Chapter 60 — Nawaki Goes Down in Seconds
Several days later, at dawn.
The morning mist had yet to disperse when sharp shouts and the dull thuds of clashing bodies echoed across a familiar forest clearing.
Yami stood bare-chested, weighted bands strapped to his limbs. Sweat traced lines down his sculpted muscles as he engaged in an intense taijutsu exchange with Might Duy.
Neither of them had opened the Eight Gates.
Yet even without it, their purely physical clash was fierce and razor-sharp.
"Yami! Your speed and strength have improved tremendously!"
Might Duy laughed heartily as he swept in with a Leaf Whirlwind kick. Yami blocked it with his forearm, the impact producing a heavy, muffled crack.
"It's thanks to your training, Duy-senpai."
Yami replied between measured breaths.
Though he wasn't fully extending his Kagura Mind's Eye, he could faintly sense a chakra signature rapidly approaching from a distance.
He shifted back smoothly—just in time to evade Duy's follow-up Leaf Great Whirlwind.
A figure appeared at the edge of the clearing.
An ANBU operative, directly under the Hokage's command.
"Chūnin Namikaze Yami. The Hokage orders you to report immediately to Training Ground Three. Your assigned jōnin instructor is already waiting."
The ANBU's tone was flat and emotionless. After delivering the message, he vanished without delay.
Yami exchanged a glance with Might Duy.
Both saw surprise reflected in the other's eyes.
Yami was surprised at how quickly the assignment of a guiding jōnin had been arranged.
Might Duy, meanwhile, couldn't understand why someone he already considered to possess jōnin-level strength would require instruction at all.
Yami's thoughts stirred. With a subtle motion of chakra, a small sphere of clear water gathered in midair, soaking a towel. He quickly wiped the sweat from his body.
He had assumed this arrangement would take at least a few months. After all, there were only a handful of shinobi in Konoha qualified to guide him—and most of them were perpetually occupied with missions.
Might Duy gave Yami's shoulder a hearty slap, flashing his trademark radiant grin.
"To be personally assigned a jōnin instructor by the Hokage himself—your youth is blazing brilliantly!"
Yami forced a faint smile, though unease crept into his chest.
The most suitable person to guide him—Jiraiya—should still be in the Land of Rain, teaching those three so-called "children of destiny."
Tsunade possessed sufficient strength, but her expertise leaned more toward medical ninjutsu and taijutsu. Not a perfect fit.
As for who else it could be…
He did not want to finish that thought.
---
After parting with Duy, Yami headed swiftly toward Training Ground Three.
Located in Konoha's eastern district, it was not one of the usual public fields. It felt more like a private site designed for secrecy.
When Yami arrived, he spotted a familiar figure.
"Nawaki?"
His call drew the boy's attention.
Nawaki had been idly kicking pebbles, but his eyes lit up upon seeing Yami.
"Yami! You're here too? Orochimaru-sensei told me to wait here today. Said he had some training arranged."
"…Orochimaru."
The unease in Yami's heart solidified into certainty.
At that moment, the air near the training ground entrance seemed to thicken.
A cold, viscous chakra presence slowly spread outward, accompanied by measured footsteps.
The hairs along Yami's body stood on end. His Kagura Mind's Eye flared in sharp warning.
Danger.
Orochimaru stepped into view. He had shed his standard shinobi uniform, now dressed in a loose kimono. His pale face bore a faint, ambiguous smile.
His serpentine eyes swept across the field before settling on Yami.
"Namikaze Yami… From today onward, I will serve as your jōnin instructor."
His voice was hoarse, magnetic.
Though Yami had anticipated this, hearing it aloud still sent a chill through him.
He had even considered Hatake Sakumo.
But he had hoped—quietly—that it would not be Orochimaru.
At this time, Orochimaru stood at the height of his reputation in Konoha. Glorious war achievements. Widely regarded as the most promising candidate to become the next Hokage.
From Hiruzen's perspective, assigning Orochimaru as his teacher was the highest form of recognition.
"How curious. You seem… surprised?" Orochimaru approached slowly, observing Yami with clear interest.
"I wouldn't dare. To receive guidance from Lord Orochimaru is an honor."
Yami suppressed the turbulence in his heart and bowed respectfully.
Objectively speaking, Orochimaru was an impeccable mentor.
Top-tier strength. Master of all five elemental releases. The favored disciple of the Third Hokage.
Had he not strayed down the path of immortality, he might truly have inherited the Hokage's seat.
But there were no "ifs."
Orochimaru's fall was not accidental.
It was inevitable.
The obsession with eternal life that would one day define him was not something born overnight.
Outwardly calm, Yami's thoughts churned violently.
Just yesterday, he had been calculating how to eventually capitalize on the human experiments that Danzō and Orochimaru were about to begin.
He had even considered the optimal timing to expose them for maximum benefit.
And now—
He might become directly involved.
The irony was sharp enough to make him want to slap himself.
Should he conceal his strength?
Or display it?
Concealment might cause him to miss out on tangible gains under Orochimaru's tutelage.
Revealing his strength, however, risked drawing him deeper into political strife—and into experiments he intended to exploit, not participate in.
"There's no need for introductions," Orochimaru said calmly. "Though my teacher strongly recommended you, I prefer to verify matters personally."
In truth, this was merely an excuse.
Orochimaru was far more curious about something else.
In the Land of Rain, he had practically sentenced Yami to death. A shinobi whose career should have ended.
Yet here he stood—reborn.
When Orochimaru had reviewed Yami's record, even he had been surprised. As the Hokage's disciple and a near–upper echelon figure in Konoha, he had access to far more information than most.
Yami's heart tightened.
Of course.
The "Cold Lord" would never trust paper reports alone.
"So—" Orochimaru formed hand seals slowly, the corner of his lips curling into a dangerous arc.
"Let us conduct a simple test."
Before the final word fully left his mouth—
Orochimaru's figure blurred.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
A vicious serpent shot from his sleeve.
Its target was not Yami.
It was Nawaki.
Nawaki reacted quickly—his hands flying through seals.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A wall of earth rose with a crash.
But the serpent elongated instantly, arcing over the wall and wrapping around Nawaki's body in a blink.
The binding force was immense.
A numbing sensation spread through him.
"Ugh—!"
He managed only a short cry before collapsing limply to the ground, combat capability lost.
The entire exchange lasted less than a heartbeat.
Yami had no time to lament Nawaki's uselessness—no time to mock how the boy hadn't even forced Orochimaru to expend meaningful effort.
His pupils contracted sharply.
Muscles tensed to their limits.
He had not expected Orochimaru, as a teacher, to act with such decisive ruthlessness—and to open with a signature technique.
Even knowing Nawaki was not in mortal danger, the sheer efficiency of it sent a jolt through him.
There was no time left to weigh pros and cons.
He had no intention of collapsing in humiliation like Nawaki.
Steadying his mind, Yami focused intently on Orochimaru.
The air in the training ground felt frozen.
Only the two of them remained standing—
Facing each other across the silent field.