Chapter 76

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During this time, Kyomu also approached Kakashi, but some things were left unsaid, just reminiscing and livening up the atmosphere.

A month passed, and the three under Kyomu's leadership made remarkable progress in strength. They couldn't match him and Kakashi, but they were considered top-tier among their peers.

Similarly, this month, due to the passive skill, Kyomu's strength also improved significantly.

In terms of physical fitness, he had reached the threshold for learning the Eight Inner Gates technique, and even surpassed it by a considerable margin.

Thanks to the knowledge of the Eight Inner Gates accumulated previously, Kyomu didn't need to run to Uncle Duy every day. He could practice on his own, occasionally seeking Uncle's help to correct his form.

However, when it came the time to refresh his passive skill at the beginning of the month Kyomu got quite unsatisfied.

[Photographic Memory]

Just by looking at the name, it was clear that this was a passive skill for learning assistance, which was very useful for accumulating knowledge but somewhat inadequate for improving strength.

Fortunately, with Obito's help, Kyomu used this month's passive skills to read numerous books from the Uchiha clan's collection every day.

These were all miscellaneous ninjutsu, mostly of B-rank. Along with the few books he borrowed from Sakumo before leaving, as result Kyomu had memorized many B-rank ninjutsu of all five attributes.

Given some more time to digest and apply them, becoming a ninja artillery was only a matter of time.

Another month passed quietly.

Kyomu didn't have the resources like others to allow Guy, Genma , and Ebisu to undergo relatively safe blood and fire training ahead of time.

So he continued to teach the three of them according to their chakra attributes, teaching them a few C-rank ninjutsu, and continuing to lead missions in the village executing D-rank tasks.

It felt pretty good, especially watching them clean up dung and pick up garbage in the stinky sewers. Kyomu's gloomy mood improved a lot, as watching people suffer like he did was cathartic.

But as the new month arrived, Kyomu became even more restless.

It wasn't that the passive skill was bad, but rather that Sakumo hadn't returned to the village yet, and Kakashi had been sent out of the village on a mission.

Suppressing his unease, Kyomu finished guiding Guy and the others before plunging into intense training.

[Efficiency]

This month's passive skill: as long as you put in the effort, your rewards will be twice as much, and there won't be any bottlenecks.

A very powerful passive skill, albeit not as overpowered as "Rewards of Diligence", mainly because it lacked the insane recovery power, which was not enough to support Kyomu running 24 hours a day.

But Kyomu was content. Relying on this passive skill, he focused most of his energy on swordsmanship and the Eight Inner Gates technique.

It's not that he didn't want to pursue an all-around path, but when encountering such a good passive skill, Kyomu had to focus on his strongest areas to maximize and speed up his strength improvement.

The storm was coming, and he didn't have much time.

Finally, in the fifth month, Sakumo returned secretly with his team. If Kyomu hadn't heard the gossips in the village, he wouldn't have known about it.

Leaving Guy, Genma , and Ebisu behind, Kyomu hurried to Sakumo's residence.

Kakashi was there too, obviously having heard some rumors.

"Kyomu, you're here too."

"Teacher, why didn't you tell me you were coming back to the village?"

"There's nothing to say." Sakumo forced a smile. "Just a mission, and a failed one at that. Whether I say it or not doesn't make a difference."

Kyomu fell silent, and Kakashi beside him did the same.

Glancing at the pendant hanging around Sakumo's neck, Kyomu temporarily felt relieved.

"Teacher, victories and defeats are common occurrences, but..."

"I know that, but it's was possible for the mission to succeed." Sakumo waved his hand to interrupt. "But it was a mission where sacrificing all team members might have been necessary to complete it. I hesitated and chose to withdraw."

Sakumo didn't have any intention of hiding it, and the mission report would undoubtedly state it as such.

"Father, you said... ninjas are duty-bound to complete missions." Kakashi calmly interjected, "But why did you..."

"They've been through life and death with me for many years. I didn't want to leave them behind." Sakumo's expression was calm, but the struggle in his heart was fully reflected in his evasive eyes.

"Ninjas are not just emotionless task machines. I've always been ruthless to enemies, but I can't bring myself to harm my teammates."

Sakumo didn't describe the specific details of the mission, but Kyomu could understand that the situation at the time was really hard to explain.

It's like the dilemma of choosing between saving your wife or your mother; no matter how you choose, you're wrong.

"Teacher, I understand you." Kyomu comforted, "With the original team intact, it's like preserving people over territory. The day to reclaim it will come sooner or later."

Sakumo's eyes brightened slightly, and he smiled and nodded at Kyomu.

It was evident that at this moment, Sakumo's mindset could still hold steady.

Kakashi looked at Kyomu and then at Sakumo. Being somewhat awkward in this regard, he finally spoke up.

"But the duty of a ninja..."

"Kakashi, if I were to die, and you could complete the mission, what would you do?" Kyomu countered Kakashi, "But I can tell you, faced with such a situation, my choice would be the same as Teacher's."

Kakashi fell silent, and after a moment, he suddenly opened up, "I would do the same."

Kyomu smiled and placed his hand on Kakashi's shoulder, "That's friendship. We're the ones who can rely on each other's backs. Even if we fail once, as long as we're still here, we can regain what we lost!"

Kakashi smiled in relief, "I understand. This time it's not Father's fault."

"Right, just like I told you before..."

"Tactical retreat, right?" Kakashi answered, "Stop making excuses. You're just afraid of dying."

"But I'm more afraid of you dying before me, Kakashi."

Kakashi didn't say anything more, but he already understood everything in his heart. Father's choice this time was not wrong!

There are many missions, and losses can be compensated, but lives can only be lost once.

Sakumo also smiled along, "This is a bond. With people you trust, you can fail once or countless times, but as long as you win once, everything can be regained."

Kyomu nodded, affirming that Sakumo didn't take the rumors rising in the village to heart.

But the next moment, Kyomu's heart sank!

"Teacher, who are your teammates?!"

"Kyomu, their identities are classified." Sakumo showed no intention of telling Kyomu, "You can rest assured, they're fine. They're probably recuperating now."

Seeing Sakumo like this, Kyomu finally understood what the last straw that overwhelmed him was.

You trust your teammates, but they ultimately betray you. That feeling... is like Kyomu betraying Kakashi now, or being betrayed by Kakashi!

"Teacher, I'll excuse myself first." Kyomu pulled Kakashi and ran outside, "You come with me too. This is important."

Seeing Kyomu's urgent demeanor, Sakumo was puzzled. He had rarely seen Kyomu like this before.

"Kyomu, what's wrong?"

"Someone is plotting against Teacaher!"

"Impossible!" Kakashi decisively denied, "Who dares to harm my father? My father is..."

"Teacher is not yet the Hokage!" Kyomu immediately explained, "The rumors spreading in the village are unusual. Such confidential missions shouldn't be known to anyone outside the village leadership."

!

Kakashi suddenly realized. He had also carried out many missions, but the more confidential the mission, the less likely it was to leak. Even if someone knew, it would be limited to the ninja circle and wouldn't need to be known by the whole village.

"Kyomu, tell me what you know, and I'll listen!" Kakashi made a quick decision.

"In this situation, Teacher should have some awareness. He's currently laying low and handling it quietly. But the reason he can maintain his composure is because of the teammates he trusts, or rather, comrades and close friends."

Kyomu's thoughts were clear. "As long as they are fine, when the storm blows over, Teacher will reappear in public in his original capacity. But if he's betrayed...

It's like suddenly stabbing you in the back from behind, can you understand that feeling?!"

Kakashi's eyes flashed, and he immediately made a decision, "I'll go find the Hokage."

"I'll search for clues at the village hospital."

Their division of labor was clear, but Kyomu's heart couldn't stop sinking.

What he could think of, Danzo shouldn't fail to think of. This man was a master at exploiting the darkness in people's hearts.

Immediately, Kyomu instructed again, "Kakashi, if there's no way, go find the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. They come every New Year's Day, there's friendship there, and you have more influence than I do."

Nodding, Kakashi rushed away, and Kyomu immediately took action.

It had to be fast!

(End of Chapter)