Another Day, Another Dead Idealist

Standing over Roku's dead body, Ren turned his head slightly and spoke in a teasing tone, "Were you worried about me, boss-man?"

The shadows shifted a bit and Yoru's figure became visible as he replied in a plain voice, "You caused too big of a commotion with the auction house. It attracted many eyes."

Ren shrugged his shoulders but found that they barely moved because of his rock-like skin. "Well, it wasn't supposed to be this big, but it somehow ended up this way. But it was so fun I couldn't stop myself." He let out a small giggle as he spoke and then sat down on the spot.

Yoru spoke again, "Hmm, this should be Earth and Yang, right? How's the mobility in this state?"

Ren nodded his head as he felt the changes himself. "Though not much, it does require a bit more chakra to move at my base speed. If I had to give it a rank, then the chakra cost would be comparable to a low A-rank jutsu. The hardening state doesn't use chakra all at once, it uses chakra every time I use that Earth-Yang chakra mix to reinforce the struck part."

Yoru stayed silent for a bit, thinking through the technique, then said, "Hmm, then this is just like the Raikage's Lightning Armor, just in its Earth chakra version. He also uses Lightning chakra in combination with Yang to create an armor for both offense and defense."

Ren nodded, "Yeah, both my Hardening and Lightning Armor have a lot in common. Just like the necessity of Hyperfocus. The Lightning Armor probably works by enhancing nerve function using a Lightning-Yang chakra mix, this would increase the body's movement speed, and only with Hyperfocus would he be able to react to that speed. For me, I need to be aware of where the strike would land so I can use that split second to reinforce that part."

He knocked his still-hardened fist on the ground and continued, "Though I still need to figure out how to get out of this state. I've already cut off the chakra supply, but the rate at which the hardening peels off is way too slow."

Yoru spoke after thinking for a bit, "Hm, instead of directly cutting off the chakra supply, try to reabsorb the chakra. Since the chakra never left your body, there should still be chakra present which you can reabsorb, that might help in this case."

Ren's eyes brightened at that idea. He tried it immediately and reconnected his chakra to his hardened right arm, he sensed the chakra that was still flowing through those parts and slowly began to draw it back into his body. To harden the part, he had to reinforce it with the Earth-Yang mix so returning to normal would indeed require taking that chakra back.

As he continued, the hardening soon became lighter, and after a while, his hand returned to normal. He felt how much chakra he reabsorbed and realized it was really negligible, but after all, it was his first time using this method. In the future, he might be able to turn this into a continuous cycle.

Seeing this, Ren exclaimed, slightly surprised, "Boss-man, you're smart?"

He coughed and corrected himself, "Damn! Commander, you're really smart. You got something like this too?"

Yoru shook his head as he spoke, "No, this requires a very high level of mastery over both Earth and Yang chakra and even for the other elements, it's the same. Aside from mastery, it also requires a creative mind to actually think this through. You must have had a proper vision in mind about what you wanted to achieve that's why you were able to succeed. Otherwise, someone like the Third would've been able to create such techniques a long time ago."

Ren asked, "You mean the Third is more of a by-the-book person? That's why he doesn't have unique techniques?"

Yoru nodded, "Half right. He isn't completely by-the-book otherwise, he wouldn't have reached where he is today. But unlike the Second, who had a mind that this world couldn't contain, the Third is very normal. He was able to reach this level partly by his own talent and partly because the Second recognized the Third's talent and had him cram all the stuff he could find.

This is also the reason the Third is called the Professor, he learned so much that even if he didn't have anything truly his own, his knowledge became so deep that he could make others' things his own."

Ren was slightly surprised by Yoru's words but then remembered the Naruto manga and could indeed confirm that the Third really didn't have anything unique like the others.

For example, the First had Wood Jutsu and there's no need to talk about the Second. The Fourth had Rasengan, the Fifth had Chakra-Enhanced Strength and the Byakugou Seal, Kakashi had Chidori, Purple Lightning, etc.

Other top-level combatants also had something unique to them, but the Third was never mentioned having anything like this, yet he was still one of the most powerful people ever in the shinobi world.

Ren sighed softly at this but didn't mind it much. The Third was book-smart and that's it. It wouldn't matter much.

Yoru spoke again, "Any thoughts about Roku's words?"

Ren shrugged again. "Not really. He was just bitter about the reality of the world. He didn't have a good enough birth, background, or talent, he really didn't have anything going for him, so he was probably bitter about the whole thing. Then a kid so much younger than him came to finish him off from a village that had always suppressed people like him, so it's no wonder he'd say things like that."

He really didn't care about Roku's words about fairness or justice. He wasn't the one who decided people's birth status, so why should he care about that?

Even he himself thought he was just a common civilian when he first transmigrated and he accepted it without much fuss. After all, why cry over things you have no control over? Wouldn't it be better to become powerful and change your status quo?

Ren had everything going for him, talent, his system, and plenty of learning materials and that was the reason for his current strength. But didn't Roku have years on him? Couldn't he have done something? Why decide to follow the Cloud after so many years and not before? Couldn't he have challenged his status much earlier?

He looked at Yoru and said, "Boss-man, I only believe in one thing, it's not your fault if you're born poor, but it's your fault if you die poor. Roku didn't have much going on for him at birth, but what did he do to change it now? He's just one of those people who refuse to accept their status but also don't want to work hard enough to change it. If he really wanted to do something, he would've done it long ago."

The clearing fell silent for a while. Then Yoru nodded, "Alright, carry on with the rogue hunting missions. I'll keep sending squads to you."

Ren nodded, but just as he was about to leave, he paused. He turned his head sharply toward the east, and a grin spread across his face as he muttered, eyes fixed in that direction, "Boss-man, you wanted to fight such a fun opponent alone?"

Yoru walked forward slowly until he stood beside Ren.

He shook his head as he spoke, "There won't be any fights. So go on your way. Also, this one isn't your opponent just yet so wait a while longer."

Ren couldn't see who it was, but such dense chakra that could be felt from this distance could only mean one thing.

A Jinchuriki.

He really had a mind to fight whichever Jinchuriki was coming because his previous plan where he wanted Roku to push him to his limits couldn't really be called a success. So the person coming would've been perfect to test his strength. But as Yoru said, his current strength wasn't enough yet, so he could only sigh and contain his excitement.

He asked Yoru, "Did you get Roku's technique?"

Even though the technique didn't have much use against high-speed combatants, if it was used by multiple people at once, it could become very useful during wartime when a large army needed to be subdued so the village wouldn't want to miss it.

Yoru nodded. Seeing that, Ren took back the scroll containing the chakra metal ore from Roku, then he took one last glance in the direction where the enemy was approaching, then with a sigh, he vanished.

~~~

Two figures rushed through the forest.

Leading them was a blonde-haired woman, her hair tied up with bandages. She had dark eyes, red lipstick, and wore a short-sleeved black and purple blouse with black pants, both of them patterned with cloud-like designs. Purple finger less gloves covered her hands, and a chain of blue beads wound around her left wrist. She wore Kumogakure's standard forehead protector, open-toed sandals, and a kunai holster strapped to her right thigh. Bandages wrapped around her arms and legs, and a red belt sat snugly around her waist.

Behind her, a dark-skinned man with blue hair struggled to keep up, calling out between breaths, "Yugito-sama, please slow down! Didn't you say you sensed a battle? Why are we rushing straight toward it?"

Yugito turned her head slightly and called back, "Romoi, you're such a scaredy-cat. The battle fluctuations have already stopped and only one chakra signature remains. If I'm right, one of them was Roku and he's probably the one lying dead. But the other one is even more interesting.

He's not strong enough to look like a threat on my Radar, yet he beat Roku. That means he's hiding something. The only one who'd fit that description in this area would be a Konoha shinobi. If we can eliminate him, it'll hit the Leaf where it hurts."

With that, she sped up again, forcing Romoi to push himself just to keep her in sight. Yugito narrowed her eyes as her senses sharpened. "Romoi, he's escaping. Let's go. We absolutely can't let him get away."

Soon they reached a clearing only to stop dead in their tracks. Ahead of them stood a lone figure cloaked in black from head to toe, a blank black mask covering his face.

The heavy air made Yugito's hair stand on end as she practically hissed, "Konoha's ANBU Commander, Yoru. Why the hell are you here?"

She was young, but not stupid. She knew immediately the one they were chasing had already slipped away and the man in front of her, though a bigger catch, would be near impossible to handle.

Yoru's voice cut through the clearing, cold and almost mechanical, stripped of any human warmth. "Go back, little cat. This is not your fight."

Yugito opened her mouth, but Yoru spoke again before she could get a word out. "No, I'm not being arrogant. You really can't handle me yet. I'm giving you a chance. Take it. As a reward, I'll tell you the Leaf dealt with Roku. Use that information however you want."

Yoru continued without giving Yugito a chance to speak, "Yes, I know I'm being extremely cooperative, but unlike what you think, I'm not doing this to buy time, I genuinely have no interest in fighting you."

Yugito's expression tightened, her eyes locked on him. Romoi finally caught up and landed beside her only to freeze on the spot. All he could feel was death pressing down on him like a heavy blanket.

Yoru's voice droned on, flat but oddly condescending. "You should learn from your partner. His first instinct when he sensed death was to run. You youngsters are the weird ones, the first thing you think about is fighting. I already have one headache as it is. Talking to you is just making it worse."

Yugito's mouth twitched, ready to argue but Yoru's tone shifted, from cold and mechanical it became almost bored. "Yes, I can see the future. And in the future I see, your partner dies in the next second."

Before the words could fully sink in, Yugito's instincts kicked in. She raised her hand, coating it with a thin film of blue chakra, a kunai embedded in the palm's guard. But before she could even look at Romoi, he lurched forward and collapsed onto her outstretched arm.

Her eyes widened. The kunai now stuck out of Romoi's neck. Blood trickled down onto her glove. She opened her mouth to shout but Yoru's voice droned through the clearing again.

"His death was a foretold conclusion when he followed such a hot-headed leader. His death was not his fault. Or mine. It was yours, little cat, so go back and reflect on it."

Yoru's figure blurred and vanished among the shadows. But his voice lingered, echoing one last time through the trees. "One more thing, tell your Raikage to stop poking his nose where it doesn't belong. Or next time, the only death won't be just an elite jonin."

Left alone in the clearing, Yugito stared at Romoi's lifeless body on her arm thinking about what the fuck just happened.

~~~~~

{Well, hardening became a bit more clear and we also got to know more about the third and there were some sneak peeks of Yoru's abilities.}

{Anyway, I originally wanted Ren to fight Yugito and run away, but plans changed and a new idea came to me which would be even more fun and this chapter could just be Yoru's aura farming.}

{The goal was completed but a new arc starts next chapter and it'd be good to read them together, so, instead of a double today, I'll do a triple tomorrow (There will be 2 chapters tomorrow that's for sure, the 3rd depends on whether you complete the goal for today, but I guess that shouldn't be difficult since you're not that lazy anymore)}

{An old character returns in the next chapter so wait for it.}

{If you want, you can support me on pat-reon}

{ h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n }

{You know what else}

{280 Stones = Extra chapter}

{STONES!!!!}