Anko

"Provocation?" Uchiha Chiaki crossed his arms and said disdainfully, "You aren't worthy!"

Damn! This bastard was so arrogant! I really wanted to beat him to death!

The Uchiha Clan's provocative mouth-jutsu really lived up to its reputation!

No wonder that during the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, Konoha's other ninja clans had remained completely unfazed, as though nothing had happened.

By Bai Yue's standards, when internal conflict led to an entire clan's Total annihilation, the other ninja clans should at least have felt some indignation, if not the fear of shared ruin.

Yet nothing had happened at all!

"You..." Forget Hyuga Goruryu and Hyuga Bun—even Kurenai Yuhi could not resist wanting to punch this arrogant bastard.

"My sincerest apologies. I was unaware of this before. If it caused any trouble, please say so directly." Damn bastard! On the Night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall, I won't touch anyone else—I'll just gouge out your eyes!

"Tch! Boring!" Seeing Bai Yue put on such an act, and considering he was only a child, Uchiha Chiaki pursed his lips and said, "Be more careful next time!"

"Mm, alright!" Naturally evil Uchiha!

Just wait! I'll definitely gouge out your eyes!

Bai Yue had always been generous toward those destined to die. Though it would take a while—seven or eight years, at least—it Didn't Matter. He was still very young, after all!

"Young Master, this..." Your Majesty, we wished to fight to the death. Why had Your Majesty surrendered without cause?

"There's no need to make such a huge fuss over something so minor. Besides, I was in the wrong first. I broke an unspoken rule." Bai Yue smiled faintly and spoke calmly.

To be honest, if the visitors had not been Uchiha from the Konoha Military Police Force, but some more mild-mannered people, Bai Yue would certainly have accepted the criticism humbly.

After all, he really had been at fault first.

"You really are a good child!" Kurenai Yuhi said approvingly from beside him.

"I'm alright, I guess." Bai Yue scratched his head. Anyway, I've already written it down in my little notebook!

"Let's go. Let's find Sister Anko."

"Mm..." Kurenai Yuhi suddenly felt embarrassed, because the root of all this had been her. If she had not insisted that Bai Yue deal with Anko's situation, then Bai Yue, who stayed home all year, would never have encountered something like this.

"I'm sorry, Bai Yue..." Kurenai Yuhi said awkwardly.

"Why are you apologizing out of nowhere?"

"If it weren't for me, this wouldn't have happened today..." Kurenai Yuhi's pretty face was flushed red, and she looked deeply embarrassed.

"Hey, how could this be your fault?" Without even turning around, Bai Yue waved dismissively. "Besides, we're friends, aren't we?"

"Mm!" Kurenai Yuhi nodded and looked at Bai Yue's back.

Though he was just a Little Bean, Bai Yue was truly dependable!

For Kurenai Yuhi, this was a novel experience. His tiny back somehow gave off an overwhelming sense of reliability.

Not long afterward—

Bai Yue and Kurenai Yuhi found the dejected Mitaraishi Anko atop Hokage Rock.

"Anko!" Seeing her close friend looking so utterly shattered, Kurenai Yuhi immediately stepped forward and wrapped her in an embrace.

Anko's lifeless eyes swept over Kurenai Yuhi and Bai Yue before she lowered her head once more, looking out over prosperous Konoha.

Tsk, tsk. What kind of unbeatable sightseeing spot was Hokage Rock? Everyone came here to clear their heads?

And yet they never ran into anyone else!

Was there some unspoken rule? Could only one person be on Hokage Rock at a time? If someone came here to relax and found somebody else, did they leave?

Well, to be fair, the scenery here really was nice. The feeling of seeing all of Konoha's prosperity spread out before your eyes really was wonderful.

No wonder Hashirama had strengthened his resolve to protect it after seeing such a sight, then beaten down his best friend Madara.

"Anko..." Seeing her close friend so Half-dead, Kurenai Yuhi was at a loss for how to comfort her.

Helplessly, Kurenai Yuhi turned her pleading gaze toward Bai Yue again.

Why are you looking at me? I don't know mouth-jutsu either!

Bai Yue waved his hand, not because no more needed to be said, but because he truly did not know mouth-jutsu.

Her pleading gaze began to sparkle so intensely that Bai Yue could barely keep his eyes open.

Fine, I'll give it a try.

Shaking his head helplessly, Bai Yue walked over and sat down beside Anko.

"This is my first time looking at the village from Hokage Rock. I have to say, the First Hokage was truly great!" Bai Yue said leisurely.

But compared to that supposed greatness, Bai Yue thought Hashirama had been far too stupid. The so-called mutual understanding between people, the Susanoo-clad Buddha, the two of them wiping out four nations—that was much more to Bai Yue's taste.

What a pity! The Ninja World should have been at peace. It was only Hashirama's strange ideas that had dragged out decades of warfare.

The wars had even become more intense. During the Warring States Period, it had merely been clan against clan. After Hashirama and Madara died, it became village against village, nation against nation.

Even more people had died!

"The village is wonderful, isn't it?" When neither girl spoke, Bai Yue continued on his own. "But I heard that during the Warring States Period, ninja had to go to war at six years old. An ordinary person who lived to thirty was considered long-lived."

"It was that brutal?!" Kurenai Yuhi exclaimed beside him. "Kakashi went to war at six too!"

"That was Kakashi's own choice. Sister Hong, didn't you all go to war at twelve?"

How should he put it? Going from six to twelve years old was a tremendous breakthrough.

Don't laugh—this truly was a great breakthrough. In worlds of war and chaos, it was always like this.

Bai Yue's previous world had already been peaceful, but it had been the same during times of war!

"Yeah..." Kurenai Yuhi said slowly, not quite understanding why Bai Yue had brought this up.

"That's wonderful. Sister Hong, you were fortunate. I can't imagine how you would have survived if you'd gone to war at six." Bai Yue sighed. "But in such a wonderful Konoha, some children die before they're even one year old."

Without hesitation, Bai Yue tore open a bloody wound.

"Some children never even open their eyes to see the world before tragically becoming experimental material! Some are not even born before they and their mothers become experimental material together."

"What are you trying to say?!" Anko gritted her teeth.

"Do you want revenge?"

"Yes! I want to Tear Apart that man!" Compared with Blood Cow Tao, Anko, who had been betrayed by the person she trusted most, was clearly much more normal.

"But you're very weak."

"!!!" Even Kurenai Yuhi was stunned! What kind of way was that to comfort someone? He had begun with the cruelty of infants becoming experimental material, and now he was bluntly saying that Anko was too weak.

If Anko had not stopped looking Half-dead, Kurenai Yuhi would have thought Bai Yue was provoking her. What a strange method.

But! Anko's hate-filled appearance did not seem very good either!

Maybe... we should wait a little longer?!

"Don't deny it. You really are weak." Bai Yue emphasized again. "With your current strength, forget taking revenge on Orochimaru—you can't even keep up with your friends' progress."