At night, in the bedroom.
Yakumo suddenly sat bolt upright.
The instant he rose, he snatched the kunai hidden beneath his pillow, its razor-sharp blade glinting coldly in the darkness.
Beneath him lay the soft tatami mat.
“Huff… huff…”
Yakumo gasped for breath.
He had suffered another nightmare.
Ever since killing the Hidden Mist spy, he had spent several consecutive nights seeing Uncle Hiratsu’s blood-soaked face in his dreams, along with the man’s body as it gradually rotted away.
“If I had to do it again… I still wouldn’t regret killing you.”
Yakumo’s expression was resolute.
Click.
He switched on the bedside lamp.
Accompanied by a faint electrical hum, its orange-yellow light illuminated the bedroom.
Time: 03:27.
The sky outside was still pitch-black.
Through the window, Yakumo could see the darkened streets.
Only a couple of scattered lights glimmered from distant houses.
Unlike the bustling village during the day, Konoha seemed lonely and deserted at night.
Gripping his kunai, Yakumo began moving around the bedroom, practicing the movements of the Hatake Secret Art.
He continued until sweat soaked his entire body.
Only then did he slide the kunai back beneath his pillow, lie down, and resume sleeping.
Ever since that day, Mori Yasuko had frequently asked him to spar with her.
Unable to tolerate the constant pestering, Yakumo had finally added her to his blacklist.
In other words, he had blocked her completely and stopped paying attention to her altogether.
July 12.
The weekly missions refreshed once again.
『Happiness is better when shared.』
Invite your friends to enjoy a lavish barbecue feast at Yakiniku Q.
Mission Rewards: 0.5 Intelligence and 150 Gold Coins.
So this is going to cost me a fortune.
Yakiniku Q was the undisputed leader of Konoha’s restaurant industry.
Its owner belonged to the Akimichi clan, a food-loving ninja clan with a history stretching back five hundred years.
When it came to the ingredients and recipes for barbecue, they had practically perfected the art.
The food was undoubtedly delicious.
The only drawback was the astronomical price.
In the original story, Asuma Sarutobi frequently treated the Ino–Shika–Chō trio to barbecue at Yakiniku Q.
As a result, his wallet was often empty, forcing him to borrow money from Kakashi and Kurenai.
On one side lay the money Yakumo had barely had time to enjoy.
On the other stood the attribute points and gold coins offered by a mission he absolutely had to complete.
There was no need to hesitate.
Money was ultimately an external possession.
Only personal strength was eternal.
During his morning run, Yakumo sneaked a glance at his skill panel, considering what excuse he could use to invite everyone to Yakiniku Q and complete the mission.
〖Personal Skills〗
Passive Skill: Chakra Extraction Technique — Acceleration
Active Skills:
Water Bullet — Perfected, 490/600 [Acceleration]Perfected: Water Bullet power increased by 60%.Perfected: Activation time reduced by 50%.Basic Swordsmanship — Proficient, 70/200 [Acceleration]Hatake Secret Art — Beginner, 300/400 [Acceleration]
The daily high temperatures in Konoha kept breaking new records throughout July.
Only during his morning runs could Yakumo enjoy a little of the refreshing coolness.
“Youth… should burn brightly!!”
Not far away, Might Duy was leading Might Guy around the training ground on a run.
The father and son moved at astonishing speeds, their green, form-fitting jumpsuits already soaked with sweat.
Neither showed the slightest trace of exhaustion.
Instead, their faces radiated enthusiasm, completely disregarding the strange looks they received from the people around them.
Yakumo withdrew his gaze and continued running along his planned route.
The Eight Gates Technique was certainly impressive, but he had no intention of asking Might Duy to teach it to him at this stage.
During lunch, Yakumo informed his friends that they would be having a meal at Yakiniku Q after school.
Before long, classes ended.
The group gathered at the school gates, their little schoolbags slung over their shoulders.
“I’ll pay for this meal,” Kakashi offered directly.
He knew perfectly well how poor Yakumo was.
“Exactly!
Let’s bleed the rich guy dry.
Kakashi’s loaded!”
Obito Uchiha burst into laughter, apparently already planning to squeeze every last coin out of Kakashi.
“Yeah, yeah!
Let Kakashi pay!”
Even Yasuko joined in, supporting the idea that Kakashi should foot the bill.
Yakumo immediately sensed danger.
He had spent the past few days blocking Yasuko out so thoroughly that he had forgotten to coordinate their story with her this time.
Fortunately, inspiration struck just in time.
With an expression full of guilt, he spoke earnestly.
“If I hadn’t insisted on having that picnic in the Forest of Death back then, we wouldn’t have encountered such danger.
You must let me pay for this meal!”
His attitude was sincere, and his words were deeply moving.
“I’ve already forgotten about that incident,” Obito replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
“You really don’t need to treat us just because of it.”
“Fine, then,” Kakashi said.
“Let’s go!”
Half an hour later, the group arrived at Yakiniku Q.
Even before entering, they could feel waves of heat mixed with the mouthwatering aroma of grilled meat pouring out from the restaurant.
Their mouths watered almost involuntarily.
Fortunately, since it was the height of summer, business at Yakiniku Q wasn’t quite as booming as it was during autumn and winter.
The five of them eventually settled into a simple private room and began ordering.
The restaurant’s waitstaff only entered the room once to take the order.
After that, they stayed away, while the soundproof walls provided customers with considerable privacy.
Everyone took turns ordering.
Yakumo soon noticed that his friends had deliberately chosen relatively inexpensive dishes.
Even combined, their selections wouldn’t cost all that much.
He silently thanked them for their consideration.
Then he began to unleash his full offensive.
After looking through the menu, Yakumo handed it to the waitress.
She was about to leave, puzzled that the customer hadn’t ordered anything, when he spoke calmly.
“Everything in this menu, one serving each, except the vegetables.”
“Sir… that’s quite a lot.
I’m afraid the four of your companions might not be able to finish everything,” the waitress advised kindly.
“If we can’t finish it, I’ll have the leftovers packed.”
The mission said they had to enjoy a lavish feast.
There was absolutely no way he could cut corners on the spending.
Otherwise, all his efforts would be wasted.
He would never forgive himself if that happened!
“Then please wait a moment.
We should be able to serve everything within five minutes.”
The waitress left the private room with a professional smile.
“Yakumo, you really don’t need to spend so much,” Rin Nohara said.
She had been genuinely startled by his extravagant order.
“I can still pay for this,” Kakashi offered.
“No!
Otherwise, I won’t be able to ease my guilt!”
Yakumo emphasized his words with heartfelt sincerity.
“I hope everyone can forgive my recklessness!”
He looked around at the others, his face filled with sincerity and remorse.
He looked as though, if they refused to forgive him, he would have no choice but to shout that he would perform seppuku to atone for his sins.
“I’ve never held that incident against you,” Rin reassured him gently.
“You don’t need to feel so guilty about it, Yakumo.”
“From this day forward, you’re my brother for life, Yakumo!” Obito suddenly stood up, thumping his chest as though Yakumo’s speech had deeply moved him.
“We’ll share our blessings and shoulder our hardships together!”
Honestly… I have absolutely no desire to share the hardships you’ll face in the future.
Yakumo silently complained to himself.
Just what kind of life was Obito destined to have?
Half his life would be carefully manipulated by others.
From losing the person he loved on a battlefield against the Stone Ninja to spending more than a decade lurking in the darkness, his entire life would eventually amount to nothing.
His life was practically a coffee table covered in tragedies.
Yakumo wanted absolutely no part of sharing those hardships.
And right at that moment, the mission system activated.
A metallic notification rang in Yakumo’s ears!
〖Congratulations, Player!
You have triggered the Brotherly Bond Mission!〗
〖This mission is unique!〗
〖Share Hardships!〗
Yakumo secretly summoned the mission interface to inspect the details.
He had tested it in front of Yasuko before.
Only he could see the mission interface.
What kind of godforsaken mission is this?!