In a hidden location, Yamei and Itachi appeared at the same time.
"I sensed extreme danger from you." Once he stopped, Itachi looked at Yamei with grave seriousness.
"I came across a few opportunities." Yamei smiled and took out a scroll from his robes.
"I need you to take me to the people on the list you gave me before. I need them to leave their handprints on this scroll."
"But the Anbu..."
"It's fine. No one will notice us."
Itachi froze for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "With your genjutsu... there's no need for you to stay at the Ninja Academy."
"And then what? Become a ninja right away like you, unable to live for myself?" Itachi fell silent.
"I'm not that bored. Me? I just want to enjoy life while growing stronger, then lead the people around me to become stronger too! In the end, I'll see if I can live forever."
"It's just that... this world isn't so simple. I may not be weak, but I'm definitely not invincible."
Yamei had a clear understanding of himself.
After hearing this, Itachi merely nodded silently before leading Yamei toward the Uchiha compound.
"Actually, I'm pretty curious. You could have taken everyone in the Uchiha Clan and left. Why... do you still insist on doing that?"
After a moment of silence, Itachi said softly, "For Konoha, for the clan's honor, and for Sasuke."
"Heh."
Yamei merely sneered. Konoha? Was Konoha more important than the clan?
All he could say was that Itachi's way of thinking had been twisted since childhood. Taking the clan members away... would that damage the clan's honor?
Even if it truly did, that was still better than having no clan left at all.
"No wonder the ones you picked are all children."
Itachi said nothing and simply led the way in silence.
Their actions did not cause much of a stir. Twelve Uchiha Clan children, under the control of genjutsu, pressed their handprints onto the scroll.
Eight girls and four boys, all only three or four years old.
"When?"
"Tomorrow night."
Yamei raised his eyes to look at him. "If I hadn't come, were you not planning to look for me either?"
"I probably would have."
"Fine, I'll be going first." Yamei shook his head helplessly, and his figure vanished in an instant.
When he returned home, he had just finished washing up when he saw Yūhi Kurenai sitting on the sofa.
"You stayed out this late keeping your two little girlfriends company?" Yūhi Kurenai asked with a teasing smile.
"No, I went to take care of something else." Yamei directly flopped into Yūhi Kurenai's warm embrace.
Sure enough, older sisters were better.
"Then you haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll make you something." As she spoke, Yūhi Kurenai got up and headed into the kitchen.
Yamei smiled as he watched her, his heart filled with warmth.
The current Yūhi Kurenai was unquestionably an elite Jonin.
Having learned his Art of a Hundred Refinements and Mist Veil Moon, she was far stronger than her father, Shinku Yuhi. However, Yamei had told her to conceal some of her strength.
Before long, Yūhi Kurenai brought out a bowl of noodles.
She watched Yamei finish eating, then cleaned up before leaving.
The next day arrived.
The classroom buzzed with chatter. Yamei was sprawled across his desk, sleeping soundly. This had already become a familiar sight.
It was not until the afternoon, when the dismissal bell rang and everyone was preparing to leave, that Iruka's voice sounded.
"Students, this evening, the academy has invited a Jonin to explain ninjutsu knowledge, practical combat experience, and guide your training."
"So dismissal has been postponed until tonight. I hope everyone can bear with it."
Whoosh!
Upon hearing the news, many students groaned in misery.
After all, children their age were restless by nature. A whole day of classes already made them antsy, and now they were being given extra lessons.
"Yamei, looks like we can't train today." Ino said dejectedly.
"It's fine. We'll have plenty of time later." Yamei reached out and rubbed her soft hair.
"Hmph! Sasuke, you got lucky. I was planning to compete with you again today!" Naruto snorted arrogantly.
Two days ago, he had sparred with Sasuke and lost by one move. He still could not let it go.
"Even if we compete again, you still won't be my opponent!" Sasuke said confidently.
Shikamaru and the others watched quietly. Naturally, they knew that Sasuke and the others were training with Yamei.
However, they had not joined them. First, they felt embarrassed about it. Second, most of them had their own clan's secret techniques.
As Yamei watched the two argue, his gaze could not help but fall on Sasuke.
Poor Uchiha Sasuke... Soon, you won't have any clan members left...
No... there would still be some, but they were all children.
Shaking his head, Yamei continued chatting and laughing with Ino. He also teased little Hinata from time to time, making her blush crimson.
After dinner that afternoon, Yamei created a shadow clone, while his main body left the Ninja Academy.
Standing atop a tall building, Yamei looked toward the Uchiha compound, then toward the Hokage Building.
"Obito will appear tonight... I wonder if I can get Kamui... Or getting the Bloodline Power from the Hashirama Cells he transplanted would be pretty good too."
In Yamei's eyes, Obito was a treasure trove.
After thinking it over briefly, Yamei ultimately chose to visit the Hokage Building first.
As he walked, Yamei could sense that there were far more ninja around than usual, and most of them were on alert.
Yamei's arrival did not attract anyone's attention.
Upon reaching the base of the Hokage Building, he activated his Mangekyo. At that moment, Mist Veil Moon shrouded everyone across several nearby streets.
"The back garden."
Yamei chuckled softly and stepped inside. Before long, he reached the Hokage's office. Only Hiruzen Sarutobi was inside; Danzo was likely in the Root headquarters.
At that moment, a crystal ball sat on the Hokage's desk. He was smoking as he watched the scene within it.
Yamei stepped forward and took a look. It showed the Uchiha compound, where Itachi had already appeared at the entrance.
After casually looking around and losing interest, Yamei headed toward the sealing chamber.
Just after Yamei left, Hiruzen Sarutobi suspiciously glanced around.
"Was that old man's imagination? Why did it feel like someone was just here?"
After investigating and finding nothing unusual, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned back to the crystal ball.
"Three Jonin and twelve Chunin. The defenses are fairly solid."
Yamei arrived at the sealing chamber. After confirming the guards' strength, he nodded in approval.
After taking a key from one of the Anbu ninja, Yamei opened the door and swaggered inside.
There was only one enormous scroll inside, surrounded by all kinds of traps.
Yet beneath the Byakugan, those traps were laughable. Yamei strolled leisurely up to the Scroll of Sealing and slowly opened it.
A-rank Forbidden Jutsu: Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. A-rank Forbidden Jutsu: Mutual Destruction Paper Bomb. A-rank Forbidden Taijutsu: Eight Inner Gates. S-rank Forbidden Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation. S-rank Forbidden Jutsu: Flying Thunder God Technique. Forbidden Jutsu: Four Symbols Seal. Fuinjutsu: Eight Trigrams Seal.
"Analyze and learn!"
Yamei's eyes burned with excitement as the Sea of Derivations began operating at high speed.
Contact with ninjutsu scroll material detected. Preparing to analyze and learn. Estimated duration: 36 hours.
"Thirty-six hours... that's a little long." Yamei frowned. That was only for analysis and learning; he would still need to analyze and derive them afterward.
"Remove Mutual Destruction Paper Bomb."
One task removed. Estimated duration: 32 hours.
"It's still this long. Fine, let's leave it at that." Shaking his head helplessly, Yamei put the Scroll of Sealing back in place and walked toward the Uchiha compound.
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