Bonus for 400 PS before I forget xD.
Yami caught Koyuki Kazahana as she flew into his arms and spun her around once, causing the girl to giggle.
Now thirteen, Koyuki was already older than Yami.
The former princess-like child had grown into a proper young woman.
The elegance cultivated in the palace since childhood had become even more prominent.
When she was calm and composed, she truly looked like a flawless noble princess.
"You're getting more and more beautiful."
"Lord Yami…"
Koyuki's face flushed red, but she still held tightly to Yami's hand.
Looking around and finding himself alone, he asked curiously, "Where are Izumi and Yugao?"
"They didn't come. I'm here on serious business this time. I'll bring them to vacation in a few months."
"Oh, I see. How long does Yami-sama plan to stay this time?"
"About ten days. There are a lot of things going on in the village."
"Only ten days…"
Koyuki lowered her head in disappointment.
Sōsetsu could only sigh.
Since his daughter entered the room, she hadn't even looked at him or greeted him once. Her eyes and heart were completely focused on this black-haired… brat.
Seeing the two talk nonstop, Sōsetsu intentionally coughed loudly and said sternly, "Koyuki, Lord Yami has important matters to attend to. Don't delay him."
"Okay."
Koyuki responded reluctantly but knew what was appropriate. She agreed with Yami to meet again in a few days, then cheerfully skipped away.
Soon after, Yami also left the palace, followed Asama to the warehouse to retrieve some supplies, and went to meet with Shisui and the others before heading to Snow Ninja Village.
After an afternoon of cleaning and clearing, the village was finally livable again.
"This will be your temporary home."
Yami addressed everyone. "I know you want to return to Konoha and take revenge, but you are too weak right now. Going back would just be suicide. I'm leaving Shisui here. You'll train with him over the next few years. Once you reach three tomoe, you can return to the main continent and join my forces."
Except for a few elderly individuals, the rest of the Uchiha—young teens, fathers, and daughters alike—had fighting spirit in their eyes.
"As for your names, I don't want to remember them. Forget them. Consider yourselves already dead the night of the massacre."
"From now on, you will be ranked by strength, from U-1 to U-20. Anyone below that doesn't even deserve a codename."
All the surviving Uchiha nodded in obedience.
Arrogance had long been the synonym of the Uchiha. Even civilians among them tended to be prideful and aggressive. But now, after the price paid in blood and lives, all that pride and resistance was redirected toward their hatred for Itachi and now they listened to Yami without question.
After arranging the accommodations, Yami stepped outside the village. Shisui looked in a certain direction and silently followed him.
The two arrived on a hill not far from the village, where a Root ninja wearing a mask was waiting.
"This is Owl, the Root team captain stationed in the Land of Snow. Shisui, you should know him. Oh, by the way… you saw each other last time during your 'chase,' didn't you?"
Faced with Yami's introduction, both Shisui and Owl remained silent.
Owl had indeed been one of those ordered to hunt down Shisui and had even been the one who released the poison mist that wounded him.
But today, he finally realized that Shisui had survived.
And it seemed it had been Yami's doing.
He wondered how furious their leader Danzō would be if he found out.
What shocked him even more…
Owl looked down at the Snow Ninja Village. The long-silent settlement was now lit up again with lamps and life.
"Lord Yami, what's going on with those Uchiha?"
Root had its own communication channels. Even this far out in the Land of Snow, Owl knew about what had happened in Konoha.
Wasn't Uchiha Sasuke supposed to be the only survivor?
Where did all these people suddenly come from?
"You came at the right time. Even if you didn't, I would've called for you."
Yami smiled kindly. But to Owl, that smile was a red flag. The more this young master smiled, the more dangerous it meant things were.
"I saved these Uchiha and Shisui. The old man had no idea."
"I trust you're not the type to snitch, right, Owl?"
"…"
Owl lowered his head awkwardly.
The number one iron rule of Root was absolute loyalty to its leader. Betrayal was punished by death. This priority even surpassed completing missions.
Yami's words had put him in an impossible situation.
"Don't worry." Yami patted his shoulder. "Once I return, I'll take over your team's command. It won't be considered a violation of the Tenth Rule."
"But before then, if you tell anyone..."
Yami's smile turned chilling. "Uncle Shinji, you wouldn't want Yugao to suffer because you crossed me, right?"
Owl, whose real name was Uzuki Shinji, was Yugao's uncle.
He had been rescued by Danzō during the Third Shinobi World War and became a Root operative with a hidden identity.
It was only with Yami's help that he had been allowed to reconnect with his family.
This threat held real weight for him. Shinji's elder brother had treated him well, teaching him all his ninjutsu and swordsmanship. Naturally, if he had the ability, Shinji wanted to care for Yugao.
"Lord Yami."
Shinji said awkwardly, "Even if I agree to keep quiet, the Root team here rotates out. I still have over half a year left before returning to Konoha. Sooner or later, this will be discovered."
"Doesn't matter. I planned for that."
Yami waved dismissively, looking completely confident. "From now on, your team is permanently stationed in the Land of Snow. Five years."
"I'll bring Yugao to visit you during vacation."
Shisui lowered his head, the corners of his mouth twitching.
As expected, this approach was very Yami-like.
Simple, direct, rough—but undeniably effective.
He just didn't care how others felt. It was pure dominance.
Shinji was numb.
He had only wanted an excuse to decline, yet somehow got dragged into a five-year exile in the snowy wilderness.
Yami had already made up his mind.
No matter how much Shinji argued, it was pointless.
All he could do was sigh at the sky and accept his fate.
Back in the City, Yami moved into the same mansion as during his last visit.
After a simple wash, he went to sleep.
The next morning, just after waking up, Koyuki arrived with breakfast alongside a palace attendant.
Since she had already come, Yami could only pause his current affairs and accompany her for a day around the city.
That night, he sent the tired but happy girl back to the palace.
Although Koyuki had begun to learn Chakra and could barely be called a ninja, she clearly lacked talent in the shinobi arts. Her Chakra was at the level of an ordinary person, and her physical endurance wasn't much better.
Yami began considering methods to help those around him improve their potential.
Takamagahara Divine Realm.
A sealed scroll slowly unfurled, and the unconscious Uchiha Mikoto was released.
The first time had been new. The second time, Yami was already familiar.
He had become quite adept at storing people in sealed scrolls.
As his most special "trophy" from the night of the massacre, Uchiha Mikoto naturally couldn't be placed with the rest. She required her own, careful "training."
A few minutes after being released, Mikoto awoke.
"Shimura?!"
Seeing Yami beside her, the elegant woman was startled and took a few steps back instinctively.
"Let's get the situation straight first, then we can talk."
Yami cast a Body Binding Technique, and Mikoto froze in place.
The memories from before she lost consciousness came rushing back.
Dust Release hadn't hit her directly. Instead, someone had passed by under the cover of the blast, knocked her out, and stuffed her into the shadows. Before blacking out, she had seen that person transform into her and kneel at the scene.
"You saved me… Yami?" Mikoto murmured.
Then her expression turned anxious again. "How's Itachi? And Sasuke? Is Sasuke still alive?"
"Uchiha Itachi has been declared an S-rank missing-nin by Konoha. As for Sasuke, he survived by trading the lives of your entire clan. Nothing will happen to him."
Yami didn't hide anything. Mikoto would learn it all eventually anyway.
"That's… that's good."
Hearing her youngest son was still alive, Mikoto nearly cried with relief.
Yami smiled faintly. "Mikoto-san, is that really 'good'?"
"You're alive, but Fugaku is dead. What do you think he'd look like now, facing all those slaughtered clan members in the Pure Land?"
Mikoto's face turned pale.
Yami continued calmly, "Also, Itachi never told Sasuke the truth. Right now, the one Sasuke hates the most is his brother. The two are destined to try and kill each other."
"To obtain power equal to the Mangekyō Sharingan, Sasuke will inevitably take an extreme path. There's a high chance he'll betray the village or even kill his comrades just to awaken it."
"When that time comes, I'll tell him the truth behind his survival. What do you think his mindset will be?"
As Yami spoke, Mikoto trembled. Her heart filled with panic.
She could fully imagine how devastated Sasuke would be—bearing the blood debt of hundreds of clan members, only to learn his brother did it all for him.
To gain strength, he would have distanced himself from everyone, walking a path of pain and loneliness.
By then, the whole world would be his enemy.
The mere thought of Sasuke's future pain and confusion made Mikoto feel suffocated.
Plop!
Mikoto dropped to her knees.
"Please… please don't let that happen. They're brothers."
"I'm willing to have Sasuke give up revenge. He doesn't need to be a ninja. I just want him to live a peaceful, happy life."
"Tch."
Yami smirked. "Another Uchiha trait—always deciding other people's fates under the guise of doing what's best for them."
"Itachi did that. And now, so are you."
"But have you ever thought about what Sasuke himself wants?"
Mikoto froze on the floor.
"He watched his brother murder his parents and massacre their clan. That's a blood feud. Do you think he can just let it go with a word?"
"Besides..."
Yami waved his hand, and the space around them shifted, revealing an outside scene.
"Take a look."
Mikoto raised her head at his signal.
Before her was a small village, barely a hundred houses, with only twenty or so lit up.
"Where is this?"
"Let's go in and find out."
Yami led her through Takamagahara.
The outside world couldn't detect their presence, but they could see everything clearly.
Their incorporeal forms passed through the wooden door, entering a courtyard.
Two children, a boy and a girl, were refining chakra in the snowy yard.
Despite the wind and snow, they remained unmoving, training their mental focus under harsh conditions.
Seeing their faces clearly, Mikoto covered her mouth in shock. "Asami, Fuuji?!"
Mikoto recognized nearly everyone—and instantly identified them.
What was going on? Didn't Itachi wipe out the clan? Why were these two still alive?
"Asami, Fuuji, take a break. Come in for dinner."
An elderly woman stepped out, and Mikoto recognized her as well.
"Sumi-san..."
"Forty-two survivors in total. Including Shisui, forty-three."
"I'm a good person. Sometimes, I'm just too soft-hearted. These are all orphans I rescued during the massacre."
Yami leaned close and whispered in her ear, "They want Itachi dead. And they want Sasuke dead too. Tell me... can Sasuke still live in peace?"
"I... I'll atone with my life."
It was the only way Mikoto could think of. She would sacrifice herself for her son.
"...You really overestimate your value."
Yami shook his head. "If someone killed your entire family and then sent someone else to die in their place to 'atone,' would you forgive them?"
"Sasuke's only hope to live a normal life… lies with me."
"On one side, he bears the sins of the entire world. On the other, he has the bonds to earn his clan's forgiveness."
Yami waved his hand, closing the outside view. His smile was gentle.
But his words chilled Mikoto to the bone.
"Mikoto-san, you don't want your son to suffer more, do you?"
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.