[Bond] Ch 9: Danzo's Unexpected Decision

— — — — — — — 

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

The trees lining the streets of Konoha had grown even greener, and the distant chirping of cicadas signaled the slow arrival of summer.

In the Shimura clan compound, Shimura Yami was locked in an intense sparring match with a ninja.

The glint of their blades flickered as they clashed at incredible speed, moving so fast that Uchiha Izumi couldn't even follow their movements. All she could hear was the crisp, rhythmic clashing of metal and see the blurred figures moving back and forth.

Yami flicked his sword upward, forcing his opponent to lean back, narrowly avoiding a fatal thrust to the throat.

But in the next instant, the attack changed. The upward strike suddenly shifted into a sideways slash, and the back of his sword struck his opponent's arm.

Clang!

The man's sword fell to the ground, and the battle came to an abrupt end.

Yami slowly sheathed his blade and exhaled a deep breath. "You lost, Nishimura-sensei."

"...…"

The ninja, Nishimura, was a standard member of Root with the skill level of a Chūnin, specializing in assassination and swordsmanship.

"As expected of Young Master Yami—you truly are a genius." Nishimura lowered his head slightly, sighing in admiration.

He hadn't gone all out during their match. After all, his opponent was just a six-year-old kid.

But in terms of swordsmanship, he had fought at full capacity.

He had only been training Yami for two weeks. Yet in that short span, the boy had absorbed all of his years of swordsmanship experience—and surpassed him.

So this… is the world of geniuses. A world someone like him could never hope to understand.

"Young Master Yami," Nishimura looked at the boy solemnly, "I have nothing more to teach you. I'll report to Lord Danzo and request a more advanced teacher for you."

"Thank you," Yami nodded slightly and watched Nishimura leave.

Then, he turned to Izumi and waved. "Come on, let's get you home."

Izumi hopped down from the engawa, skipping toward Yami before taking his hand with a cheerful smile. "Hehe, Yami, you're amazing! Nishimura-sensei is a Chūnin, you know?"

"A Chūnin is nothing. You should set your sights higher," Yami said casually, leading the little girl outside. He didn't feel particularly proud or accomplished.

He understood a crucial fact—never judge a ninja's strength based on how they were portrayed in the original story.

What was a Genin, really?

Someone who could perform the basic Three Academy Jutsu well enough to graduate. Most Genin weren't even qualified to step onto the battlefield—if they did, they were just cannon fodder.

Chūnin, on the other hand, were usually squad leaders, significantly stronger than Genin and capable of using B-rank Jutsu. Their chakra reserves were roughly ten times that of an average Genin.

This was the reality of the ninja world, not the exception seen with the so-called "Konoha 12," who all had inherited clan techniques or overpowered bloodline abilities.

So beating an ordinary Chūnin in swordsmanship really wasn't that big of a deal.

Of course, even if they had fought seriously, Nishimura still wouldn't have stood a chance.

---

[Status]

[Name: Shimura Yami]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 6]

[Date of Birth: April 1, Konoha Year 46]

[Chakra Attributes: Fire (Genius), Wind (Genius), Yang (Excellent), Earth (Good), Water (Good), Yin (Genius)]

[Chakra Reserves: 1.6 Standard Jōnin Chakra]

[Chakra Control Talent: Genius]

[Mastered Jutsu: Three Basic Jutsu (Proficient), Wind Release: Great Breakthrough (Proficient), Wind Release: Gale Palm (Proficient), Fire Release: Blazing Meteors (Proficient), Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu (Proficient), Fire Release: Dragon Fire Jutsu (Basic)]

[Nature Transformation Mastery: Wind Release (Mastered) Fire Release (Beginner)]

[Strength Evaluation: Your small arms and legs won't hold you back—taking down a Chūnin in direct combat is easy for you.]

---

Over the past month, Yami hadn't received any special rewards. Most of the bonds he formed only granted additional chakra and basic elemental attributes.

However, with Izumi as his personal "accelerator," his training results had been phenomenal.

He had considered asking Izumi to move in with him, but ultimately dismissed the idea.

Right now, he was just a child with no influence. Even if he spoke up, Izumi's mother wouldn't take him seriously—and it might even attract unwanted attention.

So, he would wait. The Uchiha still had a few years left.

— — —

Meanwhile, in another part of the village.

After leaving the Shimura compound, Nishimura headed straight for the Root base and knelt before Danzo.

"Lord Danzo, Young Master Yami has already surpassed me in swordsmanship. I am no longer qualified to be his teacher."

"So soon?"

Danzo was visibly surprised.

"I understand. You may go."

Nishimura bowed and disappeared in an instant.

Danzo leaned back, deep in thought. "It seems Yami's talent exceeds even my expectations."

He was pleased, but also troubled.

Pleased, because Yami was shaping up to be a prodigy beyond compare.

Troubled, because finding his next teacher wouldn't be easy.

There weren't many great swordsmen left in Konoha. Maruboshi Kosuke was one option, but he was too close to the Third Hokage. Danzo didn't trust him to teach Yami.

"What about someone from the Yamashiro clan?" Danzo frowned, but quickly dismissed the idea.

Yamashiro had a skilled Jōnin swordsman, but Danzo didn't think he was much better than Nishimura. After all, anyone deemed strong enough to join Root wasn't an ordinary Chūnin.

Then, suddenly, an image flashed through Danzo's mind.

A short but skilled young man. Young, but immensely talented.

There was just one issue—his background was… complicated.

But after some careful thought, Danzo made his decision. For Yami's sake, it was worth the risk.

— — —

The next day—Saturday.

There was no school today. Yami was just about to leave the house when he noticed Danzo arriving.

"Yami, I've found you a new teacher," Danzo said, forcing a rare smile. "Not only will he teach you swordsmanship, but you can also learn ninjutsu and taijutsu from him."

"Who is it?" Yami asked curiously.

Swoosh!

A light breeze stirred the air, and suddenly, a young man appeared beside Danzo.

Yami's eyes widened in shock.

Him?!

.

.

.