Inheritance

The news had only just begun to spread.

Almost everyone on the streets was talking about him, Konoha's prodigy. Even Ye Yuexin's thick skin couldn't take it.

Ye Yuexin walked quickly and soon arrived at the Academy.

That's right, he'd come to find the first teacher he'd ever had.

It was lunchtime.

Most of the students were free to do as they pleased.

After what had happened, Ye Yuexin didn't dare show his face at all.

There were plenty of people at the Academy who knew him.

As one of the top students in the entire school back then, he'd spoken with most of the younger students.

He crept up to the second floor like a thief, then made his way to Haino Fuji's office as though he knew it by heart.

When he opened the door, he saw Haino Fuji eating lunch.

Hearing someone barge in without knocking, Haino Fuji assumed it was one of the usual students.

He was just thinking about how to teach the student some manners when he saw who it was and froze.

Then his startled expression suddenly turned to delight.

"Well, look at you! Come on in and sit down. Have you eaten yet?" Haino Fuji greeted him warmly.

Ye Yuexin felt a deep affection for Haino Fuji, so he didn't stand on ceremony. He went straight over and sat on one of the other chairs in the office.

"I've already eaten, Sensei. Take your time."

Haino Fuji heard him and hurried through his meal, finishing in no time.

Then he poured two cups of tea and sat down across from Ye Yuexin.

"You've done well, kid. You only graduated three days ago, and you've already managed to cause such a sensation."

"When I first heard about it, you gave me quite a scare." Haino Fuji praised him with a half-joking smile.

As expected, praise felt better coming from someone he knew well.

Ye Yuexin was still a little pleased.

But then his expression turned rueful. "Sensei, please don't bring that up again. I nearly didn't make it back."

"Even now, thinking about how dangerous it was gives me chills. I only survived because the other guy underestimated me and didn't know my techniques."

After a moment's thought, Ye Yuexin decided to tell Haino Fuji. He trusted him completely.

"Sensei, I have a question. I know that a tree which rises above the forest will be battered by the wind, so when I described the mission, I deliberately lied about how strong the enemy was."

"But I never expected it to backfire. Not only did the village's higher-ups find out, but now everyone in Konoha knows. Does that mean I might be in danger?"

At that, the smile gradually faded from Haino Fuji's face. He suspected Ye Yuexin had learned something about the village's darker side.

He began to think it over. Once certain things showed signs of emerging, they could become a major problem.

But with his many years of experience, he soon figured it out, and his expression relaxed a little.

He was one of the handful of people in the world who cared most about Ye Yuexin.

Smiling, he said, "You shouldn't be in any danger right now. I understand what you mean."

"But haven't you noticed that the rumors have already gained momentum? If things were really as you feared, they wouldn't have been allowed to spread so widely. Back then, only a few of the higher-ups would have known. The village's actions now look more like they're building you up."

Ye Yuexin had been very worried, but Haino Fuji's explanation helped clear his head.

To be honest, when he'd first found out, it had felt like a huge boulder weighing on his heart.

He knew Konoha wasn't as peaceful and fair as it appeared.

Beneath that calm surface, countless currents were running deep. Even White Fang, who had stood at the pinnacle, had been destroyed. What chance did he have?

With the weight lifted from his heart, he found it much easier to speak.

His biggest plan now was to find every possible way to increase his strength.

That was one of the reasons he'd come.

So he smiled and said, "Sensei, besides stopping by to chat with you, I actually came for something else."

Ye Yuexin hadn't even finished speaking before Haino Fuji guessed from his expression that he was about to ask him for yet another favor.

Ye Yuexin was always like this. Whenever he needed something, he got all awkward about asking.

"What else is it? I knew you weren't kind enough to come all this way just to see me. Go on."

Seeing Haino Fuji put it that way, Ye Yuexin didn't bother with pleasantries. "Sensei, um... you promised you'd teach me your signature technique after I graduated. You haven't forgotten, have you? Heh. I mainly came to see you today—and learn it while I was here."

At that, Haino Fuji nearly laughed in exasperation. "I knew it. Other than that, I doubt there's anything else you'd be thinking about."

Then he said with a hint of sadness, "I won't be able to help you anymore after this. You've become a fledgling ready to fly, nothing like an ordinary man like me. It's time for you to take to the skies and create a legend of your own."

To Haino Fuji, Ye Yuexin was the one who would inherit his dream.

He had no chance of improving any further, but he hoped Ye Yuexin would take the strength he'd passed on to him and walk a path to power that had only ever appeared in his own ambitions.

Then he slowly walked behind the desk and took a scroll from the bottom drawer. "I prepared this scroll for you a long time ago. It's been here all this while. At last, I can put it in your hands."

Now that he'd received the ninjutsu he'd always wanted, Ye Yuexin wasn't as excited as he'd expected to be.

That was because the scroll meant much more to him now than just a ninjutsu technique.

This was a legacy.

This technique was the one Haino Fuji was proudest of. It was what had allowed him to rise to the rank of Special Jōnin.

Now the technique was in Ye Yuexin's hands. Along with it came a heavy responsibility.

Ye Yuexin solemnly took the scroll. Looking at Haino Fuji, who was smiling at him, he said, "Sensei, I wouldn't have grown this much in three years without your help. I'm not good at saying heartfelt things, but no matter how great my achievements become, you'll always be my mentor. That will never change." As he spoke, he thumped his chest with his other hand.

"Enough. You say you're not good at heartfelt things, then you go and say all that! The Shinobi World is vast. Be careful out there." In the end, Haino Fuji still couldn't help warning him.

Ye Yuexin didn't stay any longer, since class was about to start. As he walked back, the scroll against his chest still felt heavy.