Yakumo Joins the Team

Jin strolled toward Hillview Villa with the three of them. The Konoha villagers along the road smiled and greeted him one after another. Jin sighed inwardly. The Third Hokage really knows what he's doing! He said I had a terminal illness and only a few years left to live. Otherwise, I'd have had to worry about what excuse to use to leave the Academy. Now it's perfect—I won't even need to explain myself. Yakumo Kurama, don't let me down!

"This is the Third Hokage's written order. You may return and report back to the Third Hokage," Jin told the two ANBU members guarding Yakumo Kurama.

The two examined the order, then bowed. "Understood, Lord Jin." Without even looking at Jin again, they left.

"They really are a well-trained bunch! When will our little brats ever become as formidable as them?" Jin asked.

"Soon. Those little brats already have the level of Genin. In another three years, they'll qualify to become Chunin," Kimimaro said.

"That's great. We finally won't have to fight alone anymore!" Jin said. Then he turned to the three of them. "Come on, let's meet our new companion!"

The four entered a room and saw an eight- or nine-year-old girl painting. Her absorbed expression drew everyone's attention. None of them made a sound as they watched quietly. Yakumo Kurama was painting three people: her father, her mother, and herself. The three of them were holding hands and eating fruit beneath an autumn tree.

"Who are you? How did you get in here? What did you do to the people outside?" Yakumo Kurama asked.

"I'm a Konoha ninja, Uchiha Jin. These are my companions: Kaguya Kimimaro, Yuki Haku, and Hyuga Hinata. You will be our fifth companion. Now, I'm taking you out of this place to carry out an S-rank mission assigned to me by the Third Hokage," Jin said as he looked at Yakumo Kurama.

"You're Konoha ninja? Why are you so young? Besides, I'm a prisoner, not a ninja," Yakumo Kurama said.

Jin shook his head, silently blaming himself. How could I have forgotten about her situation? What a sin! He gathered his thoughts. "Ninjas are not judged by age. We really are Konoha ninjas, and we're currently Genin. As for you, you're no longer a prisoner. You're a Konoha ninja." Jin held out a forehead protector to her.

Yakumo Kurama looked at the forehead protector, then at Jin. Trembling, she said, "There's a monster inside me. I'll kill all of you. You should leave quickly!"

"Don't worry! Jin will take care of that monster," Kimimaro stepped forward and said.

"That's right, don't worry. Jin, help Yakumo right away," Haku said to them.

Jin glanced at Yakumo Kurama's eager, hopeful eyes and murmured, "Those eyes are incredibly powerful!"

Whoosh! Jin activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Seeing Yakumo's astonished gaze, he felt no pride—only disappointment. Sigh, when will my Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan level up again and turn light blue?

"I'm about to use my Kekkei Genkai. In a moment, you'll see the monster inside your body." Jin's Six-Pointed Star Sharingan began to spin.

"Is this inside my body?" Yakumo asked.

"Yes. Soon, you'll see the monster within you. You must defeat it. Only by defeating her can you fulfill your parents' final wish and become a great ninja. Kimimaro once said that living better is a comfort to the dead. Go, defeat it! Fulfill your parents' final wish! I'll be waiting here!" Jin said, while quietly saying something else in his heart. Brother Kimimaro, I'm treating you well. It depends on how you seize this chance. I've already gotten you off to a good start, so you'd better work hard. Don't waste my good intentions. From now on, Yakumo Kurama will be yours to look after.

Yakumo Kurama smiled. "Don't worry. I'll definitely defeat it!" Jin smiled as well.

Yakumo Kurama walked toward the depths of her own heart, one step at a time.

Jin felt a little sad as well.

Yakumo Kurama saw a scene she would never forget. The monster looked exactly like her. Yakumo Kurama suddenly thought of a possibility—a terrifying possibility. She had killed her own parents with her own hands.

"Yakumo Kurama, why have you come here? What a wonderful opportunity! It seems I can finally get out," Yakumo Kurama's inner demon said.

Yakumo Kurama looked carefully at the inner demon, then said furiously, "It was you. You were the one who killed my parents. I'll definitely kill you!"

"So what if I killed them? Wasn't it still by your own hand? You wanted to become a ninja, but you couldn't achieve it. If not for me, would you have learned those ninjutsu? We share the same body. Only because I learned to use the Kekkei Genkai could you use it as well. You alone would only have shattered our parents' hopes and left the Kurama Clan to decline. But I can fulfill our parents' wish and revive the Kurama Clan."

"You're lying! You're lying!" Yakumo Kurama cried.

"I'm not lying. Think about it carefully," the inner demon said.

Yakumo Kurama fell into deep thought. Memories drifted before her eyes like scenes from a movie—memories of her parents, her clan, and Jin from just moments ago. A trace of fighting spirit surged into Yakumo Kurama's mind. "I will defeat you! I will fulfill my parents' final wish, become a great ninja, and revive the Kurama Clan!" Yakumo Kurama said to the inner demon.

"Don't forget, you killed our parents with your own hands!"

"You controlled my body! I will avenge them!" Yakumo Kurama said.

"Sigh! It seems there is no longer any need for me to exist." After saying that, the inner demon vanished.

Jin brought Yakumo Kurama out of her mental space. The moment she emerged, Yakumo Kurama burst into tears. Jin quietly pulled Haku and Hinata outside.

"Jin, you're so mean! How could you leave Kimimaro and Yakumo Kurama alone together? We should go back and check on them," Haku said. Hinata nodded as well.

Jin shook his head with a smile. "Come on, you'll understand someday! We finally have another companion. We can set out tomorrow! Let's roam the ninja world together!"

Before long, Kimimaro came out carrying Yakumo Kurama on his back. She had already put on her forehead protector and was sleeping quietly against Kimimaro's back.

Good, not bad! We have a few more chances of winning in the battle against Kumogakure! Sigh, we're still missing one good companion! They're really hard to find. Hopefully, we'll find one along the way! Jin thought.