Chapter 106: The Absolute Best
"This... then why did you say this is both a good and a bad thing for the Kurama clan?"
Tonbo Tobitake couldn't quite wrap his head around it. It didn't sound like a bad thing on the surface. At the same time, it made him realize that when "Kurama Yakumo" first appeared, her power was at its peak; as time passed, the Genjutsu would weaken, and she would eventually disappear.
He could only remark to himself that there was a reason Black Zetsu hadn't managed to unseal Kaguya Otsutsuki for over a thousand years. If every era produced a few ridiculous ninjas like this, achieving his goal would indeed be difficult.
"Because the genius created by the Ancestor's Genjutsu is flawed," Kurama Murakumo explained helplessly. "Her personality is defective. A demon will be born within her heart named 'Ido'."
"It will unknowingly kill her relatives and eventually erupt, allowing Ido to seize control of the power. After a certain amount of destruction is caused, the Ancestor will—for various reasons—reclaim her sense of self and kill Ido. Finally, the Genjutsu will fade, and she will slowly vanish from our collective cognition."
Walking along the streets of Konoha, Tonbo's heart was a whirlpool of complex emotions.
This trip to the Kurama clan had truly shaken him. He used to think Masashi Kishimoto's original settings were ridiculous enough, but it turned out there were masters hidden even deeper.
This actually matched the plot he remembered. In the original story, Kurama Yakumo's ability never appeared again because she had simply vanished—vanished from everyone's awareness.
Thus, the appearance of a "Kurama Yakumo" in the Warring States period could indeed deter other clans. But in the Hidden Village era, where wars drained ninja populations and a "time bomb" existed within the family, it brought immense trouble to the Kurama clan.
"A pity the specific implementation of that Genjutsu wasn't recorded. But it's fine. Even without that specific jutsu, obtaining the Kurama clan's theoretical research on Genjutsu is far more valuable."
In the end, Tonbo received a gift from the Kurama Patriarch: that massive volume.
According to Kurama Murakumo, he saw that Tonbo's attainments in Genjutsu might one day surpass the Ancestor and help them unravel that forbidden curse, which is why he gifted it to him.
At the same time, Tonbo was very proud of his self-created Heartsteel technique. It worked exactly as he intended: while others can influence a soul, they cannot change the fundamental history of one's memories. Heartsteel can effectively break cognition-altering Genjutsu because cognition is built upon memory—the moment the backup memories return, the sense of self is reconstructed.
It was a bountiful harvest, leaving him with the realization that there is always a higher heaven!
Woof! Woof!
"Akamaru! Haimaru, wait for us!"
As he was lost in thought, the sound of barking and playfulness drifted over. His perception picked up the Haimaru brothers and Akamaru sprinting ahead, with Hana Inuzuka and a little kid with a sharp fang chasing after them.
Sniff, sniff...
The Haimaru brothers were having a great time playing with their owners when their noses caught a scent. They looked toward the source and a familiar back came into view.
Screech!
The three Haimaru brothers braked so hard their paws skidded. They began to step backward gingerly. Quietly... very quietly...
Woof? Akamaru was confused. Why had his companions stopped and started retreating? If they kept this up, they'd be caught!
"Haimaru, what's wrong?" Hana Inuzuka finally caught up. She was about to celebrate her victory when she saw the dogs' strange behavior.
"Sister, we won!" Kiba Inuzuka picked up a dejected Akamaru, showing off his fangs with a loud laugh.
Wooo... Haimaru Boss let out a tiny howl, seemingly afraid of waking someone up, but his feet didn't stop moving backward.
Hana felt a pang of unease. Following Haimaru's lead, she looked in one direction, but saw no one.
"There's nobody there! Haimaru, you're too cowardly. Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts? Hehe!" Kiba mocked, covering his mouth. "Akamaru is way better. He's super brave."
Woof woof! Akamaru agreed.
Hana, however, felt a sense of impending doom. Haimaru wouldn't lie to her.
"Eh, it's Hana. Long time no see. You've grown quite a bit, and gotten much stronger too! Haimaru as well!"
Tonbo Tobitake suddenly appeared beside her, patting her shoulder and smiling at her and the dogs.
Thump!
"Tonbo-sensei! You're too scary! Why do you always appear out of nowhere?!" Hana felt her heart was about to burst from the fright.
Woof woof! The Haimaru brothers' eyes went wide and they bolted. But as they ran, they realized they were just running in circles on the spot, as if the distance between them and Tonbo refused to increase.
They gave up. They were caught in a Genjutsu. They flopped onto the ground, waiting for that terrifying, foul-tasting flavor to arrive.
"I didn't appear out of nowhere. Haimaru found me, didn't he? And Haimaru, what's with that face? Was my previous teaching not good enough?" Tonbo's tone was light and airy.
Woof! Haimaru Boss immediately stood up and barked loudly.
"Haimaru says you taught them very well. The student has surpassed the master; there's no need to teach them anymore," Hana translated.
She didn't want to experience those tastes ever again, even though the training had made her progress rapidly. Fortunately, for the past year, the "Throat Protection Technique" developed by Tokuma Hyuga meant she no longer had to fear Iruka-sensei's lectures. But Tonbo was different—he cast Genjutsu so fast that if you weren't prepared, you wouldn't have time to activate the protection.
Tonbo nodded in satisfaction. That's more like it. He was such a great teacher; how could his students be afraid of him?
"Hey, old man, who are you? Why are you wrapped in bandages? Were you hurt on the battlefield? You're so ugly! I don't want to look like you when I grow up. I'm going to defeat every enemy so they never touch my face."
Kiba Inuzuka looked at Tonbo's headband with a hint of envy, but looking at that face, he thought it was hideous. When he grew up, he definitely wouldn't be like that.
"Uh..." Hana looked at her brother with eyes full of pity. You're done for. At the same time, she secretly looked forward to seeing him vomit later.
Woof! Akamaru agreed with his master and indicated he would protect Kiba's face.
Tonbo crouched down and patted Kiba's head, making the boy snarl at him. "You've got guts. But I wasn't hurt by an enemy. You must be Kiba Inuzuka, Hana's little brother?"
"Hmph. If it wasn't an enemy, then why do you dress so ugly?" Kiba didn't believe him for a second.
The corner of Tonbo's mouth curled up. "Heh heh. Did you know? In my entire life, I have never lost a battle. The Third Hokage was once beaten by me so badly he almost didn't want to be Hokage anymore. The Fourth once chatted and laughed with me as equals. I once broke into a country that made the Sannin famous and escaped without a scratch. Tell me, who has the ability to wound me?"
(The Third had been hit by his Mind Reading: Depression, the Fourth had indeed spoken with him several times, and he had truly left the Hidden Rain without a single issue.)
Kiba was stunned, his eyes glazed over. He had wanted to be Hokage since he was tiny; was the man in front of him really someone who could beat the Hokage? That was too cool. Kiba grew up on stories of the Hokages; in his eyes, they were the strongest ninjas in Konoha. To compare this "ugly old man" to two generations of Hokage...
Wait.
This ugly old man must be bragging. I'm not a three-year-old anymore; I won't be fooled!
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