*Chapter 47: Could I Have Been Exposed?*

"No, continuing like this would only humiliate me further. I admit defeat!"

Darui conceded without hesitation.

Truthfully, he had no choice.

His swordsmanship was no match for Yoru’s.

His secret black lightning technique only ended in a stalemate.

Even his defense couldn’t compare. The odds were just too slim!

And with Yoru’s terrifyingly fast hand seals, Darui saw almost no chance of victory.

"Then I’ll accept your concession. To be honest, I don’t have much fight left in me either!"

Yoru played it off like he’d barely scraped by.

But neither Darui nor the watching Kumogakure shinobi bought it.

He clearly still had plenty of energy left.

What a sneaky old fox!

Yoru mused to himself, "I won, but only by a slight margin in every aspect. If he were just a bit stronger, it would’ve been a battle of attrition—no clean victory here."

Darui was undeniably powerful.

He’d blocked Yoru’s genjutsu and even his pride-worthy swordsmanship.

Just those two feats were proof enough of his skill.

After all, most couldn’t even withstand a single strike from Yoru’s blade.

"With that, this match is over!"

The Fourth Raikage himself declared the end of the battle.

He clapped Darui on the shoulder encouragingly.

"Don’t let this discourage you. Keep training—you’re young, and your potential is limitless."

"Of course, Raikage-sama!" Darui responded firmly.

He wasn’t the type to wallow in defeat.

"Everyone, disperse!"

The Raikage shooed the crowd away before turning to Yoru with an unreadable gaze.

"Kirigakure really let an incredible talent slip through their fingers."

"For someone like you to only be a B-rank missing-nin… I find that hard to believe."

After dropping those cryptic words, the Raikage left.

Before walking away, Darui vowed, "Next time, I’ll be stronger. I won’t lose so easily again."

Yoru smirked. "Then I’ll make sure you never catch up."

He had no doubt that would soon be the case.

But the Raikage’s words lingered in his mind.

"What did he mean by that? ‘Kirigakure let a talent like me slip’? ‘It’s strange I’m only B-rank’?"

As he walked, Yoru frowned slightly.

"Wait… could it be—?"

A terrifying possibility flashed through his mind, taking root before he could dismiss it.

"Has my identity been exposed?!"

He couldn’t think of any other explanation.

"No, impossible. The ANBU records are flawless, and I’ve done nothing to give myself away."

"Aside from this mission being high-profile, I haven’t done anything too noticeable. How could I be exposed?"

He refused to believe it. If the Raikage truly knew, why wouldn’t he have arrested him on the spot?

"So… he’s suspicious but doesn’t have proof? That’s why he said that?"

"But what’s the basis for his suspicion?"

Yoru dissected the problem methodically.

"I’ve altered my fighting style completely. The only possible giveaway is my swordsmanship."

The closer he got to the answer, the calmer he became.

"If that’s all, then I’m not worried. Swordsmanship similarities are easy to explain."

"That must be why the Raikage didn’t detain me immediately."

Relief settled in.

"Well then, bring it on, Raikage-sama."

"Without concrete evidence, your suspicions mean nothing."

Still, caution was necessary.

"Just in case, I need to get stronger—fast. Only then can I handle whatever comes my way."

With that resolve, he strode toward his home.

Unbeknownst to him, his every move was being watched by Amashi, sent by the Raikage to surveil him.

"Don’t disappoint me, Kirā. Or I’ll have to eliminate you myself."

---

*Back at Yoru’s Home*

The moment he arrived, Yoru began sword drills.

Soon, a group of ANBU arrived, delivering *450,000 yen* and a property deed.

"My thanks to the Raikage-sama."

Yoru accepted them graciously and saw the ANBU off.

"Well, I guess our time together ends here."

He glanced back at the dilapidated house—full of bugs, drafts, and barely livable conditions.

Luckily, it hadn’t rained yet. Otherwise, he’d have truly understood the misery of "a ragged quilt colder than iron, torn apart by restless sleep."

---

*Meanwhile – Raikage’s Office*

"Are you absolutely certain Kirā’s memories are clean? No connection to ‘White Flash’?"

The Fourth Raikage’s voice was stern as he addressed the intelligence team.

"Without a doubt, Raikage-sama," they affirmed confidently.

He then turned to Amashi. "And you? Any suspicious behavior?"

"None. Aside from his relentless training, he’s been completely normal."

The Raikage frowned. "Strange. His swordsmanship reminds me too much of White Flash—it’s unsettling."

"But White Flash relies on water release, while Kirā uses lightning. That’s a clear difference."

"If they were the same person, could he really master both to such an extreme degree?"

As a lightning-style expert, the Raikage knew how difficult it was to reach that level.

"Matching Darui’s black lightning? That takes years of dedication."

And if White Flash’s water release was already top-tier, splitting focus between both seemed impossible.

How monstrous would someone have to be?

"Very well. Intelligence team—run another memory scan on Kirā. Leave no room for error."

"Amashi, send a squad to track White Flash’s recent movements."

"Make sure Kirā doesn’t find out."

"Once we have the facts, I’ll test him one last time."

"If he passes… I’ll accept him fully."

With a nod, the two operatives left to carry out their orders.

---