[Bond] Ch 3: Danzo Return

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The next day.

Since it was a day off, Shimura Yami slept in, only getting up when the sun was already high in the sky.

Ebisu wouldn't be coming over today, but Yami had no intention of slacking off.

Trying to farm bonds in the village was too inefficient—he'd be better off training at home.

The system required three conditions to form a bond:

•The two people had to meet face to face.

•They had to know each other's names.

•Yami had to leave a deep impression on the other person.

So far, only the rewards left by his parents had been exceptions to these conditions.

Right now, he wasn't influential enough. To the adults, he was just a kid—not someone worth paying attention to. Meeting the third condition was tough.

Otherwise, his two bodyguards, Aburame Seiji and Yamanaka Ryo wouldn't have failed to trigger even the most basic bond rewards despite being around him all the time.

To them, Yami was merely a mission objective, not someone particularly noteworthy.

For now, the best place to earn rewards was still the Ninja Academy.

He had obtained his Fire Affinity there, and if things went well, he might even gather all five chakra natures and the Yin Affinity someday.

Stepping into the courtyard, Yami picked up a custom-made short sword designed for children and began practicing the most fundamental slashes.

In this world, swords and blades were often lumped together under the same term, and to Yami, they were essentially the same thing. Even the so-called Kusanagi Sword was just a blade.

Still, he saw no point in arguing over terminology.

After all, his talent in swordsmanship was undeniable, and once he became a Genin, it would evolve to an even higher level. Wasting such a gift by not training would be a shame.

In the Naruto world, even the strongest ninja were still flesh and blood. A well-placed sword strike was just as lethal as a high-level jutsu—sometimes even more so.

Many ninjas didn't actually learn many jutsu. In battle, they relied primarily on little taijutsu and ninja tools.

Jutsu were either used to establish an advantage or to land a decisive blow.

Not everyone could spam jutsu endlessly like Naruto, treating powerful techniques as if they were basic attacks.

Swish! Swish!

The sound of his sword cutting through the air filled the courtyard. The warm sunlight bathed his forehead, making the beads of sweat glisten.

His training continued from lunchtime until sunset, only stopping when a deep voice called out from behind him.

"Yami."

Turning around, Yami saw a tall, elderly man with a face full of wrinkles.

A bandage covered his left eye, and his sharp, sinister features exuded an aura of coldness and darkness. Yet, when he looked at Yami, there was the faintest trace of a smile.

Perhaps because he rarely smiled, it looked rather stiff and unnatural.

This man was none other than the shadow of the ninja world—the unofficial 5.5th Hokage—the strongest scapegoat in history: Shimura Danzo.

"You're back, old man," Yami greeted casually.

He had called Danzo "old man" ever since he could talk, never once referring to him as "Grandfather."

Danzo didn't mind. Or rather, even if he did, there was nothing he could do about it.

He could be ruthless to outsiders, manipulate and scheme against anyone.

But Yami was his only family in this world—his bloodline's sole heir.

More than that, he was Danzo's hope. Not only did he want Yami to inherit Root, but he also dreamed of making him the Hokage after him.

And so far, Yami had not disappointed him. His talent was on par with Kakashi's in his youth. Despite only recently starting school, he was already at the graduation level.

Unfortunately… he didn't have that Kekkei Genkai.

Danzo's lone eye darkened. In his mind, ordinary ninjas—no matter how strong—had limits.

Only the Sharingan or Wood Release could truly make him and Yami unstoppable.

Thinking about the current situation in the village, Danzo's mind started turning.

Meanwhile, Yami was momentarily stunned.

The moment he saw Danzo, his system notifications rang twice in quick succession:

[Bond with Shimura Danzo (Family-Stage1) Activated: Reward—Wind Affinity (Genius)]

[Bond with Shimura Danzo (Stage 2) Achieved: Reward—Wind Nature Transformation (Mastery)]

This was the first time Yami had met Danzo since the system had activated, so it wasn't surprising that the rewards had just triggered now.

The two rewards fused together, subtly sharpening Yami's aura.

Especially the Wind Nature Transformation—right now, Danzo was probably the strongest Wind Release user in Konoha, ranking among the top in the entire ninja world.

Not just anyone could use wind-infused shuriken to slice through Susanoo.

Danzo immediately noticed the change in Yami's chakra and snapped out of his thoughts. He stepped forward and stood in the courtyard.

"I have some time today. It's been a while since I checked your progress. Show me what you've got."

"Huh? Oh, sure."

Yami didn't hesitate. He gripped his sword tightly and charged forward without warning.

A faint distortion in the air surrounded his blade. Danzo's single eye flashed with delight.

"Nature transformation?!"

"Excellent, excellent."

"Mastering nature transformation at six years old—my grandson truly has the makings of a Hokage! Even if I failed, he would be a good choice." Danzo was thinking.

In an instant, Yami closed the gap and swung his short sword.

Danzo dodged effortlessly with a slight shift of his body. Yami immediately followed up with a sweeping kick. Danzo blocked it with his arm, using the impact to push himself back, then swiftly counterattacked.

Even though Danzo was at least an elite Jonin, he had no intention of going easy. He observed Yami's every move with a critical eye.

Yami didn't hold back either. He unleashed his sword techniques and ninjutsu with everything he had.

There was no need to be cautious—thanks to the Stage 2 bond reward, Danzo was now one of the least likely people in the world to harm him.

— — —

Fifteen minutes later.

Yami stopped, panting heavily. His chakra reserves were completely drained.

"Well done, Yami. But don't get complacent. You're a genius, not a true powerhouse yet."

Danzo's grin was now impossible to hide. Yami had exceeded his expectations.

His Wind Release transformation was already highly refined, and his Fire Release jutsu were well-practiced.

If he could just get the right pair of eyes…

"The future of Konoha will belong to the Shimura clan!" With that thought, Danzo led Yami inside.

As they ate, Yami suddenly asked, "By the way, old man, you didn't look too happy when you came back. Did someone piss you off again?"

Danzo casually took a bite of rice. "Who else? That old bastard Hiruzen, of course. I failed to assassinate him today. Looks like my Hokage plans are delayed again."

Yami: "...…"

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