."
"Was he researching something? This kind of Chakra fluctuation I have never seen before... Was it to break the Caged Bird Curse Mark? Or something else... You have made me terribly curious, little member of the Hyuga Branch Family!"
Orochimaru's gaze flickered. He gave a hoarse laugh, and his figure slowly disappeared into the shadows beneath the trees.
Yei had no idea that Orochimaru had already set his sights on him. At this moment, he had left the Forest of Death and returned to the village.
The Fourth Hokage's succession ceremony had already ended. Minato Namikaze had accepted the Hokage Cloak representing supreme authority and the Fourth Hokage's ceremonial robes from the Third Hokage. Under the gaze of every villager, he became Konoha Village's Fourth Hokage!
Yei was not particularly interested in any succession ceremony.
At noon, Yei felt somewhat hungry and wondered whether he should go get a bowl of ramen first.
However, halfway there, a familiar voice came from beside him. "Yo, Yei, you're back in the village too?"
Yei turned his head and saw a boy in a green jumpsuit, with a bowl cut and extremely thick eyebrows. Upon seeing him, the boy flashed a broad smile and greeted him with a thumbs-up...
This person was none other than Might Guy, the man who had nearly kicked out the ending during the original story!
Since they were around the same age and had graduated from the Ninja Academy at roughly the same time, Yei and Might Guy were fellow graduates, and they got along fairly well.
It could be said that the fellow graduates who had finished school during this period all had rather good relationships.
Seeing Gai, Yei smiled and greeted him as well. "It's Gai. I only returned from the front lines not long ago."
"Perfect timing, then. Kakashi, Asuma, Genma Shiranui, Kurenai, and the others are all at the barbecue restaurant. We went to your house earlier, but you weren't there. Now that we've run into you, want to come along?" Gai flashed his white teeth and made the suggestion with a grin.
"Kakashi and Asuma are there too? What's going on? Is that cheapskate Kakashi treating everyone?" Yei muttered. Had Kakashi finally decided to spend some money now that his teacher had become Hokage?
"Not Kakashi. That guy is stingy as hell. His allowance is clearly higher than ours Chunin's, yet he refuses to pay." Gai shook his head. Then he leaned closer, looked around, and only then said cautiously, "This time, Asuma is treating everyone. He said it was to celebrate his old man finally stepping down and making way for someone more worthy..."
"Uh..." Yei was speechless. What was Asuma even thinking? He could not understand the mindset of a second-generation official...
Without thinking too much about it, Yei went with Gai to the barbecue restaurant.
Asuma, Kurenai Yuhi, Genma Shiranui, Hayate Gekko, Kakashi, Daisei, Nami, and other fellow graduates around their age were all there...
Hyuga Yue was also one of their fellow graduates, but she was naturally aloof and disliked lively places, so she had not come...
Yei was still very happy to see so many familiar faces. He greeted the people present. These were all fellow graduates who had survived the battlefield.
"Yo, you're here too, Yei. We went to your house earlier looking for you, but you weren't there. Where did you run off to?" Asuma greeted Yei when he saw him.
Although Asuma was the Son of the Hokage, he was not arrogant by nature. Sometimes, he even avoided mentioning his identity as the Son of the Hokage.
Yei did not say much. He merely smiled and said, "I was just taking a walk around the village."
At this moment, Genma Shiranui leaned over. He looked at Kakashi, then Yei, and said with a smile, "I heard you asked Kakashi about how to learn Chidori? So, did you learn it?"
Yei glanced at Genma Shiranui and spread his hands. "What do you mean, asked? It was merely an exchange. His ninjutsu, Chidori, was exchanged for some techniques of mine as a dojutsu bloodline ninja."
Kakashi also heard Genma Shiranui's words. He looked at Yei and curled his lips slightly. "Even without your experience, I would have figured it out sooner or later with my talent. Besides, I've already mastered everything you gave me. As for my Chidori, you probably haven't even scratched the surface yet!"
After experiencing his father's suicide and the deaths of Rin and Obito, Kakashi had become colder and more withdrawn. However, when facing familiar fellow graduates like these, his condition still improved somewhat.
It was not until his teacher and teacher's wife both died during the Nine-Tails Attack that Kakashi completely shut himself off. He wasted several years, made no progress in his cultivation at all, and even grew weaker...
But the current Kakashi still possessed that determined, enterprising spirit!
"I suppose I've learned it..." Yei merely smiled and had no intention of explaining further.
"Chidori is an A-rank ninjutsu. Even Jonin find it difficult to learn A-rank ninjutsu, yet you actually learned it, Yei? Looks like I have another opponent!" Gai did not suspect Yei of boasting. Instead, he looked at Yei seriously, feeling that another rival like Kakashi had appeared!
Among their fellow graduates, only Kakashi had become a Jonin, breaking the record for becoming a Jonin at the youngest age. Everyone else was still at the Chunin level, and there was not even a single Special Jonin among them!
As for the others, they did not doubt him much either. After all, Yei came from the powerful Hyuga Clan. The people of that clan were all extremely proud and disdained lying.
Back when they were at the Ninja Academy, Yei's performance had been rather ordinary. His ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and other aspects had all been average.
However, ever since Yei returned from the battlefield, many of his fellow graduates had noticed the changes in him!
The current Yei no longer possessed the rigid, stiff feeling common among Hyuga Clan members. Instead, he actively learned other ninjutsu and Taijutsu rather than limiting himself solely to the Gentle Fist...
It was as though he had been completely reborn, and his progress was astonishingly rapid. If Yei said he had mastered the A-rank ninjutsu Chidori, no one would doubt him!
I suppose... ? Even Kakashi's gaze sharpened as he muttered inwardly. He likewise did not think Yei was deceiving them to save face.
But what exactly did "I suppose" mean?
Kakashi looked at Yei. He could indeed sense that Yei had changed tremendously. He seemed like a completely different person from the Yei who had attended the Ninja Academy...
"Alright, stop dwelling on that. Let's eat first! Kurenai, try this..." Asuma glanced at Yei and Kakashi, unable to resist curling his lips. Then he called everyone to eat, though he was more focused on showing attentiveness toward Kurenai Yuhi...
Before you continue