章 164: Chapter 164
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At the front of the Hidden Leaf camp.
Kyomu stood on a platform temporarily constructed by earth-style ninjutsu, facing a crowd of Leaf ninjas below him.
Behind him, a pole stood with Yugito tied to it, her clothes tattered. Her milky brown hair was messy as she hung there, head bowed in silence, staring at the ground.
She could not escape nor resist, only wishing that time would pass more slowly, not wanting to be used as a weapon against her own village when dawn came.
But Kyomu was indifferent to these concerns.
"Looking into your eyes, I know how much you've lost."
The crowd below remained silent.
Kyomu paused before speaking again, "For you Uchiha, this isn't a curse. It's a medal of honor for protection, reminding you that in the future, when you face the same situation, you won't be as powerless."
The Uchiha ninjas raised their heads, their eyes a sea of crimson.
"So, be kinder to those you care about."
As Kyomu's words fell, the Uchiha ninjas lowered their heads again, murmuring amongst themselves.
"Who cares about them."
"Who would care about idiots."
"I don't want to see them on the battlefield again."
"They're useless other than dragging us down."
Kyomu grinned, letting the Uchiha ninjas murmur as they wished, and when the noise subsided, he continued.
"Remember what the Uchiha ninjas say, just interpret it the opposite way. If they call you an idiot, it means they are frustrated because they can't teach you. Saying they don't care about you means you already have a place in their hearts.
If they say you're dragging them down, it means they're worried they can't save you when danger arises. And if they say they don't want to see you on the battlefield, it's because they don't want you to risk your lives.
So, just cling to the Uchiha's coattails; they will protect you well.
But...
You've experienced the brutality of war. Today, we lost 1/5 of our forces, and it's only the first day. You need to put in more effort."
"Yes, Kyomu-sama!" A chorus of young Leaf ninjas, averaging seven years in age, shouted in unison, "We won't disappoint you or the Uchiha teachers!"
Kyomu smiled broadly, effectively revealing the true nature of the notoriously proud Uchiha, making the young ninjas understand how to interact with them.
But the Uchiha ninjas themselves were biting their teeth, glaring at Kyomu with undisguised hostility.
How dare he expose their true nature so publicly?
Doesn't he care about the dignity of the Uchiha, upheld for a millennium?
"Aragami Kyomu!"
Fugaku, unhampered by certain considerations, retorted, "Control yourself, don't slander the Uchiha like this!"
"Flattered, I guess." Kyomu's laughter grew even louder, "Right, Fugaku-senpai?"
"Ridiculous, hmph!"
Fugaku turned away with a scowl, leading his clan members away from the scene with a posture that seemed as if he were flipping the table, a silent protest.
But to Kyomu, it was almost like a hasty retreat.
"The Uchiha are all so concerned about face, suffering for pride, very stiff indeed." Kyomu shrugged, "They're worried about showing their emotions, had to leave early."
"Ha ha ha…"
The young Leaf ninjas immediately laughed in agreement, and Fugaku, leading the group, stumbled slightly, glaring back at Kyomu.
He continued to leave, but as he turned his head, Fugaku's lips twitched upwards subtly.
He was initially uncomfortable, but after getting used to it, he felt pretty good about it.
"When your team members return, train them harshly!" Fugaku instructed coldly, "Make them unable to laugh, let them understand what the dignity of the Uchiha really means!"
"Yes, clan leader."
The Uchiha ninjas behind him responded in unison, their eyes gleaming with laughter, seriousness, and a hint of murderous intent. The Uchiha would not tolerate slander!
Kyomu and the others might put up with them, but those low-ranking ninjas needed to learn their place.
After more admonitions, Kyomu waved everyone off, and soon, the Uchiha ninjas' fierce taunts could be heard from their tents, unbearable even to eavesdrop.
Too poisonous with their words, always uncovering others' shortcomings.
"Only I would put up with them. If it were someone else, who would tolerate the Uchiha's foul temper?"
Kyomu stepped down from the platform and approached the pole where Yugito was tied.
Drawing his sword, he placed the blade under her chin, lifting her head to examine her face closely, finally focusing on her forehead.
With a swift move, he cut off the headband that marked her as a Cloud ninja and kicked it far away.
"Aragami Kyomu, I will kill you one day!" Yugito's lifeless eyes flickered with hatred, her voice hoarse and filled with loathing.
Kyomu took it as a joke, searching through his ninja tool bag for a Hidden Leaf headband. Leaping to Yugito's level, he tried to place it on her.
"I won't wear it! I won't!"
Yugito frantically shook her head, but when Kyomu grasped her chin, she quieted down, only her body kept twitching.
Undisturbed, Kyomu placed the Leaf headband on Yugito's forehead, examined it, and nodded in satisfaction.
"From now on, you'll be my mount. And after tomorrow, you won't be able to return to the Cloud. How could they accept a jinchuriki who used the Tailed Beast Bomb against her comrades?"
"Aragami Kyomu, you are cruel!"
"I am very gentle with my own people, I could even say that from the heart and soul." Kyomu didn't think Yugito's curse was harsh, "A hero to me, an enemy to others, it has been the truth since ancient times."
"I…"
Trying to spit, but Kyomu quickly covered Yugito's mouth, watching her swallow twice before letting go.
"Thirsty?"
Yugito turned her head away, tears streaming down, holding her pride without saying a word.
"Then you're not thirsty." Kyomu asked again, "Hungry?"
"Looks like you're not hungry." Without bothering Yugito further, he checked her seals, then deactivated his technique and landed on the ground.
"Rest assured, after we break the Cloud, you can stay or leave." He walked away, "But if you want to die, I can remove the Two-Tails and watch you die."
Ignoring Yugito, still tied to the pole, Kyomu found Fugaku.
"Fugaku-senpai, is the Two-Tails stable?" He was still a bit worried, "After all, the texts about the Mangekyō Sharingan were taken by Madara when he left, you…"
"Shut up!" Fugaku interrupted harshly, his face cold, "If I say it's stable, then it's stable. There's no need for your doubt!"
"That harsh, huh?" Kyomu smirked, sitting down nonchalantly, grabbing the teapot that Fugaku had set on the table.
Fugaku's eyelid twitched, unable to reach out to stop him—it was just a teapot, and the wealthy Uchiha clan certainly didn't lack for such things.
"Rude!" Fugaku could only attack verbally.
After a few gulps of the warm tea, Kyomu felt refreshed. What had Fugaku said again?
Ignoring the bad, Kyomu was quite proficient.
"I'm relieved to hear you say that, Fugaku-senpai. I was thinking about whether to hang Yugito out a bit farther away."
"Absolutely not necessary, but I worry about tonight…"
"They'll definitely come for a rescue, but are you afraid or am I?" Kyomu shook his head dismissively, "The Cloud's top combatants are gone with the Third Raikage's death, if his son the Fourth isn't ready to take over yet."
"The Fourth is indeed much weaker than his father," Fugaku nodded, "but that might change in a few years."
"As he age, I will to, isn't?"
Kyomu's words made Fugaku pause, then his facial muscles twitched, "Kyomu-san, you are very arrogant."
"With a standard Uchiha sitting next to you, if you're not arrogant, they look down on you."
Another stab at Fugaku's heart, and he suddenly didn't want to talk anymore.
It's all Obito's fault!
Ever since Obito became friends with Kyomu, the secrets of the Uchiha had been spilled, what a fool...
Kyomu didn't pursue the subject further, turning back to the matter at hand.
"Fugaku-senpai, I'll take the first half of the night watch. You brew some fresh tea and get some rest," he stated nonchalantly.
To have the current clan head of the proud Uchiha making tea for someone else?
Fugaku snorted and hesitated for a moment before taking the teapot that Kyomu had used and stepping outside the tent to make a new batch.
"This teapot is no longer usable. Take it and leave my tent!" Fugaku pointed towards the exit.
"Not even a cup?" Kyomu stood up, glancing at the small square table with a teacup on it. "I don't like this one; fetch me a new one."
"Out!" Fugaku expelled him from the tent, Kyomu leaving in high spirits. The daytime provided diversions with the Cloud ninja to relieve boredom and loosen muscles, and at night he had the Uchiha to tease—a rather fulfilling life.
Carrying the hot teapot, Kyomu strolled around the camp, checking for any oversights, before returning to the front of the camp.
Just as he settled in, a strong gust hit him from behind. Kyomu caught it with his hand; the steaming hot water inside didn't spill a drop.
It was a new cup, scalded with hot water, but why hadn't the water been emptied?
"Fugaku-senpai, I really like the new teacup you sent." Kyomu called out without turning around, "Remember to empty the water used for scalding the cup next time, I almost got burned."
Fugaku didn't respond, and Kyomu didn't mind. Holding onto the still-intact teapot and cup, he sat down beside the post where Yugito was bound.
"Yugito, do you think someone will come to rescue you?" Kyomu made conversation. "How many will come back, and how many will return?"
Yugito kept her head down and said nothing, and Kyomu didn't press further, simply waiting quietly for any action from the Cloud ninja.
Whoosh.
He poured a cup of tea and gently blew on it, finding it still too hot to drink.
Scanning the ground, he felt it was clean enough, and set the tea cup down.
As he did, the water in the cup rippled.
"Ah, company's coming."
"You mustn't come, it's a trap!!!" Yugito suddenly broke her act, shouting loudly.
The Hidden Leaf camp remained quiet, no one peering out.
With Kyomu there, as long as he didn't call out, both inside the camp and at the front, all was secure.
This was trust.
"I'll drink this when I come back."
His voice still echoed in place, but Kyomu used rapid short bursts of teleportation, appearing far ahead.
He intercepted a Cloud ninja, his body suddenly flashing with electrical arcs, his speed greatly enhanced.
Lightning Release, The Gate of Awe, open!
He threw a powerful punch.
Boom.
The Cloud ninja managed to block with crossed arms at the last moment, but the sheer force sent him flying back several meters.
No blood spilled, just trembling hands that failed to obey him, showing the ninja was not weak.
But that was all.
Suddenly, Kyomu appeared behind him, slapped a specially-made exploding tag on him, and formed a simple seal with one hand.
Instantly, the exploding tag on the Cloud ninja's body seemed to activate a multiplication switch, wrapping him in layers of tags.
Mutually Multiplicative Exploding Tag Technique!
After completing this, Kyomu's body vanished, followed by a continuous, unending series of explosions and flashes of light.
Watching the series of explosions spreading over a kilometer in the distance, Kyomu was quite satisfied with this forbidden technique.
Less explosive initially but beneficial for its persistence, similar to setting off ten thousand firecrackers, and even spreading autonomously over a wider area.
But before the exploding tags had completely run out, Kyomu looked up, sensing the slight atmospheric pressure around him.
Not far off, a massive Tailed Beast Bomb was incoming.
"Killer B, this rapper, has a good relationship with the Eight-Tails."
Muttering to himself, Kyomu made no extra moves; chakra beneath his feet thrust him skyward, charging towards the incoming Tailed Beast Bomb.
Flight Technique!
Instantaneous Movement: Dimensional Slash!
He drew his sword, chakra in his body halved instantly but replenished to its peak in a moment.
Wind, Yin, and Lightning—three chakra natures fused together, his unique spatial bloodline limit spreading through the surrounding space and into the blade of his sword, Yoei.
Space distorted, momentarily split, and Kyomu teleported behind the drag of the Tailed Beast Bomb's tail wave, gracefully passing through.
As he moved, the space behind him split to either side, and the Tailed Beast Bomb, cleanly bisected as if by a hot knife through butter, parted smoothly as if it were meant to be in two halves from the beginning.
Flying forward a few meters, space in front seemed to open two invisible mouths, swallowing the evenly split halves of the Tailed Beast Bomb, leaving behind nothing but faint ripples in their place.
The scene shifted, eighteen meters away, the two hemispherical halves of the Tailed Beast Bomb hit the ground, causing a massive explosion of dust.
Kyomu's mastery over his spatial bloodline limit had improved, extending his maximum range by three meters.
As the dust from the explosion cleared, the remaining Cloud ninjas retreated without looking back, not daring to glance at Kyomu.
He did not pursue, merely observing. This was just an appetizer; the main event would come at dawn.
Returning to the post where Yugito was bound, Kyomu picked up his tea cup; the tea was still warm, just right for drinking now.
He tipped his head back, drinking in one gulp against the backdrop of distant firelight and smoke.
(End of Chapter)
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