91-95

*Chapter 91: Prejudice is a Dangerous Thing*

Yugito’s chakra fluctuated wildly—sometimes sharp, sometimes violent. Its intensity rose and fell unpredictably.

"She must be struggling to gain Matatabi’s approval," Yoru mused as he observed her from afar. "Trying to become a perfect jinchūriki, huh? Too bad it’s not that easy."

Between his daily sword training, Yoru also focused on refining his chakra control—its precision, its purity.

Life was peaceful. Quiet.

If possible, he’d have been happy if things stayed this way forever.

But Yugito had other plans.

"Hey, brat!" Her voice cut through his focus, making him pause mid-swing. "Fight me. I want to test my progress."

Yoru wiped the sweat from his brow. "I was starting to think you’d never ask. Well, guess it was inevitable." He smirked. "But don’t expect me to hold back."

Yugito’s eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a grin. "Good. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear." She cracked her knuckles. "Let’s see if you can back up that arrogance. Don’t go down in one hit."

Before she could finish, Yoru vanished.

Yugito immediately entered her tailed beast state, transforming into a monstrous, black-and-red Matatabi. A deafening roar shook the cave as overwhelming chakra exploded outward.

*"BOOM!"*

Yoru reappeared in front of her, slashing two devastating sword waves straight at her. Yugito, still in her beast form, met them head-on with a crushing swipe of her claws.

The collision sent shockwaves ripping through the cave, blasting chunks of rock from the walls.

*"SHOOM!"*

Yugito lunged forward, closing the distance instantly. Her claw came down like a guillotine—only for Yoru to block it with his blade. The impact cratered the ground beneath them.

Yoru kicked off, flipping backward to create space. Yugito pursued, but his lips curled into a smirk.

"Bad move."

He hurled his sword like a kunai, forcing her to dodge—then his hands blurred through seals.

*"Raiton: Gian!"* (Lightning Release: False Darkness)

A torrent of lightning split the earth, roaring toward Yugito. She countered with a massive fireball—*"Futon: Tamaebi!"* (Blaze Release: Fireball)

The two techniques collided, illuminating the cave in a hellish glow. The heat was unbearable.

But then—*"CRACK!"*

The lightning tore through the flames, surging toward Yugito. Her eyes widened as she barely managed to block with a slab of rock.

*"BOOM!"*

The boulder shattered, dispersing the remaining lightning. But before she could react—

"Behind you."

Yoru’s voice sent a chill down her spine. She whirled around just in time to see him snatch his sword mid-air, his aura shifting into something lethal.

*"Flash Slash."*

He vanished.

For the first time in years, Yugito felt true fear.

There was no time to react. No way to block.

*"SHIIIING!"*

A blade of light flashed—

—and blood sprayed from Yugito’s arm. The tailed beast cloak, normally near-impenetrable, had been sliced open like paper.

*"CRACK!"*

The cave walls split cleanly, the cut so smooth it looked polished.

Yugito exhaled sharply, her voice grudgingly impressed. "…I lose."

Yoru paused, surprised. "That’s it?" He expected her to fight to the end.

"That attack would’ve killed me if you hadn’t held back," Yugito admitted, dispelling her transformation. Her wound was already healing rapidly. "Even the tailed beast cloak couldn’t stop it. Damn, you’re scary."

Yoru sheathed his sword. "You fought well."

Of course, the result wasn’t surprising. His full-power strikes could even breach Susanoo—something far tougher than a tailed beast’s defenses.

"Next time," Yugito said, sitting back down to meditate, "don’t hold back. You’ve earned your arrogance, brat."

Just then, three panicked voices echoed from the entrance.

"W-what the hell happened in here?!"

The rogue ninja who had been guarding the cave stood frozen, their faces pale. The entire cave had been shaking earlier—now it looked like a warzone.

Yoru turned, smiling innocently. "Hmm? Nothing happened."

"BULLSHIT!" one of them yelled, pointing at the destruction. "You call this nothing?!"

Yoru shrugged. "Must’ve been an earthquake."

No way he’d admit he’d just fought a tailed beast. That’d give them a heart attack.

Besides—those who needed to know would figure it out.

With his strength now undeniable, there was no need to hide anymore.

---

Chapter 92: Don’t You Want to See the Outside World?

He wasn’t afraid of these people reporting what had just happened to the Raikage.

As long as his identity remained hidden, even if the Raikage suspected him, there was nothing he could do!

"So it was just an earthquake… Oh, I see. Well… sorry to bother you!"

The three of them glanced at Yoru practicing his sword and Yugito training, swallowed hard, and then fled as if their lives depended on it.

"Was that really necessary? It’s not like Yugito-sama eats people!"

Seeing their reaction, Yoru sighed in exasperation.

Without opening her eyes, Yugito replied, "Unfortunately, not many are as perceptive as you. To most, I really am a monster—the kind that devours humans."

Her tone was mocking, but beneath the sarcasm lay a hint of bitterness and sorrow.

She was just a normal person who wanted to live a normal life.

She had worked hard to control the beast inside her. Most of the time, she was perfectly harmless, no different from anyone else.

Yet, the moment people saw her, they recoiled as if she were some terrifying creature.

Truly, prejudice was an immovable mountain.

"That’s just how life is. The fear of tailed beasts is carved into people’s souls. Changing that won’t be easy."

"Still… don’t you ever want to leave? To see the world beyond Kumogakure, beyond this prison? To travel freely, without anyone looking at you with fear or disgust?"

"With your strength, it shouldn’t be hard."

Yugito shook her head. "The shinobi world is vast, but there’s no place in it where I truly belong."

"Leaving would only put me in greater danger. Too many people covet the beast inside me."

"Unless I find a place strong enough to protect me—and willing to accept me—I have no choice but to keep striving for Kumogakure’s approval."

Her words carried a deep, aching resignation.

"Hah, why am I even telling you this? It’s not like a kid like you would have a solution."

With a self-deprecating laugh, she was about to resume her training when Yoru spoke up.

"What if I said I do?"

"…What?!"

Her eyes snapped open, sharp with disbelief. "You’re serious?"

"Where in the world could possibly fit that description? Somewhere strong enough to stand against one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages?"

Yoru met her gaze, his expression dead serious. "Kirigakure."

"Kirigakure?"

"Hah! You must be joking. Two Kumo-nin defecting to Kiri? We’d be captured and treated as prisoners of war before we even set foot there."

Yugito couldn’t help but laugh—this suggestion was beyond ridiculous.

"What if I told you I have a way to make them accept us?"

"You’re… serious?"

Her brows furrowed in surprise and skepticism.

"Of course. I’m not the type to make empty boasts."

A sly smile played on his lips as he continued, "So, what do you say, Yugito-sama? Care to give it a try?"

Yugito smirked. "Interesting. Very interesting. But you do realize how dangerous this is, right? If I were to report this, you’d be dead before sunrise."

Yoru remained unfazed. "I wouldn’t have told you if I thought you’d betray me. I know you’re not that kind of person."

"Hmph. Fine, kid. I’ll think about it. I have been stuck here for far too long."

Hearing this, Yoru inwardly cheered. "Good thing I came now. Any later, and she might not have been so open to the idea."

He remembered that in the original timeline, two years from now, the Fourth Raikage would promote Yugito to jonin, further binding her loyalty to Kumogakure.

Meanwhile, in the Raikage’s Office…

About half an hour after their conversation, the Fourth Raikage received a report about the disturbance at the Dragon’s Prison.

"Another anomaly? But since there’s no distress signal, it must be fine. Sending Kirai there really was the right call."

He got reports like this every few days—nothing unusual.

As long as nothing broke out of the prison, it didn’t matter.

Two Weeks Later…

"Twenty-two days… 440,000 enhancement points, plus the 335,000 I already had. Time for another upgrade."

The past two weeks had been monotonous for Yoru.

Between sword training and sparring with Yugito, his days were repetitive.

But one thing frustrated her to no end—no matter how many times they fought, she never won.

Whether it was his lightning arrays pinning her down, his genjutsu immobilizing her, or his overwhelming swordsmanship breaking through her defenses, she stood no chance.

Even her Bijūdama and Tailed Beast Bomb were useless—Yoru’s defensive abilities were simply on another level.

If not for the powerful barrier around the prison, her attacks would’ve caused a major incident by now.

"You’re truly unfathomable. I can’t believe someone like you was exiled here. What was the Raikage thinking?"

"With power like yours, he should be trying to recruit you, not pushing you away!"

"Even if he didn’t trust you, seeing this kind of strength should’ve changed his mind."

Her curiosity about him only grew.

"Eh, no point dwelling on it. Just bad luck, I guess."

Of course, he wouldn’t tell her the truth—that he had never revealed his full strength to the Raikage.

If the Raikage knew he could go toe-to-toe with a tailed beast, he’d have been placed under heavy surveillance.

And escaping Kumogakure would’ve been impossible.

No matter how strong he was, breaking through an entire village’s defenses alone was out of the question.

Since Yoru wasn’t willing to explain, Yugito didn’t press further. Instead, she threw herself into training, determined to one day defeat him and salvage her pride.

Losing every single time was humiliating.

"Enhancement target: Speed."

As Yugito resumed her training, Yoru focused on his system and began the upgrade.

*Chapter 93: "You’ve Been Training Behind My Back, Haven’t You?"*

"Enhancement initiated. Total cost: 500,000 enhancement points!"

The system’s cold voice faded as a warm, tingling energy slowly seeped into Yoru’s body.

The sensation was indescribable—like an addicting rush he never wanted to end.

The entire process lasted about ten minutes.

When Yoru finally opened his eyes, he found Yugito staring at him with a strange expression.

"You’ve gotten a lot stronger again, haven’t you?" she said.

Yoru simply grinned. "Just a tiny improvement. Heh."

Yugito’s eyebrow twitched. "What, that desperate not to lose to me? Fine, brat. Don’t get too cocky—I’m not giving up!"

With that, she closed her eyes and resumed her training.

Yoru exhaled in relief, then turned his focus inward to his system.

"With two enhancements now, my strength should be on par with the Raikage. Escaping should go much smoother."

Speed-wise, he might still lag slightly behind the Raikage, but his offensive power was definitely comparable—if not superior. And defensively? No contest.

If they fought now… the outcome was uncertain, but one thing was clear: he wouldn’t lose.

"Now, all that’s left is to wait for Yugito’s answer."

"If she agrees to leave, perfect. If not… well, it’s time for me to go anyway."

"My mission in Kumogakure is complete. Now, it’s time to return and set my plans in motion. The skies over Kirigakure… are about to change."

With that thought, Yoru began speed-adjustment training. Sudden power boosts required acclimation.

---

Later that day, after another spar…

Yugito panted heavily, glaring at Yoru, who stood composed, barely winded.

"You definitely trained behind my back," she accused. "A few days ago, you weren’t this fast!"

The biggest changes were in his swordplay—now even more unpredictable—and his evasion, reflexes, and reaction speed. His ninjutsu, however, had improved the least.

"You’re getting stronger too. Did you really expect me to stand still?" Yoru shot back, also breathing hard.

He might’ve looked calm, but the fight hadn’t been easy. Yugito’s progress was terrifying—her control over her tailed beast’s power had sharpened drastically, boosting her speed, strength, offense, and recovery.

Defeating her was harder than ever.

Yoru didn’t know how strong Yugito had been in the original timeline, but he was sure she was now at least as strong as when she’d fought Kakuzu. After all, she’d mastered partial tailed beast transformation.

A jinchūriki with intelligence was far deadlier than a mindless beast.

"So," Yoru said, "about that question earlier… Have you decided? Will you come with me and see the world?"

Yugito stood, a teasing smirk on her lips. "What if I say no? Would you kill me to keep me quiet?"

Yoru shrugged. "Do I look strong enough for that?"

Beating a jinchūriki was one thing. Killing one—especially without elemental advantage—was nearly impossible without overwhelming force.

"So your answer isn’t the worst-case scenario. Good."

(The worst case? Leaving alone while Yugito stayed.)

"Oh? I haven’t agreed yet, and you’re already deciding for me?" Yugito feigned annoyance.

Yoru smirked. "You asked about the worst outcome first. That means you’re tempted. And if you’re tempted… you’ve already agreed."

Yugito sighed, a mix of amusement and resignation. "Talking to a smart person is refreshing… but also scary. You see right through me."

Just then, a voice echoed from outside the cave:

"Yo, Kirai! I’m here for a rematch!"

It was Darui.

Yoru groaned. "Again? Is he using me as a whetstone for his skills?"

"Darui?" Yugito’s eyes narrowed in curiosity. "You know him? And from the sound of it, he challenges you often. If you’re on such terms with someone that close to the Raikage… how did you end up in the Konryū Cave?"

Darui was the Raikage’s right-hand man, a figure of immense status. Ordinary shinobi never got near him.

Yet Yoru had fought him multiple times?

There was clearly more to this story.

"Ugh, I never should’ve accepted his first challenge," Yoru muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "But if I refuse now, the next visitor might be the Raikage himself."

With a resigned sigh, he headed outside—leaving his three teammates utterly stunned.

Darui, the future Raikage, was personally seeking out Yoru for sparring?

Just who was this guy?

---

*Outside, on the mountainside training ground…*

"It’s been a while. Sorry for dropping in unannounced, but I couldn’t hold back." Darui scratched his head sheepishly.

Yoru sighed. "Let’s just get this over with."

He led the way to a flat rocky platform, ignoring his teammates’ bewildered stares.

*On the platform…*

"Ready when you are," Yoru said coolly, drawing his sword.

"Here I come!"

Darui’s body crackled with lightning, his speed multiplying instantly. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance—a blur almost too fast to track.

"Lightning Armor, huh? So you did learn it."

A few days ago, this might’ve caught Yoru off guard.

But now?

Bring it on.

---

*Chapter 94: I Can’t Believe I Still Lost*

"Shing!"

A devastating slash sent Darui staggering back.

His face twisted with exertion as shock flashed through his mind: "So fast… and so strong!"

His right arm trembled, his palm stinging from the impact.

"Darui, where are you looking? Getting distracted in battle isn’t a good habit."

Yoru’s voice suddenly echoed in his ears, sending a chill down his spine.

Before he could react, Yoru was already in front of him—his blade descending once more.

"Boom!"

Darui raised his sword to block, but the force felt like a meteor crashing down.

Yoru’s overwhelming strength was beyond his ability to withstand.

His blood churned violently, a grunt escaping his lips as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His arm buckled under the pressure.

"Thud!"

Yoru followed up with a brutal knee strike, sending Darui flying backward until he smashed into a rocky cliff.

"Crackle…!"

Electricity surged across Yoru’s body before dissipating—residual damage from Darui’s counterattack.

"H-He’s insane!"

"Even Darui’s no match for him… If he’s this strong, why did the Raikage exile him here?"

The three onlookers gasped in disbelief as they peeked from cover.

Meanwhile, not far behind them, two figures stood watching.

The Fourth Raikage.

And a shinobi named Sarui.

"Well? Kira’s impressive, isn’t he?" The Raikage smirked, arms crossed. "Having him as Darui’s ‘teacher’ will push the kid to grow faster than ever."

"Brilliant as always, Lord Raikage," Sarui chuckled. "Kira really is the perfect training partner. I’m starting to look forward to how much Darui will improve."

"He’s always been lazy—never had real pressure holding him back. But now that there’s someone stronger in front of him, he finally has a goal to chase."

"Kira came at just the right time. Let’s hope he stays at this level… and devotes himself fully to shaping Darui into a true warrior."

Sarui’s grin widened, arms still folded.

In his eyes, perhaps Yoru should consider it an honor to serve as Darui’s stepping stone.

After all… Darui was his nephew.

---

Back to Yoru.

"What’s wrong, Darui? Is this all you’ve got?"

"If so, that’s… pretty disappointing."

Yoru’s cold voice cut through the air as he watched Darui slowly rise from the rubble.

"Heh… You’re seriously strong. Good—this is getting exciting!"

Darui’s body crackled with even wilder lightning, his grin sharpening.

"Alright, time to get serious!"

In an instant, he vanished in a flash of lightning.

**"Cloud-Style: Triple Crescent Moon Slash!"**

When he reappeared, he wasn’t alone—three Daruis surrounded Yoru, each attacking from a different angle.

His speed had skyrocketed compared to before.

In less than half a breath, their blades were already at Yoru’s throat—too fast to react.

Watching from afar, the Raikage and Sarui leaned forward in anticipation.

"An improved Triple Crescent Moon Slash…" the Raikage mused. "Three clones, each with a different attack pattern. And with Lightning Armor boosting his speed… Can Kira handle this?"

Sarui smirked. "Let’s see what you’re made of."

Yoru remained unfazed.

"A Lightning Clone and the real one? Cute. But useless against me."

A ring of white light erupted around him, an icy aura exploding outward.

"Zzt—Zzt—Zzt—!"

Three crisp slashes rang out, followed by a metallic screech.

The left and center Daruis shattered into sparks.

The real Darui—on the right—was sent flying again, a deep gash ripped across his chest.

"Lightning Style—!"

Even mid-air, Darui formed hand signs for another jutsu.

But Yoru wasn’t about to let him finish.

**"Lightning Style: Thunderfall Array!"**

Before Darui could blink, a blinding bolt of lightning crashed down toward him.

His pupils shrank to pinpricks—pure terror surging through him.

"BOOM!"

He barely dodged, the thunder grazing his skin.

But this was only the beginning.

"BOOM!"

"BOOM!"

"BOOM!"

Like the wrath of the heavens, pillar-sized bolts hammered the battlefield, leaving Darui with no room to counterattack.

The Raikage’s brow furrowed.

"Still at a disadvantage? Just how strong is this guy?"

"Even if Darui hasn’t fully mastered Lightning Armor, slicing through it so easily… That swordsmanship is monstrous."

Sarui’s smirk had vanished.

"Not just that. His jutsu speed and power are on another level. I’ve never seen a Lightning Style this refined—even I can’t match it."

For the first time, Sarui was genuinely stunned.

He never thought their village had a young talent this powerful.

When Darui first mentioned someone who could overpower him, Sarui had doubted it.

After all, Darui was supposed to be the peak of their generation.

But now…

"There’s always someone better," he muttered.

---

"Stop, stop! I surrender!"

After narrowly avoiding another barrage, Darui finally raised his hands in defeat.

He’d realized something—every single bolt had barely missed him.

Once or twice? Coincidence.

Over a dozen times? Yoru was clearly holding back.

And if Yoru was going easy on him… the message was obvious.

"You’re as unbeatable as ever," Darui sighed, frustration creeping into his voice. "I didn’t even get to use half my techniques… You controlled the entire fight."

Yoru waved him off with a laugh.

"Nah, I just got lucky with a recent breakthrough. If not for that, your speed would’ve wrecked me. Scary stuff!"

He even put on a convincingly shaken expression.

…Or at least, he tried to.

It was so blatantly fake that Darui couldn’t help but laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. ‘Luck.’ Keep telling yourself that, old man."

If I believed that every time, I’d be an idiot.

---

*Chapter 95: "Good. Very Spirited."*

At that moment, the Fourth Raikage and Samui appeared behind Darui.

Yoru’s brow twitched as he spotted them.

Just as I thought. The Raikage was nearby after all.

Darui, however, looked surprised. "Uncle? Lord Raikage? What are you doing here?"

Then, he lowered his head in shame. "I’ve embarrassed myself. I came to challenge Kirai again… and lost. Again."

The Fourth Raikage waved a hand dismissively. "Don’t worry about it, Darui. It’s not that you’re weak—it’s that your opponent is just that strong. His growth is absurd."

Then, his sharp gaze locked onto Yoru. "How about a spar with me?"

Samui and Darui both stiffened in shock.

The Raikage… personally issuing a challenge?

Yoru forced a modest smile. "Lord Raikage, you flatter me. I couldn’t possibly—"

Before he could finish, the Raikage was already in front of him, lightning crackling around his fist as he launched a devastating punch.

*Boom!*

Yoru’s entire body tensed—this was real danger.

"Raiton: Lightning Pillar Wall!"

He formed seals and erected a barrier, but deliberately held back. "If I go all out, he’ll gauge my true strength. That’d make escaping later much harder."

*Crack!*

The ground trembled violently as Yoru’s defense shattered under the Raikage’s brute force.

Yoru "panicked", leaping back—but the Raikage was already upon him again, fist surging with lethal voltage.

*Thud!*

Yoru crossed his arms in a desperate block—only to be sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing through a boulder with a spray of blood.

"Cough… Lord Raikage, are you trying to kill me?" He staggered up from the rubble, clutching a "broken" arm. "I can’t even move this now. Guess I’m out of commission."

The Raikage smirked. "Hmph. You’re tougher than you look. Most people don’t survive a direct hit from me, let less stay standing."

"No wonder you keep beating Darui. Your real strength’s impressive, Kirai."

Yoru chuckled weakly. "Not at all. You were holding back. If you’d gone all out, I’d be paste right now."

The blatant flattery pleased the Raikage. "You’ve got a sharp tongue too. Fine—take two days to heal."

"From now on, Darui will keep challenging you. Be ready."

Without waiting for a response, the Raikage left with Darui and Samui, thoroughly satisfied.

Today had been productive—he’d tested Yoru’s "limits" under the guise of a casual spar and vented his bureaucratic frustrations.

But while the Raikage was pleased, someone else wasn’t.

"Fourth Raikage… Just you wait. One day, I’ll pay you back for that punch."

"And using me as Darui’s whetstone? Dream on."

"Exiling me to this hellhole and expecting free labor? You’ll regret this."

Yoru’s gaze burned into the Raikage’s retreating figure before smoothing back into neutrality.

The Raikage would never guess that years later, the beating he’d suffer from Yoru would trace back to today.

---

*Back at the Konryū Cave entrance…*

Yoru’s three teammates stared at him like he’d grown a second head.

"You’re… this strong? But then why were you—?"

"Doesn’t matter," Yoru cut in, brushing past them into the cave.

They didn’t take offense—in Kumo, strength commanded respect, and eccentricity was forgiven.

"No wonder he gets along with the Two-Tails’ jinchūriki. He’s strong enough to keep her in check."

"Right. Even Matatabi wouldn’t dare act up around him."

"Then let’s cooperate. He guards inside; we’ll patrol outside."

---

*Inside the cave…*

Yoru slumped against the wall, scowling.

Yugito smirked. "What’s with the gloomy face? Embarrassed about getting wrecked by the Raikage?"

"Though really, it’s your own fault for holding back. No way someone who suppresses me would lose that easily."

As the Two-Tails, Matatabi wasn’t the strongest tailed beast—but only Kage-level shinobi could fight her evenly.

And Yoru overpowered her.

There was no way the Raikage could’ve crushed him in two moves.

"If I’d gone all out, that ‘spar’ would’ve turned into a battlefield," Yoru muttered.

"But my time’s coming soon."

His deal with Kirigakure stipulated a six-month mission. Deviating would raise suspicions—especially after his last stunt.

No need to pour oil on the fire.

Yugito’s eyes gleamed. "Oh? Planning to wreak havoc in Kumo? Now that’s exciting."

Unlike her future self, this Yugito felt no loyalty to Kumogakure.

Why would she?

Locked in this cave since childhood as a weapon—no one could blame her for resenting the village.

"It’ll be a spectacle you’ll enjoy," Yoru said, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he resumed sword drills.

Yugito rolled her eyes. "Boring man."

Then she, too, returned to training.

---