Teammate

The next morning, Uchiha Iori stepped out of his tent and stretched, feeling the fresh morning breeze brush against his face, his mood exceptionally light.

Last night, he had spent the entire evening drinking with several spirits in the Hall of Heroes, and to his surprise, he woke up not feeling fatigued, but refreshed and clear-headed.

It seemed the food and drink within the Hall of Heroes could indeed replenish the loss of soul energy.

He stood outside his tent, brow slightly furrowed, contemplating the previous night's battle and his future plans.

[Having killed the Five-Tails Jinchuriki this time, the Iwagakure forces should quiet down for a while; the Kannabi Bridge incident might not even happen.]

[But what about Madara Uchiha's plan? Will he choose a different time, or will he stick to his original scheme and force the Battle of Kannabi Bridge to occur?]

Just as he was lost in thought, Uzuki Kaori came running over from the left, her face beaming with an excited smile.

"Iori, you're up! I heard that in last night's mission, you not only crippled the Iwagakure supply base but also killed their commander—that was absolutely brilliant!"

Her voice was filled with joy, and her eyes sparkled with adoration.

As his teammate, she felt proud of Iori's achievements, and the secret feelings she held for him burned all the more intensely because of it.

Within the camp, Iori's reputation had begun to rival that of Minato Namikaze.

He had devastated the Iwagakure camp and slain the enemy commander, single-handedly turning the tide for Konoha, which had previously been at a disadvantage.

To the ninjas on the front lines, his performance was in no way inferior to the Yellow Flash, who had defeated the Kumogakure ninjas in the Land of Lightning.

Those who had witnessed Iori's combat previously had already begun to call him the Crimson Meteor.

"That was a Jinchuriki, Iori! How did you manage it? It's simply unbelievable!"

Kurama Takumi also hurried over, his usually calm demeanor unable to hide his excitement.

As a declining veteran clan, the Kurama Clan had always maintained ancient records.

The fact that Tailed Beasts were invincible natural disasters had always been documented in their family history.

The last people to shatter that notion were the First Hokage, who founded Konoha, and Madara Uchiha.

Seeing his teammates safe and sound, Iori breathed a sigh of relief.

Iwagakure had been constantly squeezing the operational space of Konoha ninjas, and news of reconnaissance squads being wiped out arrived incessantly.

Iori had also worried that his teammates might one day become one of those casualties.

"Naturally, I relied on these eyes," Iori said, pointing to his own.

"I have awakened the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan, the same eyes possessed by Madara Uchiha, who established Konoha alongside the First Hokage."

"Mangekyō Sharingan?" Uzuki Kaori asked, puzzled; as a member of a minor clan, she was unfamiliar with such secrets.

After Madara Uchiha returned to the village, a cataclysmic battle between him and the First Hokage led to the latter's death shortly thereafter.

Since then, everything regarding Madara Uchiha had been downplayed. Although the official records never issued a wanted poster labeling him a rogue ninja, his contributions had been essentially erased.

In Konoha, the Mangekyō Sharingan had become a legend of the older generation, one that the youth knew nothing about.

"Is it truly the legendary Mangekyō? When you defeated the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, did you use the legendary Susanoo?"

Kurama Takumi asked excitedly, his hands clenched; he had seen records of it in his family archives.

The patriarch of the Kurama Clan from that generation had awakened their family's Kekkei Genkai, with strength not inferior to powerhouses like the Third Hokage.

But one day, he encountered the strongest of the Uchiha clan at the time, and when they fought, the clan's illusions proved useless against the Sharingan.

The Kekkei Genkai the Kurama Clan took such pride in—dominating the five senses and turning illusions into reality—was utterly fragile before the blue giant.

After that battle, whenever the Kurama Clan encountered the Uchiha in missions, they would choose to avoid them.

"That's right, it was Susanoo," Iori said with a reserved air, though the corners of his mouth were harder to suppress than an AK-47.

[It really is more satisfying to talk to someone who knows their stuff. Someone like Kaori, who knows nothing, has such a dull reaction.]

"Could I see it?" Kurama Takumi asked, even more agitated, his hands gripped tight as if he might jump. This was his first time having close contact with such legendary power.

"Er, not in the short term. Susanoo puts a certain strain on the eyes; it cannot be used frequently."

Iori subconsciously left himself some leeway; he couldn't reveal all his trump cards at once.

Not everyone in Konoha was a friend, and holding back was a form of self-preservation.

"I see, that's a shame. If you ever experiment with it again, remember to call me," Kurama Takumi said, looking disappointed.

"Forget about him, Iori. You shouldn't have any missions lately, right? Could you coach me in taijutsu? Just the two of us."

Uzuki Kaori blushed, her eyes darting away, not daring to look directly at Iori.

She bit her lower lip gently, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

Her body trembled slightly; asking this question had consumed all of her courage.

Having experienced the cruelty of war, she no longer wanted to wait.

"Sure, anytime you like. Oh, and I'll compile some of my insights on taijutsu and give you a copy."

Iori scratched his head, feigning a relaxed tone as if he hadn't heard the subtext in her words.

But he wasn't ready for any future marital plans yet; he could only push everything aside for now.

[Besides, my goal is to unify the Ninja World and then ascend the throne; marriage would be a troublesome affair.] Iori calculated in his mind.

[Unless one intends to take on the entire world single-handedly, it is difficult to bypass political marriages.]

[It is not just Konoha; every ninja village will likely demand one. To maintain rule, one must balance the scales politically.]

[Things will work themselves out when the time comes; I can only let nature take its course.]

"Mm, alright, then let's go train. Goodbye, Takumi."

Uzuki Kaori's words shattered Iori's train of thought, pulling him back to reality.

"Oh, right, goodbye then, Takumi. I'll write down my insights on genjutsu and give them to you when they're ready."

"Although they don't include my clan's secret techniques and might not be as powerful as your family's, they should be good for broadening your perspective."

Iori waved his hand to bid Kurama Takumi farewell, casually dangling a carrot in front of him as well.

After all, they were all friends; he couldn't play favorites or prioritize romance over his companions.

[Ah, the sour stench of love. I wonder when I'll be able to find a suitable girl for myself?]

Kurama Takumi sighed to himself as he slowly walked away.

"Let's head to the training ground. We shouldn't have any missions for the next few days, so I'll help you with some intensive combat training."

Iori looked at Uzuki Kaori—her purple hair, tall figure, and delicate face.

Thinking back to when they first met, she was just a little thing, but now she had grown into a young woman.

"Alright, let's go." Uzuki Kaori reached out her hand. Although she hadn't received the answer she wanted most, agreeing to train alone was a good start.

Her hand was slightly cool and trembled a little, yet she gripped Iori's hand firmly as the two of them walked toward the training ground.