Chapter 13

Three years had passed since the Uchiha clan massacre. In the aftermath, the village had been in a state of shock and unease. After all, the complete annihilation of a major clan overnight was a terrifying event, no matter how one looked at it. The so-called "culprit" behind it all, Uchiha Itachi, was naturally marked as a wanted criminal by all the major ninja villages.

Following the massacre, the Third Hokage personally addressed the village, explaining the situation. He declared that Uchiha Itachi had colluded with foreign forces to carry out the attack. In response, Konoha urged all major villages to be on high alert while also holding a moment of silence and prayer for the fallen Uchiha. The Hokage reassured the villagers that such a tragedy would never happen again.

Zixu and his team had grown tremendously over the past three years. They had fully mastered the fundamental subjects at the Ninja Academy, and their combat skills were among the best in their class. Within their group, Zixu maintained an average standing—stronger than Aburame Hatsuizumi but still below Hyuga Chinano.

Because of their exceptional performance, they were now facing their final assessment, after which they would officially become Genin. However, everyone knew the so-called assessment was nothing more than a formality. Gouda Takeshi was well aware of their capabilities, and passing was all but guaranteed.

Even after three years, the shadow of the Uchiha massacre still lingered over them like an inescapable weight. They all knew something wasn't right. How could a single teenager wipe out an entire clan in a single night without anyone noticing? Zixu refused to believe that the Third Hokage had nothing to do with it.

Even if Konoha's Anbu couldn't stop Itachi, couldn't they have at least warned the Uchiha? A single alarm, a simple shout, and some of them could have survived. The fact that no such action had been taken led to one chilling conclusion—Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted the Uchiha clan gone.

The exact reason was unclear. The Uchiha had always been a core part of Konoha's military strength. Though they often carried an air of arrogance in the village, they were also the first to charge into battle, embodying an almost medieval sense of chivalry.

Maybe their destruction had something to do with their ambition and aggressive nature. In history, Zixu had read about emperors who executed entire families of powerful generals out of fear that they would grow too strong and overthrow them. Could this be a similar case?

Speculating on the reason was pointless now. Konoha had eliminated an entire clan within its own walls, sending a clear message to the other families—a warning, like killing a chicken to scare the monkeys. Since then, the other clans had become noticeably more obedient to the Third Hokage's rule.

Zixu had spent the past three years relentlessly training, even mastering the Shadow Clone Jutsu. He felt he was just one step away from advancing to the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, but he lacked the insight needed to take that final step. After much thought, he decided to have one of his shadow clones consume the Silence Fruit.

Sure enough, the clone was able to utilize the fruit's power. The drawbacks were present but not as severe as in the original lore. Upon contact with water, the clone experienced an instinctual sense of disgust, but it wasn't immediately weakened or paralyzed. Zixu speculated that the water in the Naruto world lacked the same sea-prism stone properties as the ocean in One Piece.

However, there was one major downside—the fruit's power seemed to function at its fullest only within the clone. When the clone dispersed, Zixu could feel the power momentarily returning to him, but it never settled. It was as if the ability treated his body like a temporary resting place, showing no intention of staying permanently.

Although Zixu's original body could also use the power of the Silence Fruit, he always felt that the devil power within it wasn't giving its all—like an office worker just going through the motions. However, when Zixu used his clone, he could transfer the fruit's power to it completely. In the clone's body, the devil fruit's power felt like it had returned home, and Zixu could wield it freely.

This was good news. At the very least, it meant he could integrate multiple abilities into one. No, it was more than that—he could definitely master more abilities than Blackbeard. However, while fruit abilities were powerful, Zixu placed greater value on Haki. A devil fruit set the lower limit, but Haki determined the upper limit.

If he weren't so focused on improving his ability to protect himself, he would've prioritized unlocking Haki first. After all, the strongest warriors who relied solely on Haki and taijutsu were absolute monsters—Hawkeye Mihawk, Dark King Rayleigh, Red-Haired Shanks, and even the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger…

During these three years, Zixu hadn't unlocked any new abilities, but he had fully adapted to his current physique. With the help of Aburame Hatsuizumi's insects, his chakra had become more refined and extensive. The only disappointment was the horned worm. It had spent every day trying to pierce Zixu's skin, only to bend its own horn in failure—though it never caused him any pain.

He had also mastered Hyuga Chinano's Gentle Fist, learning various palm techniques, force application, and the human acupoints. At this point, Zixu could definitely hold his own against a Chunin—not just any Chunin, but the kind described in books. Those who knew, knew. If it came down to a real fight, he could probably take down a Chunin with a single punch, even while holding back.

Today was the weekend. Zixu lay in the usual training spot where the three of them often gathered, gazing up at the clear sky while taking a short nap. He had changed a lot over the past three years. At ten years old, he stood at about 1.65 meters tall, with a strong, well-proportioned physique. His refined muscles were perfectly balanced with his powerful frame, making his body look both harmonious and athletic.

Although he had trimmed his originally messy dark red hair multiple times, it grew back quickly—probably due to Kaido's physique. Like leeks, it would sprout right back after being cut. Eventually, he gave up on fighting it and just kept it at ear length.

"Mr. Zixu! You're here early today!"

A sweet, feminine voice called from behind him. Zixu cracked open his drowsy eyes, shielding them from the sunlight with one hand as he looked toward the source of the voice.

The once-timid Aburame Hatsuizumi had blossomed into a true beauty. She was slightly shorter than Zixu, standing at about 1.5 meters tall. Her old glasses had been replaced with "Dashiki's Glasses," a gift from Zixu, giving her an intellectual charm. Her personality had also become more outgoing, and her figure… well, it had developed quite well in every sense of the word.

"It's you, Hatsuizumi. Have you cultivated any new insect species recently?" Zixu flipped up from the ground and stretched lazily.

"Well… I've recently bred Blue Silk Worms and Moonlight Worms. Blue Silk Worms can live in hair. When chakra is injected into them, they instantly stimulate hair growth and greatly improve its defensive capabilities. Moonlight Worms absorb the power of moonlight to replenish themselves and can release a long-range Moon Blade attack. The attack power isn't strong, but at least it doesn't consume chakra..."

Aburame Hatsuizumi excitedly shared her latest findings. Over the past three years, Zixu had recalled a novel about venomous insects from his past life and guided her based on those ideas. Surprisingly, it worked incredibly well. Since then, Hatsuizumi had gone all-in on insect experimentation, walking a strange yet fascinating path. Whether it was a good thing or not, Zixu still wasn't sure.

But when he heard about the Blue Silk Worm, his interest was immediately piqued. This was perfect for him. Maybe he could even develop an entire fighting style using his hair. His potential was limitless.

"Well done. In the future, try combining different insect functions to create finishing moves. If you favor a particular species, you can also refine it by merging it with other insects to enhance its abilities..."

Hatsuizumi's eyes sparkled with excitement. It was clear she had just discovered a whole new path, and her mind was already flooded with insect combination ideas.

Zixu picked up the Blue Silk Worm and examined it. It was a small, slender green creature, resembling a mantis but without the forelegs. Its abdomen was lined with fine, green hair-like fibers. He infused it with chakra and integrated it into his own hair. Then, he carefully placed the Moonlight Worm in his clothes pocket. These would both be incredibly useful to him.

"Am I the last one to arrive?"

A cool, composed voice interrupted their conversation.

"Chinano, you're here. How's your Byakugan training going? My insects have undergone a complete evolution. Next time we spar, I'll show you their true power!" Hatsuizumi waved at Hyuga Chinano, her tone full of confidence.

The three had sparred countless times over the past three years, and Chinano had won most of their matches. Zixu, however, would always drop out before revealing his true strength.

They both knew he was strong—absurdly strong—but he was the kind of person who'd say, "I'm at my limit," without even breaking a sweat. Though they suspected he was hiding his true abilities, neither of them had figured out exactly where his limits lay.

"Oh? Then I won't hold back."

Chinano smirked slightly as she spoke. This kind of banter had become a routine between them.

She stepped out from the tree's shade, letting the sunlight wash over her shoulders. Her long blue-black hair cascaded down her back. As she lifted her gaze, her left eye gleamed in the sunlight—clear and bright, like a finely polished crystal. However, when she fully opened them, her right eye, which should have been identical to the left, was instead a strange gray-black. One white, one gray—it was an eerie sight.

"I've awakened most of the Byakugan's abilities, and now I can accurately strike every acupuncture point. You'd better be careful during our next match," Chinano warned, giving Hatsuizumi a knowing look.

She was slightly taller than Hatsuizumi but still half a head shorter than Zixu. With a light tap of her foot, she closed the distance between them in an instant.

"I still don't fully grasp the 'Wind Howling Eight Trigrams' technique you mentioned. It involves controlling the direction of the Eight Trigrams Formation underfoot and instantly casting jutsu, but the concept is a bit too mysterious. It seems tied to fortune in some way..."

As she spoke, she made a one-handed seal. Zixu could feel the earth beneath him shifting ever so slightly.

"But its flaw is obvious—its attack power is too weak. There's still a lot of room for improvement..." Chinano frowned, deep in thought.

Zixu gestured subtly, signaling her to drop the topic. The secret of her "Red Eye" hadn't been discovered yet.

Chinano nodded in understanding. Ever since she had awakened this ability three years ago, she had realized that her right eye wasn't a Byakugan. Although it could see through objects and sense energy, it also emitted a dark red chakra when activated. More intriguingly, it could create chakra illusions that interfered with the Byakugan's vision, making it impossible to distinguish real from fake. In other words, it was an eye that naturally countered the Byakugan.

"Enough talk. It's the weekend, and we don't have classes today. Let's go finish the Genin exam. We've delayed it long enough," Zixu said, clapping his friends on the shoulders.

"Agreed."

"Sounds good."

With that, the three of them headed toward the Ninja Academy—the place they had called home for the past three years.

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