Learning from Everyone

Under the leaky eaves, Yue lay in the room.

Besides him, there were many injured members of Akatsuki in the room.

They were all squeezed together, leaving only a small space for him.

It was clear they had been through a tough fight.

The rooms throughout the compound were scattered with patients, some lightly injured, others severely.

This must be one of their temporary bases.

This explained why Yue had seen so many corpses before entering the village.

Faint voices of Yahiko and the others could be heard from outside the door. As their leader, he seemed to be making some kind of plan.

His voice, no longer cheerful, had become very serious.

Through the doorframe, Yue could vaguely see the people gathered around Yahiko, their gazes filled with admiration and respect.

The flippant teasing of their leader from before was gone.

Upon their first meeting, Yue felt Yahiko reminded him of someone.

Jiraiya.

Of course, as the leader of Akatsuki, when he got serious... his charm was different.

Yue's gaze mainly fell on Nagato and Konan. The way these two looked at Yahiko was slightly different from the others.

After a while, Yue closed his eyes and fell asleep.

But he didn't sleep soundly that night.

Because people were constantly coming and going from the courtyard, their footsteps a constant murmur... and occasionally, other injured Akatsuki members were carried in.

Some, including Konan, were busy treating the wounded.

When dawn broke the next day, just as the sky began to lighten, he got up.

He sat alone in the courtyard, observing the every move of the entire Akatsuki Organization.

No one paid him any attention.

Everyone seemed to be busy, and the situation on the outside battlefield appeared quite dire.

This group was the backbone of the Akatsuki Organization on this battlefield, the core, so they were all very strong... at least, judging by the aura and eyes of each person, they were different from the ninjas of Kusagakure. After all, the environment of the Land of Rain was different, and 'Akatsuki' was a 'unit' forged through countless battles.

What moved Yue the most was the resolve of these people, united as one... acting purely on passion.

Despite such heavy casualties, they still charged forward without hesitation, full of drive.

Occasionally, those who were free would chat with Yue, but mostly they teased him, looking for some amusement.

Over time, Yue became familiar with them, at least knowing the names of some of the more distinctive individuals.

Within a few days, he had perfectly integrated into the environment.

The others didn't mind the sudden appearance of this kid.

Yue was certain he wouldn't be able to return to Kusagakure anytime soon. Konan had said she'd send him away when she had time... which would likely be after this war ended. From the snippets of conversation he overheard, Yue had pieced together some information. Currently, Akatsuki was at war with a local overlord who engaged in despicable acts. This overlord not only had private armed forces but also recruited rogue ninjas... most importantly, this faction had dealings with a high-ranking official in Amegakure.

Yahiko had received news that this high-ranking official was returning, so he had sent Sousuke to intercept him.

Only in dire circumstances was he allowed to kill.

Yahiko's methods were not about meeting violence with violence; he advocated for peace.

The fact that he could issue an assassination order showed how crucial that high-ranking official was to this war.

And how detestable his disposition and actions were.

But unfortunately, Sousuke never found an opportunity to strike along the way and ended up tailing the official back to Amegakure, ultimately failing the mission.

Yue also learned that there were many 'feudal lord'-like powers within the Land of Rain, equivalent to 'vassal lords'. Because the emperor was far away, Hanzo of the Salamander didn't pay much attention. Coupled with the fact that the leaders of these factions were connected to Amegakure, the situation was very tricky.

However, none of this concerned Yue. Realizing he couldn't leave for the time being.

He began his daily training, and also studied the ninjutsu he obtained from Grass Seed.

He wasn't afraid of exposing his skills. To these Akatsuki members, the few ninjutsu he practiced were child's play... this even led to him receiving guidance during his practice. This included chakra circulation and its response to hand seals, as well as some control techniques for chakra during jutsu execution, which greatly benefited Yue.

At the very least, those who interacted with him were at the Chunin level, and could easily become Special Jonin if they were in Kusagakure. Individuals like Sousuke were pure Jonin powerhouses. Their experience and pointers were always to the point, giving Yue a new understanding of ninjutsu.

He picked up the few ninjutsu quite quickly.

In Kusagakure, a Chunin would teach an entire class of students, with Jonin occasionally giving guest lectures, but infrequently.

Now, he had a group of Special Jonin, Jonin, and even elite Jonin seniors 'nurturing' a single sapling.

The level had immediately been raised.

The group of Jonin he referred to were actually just a few individuals, including the trio of Nagato... but the total number of people who taught him over time was quite large.

After all, it was not easy for a village to cultivate a few Jonin.

Let alone 'Akatsuki,' which had no official background.

Their strength was all developed through extensive combat.

This is the only way.

Granted, having good teachers is one thing, but whether a teacher is good or not ultimately depends on the student's comprehension.

Yue's comprehension left the experts of the Akatsuki Organization astonished.

Because even with things they explained that were obscure and difficult to understand, Yue, as a small child, seemed to grasp or understand them.

Without needing them to explain too much.

Sousuke had mentioned more than once that Yue's talent was exceptional.

He had even advised Yue not to return to Kusagakure, but to simply stay with the Akatsuki and become one of them.

Of course, Sousuke was joking.

Even if he wanted Yue to join the Akatsuki, Yahiko wouldn't agree.

The Akatsuki now was a group of people with ideals and aspirations. To involve a child from another village in their affairs was something Yahiko absolutely wouldn't do.

Even though he too believed Yue's potential was extraordinary.

Yue felt no joy from these people praising him.

His "comprehension," to put it bluntly, was because he had the soul of an adult inside him, someone who knew how to think.

Not like a typical naive child.

As for his aptitude as a ninja, that was also due to the buffs from "Bleach."

It wasn't the foundation of this previous life as Naruto.

Moreover, compared to the trio of Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, his talent... was still far behind.

After being taught by Jiraiya for three years, they transformed from ordinary people into individuals capable of clashing with Jonin. This wasn't something anyone could achieve.

Let alone their current level.

Even with the Uzumaki Clan bloodline and the Rinnegan's buff, Nagato achieving this was still incredibly outstanding. He hadn't fully awakened the Rinnegan's power yet, nor could he control or use it freely.

Three years. In three years, they went from ordinary people to strong individuals who could establish themselves in the ninja world. That was truly monstrous.

However, it definitely had a lot to do with their teacher, Jiraiya.

The next day, in a secluded corner of the backyard.

Yue quickly formed hand seals with his hands, channeled the chakra within him, and performed a Ninjutsu he had just learned.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"

He opened his mouth, and a stream of flames erupted, condensing into a thin red line. Only after approaching the target area did the flames slowly spread, scorching the air and creating a wave of heat.

However, Yue was not entirely satisfied.

Firstly, the speed of the flame projection was not fast enough. Secondly, during its flight, it tended to scatter and splash, making the power less concentrated.

"The rank of Ninjutsu isn't the only measure of power. Many relatively ordinary Ninjutsu can achieve impressive effects when performed by skilled individuals." At this moment, movement came from behind Yue. "Your biggest problem right now isn't chakra control or response, but the hand seals."

"All Ninjutsu hand seals are combinations of individual seals... the purpose is for you to 'synchronize' with the chakra within you. Therefore, the key point lies in 'synchronization'... you need to become familiar with that feeling. Once you are familiar, you can simplify the hand seals, even perform them with one hand. This way, you'll have more energy to control your chakra..."

Yahiko leaned against the wall, one eye open, and said with a smile.

"Synchronization?" Yue frowned.

"The simplest method is to not worry about chakra for now. Slow down your hand seals to the minimum, just enough to mobilize chakra and combine it with the technique. Don't worry about what the Ninjutsu looks like when it's released... through repeated practice, master and familiarize yourself with that feeling. Then, gradually speed up, continuously speeding up, as long as the Ninjutsu can be released. After reaching your maximum speed, then correct the problems with chakra shaping."

"Can you do hand seals with one hand?"

Yue raised an eyebrow.

"I can't."

Yahiko shook his head.

Hearing this, Yue immediately turned his head away.

"Performing hand seals with one hand isn't as simple as you think..." Yahiko coughed. "Besides, just because I can't do it doesn't mean you can't... I know the method, I just can't reach that level. Moreover, Ninjutsu types and complexity vary. Aside from unsealing Ninjutsu, being able to perform a Ninjutsu with one hand seal is already astonishing."

"However, I think you have great potential. I have high hopes for you."

"Thank you."

Yue replied mechanically.

At this moment, Nagato and Konan also walked over.

"Yue... you're still practicing."

Konan greeted him.

"Sister Konan." Yue called out.

"Take a break, it's time."

Konan smiled gently, her gaze towards Yue filled with a hint of concern.

Yue's diligence always reminded the trio of their own youth.

But Yue was different from them; he wasn't an orphan and hadn't experienced the sorrow brought by war.

The three of them were sometimes curious why Yue pushed himself so hard.

"I'm not tired."

Yue replied.

"Nagato, I'm leaving him to you. Yue doesn't trust me."

Konan and Nagato approached, clearly looking for Yahiko.

Yahiko said a word to his friend, then left with Konan.

"A C-rank ninjutsu... looks like you've been practicing for a long time."

Nagato assessed the situation before him and smiled slightly, "Yue, you have quite a bit of chakra."