86-90

*Chapter 86: Three More Days to Learn the Rasengan?*

Looking at Jiraiya’s sincere expression, Touji felt a bit guilty.

But becoming Jiraiya’s disciple was something Touji was definitely excited about.

When it came to ninjutsu, Touji wasn’t afraid—his concern was about his strength and chakra.

For strength, he could train with Might Guy, or perhaps Tsunade could help with that later.

As for chakra, that would have to rely on Jiraiya.

After all, Kakashi Hatake was notorious for running out of chakra. If he were Touji’s teacher, Touji would probably end up like him, running out of energy after using just two jutsu.

Still, there was something Kakashi could teach that Touji definitely needed to learn.

For example, how to have deep, philosophical conversations while using Chidori, even with almost no chakra left—conversations that could last for several episodes!

“Master Jiraiya, if you take me as your disciple, I’d also like you to take one other person as well!”

Touji immediately thought of Naruto Uzumaki.

If he took Naruto’s opportunity to train, then who would face off against Pain in the future? Or fight Madara Uchiha and Kaguya Otsutsuki?

Besides, Hinata Hyuga had already stopped paying attention to Naruto, and Touji had been feeling guilty about that for a while now.

“Oh? Who is it? A friend of yours?” Jiraiya couldn’t help but frown.

Most ninjas had their own matters to deal with, like how Jiraiya was gathering intel on the Akatsuki while also working on his books.

Taking on too many students could slow down progress in those areas.

So Touji’s request made Jiraiya a little unhappy.

“Naruto Uzumaki. I hope you can teach him as well,” Touji said seriously.

Upon hearing the name, Jiraiya burst into laughter and began ruffling Touji’s hair with his large hands.

“Alright, alright, I’ll take him as a disciple too. But this is a one-time thing!”

*[Ding! Jiraiya’s favorability increased by three points! Favorability is now at 80 points! You can now sign in!]*

Touji’s eyes lit up.

As expected, just as he had predicted.

Naruto had reached the age where he was becoming a ninja, and Jiraiya had come back specifically for him.

By mentioning Naruto’s name, Touji had hit a soft spot in Jiraiya’s heart.

“Sign in with Jiraiya!”

*[Ding! Successfully signed in with Jiraiya! You’ve gained the ‘Swamp of the Underworld’ technique! Favorability increased by two points! Favorability is now at 82 points!]*

Touji frowned slightly.

The ‘Swamp of the Underworld’ was a powerful jutsu, capable of even submerging the giant snakes summoned by Orochimaru.

But Touji had no idea who could help him upgrade his ninjutsu.

It might be better to practice ‘Earth Flow River’ first, which might give him some unexpected surprises when upgraded.

“Alright, as your master, I’ll teach you a powerful jutsu today. It took me three days to learn it back then—I wonder how long you’ll need!” Jiraiya said with a smug expression.

After all, it took Minato Namikaze three years to create this technique.

Jiraiya had learned it in just three days, so he had every reason to be proud.

Orochimaru, seeing this, tactfully turned and left.

Jiraiya raised his right hand, and a light blue chakra sphere began spinning in his palm.

“This is the Rasengan. If you want to learn it, go buy some balloons first.”

“Balloons? Why do I need balloons?” Touji asked.

Hearing his question, Jiraiya became even more smug.

“When Minato created the Rasengan, it took him three years. But with my brilliant mind, I found the simplest way to train with it—using balloons! Why else do you think I only took three days?”

Jiraiya got more and more excited as he spoke, even laughing out loud and patting Touji’s back repeatedly.

Touji just shrugged nonchalantly, then mimicked Jiraiya’s stance and extended his right hand.

Jiraiya’s smug expression grew even more pronounced.

“You want to start training the Rasengan right now? Alright then, give it a try and experience how hard it is to learn. I forgot to tell you—the Rasengan is classified as an A-rank jutsu!”

Jiraiya folded his arms and stood aside, a mocking smile in his eyes, ready to see Touji’s face after his inevitable failure.

Touji smirked slightly and then focused his chakra into his hand.

Suddenly, water-blue chakra began gathering in his palm, forming a whirlpool.

Jiraiya gave Touji a surprised look but quickly regained his calm.

“Being able to gather chakra in your hand right away shows you have great talent. No wonder Orochimaru was impressed by you,” Jiraiya said before pausing for a moment. “But gathering chakra isn’t enough. The Rasengan requires spinning the chakra…”

Jiraiya’s words trailed off.

Because at that moment, the chakra in Touji’s hand had already started spinning, and its speed was increasing rapidly.

Jiraiya’s face grew awkward.

He had just said how hard it was to spin chakra, yet Touji had done it immediately.

Talk about getting slapped in the face!

“Not bad… Your talent is impressive. But still, it’s not enough. The Rasengan’s true power lies in its destructive potential!”

As Jiraiya spoke, he raised a Rasengan with one hand, preparing to demonstrate, only to see Touji push his own Rasengan towards a nearby tree.

The spot where the Rasengan hit the tree quickly caved in.

Then, the tree behind it exploded, and the shockwave from the Rasengan blasted several other trees in the vicinity as well.

“Master Jiraiya, it seems like the Rasengan’s power is a bit weak,” Touji commented.

Jiraiya’s face twitched uncontrollably.

Weak? Are you expecting the Rasengan to blow up a mountain in one hit?

You’re just here to mess with me and embarrass me, aren’t you?

Your first attempt at the Rasengan has already matched my power level! How am I supposed to keep my dignity as a teacher?

Jiraiya was internally fuming. If he didn’t know for a fact that only he could perform the Rasengan, he would’ve suspected that Touji had already learned it and was just here to show him up.

“Not bad, the power is a bit lacking, but with more practice, you’ll get there.”

Despite feeling frustrated, Jiraiya was still pleased deep down.

If Touji could master chakra this quickly just by watching, his potential was limitless.

He might even surpass the legendary Three Sannin one day.

But as a teacher, it was exhausting. For the first time, Jiraiya understood how Minato had felt when Jiraiya had boasted about learning the Rasengan in three days.

It really was tough to deal with!

“Pervy Sage, do you think my Rasengan form is a little off? Maybe you could give me some pointers? It might even make it stronger.”

“Get lost!”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 87: Arrangements*

The third round of the Chunin Exams had ended.

The expressions of the twelve Konoha Genin were a mixture of joy and worry.

The list of those advancing was almost the same as in the original storyline, with the only significant change being Hinata Hyuga.

However, those who advanced also faced their own challenges.

The most relaxed one, naturally, was Touji.

He woke up naturally every day, but the only thing he couldn't stand was the constant feeling that someone was spying on him with the Byakugan while he slept.

Today, though, Hinata’s father, Hiashi Hyuga, had arranged for Touji and Hinata to train in the wild.

"Touji-kun, how do you think I did this time?" Hinata asked shyly, her face blushing, hoping for a positive response from Touji.

Touji frowned.

Hinata had defeated Neji Hyuga, and her next opponent would be Naruto Uzumaki.

Hinata, known as the "Death Goddess," might be more than Naruto could handle.

"You did great, but the next battle will be even tougher. Be careful," Touji advised.

"I will. So, shall we begin, Touji-kun?" Hinata replied.

Just as Touji was preparing to spar with Hinata, two heads popped out from the nearby bushes.

"Naruto Uzumaki? Sasuke Uchiha?"

Hinata frowned.

She had once liked Naruto, but after meeting Touji, she found Naruto to be a troublemaker who always complicated simple situations.

Especially today, when she had a rare chance to be alone with Touji, only for Naruto to ruin the moment.

"Touji-kun, since I've advanced, I was hoping you could train me too," Naruto said, scratching his head and smiling.

"Same here," Sasuke chimed in, his face proud, even when asking for help.

Touji smirked.

He already had plans for these two.

"Naruto, I can't really teach you anything."

Naruto looked utterly defeated, hanging his head as if he'd been abandoned.

Touji chuckled bitterly.

If Naruto’s favorability hadn’t been so low, he would have had plenty of jutsu to teach him by now.

"Don't worry. I found you a great teacher—Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin!"

When Touji mentioned Jiraiya’s name, even Hinata couldn't help but look up.

"The Sannin!"

Naruto, who had been disappointed, suddenly had a glimmer of hope when he saw Hinata’s surprise.

"Is he really that strong?"

"Of course! And just between us, Jiraiya is also my teacher!"

"Touji-kun's teacher!"

"Touji’s teacher?"

Hinata and Sasuke couldn’t help but envy Naruto.

Touji was already so powerful, so his teacher must be incredibly strong.

What they didn’t know was that Jiraiya had been deeply hurt by Touji recently.

Naruto, on the other hand, was now thrilled.

He had thought Touji looked down on him, but instead, Touji had given him such a valuable gift.

"Thank you, Touji-kun!"

[Ding! Naruto Uzumaki’s favorability increased by 10 points! Current favorability: 67 points! You can now sign in!]

Touji’s eyes lit up.

Naruto’s fluctuating favorability had finally taken a big leap forward.

Just a little more, and if he could obtain the Nine-Tails or Uzumaki bloodline, Touji’s chakra would increase significantly, eliminating his chakra shortages.

"Sign in Naruto Uzumaki!"

[Ding! Naruto Uzumaki signed in successfully! You received the Sexy Jutsu! Favorability increased by 4 points! Current favorability: 71 points! You can sign in again!]

[Ding! Naruto Uzumaki signed in successfully! You received the Rasengan! Favorability increased by 3 points! Current favorability: 74 points!]

[Ding! Since you already possess the Rasengan, the lower-level Rasengan has been upgraded to a higher level!]

Touji was overjoyed.

He hadn't expected to acquire two of Naruto’s signature jutsu in one go.

The Sexy Jutsu, after all, was strong enough to harm even Kaguya Otsutsuki.

And the Rasengan was Naruto's signature move.

In the later stages of Naruto, it was all about the Sharingan and Rasengan.

Moreover, Naruto's proficiency with the Rasengan far surpassed Jiraiya’s.

After all, Jiraiya’s Rasengan was only good for rowing boats, while Naruto's could practically destroy anything in its path.

With Naruto out of the way, next up were Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga.

These two were easier to deal with.

Sasuke’s upcoming opponent was Gaara.

Gaara was formidable in both offense and defense, and even many Jonin struggled against him.

But Gaara had one fatal flaw: he was too slow.

Hinata’s opponent, on the other hand, was Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto’s attacks were strong and unpredictable, but at this point, he didn’t have any powerful offensive jutsu.

As long as Hinata maintained a strong defense, she would surely find a flaw and defeat him.

Touji cleared his throat and mischievously looked at the two.

"Your task for today is to defeat each other!"

Hinata had an almost impenetrable defense, while Sasuke had strong offensive abilities, making them perfect training partners.

Their sparring would be the ideal practice.

"Don’t worry, Touji-kun! Today, I will definitely defeat him!" Hinata confidently said as she glanced at Touji, taking her Gentle Fist stance.

Sasuke frowned at her words.

"Defeat me? Let’s see how you plan to do that!" Sasuke snorted, his eyes instantly turning blood red.

As the tension between the two grew, Touji nodded in satisfaction.

He then found a rock, sat down, and pulled out some sunflower seeds to munch on.

"Master, you're taking it easy this time. Want me to give you a nice massage?"

As soon as Touji sat down, a voice behind him sent shivers down his spine.

Turning around, he saw none other than Ino Yamanaka.

"I told you not to call me 'Master' anymore!"

"Okay, Master. Got it, Master," Ino replied with a mischievous smile as she scooted closer.

"Actually, Touji-sama, there’s someone who wants to see you."

Touji was momentarily stunned. When he turned to look, he saw it was Zabuza's spy, who had been left in Konoha.

Touji had assigned him the task of assassinating Hayate Gekko, but he hadn’t heard back until now.

Seeing the spy appear, Touji became serious.

The spy hesitated upon seeing Ino beside Touji and said nothing.

Touji sighed and quickly explained, "Don’t worry, she’s one of us. You can speak freely."

Ino’s heart leaped with joy, and she hugged Touji’s arm even tighter.

With Touji's reassurance, the spy no longer hesitated.

"Tonight, we’ll move. We need your cooperation," he said.

(Chapter End)

*Chapter 88: The Assassination of Hayate Gekkō*

Touji’s eyes grew serious.

Hayate Gekkō was now a significant threat to him, and if there was an opportunity, Touji would definitely eliminate him.

Since the boss had come directly to him, there was no way he'd pass up this chance.

"I need a ninja skilled in assassination," the boss said, with a slightly embarrassed expression.

After all, if you're assigned a mission but can’t complete it, it reflects poorly on your abilities.

The boss quickly added anxiously, "It's been too long, and some contacts have already gone neutral. We can't reach them. Even if we could, very few are willing to take action anymore..."

The boss's face showed even more frustration.

Touji frowned.

To silently assassinate someone, an assassination-type ninja was essential.

If they couldn’t kill the target in one strike, and the target got a chance to catch their breath, countless ninjas would show up in no time.

Even if they killed all the backup, Touji would be exposed.

At this point, there were only two people Touji could fully trust.

One was Yamanaka Ino, with a favorability score of 999.

However, Yamanaka Ino was too weak, and even if she joined the battle, it wouldn’t make much difference.

The other was Hyūga Hiashi, with a favorability score of 100.

But Hyūga Hiashi was Touji’s final line of defense.

If something went wrong, Touji would need Hiashi's help to navigate the situation, so he couldn’t risk involving him.

Touji was left with only one option.

That was Zabuza Momochi.

Since the end of the mission in the Land of Waves, Zabuza had been staying near Konoha. Touji just needed to blow his whistle, and Zabuza would show up.

Touji gave the boss a knowing glance, moved to a secluded corner, and quickly blew the whistle.

Not long after, a man carrying a massive executioner's blade slowly emerged.

When the boss saw Zabuza, he shuddered, overwhelmed with excitement.

"Lord Zabuza, I never thought I’d see you again!"

Zabuza’s eyes showed a flicker of emotion.

"Yeah, I didn’t expect to see you again either," Zabuza said sentimentally before turning to Touji with a serious expression. "You finally called me. I thought you’d forgotten about me!"

Touji gave a bitter smile.

Zabuza Momochi was a double-edged sword.

Although Zabuza seemed very trustworthy at the moment, his favorability wasn’t maxed out, so there was still a high chance he could betray Touji.

Moreover, if anyone saw him with Zabuza, it would be difficult to explain.

If it weren’t for the boss needing an assassin-type ninja, Touji would never have sought him out.

"This time, I need your help to kill a ninja: Hayate Gekkō!"

"That kid from the Land of Waves mission?" Zabuza recalled and quickly responded.

"That's right, and I’ll be joining the mission this time as well!"

Touji’s eyes grew sharp.

If the assassination failed, Hayate Gekkō would definitely suspect Touji. So rather than wait for death, it was better for Touji to participate and increase the chances of success.

"Alright, let’s plan!"

Nightfall.

Touji quietly snuck out of Hinata Hyūga's room in the Hyūga clan's estate and arrived at the prearranged location.

Touji’s task was simple.

If Zabuza failed in the assassination, Touji would step in to help kill Hayate Gekkō.

After waiting for several minutes, Hayate Gekkō arrived at the ambush point as expected.

Zabuza quickly used the Hidden Mist Technique.

The already dark night grew even murkier.

However, the Hidden Mist Technique was useless against Touji.

With his Byakugan, he could see through everything. A layer of mist wasn’t much of an obstacle.

As soon as Hayate reached the ambush point, he became alert.

Konoha, being an inland village, rarely experienced fog, making the situation suspicious and putting Hayate on guard.

He moved cautiously along the outskirts of the mist, not daring to approach directly.

One hand stayed on the hilt of his sword, ready for battle at any moment.

Just then, the sound of a bird call came from the distance.

Touji perked up.

The bird call signaled that Zabuza was about to strike, and those nearby should be ready.

At that moment, Zabuza appeared behind Hayate, his massive executioner's blade raised high. One strike would leave no chance of escape if it connected.

However, Hayate smiled nonchalantly, making no effort to dodge.

The executioner's blade passed through him, and his figure dissolved into a cloud of smoke, disappearing.

Touji’s heart sank.

He hadn’t expected Hayate to be so cautious, sending a shadow clone instead.

Touji quickly activated his Byakugan.

Since things had gone awry, Hayate must be nearby.

Not far away, on top of a tree branch, Touji spotted a man.

The man was reaching into his tool pouch, and through Byakugan, Touji saw he was holding an Anbu whistle used for sending alerts.

Touji frowned.

If Hayate blew that whistle, Touji would be completely exposed. All his plans in Konoha would go up in smoke, and he’d have no choice but to flee the village as a rogue ninja.

Leaving Konoha was inevitable, but Touji refused to be forced out.

Touji swiftly performed several Body Flicker Techniques and appeared behind Hayate.

He drew his White Fang sword and slashed at Hayate.

Clang!

Hayate sneered, but the sweat on his forehead betrayed his true feelings—he wasn’t as calm as he appeared.

"Touji, I knew you were a spy from the start. I was planning to tell Lord Hokage in the next few days, but it looks like you’ve come to me first. In that case, stay here!" Hayate said as he drew his sword and vanished.

He attacked Touji from three directions simultaneously.

"Crescent Moon Dance!"

Touji frowned.

From the intensity, Touji could tell that this Crescent Moon Dance was stronger than before.

Especially judging by Hayate's slashing speed.

This time, Hayate’s strength was at least 30% greater than before.

If he landed a hit, the ice blocks Touji had used to defend last time wouldn’t hold up. And in such a short time, Touji wouldn’t be able to conjure blocks thick enough to protect himself.

"Die! This time, I’ll make sure to see my blade slice through your body!" Hayate shouted, quickening his attack.

Just as Touji’s face was filled with apparent fear, his lips curled into a grin.

"Sorry, I’m a cautious person—I like to have a backup plan!"

*End of Chapter*

*Chapter 89: The Kill Reward (Please vote for recommendations~)*

Moonlight Gale’s pupils shrank sharply.

Although he believed what Touji had said was true, the arrow was already on the string, and he had no choice but to shoot. As long as he killed Touji, all the backup plans would be useless.

Just then, a shuriken came flying at him at high speed.

However, the trajectory of this shuriken seemed to be significantly off.

“Is this your backup plan? That’s just too—" Moonlight Gale’s words were cut off as he noticed the shuriken abruptly change direction, heading straight for him.

Bang!

The shuriken struck one of his clones, which instantly turned into a puff of smoke.

With one clone down, the Crescent Moon Dance became imperfect.

“Damn it, damn it! But with just two strikes, you won’t escape!”

“Can’t escape? Are you doubting my speed?”

Touji’s lips curled into a slight smile.

In other aspects, Touji wasn’t the best, but in terms of speed, he was faster than anyone here.

“I hit him!” Moonlight Gale’s face lit up with joy.

At that moment, both of his long blades had struck Touji—one at his neck and the other at his waist.

“Did you really hit me?”

Suddenly, a voice slowly came from behind Moonlight Gale.

A chill ran down Moonlight Gale’s spine.

His blades had passed through Touji’s body without any resistance at all.

“No way! A clone technique?”

“Wrong. It’s just pure speed.” Touji smiled slightly, then threw a punch that sent Moonlight Gale flying.

It wasn’t that Touji couldn’t use the White Fang Blade, but its cuts were too obvious. If he used it, the Anbu would surely trace it back to him.

The best plan was to frame the Land of Wind.

After all, the Land of Wind was going to attack the Leaf Village soon, so they might as well take the blame.

Moonlight Gale struggled to get back up. His first thought wasn’t to flee or counterattack, but to reach into his tool pouch again.

From this distance, Touji clearly couldn’t stop him in time.

“How much longer are you going to watch?” Touji said with a hint of annoyance.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Zabuza Momochi appeared behind Moonlight Gale, unnoticed, and struck his back with the flat of his Executioner’s Blade.

The blow left Moonlight Gale dazed. He collapsed on the ground, glaring angrily at Touji.

“So, you’re a spy from the Hidden Mist Village after all. I regret trusting you back then. But don’t celebrate too soon. Once I die, someone will reveal your secret to Lord Hokage!”

Moonlight Gale’s cold eyes stared at Touji, burning with hatred.

But it was too late now.

He was already at Touji’s mercy, no longer in control of his own fate.

In truth, Touji wanted to tell Moonlight Gale that he had no interest in the conflicts between the villages.

He just wanted to live a peaceful life, but people kept forcing him to act.

Touji closed his eyes and performed the Great Sickle Weasel Technique, sending countless wind blades toward Moonlight Gale. Moonlight Gale took his last breath on the spot.

*Ding! You’ve killed Moonlight Gale! You may choose one of his abilities!*

Touji was momentarily surprised.

He hadn’t expected the system to work like this.

Had he known, he would’ve killed those annoying ninjas long ago! Wouldn’t picking an ability on the spot be great?

“I choose the Crescent Moon Dance!”

In an instant, all of Moonlight Gale’s knowledge of the Crescent Moon Dance poured into Touji’s mind.

And with Touji’s own understanding of the Hatake sword techniques, now, if he performed the Crescent Moon Dance, it would surpass Moonlight Gale’s skill.

Touji then used the Mind Transfer Technique to read Moonlight Gale’s memories.

A short while later, Touji opened his eyes and let out a deep breath.

Moonlight Gale hadn’t revealed his Ice Release secret to anyone, but had written it down on a piece of paper and sealed it before giving it to Uzuki Yugao.

Now, all Touji had to do was find Yugao and retrieve that paper.

“It was only supposed to be you who had to die. But because of what you said, Yugao might have to die too. Let’s hope she never opened that letter.”

Hearing this, Moonlight Gale’s body, which should’ve already been dead, suddenly trembled, and tears rolled down from the corners of his eyes.

The only person Moonlight Gale truly trusted was his lover, Uzuki Yugao.

Since Touji had killed Moonlight Gale, he wouldn’t show mercy.

If the seal on that letter was broken, Touji wouldn’t hesitate to kill her as well.

After all, those who show mercy often end up as cautionary tales, etched in stone.

With that thought, Touji cast the Transformation Jutsu.

Fortunately, Yamanaka Ino’s techniques had all been passed down to Touji, and the Transformation Jutsu was among them.

With a puff of smoke, Touji transformed into Moonlight Gale.

Pale skin, heavy eye bags, giving off the impression of someone who could collapse at any moment.

But to be safe, Touji had to go a step further.

After all, they were intimate lovers, and despite having read Gale’s memories, it would still be easy to get exposed if he wasn’t careful.

“You two disguise yourselves as Sand Shinobi and attack Uzuki Yugao. Then I’ll step in and ‘rescue’ her. Got it?”

The most important thing now was to gain Yugao’s trust and get that letter.

If that failed, there would be no choice but to kill her!

“Don’t worry, we’re professionals!” Zabuza smirked.

According to Moonlight Gale’s memories, Uzuki Yugao should be resting at home today. Her family had died in the Nine-Tails’ attack, so she lived alone.

That would help avoid harming any innocent people.

Before long, Touji and his team arrived outside Yugao’s house.

The lights were still on, indicating that Yugao hadn’t gone to sleep yet.

Zabuza, disguised as a Sand Shinobi, snuck into the house.

Soon, the sound of battle echoed from inside, and Yugao was sent flying out of the house, rolling across the ground.

Zabuza, still smirking, approached Yugao and pressed a kunai to her throat.

“Your boyfriend is dead. Hand over the letter, and I’ll spare your life!”

Yugao’s body trembled, and she looked defiantly at her attacker.

“You say Gale is dead?”

“Of course. How else would I know about the letter?” Zabuza replied, moving the kunai along Yugao’s body menacingly.

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll make you talk!”

Yugao’s eyes filled with unwillingness.

Only she and Moonlight Gale knew about the letter, and she was sure Gale would never betray her.

That meant something had likely happened to him.

Just then, three familiar figures appeared before her, attacking the Sand Shinobi from different angles.

Yugao’s face lit up with joy.

“Gale!”

“Damn! He’s really going all out!”

---

*Please leave a recommendation vote, kind readers!*

*(End of chapter)*

*Chapter 90: You're Still Calling Me Sir! (Vote for me!)*

Touji's three strikes landed directly on Zabuza Momochi, but the blows barely missed vital points.

Had the strikes been precise, there would've been no chance for Zabuza to survive.

Zabuza immediately kicked Touji away and quickly fled.

Uzuki Yugao initially intended to chase him down but, seeing Touji lying on the ground covered in blood, she hurried over to him.

"Is Hayate okay?"

Touji began coughing uncontrollably, a trickle of blood escaping his mouth.

"Yugao, do you remember the note I gave you? Take it out and help me to the Hokage's office. We need to hand it over to the Hokage together!"

Uzuki Yugao nodded slightly and quickly ran back into the house to retrieve the note.

When Touji saw the note was intact, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Hayate Gekkō had to die.

But that didn't mean Touji was a bloodthirsty person.

Touji would never take a life unless absolutely necessary.

That note, however, was the key to ensuring Uzuki Yugao's safety.

Uzuki Yugao hesitated for a moment, then handed the note directly to Touji.

"No matter what happens, I'll stay by your side!"

With that, Uzuki Yugao hugged Touji and, without a word, pressed her lips to his.

Touji's eyes widened in shock.

He was caught off guard for the first time, as he'd never experienced anything like this before!

He didn't know whether to push Yugao away or let it continue.

He had fantasized countless times about who might do this, but he'd never imagined it would be Uzuki Yugao.

After about a minute, Uzuki Yugao pulled away from Touji, her face full of anger.

"Who are you really? Why are you pretending to be Hayate?!"

Touji was momentarily stunned; he hadn't expected to be discovered this way.

But since he had the note now, there was no reason to stay any longer.

He quickly distanced himself from Uzuki Yugao and touched his mouth, giving a wry smile.

"Sorry about that."

After destroying the note, Touji returned to the Hyuga clan.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived, Hyuga Hiashi blocked his path.

"Did you leave any loose ends?"

Touji paused, surprised that Hiashi knew about his actions that day.

But even if Hiashi knew, Touji wasn't worried.

After all, Hiashi's favorability toward him was already maxed out.

He wouldn't betray Touji, even if it meant betraying Konoha.

"You knew?"

"How could I not? If I hadn't sent the Anbu away, do you think you'd have succeeded?" Hiashi glared at Touji.

Touji chuckled awkwardly.

No wonder things had gone so smoothly today—Hiashi had been helping from behind the scenes.

"Although you've pinned it on the Sand Shinobi, they aren't so easy to impersonate. Go spend time with Hinata in your room; I'll take care of the rest."

Though Hiashi's Gentle Fist wasn't as powerful as Touji's, he excelled in handling situations like this. Otherwise, the Hyuga clan wouldn't have survived this long.

Judging from Hiashi's tone, it seemed he was planning to deal with Zabuza and the boss.

However, those two were key to future dealings with the Mist Village, and Touji didn't want them to die here.

"Hiashi-sama, I plan to keep them alive," Touji said apologetically.

"That won't do. The Anbu are far more capable than you think, and with the Chunin Exams coming up, the Third Hokage needs an explanation. Keeping them alive will only hurt you," Hiashi said, shaking his head.

Touji smiled slightly and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket.

Hiashi took the paper, confused. But when he read its contents, his entire body trembled.

"Is this explanation enough?"

Hiashi stared at Touji as if seeing him for the first time.

Each name on the list represented a real person.

Many of them were people Hiashi knew personally, some of whom had even risen to significant positions within Konoha.

With this list, Hiashi's reputation could soar, and the power and influence of the Hyuga clan would grow considerably.

"You never fail to impress me. With this, the Hyuga clan will become even stronger!"

Hiashi looked at the list excitedly, handling it with such care as if he were afraid it might tear.

After all, this was the future of the Hyuga clan!

But Hiashi didn't know that the list was less than half complete.

The other half remained in Touji's pocket.

"I won't ask where you got this. I'll handle everything. Go spend time with Hinata," Hiashi said gratefully, urging Touji.

"Alright, I'll go rest then, Hiashi-sama."

Touji shrugged. These were spies of Yagura Karatachi, after all, so it was best to let Hiashi deal with them.

It saved Touji the trouble.

"You're still calling me 'Hiashi-sama'?" Hiashi said, displeased.

Touji nearly tripped.

"Then... should I call you Big Brother Hiashi?" Touji ventured.

Hiashi's face darkened immediately, and he waved his hand dismissively.

"Get out of here and go to your room!"

Touji quickly ducked his head and hurried back to his room.

The lights were already off when he got back, so Touji fumbled his way to his bed.

To his surprise, the bedding, which should have been cold, was warm.

Hearing the soft breathing beside him, it was clear that Hinata wasn't asleep.

Touji's breathing quickened too.

If what had happened earlier hadn't taken place, he wouldn't have any wild thoughts.

But Uzuki Yugao's boldness had left Touji craving more, making his thoughts run wild.

And with Hinata's favorability at 84 points, Touji figured she wouldn't reject him if he made a move.

Just as Touji's heart raced, the door suddenly opened, and a small figure walked in, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Father is so weird. Why did he send me to sleep in my sister's room in the middle of the night?" Hanabi Hyuga mumbled.

Touji's frustration grew.

He had thought Hiashi was sharp, but he sure messed up at this critical moment.

Though Touji had been tempted, he wasn't a beast.

With Hanabi being so young, any inappropriate thoughts vanished instantly.

Still, Touji felt a sense of relief.

This ninja world wasn't the best place for love. Without enough strength, he couldn't even protect his own family. How could he start a family?

The final match of the Chunin Exams was fast approaching, and the Konoha Crush Plan was about to unfold.

Originally, Touji hadn't planned to participate in killing Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But now that there were rewards for the kill, it was time to make some serious plans!

Three chapters done! Vote for me!