When Yoru returned to the Konoha frontline base carrying the heads of Morita Hideki and Ikeda Ryo—
The entire base erupted into thunderous cheers!
"Yoru-sama is back!"
"Yoru-sama is incredible!"
"Morita Hideki, that bastard! He killed so many of our comrades!"
"Yoru-sama! I want to warm your bed!"
…Well, it seemed something strange had slipped in there.
Orochimaru and Tsunade, along with the command staff of the Konoha frontline base, personally came to the entrance to welcome Yoru's return.
At the same time, the majority of the ninjas stationed at the base gathered there as well—
To welcome the triumphant return of their strongest combat power!
Yoru had returned—
Carrying the heads of Morita Hideki and Ikeda Ryo!
This was a massive boost to morale!
In war, what mattered most?
Ninjutsu? Explosive tags?
No.
Morale!
No matter how powerful a ninjutsu was, it still required a ninja to use it.
No matter how many explosive tags there were, they were still tools wielded by people.
If morale collapsed—
If every ninja thought only of fleeing—
Then even with the best equipment and strongest techniques—
Defeat would be inevitable!
In recent days, Morita Hideki and Ikeda Ryo's elite squad had wiped out numerous Konoha teams. As many as six Jonin had fallen to their hands!
Because of this, Konoha ninja squads had been constantly on edge when going out on missions, afraid of encountering that Sand elite squad.
At the slightest disturbance, some less resolute ninjas would even consider retreating immediately!
But now—
Everything had changed!
Yoru-sama had completely annihilated that terrifying squad!
Yoru raised the heads of Morita Hideki and Ikeda Ryo high into the air—
And the cheers of the Konoha ninjas surged even louder!
As renowned powerhouses of Sunagakure, their heads were extremely valuable.
In the ninja world, there existed special methods to extract intelligence from the heads of the recently deceased.
Thus, when Yoru had used the Crimson Heaven Sword to behead the two of them, he had deliberately suppressed the blade's terrifying explosive force.
With Yoru's current mastery at the "Control" stage, handling the Crimson Heaven Sword had already reached a level of perfection.
After handing the heads over to a ninja beside Orochimaru, everyone escorted Yoru back into the command headquarters of the base.
"You've worked hard, Yoru-kun."
Inside the command tent, Orochimaru's pale face showed a faint smile as he spoke.
"It was nothing. Just went out for a stroll and picked up a couple of heads along the way."
Yoru waved his hand casually, his expression calm and indifferent.
The other Konoha advisors present all looked at Yoru with deep reverence.
Just look at this!
Their great Yoru-sama had merely gone out for a walk—
And effortlessly wiped out the Sand Village's super elite squad—
Even bringing back the heads of their core members!
With Yoru-sama here—
Konoha would surely win!
Tsunade, standing nearby, couldn't help but smile slightly as she watched Yoru acting so full of swagger.
At critical moments, this man was incredibly reliable—so reliable that he gave her a sense of security like an unshakable mountain.
Yet at times, he could be just like a child.
But it was precisely this side of him—
That made her even more captivated.
It felt real.
Orochimaru's smile deepened as well, offering Yoru a few words of praise.
After nearly five years of working together, Orochimaru clearly understood what kind of person Yoru was.
After the laughter settled—
Yoru's gaze shifted toward a white-haired man standing nearby.
Hatake Sakumo.
At this moment, Hatake Sakumo resembled a blade freshly drawn from its sheath.
Compared to his previous calm demeanor—
He now carried a lingering aura of killing intent, clearly having just returned from the battlefield.
"Sakumo just completed an important secret mission," Orochimaru explained when he noticed Yoru's gaze. "You wiped out the elite squad, and with Sakumo's success as well, the Sand Village has truly suffered heavy losses this time."
"Oh?"
Yoru looked at Hatake Sakumo with interest.
Clearly—
This was the version of Sakumo that matched the legends of the future.
"The White Fang of Konoha."
This title, too—
Had been forged through blood and slaughter!
The Sakumo of the past had been like a hidden blade—
Sharp, but restrained.
Now—
That blade had finally been unsheathed!
Don't tell Yoru that a blade hides its edge to become sharper later—
That was the most ridiculous joke imaginable!
A blade hidden for too long—
Would only rust!
In the end, it would become useless scrap!
A true blade was meant for killing!
Its edge was honed through endless battles—
Forged in the blood of its enemies!
This was also why—
Although ANBU units in the great villages had no shortage of high-level fighters—
It was difficult for them to produce truly top-tier powerhouses!
People who hid in the shadows all their lives—
How could they reach the pinnacle?
This was also why Yoru looked down on Danzo.
That man had remained in the darkness for far too long—
His strength had already decayed.
As for figures like Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi—
Though they came from the ANBU—
They relied heavily on the Sharingan.
Without awakening the Mangekyo—
If they had remained in the ANBU forever—
They would never have reached the Kage level!
A true Kage-level powerhouse—
Was forged in iron and blood!
Through endless slaughter—
Through rivers of blood—
Only then could such a being be created!
Hatake Sakumo noticed Yoru's gaze and respectfully bowed slightly.
Even someone like him—
Held deep admiration for Yoru.
At such a young age—
To already possess Kage-level strength—
No one knew where Yoru's limit lay.
Not to mention—
Yoru was his superior.
Yoru burst into laughter and patted Sakumo on the shoulder, offering him a few words of encouragement.
The future White Fang of Konoha—whose reputation would surpass even the Sannin—
Was now his subordinate.
It was quite an interesting feeling.
Sakumo could only smile wryly.
Facing Yoru, who was far younger than him, yet speaking with the tone of a seasoned senior—
He had no choice but to respond respectfully, promising that he would never disappoint Yoru-sama's expectations.
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