Sitting atop the broad back of the Yatagarasu, Aoki Yoru gazed down at the vast expanse of the Ninja World beneath him.
From this height, everything looked different.
Mountains that once seemed towering now appeared like small ripples in the earth. Rivers wound through the land like silver threads, and forests stretched endlessly in deep shades of green. The wind roared past his ears, carrying with it the scent of the wild and the freedom of the open sky.
At this moment, Aoki Yoru couldn't help but feel grateful that he hadn't given up earlier.
Back in the Land of Grass, when he failed to find any trace of the flying creature, he had nearly abandoned the search. Had he done so, he would have missed this incredible opportunity.
What would normally have been a five-day journey had now been reduced to a single hour.
Such was the advantage of flight.
Soon, they reached the border of the Land of Fire.
Aoki Yoru gently leapt down from the Yatagarasu's back, landing lightly on the ground. He raised a hand and stroked its massive head, his expression calm but satisfied.
"Good job," he said softly. "You've done well. Go back now—and remember, never enter the airspace of the Land of Rain."
The Yatagarasu let out a low cry and nodded, as if understanding his warning. With a powerful flap of its wings, it soared into the sky and quickly disappeared into the distance.
Aoki Yoru watched it leave before turning around.
He dusted off his clothes and began walking toward the camp.
The reason he hadn't brought the Yatagarasu directly to the camp was simple. Flying ninja beasts were extremely rare, and if others discovered it, it would inevitably attract attention.
More importantly, he didn't want to become a "transport tool" for the village.
If word got out, there was a high chance he would be assigned constant urgent missions—flying people around like a courier.
That was something he absolutely wanted to avoid.
After verifying his identity at the checkpoint, he entered the camp and made his way toward Kakashi's tent.
Inside, Kakashi Hatake was buried under a mountain of documents.
Aoki Yoru glanced at the piles of paperwork and couldn't help but smirk inwardly.
Perhaps because of this overwhelming workload, Kakashi had less time to indulge in Icha Icha Paradise. Ironically, his overall condition seemed to have improved over the past year.
'Maybe this is actually good for him,' Aoki Yoru thought mischievously. 'Being so "weak" at a young age isn't ideal.'
Kakashi looked up as Aoki Yoru entered.
Judging by the faint smile on his face, Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"Looks like you've gained something," he said.
Aoki Yoru nodded.
"Yes. This ninja beast is quite useful."
He briefly explained the situation regarding the Yatagarasu—its strength, speed, and potential utility.
After listening, Kakashi gave a small nod.
"It's a valuable asset," he said thoughtfully. "In times of war, something like this could be used for rapid deployment or surprise attacks."
Then, after a brief pause, he added:
"You came back just in time. The village has sent new orders."
Aoki Yoru's expression sharpened slightly.
"Our mission here is over. We'll be returning to the village in ten days."
Aoki Yoru was surprised.
"Isn't the one-year term not yet completed? Why end the mission early?"
Kakashi's expression grew serious.
"There have been unusual movements from the Hidden Cloud Village," he said. "The Third Hokage has ordered all available forces to return and await further instructions. The village is already beginning to mobilize."
Aoki Yoru fell silent.
War.
Even the word itself carried a heavy weight.
He nodded slowly and stepped out of the tent.
Looking up at the sky, he muttered softly:
"War, huh… Has the butterfly finally stirred the storm?"
In the original timeline, this situation had only escalated into minor border conflicts.
But now—
Things were different.
The small changes he had made since arriving in this world seemed to be accumulating, subtly altering the course of events.
Like a butterfly flapping its wings, gradually forming a tornado.
"Could this… trigger a full-scale war earlier than expected?" he wondered.
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
History had shown that even the smallest spark could ignite a massive conflict.
"It seems I need to accelerate my plans," he said quietly.
The world was changing.
And he could no longer rely entirely on his previous knowledge.
The next day, after a good night's rest, Aoki Yoru met briefly with Kenta and Yui before heading out alone.
Using the excuse of testing a new jutsu, he made his way toward the border.
Once he was far enough, he summoned the Yatagarasu again.
Without hesitation, he directed it toward Kannabi Bridge.
His goal was clear.
White Zetsu.
He had no intention of capturing one within Konoha—doing so would be far too risky. Black Zetsu's intelligence network was not something to underestimate.
During previous patrols, he had attempted to sense for traces of White Zetsu using Sage Mode, but he had found nothing.
This time, he would try his luck at a more promising location.
Uchiha Madara's former hideout.
If he still failed—
He would have no choice but to search within Konoha itself.
Thanks to the Yatagarasu's incredible speed, they reached Kannabi Bridge in a short time.
Aoki Yoru signaled the bird to lower its altitude and circle the area.
Closing his eyes, he expanded his sensory range.
Spiritual energy intertwined with Natural Energy, spreading outward like invisible threads, covering the entire region.
Moments later—
His eyes snapped open.
"Found it."
A hint of excitement flashed across his face.
Deep within a nearby mountain, hidden in an underground cave, he sensed a familiar presence.
White Zetsu.
Without hesitation, he leapt from the Yatagarasu's back and instructed it to remain above.
Using Earth Release, he tunneled directly into the cave.
Inside, the environment was damp and suffocating.
The air carried a faint smell of decay, and the walls were rough and uneven.
It was empty.
Clearly, the place had long since been abandoned.
Aoki Yoru moved deeper until he reached a hidden section of the cave wall.
Without hesitation, he wrapped his fist in Natural Energy and struck.
Boom—
The wall shattered.
From within, a White Zetsu was forcibly dragged out.
"Who are you? How did you—"
Crack.
Before it could finish speaking, Aoki Yoru twisted its neck.
Silence.
He quickly sealed the body into a scroll.
Without wasting time, he destroyed the entire cave using Earth Release, erasing all traces.
Moments later, he returned to the surface, mounted the Yatagarasu, and left at top speed.
He knew that once a White Zetsu disappeared, others would come to investigate.
If he was spotted nearby, he would immediately become a suspect.
Far away, in the Land of Rain—
Black Zetsu suddenly froze.
"A White Zetsu… disappeared?"
Without delay, he rushed to inform Uchiha Obito.
Obito, who had been muttering to himself about Rin, was shocked upon hearing the news.
He understood the importance of White Zetsu better than anyone.
Without hesitation, he used his space-time ability to travel to Kannabi Bridge.
Standing before the destroyed cave, his eyes darkened.
"So cautious… They even destroyed the entire site."
"Do you know who did it?" he asked.
Black Zetsu shook his head.
"No. I immediately sent others to investigate, but there were no traces left."
Obito's expression turned cold.
"Then search the entire Ninja World," he said. "Focus on people like Orochimaru and Danzo. No matter what, we must find them."
With that, he vanished into another dimension.
Black Zetsu remained behind, muttering quietly:
"I just hope this doesn't interfere with Mother's resurrection…"
Then, he too disappeared.
Back at the camp, Aoki Yoru returned with a faint smile.
Everything had gone smoother than expected.
Still, he suppressed his excitement.
For now, it was best to wait.
Black Zetsu and Obito would undoubtedly be searching frantically.
It was wiser to let things settle before beginning any experiments.
Over the following days, life returned to normal.
Daily patrols.
Training.
Occasional hunting.
Simple, steady progress.
Finally, the day of departure arrived.
As they passed through the gates of Konoha, a sense of relief washed over them.
Even someone as solitary as Aoki Yoru felt a hint of nostalgia.
Home… was still home.
The squad disbanded at the entrance.
Kakashi headed toward the Hokage's office, while the others went their separate ways.
As Aoki Yoru approached his house, he saw a familiar small figure.
Chino.
She was playing outside.
The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up, and she ran toward him, hugging his leg tightly.
"Brother Yoru! You're back! I missed you!"
Aoki Yoru smiled gently and patted her head.
"I missed you too. Have you been behaving well?"
She nodded proudly.
Just then, Grandma Chidao stepped out.
"Yoru, you're back," she said warmly.
She then added, "After you left, the Third Hokage came to visit. He personally apologized for what happened and promised it wouldn't happen again."
Her expression was filled with admiration.
Aoki Yoru sighed inwardly.
When it came to winning hearts—
Danzo could never compare.
After exchanging a few more words, he said goodbye and returned home.
Finally—
He could rest.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)