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"Chapter 45 is out on my Patreon*
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From Okamoto, Rokuro had gathered a substantial amount of intelligence regarding Konoha.
Most of the information aligned perfectly with his meta-knowledge of the canon timeline. However, he didn't know much about the internal hierarchy of Root, so he had pressed Okamoto for details.
Under Danzo Shimura's direct command, there were seven elite Jōnin operatives.
Rokuro's new master, Kuro, was ranked fifth among them.
Essentially, by taking Rokuro as his disciple, Kuro had given the boy a massive shield. Within the ranks of Root, very few people would dare mess with him now.
Knowing this, Rokuro was incredibly satisfied.
He felt like he had hit the jackpot. To stumble into a master like Kuro was pure, unadulterated luck. With Kuro covering his back, his safety margin had skyrocketed. He no longer had to worry about stepping on the wrong toes the moment he arrived in Konoha.
For the next several days, he trained quietly, waiting for Kuro's return.
He waited. And waited.
Seven or eight days passed. Just as Rokuro was starting to lose his patience, Okamoto delivered the news: Captain Kuro had returned to the village and would arrive at the orphanage the following morning.
Rokuro was so hyped he couldn't sit still for the rest of the day.
Konoha!
He was finally going to the Hidden Leaf Village! If you transmigrate into the Naruto world, how could you not go to Konoha? It was the epicenter of the plot, the gathering place of all the main characters. He absolutely had to see it for himself.
As for whether Danzo would actually allow him to stroll casually through the village streets? Rokuro figured his chances were pretty high.
His talent was undeniable. If Danzo wanted a loyal, highly effective tool, the old schemer would have to offer him some carrots along with the sticks. Getting permission to wander the village shouldn't be a huge issue.
Of course, he couldn't make demands the moment he walked through the gates. He would have to assert dominance over the other trainees at the Main Orphanage first, proving his worth to secure those VIP privileges—just like he had done here at the branch.
Fueled by excitement, Rokuro sprang out of bed at 4:00 AM the next morning.
Since he was too anxious to sleep, he decided to knock out his Daily Quests early.
The Training Quest was standard fare. But when he checked the Random Quest, he had to do a double-take.
[Daily Random Quest: Leave the orphanage and admire the scenery.]
Looking at this quest, Rokuro became absolutely certain of one thing: The System definitely has its own personality.
Over the past month, it had constantly issued quests to vandalize and destroy the orphanage. Rokuro theorized that the System had grown just as bored and annoyed with this dilapidated branch facility as he had, and had been throwing a tantrum by ordering him to break things.
But today? Today they were leaving.
The System was clearly in a fantastic mood, essentially handing him free EXP for just walking out the front door.
Looks like I need to keep kissing the System's ass in the future, Rokuro thought. If I keep it happy, maybe it'll keep giving me these easy, safe, high-EXP quests.
After mentally praising the System's benevolence, he began his physical drills.
He was only halfway through his set when the door to his room suddenly swung open.
Okamoto and Kuro stood in the doorway.
Seeing Rokuro already drenched in sweat from training, Okamoto smiled. "Alright, Rokuro. It's time to go!"
Kuro was wearing his porcelain cat mask, so his expression was unreadable. However, he gave a slight, approving nod, clearly satisfied with the boy's work ethic.
Rokuro immediately stopped his drills, bounded over to the door, and bowed deeply. "Master! You're here!"
Kuro nodded. "I heard you've already managed to grasp the Tyrant Step. That is my signature Nintaijutsu. From this moment on, you are officially my disciple. Train hard."
"Yes, Master!" Rokuro replied, his tone dead serious.
Okamoto chuckled. "Alright, grab your things and follow Lord Kuro."
Rokuro darted back into his room. He had packed his meager belongings the night before. He grabbed his small bundle and scurried back to Kuro's side.
Kuro glanced at the boy, then turned to Okamoto. "I will take him from here. Someone will deliver your reward tomorrow. Keep up the good work."
Okamoto didn't care much about the material reward; his true prize was a transfer back to Konoha. He simply bowed his head in acknowledgment.
Kuro didn't waste another word. He looked down at Rokuro. "Let's go. Once we clear the orphanage grounds, I want to see how well you've mastered the Tyrant Step. If your progress is satisfactory, I will teach you another Jutsu."
Rokuro's eyes lit up. "Don't worry, Master! That Jutsu is as good as mine!"
Kuro let out a low chuckle and turned to leave. Rokuro and Okamoto quickly followed him out.
At the destroyed main gate of the compound, Okamoto stopped and watched the two figures disappear into the distance.
They walked away from the orphanage for a while.
As the sun finally peeked over the horizon, painting the sky in pale light, Kuro stopped. "It's bright enough now. The terrain shouldn't hinder you. Begin. Let me see what stage your Tyrant Step has reached."
Thanks to the System, Rokuro's Tyrant Step was flawless; he could execute the explosive Nintaijutsu perfectly until his Chakra ran dry.
But! He couldn't show that level of perfection.
If he did, he wouldn't just be a genius—he would be a monster. He didn't want to draw that much attention to himself and invite suspicion.
So, he intentionally nerfed himself.
As he channeled Chakra into his feet to blast forward, he deliberately flubbed the timing on one out of every four bursts, stumbling slightly before recovering.
To Kuro's eyes, this made Rokuro look incredibly talented and highly proficient, but still realistically flawed.
After sprinting for about four kilometers, Rokuro's Chakra reserves finally bottomed out, and he skidded to a halt, panting heavily.
Kuro had been shadowing him the entire time.
The Anbu Captain was deeply impressed. Rokuro wasn't even five years old yet, and his Chakra control was already this explosive. At this rate, the boy might genuinely surpass him in Taijutsu one day.
Rokuro had only run out of Chakra, not physical stamina. He eagerly trotted over to Kuro. "Master, how was my Tyrant Step? Pretty good, right?"
Kuro smiled beneath his mask. "Very good. Your talent exceeds even my own. You truly are a prodigy. Once we return to the village, I will teach you a new technique to make you even stronger."
Rokuro nodded enthusiastically.
He was just about to say something else when Kuro suddenly reached down, grabbed him by the collar, and effortlessly hoisted the boy onto his back. "We need to get back to Konoha quickly. Hold on tight. Do not fall off."
Rokuro shut his mouth and wrapped his arms tightly around Kuro's neck.
Once he confirmed the boy was secure, Kuro crouched slightly.
BOOM!
The Anbu Captain launched himself forward like a released bowstring, tearing through the forest at a terrifying speed.
Clinging to Kuro's back, Rokuro finally witnessed what an elite Jōnin was truly capable of.
Kuro's mastery of the Tyrant Step was hundreds of times more powerful than Rokuro's Level 3 version. The world blurred past them in streaks of green and brown.