Chapter 61: I have never felt so helpless

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In Konoha—no, in the entire ninja world—if there's ever blame to assign and no one can be found, you just blame Danzo.

Out of ten possible blames, one might be a mistake. But nine out of ten? One of those is definitely his!

That's the power of the shadowy side of the ninja world!

You must remember that Danzo is an elder of Konoha, yet he has the ability to manipulate the Akatsuki organization from the shadows.

Even the old sow wailing outside the gates of Konoha Village in the middle of the night could somehow be linked to Danzo.

As the first-generation "Pot Shadow" of Stove Village, Danzo once said, "As long as smoke rises, there is a pot. The pot brings warmth and happiness to the people through the fire. This is the will of the pot!"

After contemplating for a moment, Yuuki Yuichi thought about Kurenai Yuhi.

He wanted Kurenai to sign a contract with the Fire Crow Clan. If he remembered correctly, Kurenai was just a genjutsu specialist, a jonin—but compared to others who used underhanded tricks, she was still too weak.

The Fire Crow Clan could give her some much-needed help. He didn't expect too much, but at least Kurenai could gain more self-defense abilities. Genjutsu specialists were just too vulnerable.

With that in mind, Yuuki Yuichi looked at Yuhi shinku with a serious expression, far from his usual playful demeanor.

"Uncle Shinku, I want Kurenai to sign a summoning contract," he stated solemnly.

Yuhi shinku frowned slightly. He was about to advise Yuuki Yuichi not to overextend himself, but seeing the boy's serious expression, he sighed with a sense of relief.

Although Yuuki Yuichi was adopted, and Kurenai was his biological daughter, in his heart, both of them were like his own children.

However, seeing Yuuki's determination eased his concerns. He worried about whether the summoning beast would approve, but also felt a sense of pride.

After a moment of thought, Yuhi Shinku said, "You'll need to communicate with the summoning beast first. If they agree, then it's possible."

"Yes!" Yuuki Yuichi nodded firmly.

He hadn't even considered whether the Fire Crow Clan would reject him.

After all, why wouldn't the Fire Crow agree to sign with his future wife? What's the issue with that?

No problem at all!

Yuhi Shinku didn't linger much longer. He advised Yuuki to take care of his mental state, then headed downstairs.

Yuuki could tell that his uncle's steps were noticeably lighter.

As for the mental strain advice, Yuuki felt much better than earlier that morning. Although there was still a slight headache, it didn't affect him anymore.

He also made a firm decision to never summon so many shadow clones at once again.

Thinking back, he cursed, "Damn Uzumaki Naruto!"

He had trusted Naruto too much and forgotten that only Naruto's Uzumaki bloodline allowed him to safely handle so many clones. Yuuki's chakra reserves were abundant, but they didn't protect his mental state from strain.

He had plenty of chakra now. Just a few days ago, he had mastered the Dragon Fire Technique, which he could now use dozens or even hundreds of times.

But that only addressed the physical aspect.

The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique required two conditions: enough chakra to support the survival of hundreds or thousands of clones, and a brain empty enough to handle it all.

Yuuki Yuichi had only satisfied one of these. Unlike Naruto, whose brain had… not much going on.

It was like someone who had experienced internet information overload.

Especially when he had his clones studying new ninjutsu.

Thinking about it, Yuuki glanced out the window. It was still early, so he figured he could visit the Fire Crow Clan again.

Although the Fire Crow Clan's summoning beast was a reward from the system, he thought it better to ask for permission.

After all, if he were beaten up by his own summoned beast, that would be too embarrassing.

Without hesitation, Yuuki quickly got dressed and prepared to head to Red Flame Mountain. He grabbed the summoning scroll from the side and vanished from his room in an instant.

But moments later, he reappeared, face covered in dust.

It was too hot!

As soon as he arrived, he was greeted by a sea of flames swirling through the air, with fire erupting all over the ground.

It was nothing like his first visit.

Back then, he had only felt a slight rise in temperature compared to the outside world. Now, he could fully appreciate the terrifying power of the Fire Crow Clan.

Summoning that many Fire Crows could devastate entire ninja forces.

Realizing this, Yuuki Yuichi decided it was best not to interfere. He'd leave the Fire Crows to their fiery fun at Red Flame Mountain.

With that, Yuuki summoned one of the Fire Crows.

A crow with a scar over its eye materialized before him.

"What's going on?" the Fire Crow asked, immediately looking around as flames ignited along its body, its sharp eyes scanning for danger.

After confirming there was none, it dispersed the flames and perched on the ground, looking up at Yuuki Yuichi.

"Are you my summoner?" it asked.

Yuuki was taken aback. Why did every Fire Crow feel like they belonged to some underworld organization?

From the Crow Immortal to this ordinary Fire Crow, they all had the same vibe.

Thinking back to his recent visit to Red Flame Mountain, Yuuki still remembered hearing the deep, commanding voice of the Big Crow echo through the fiery landscape.

"Hurry up! How will you fight like this in the future?!"

Recalling that moment, Yuuki shook his head, focusing back on the Fire Crow in front of him.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Me?" The Fire Crow blinked, lowering its head in thought for a moment before answering, "I didn't have a name before, but since you asked, you can call me Scar."

Scar proudly pointed to the scar over its left eye with its wing. "This scar is from my many battles, from the north to the south of Red Flame Mountain!"

Scar puffed out its chest, reminiscing, "Back in the day, when I flapped my wings, three thousand troops would charge forward in unison!"

Yuuki Yuichi: "…"

Great, confirmed—he's a braggart.

Still, there were more important things to do. Yuuki interrupted, "Enough bragging!"

"I need to speak with the Crow Immortal, or at least the Big Crow."

"Why?" Scar tilted its head. "You can ask me instead."

"Just because she's the Big Crow doesn't mean I, the Second Crow, can't make decisions."

Yuuki Yuichi: "…"

"Isn't your name Scar?"

"You can also call me the Second Crow."

"I don't care about titles, but I swear I'll become the second immortal!"

Yuuki Yuichi had never felt more helpless.

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