Chapter 12 Terrifying Reaction Speed
The Chakra in Yoruha's body was Senjutsu Chakra, so although the amount of Chakra was only at the level of an Elite Jonin, its quality had already surpassed that of an Elite Jonin.
Kakashi frowned, and suddenly thought of something.
"Why does this child's Chakra feel a little like Lord Jiraiya's Chakra?"
"No, it's the Chakra Lord Jiraiya has when he enters a certain state."
Kakashi had once seen Jiraiya enter Sage Mode.
Now the Chakra in Yoruha's body gave Kakashi the exact same feeling as when Jiraiya had entered Sage Mode.
"This child really is hiding many secrets."
At that moment, Kakashi felt conflicted.
By rights, Yoruha's situation should be reported to the Third Hokage.
But after going through so many things in the past, and having spent so many years in the Anbu, Kakashi knew very clearly that once Yoruha's circumstances were reported to the Third Hokage,
then regardless of whether Yoruha posed any threat to the village, his future days would not be easy.
He might even become a specimen in some laboratory.
At that thought, Kakashi calmed down.
"I hope you don't become any threat to Konohagakure."
In the end, Kakashi decided to conceal Yoruha's situation.
In Konohagakure, apart from the Hyūga Clan, only Kakashi could see through the special Chakra in Yoruha's body.
As long as he said nothing, then even if Asuma told the Third Hokage about Yoruha, the Third Hokage still would not understand the nature of that special Chakra.
After deciding to stay silent, Kakashi vanished from Yoruha's balcony.
Yoruha had no idea that Kakashi had very nearly reported him to the Third Hokage.
But even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
He had already lived once before.
As for how the road ahead would unfold, he himself didn't care all that much.
Even the possibility of being taken by the village and used as an experiment didn't really bother him.
If he could resist, then he would resist. If he couldn't, then there was no point dwelling on it.
Yoruha's mindset at this moment was especially calm.
He didn't have any grand ambitions, nor had he given up on life.
He was simply living in an ordinary, natural way.
The next morning came.
Arriving at the training ground early, Yoruha did not notice that Tanako Hon was a little different from yesterday.
Now she seemed a bit distant toward him.
Yamada Juki, on the other hand, was the same as yesterday.
He sidled up to Yoruha and asked in a low voice, "Yoruha, when you walked back with Tanako yesterday, did you say anything?"
Yamada Juki asked with obvious nosiness.
Yoruha said flatly, "What exactly are you hoping to hear?"
Yamada Juki gave him a strange grin, looking rather shameless. "You should know what I want to hear."
"Then obviously nothing happened. What are you even thinking?"
Yoruha felt speechless.
He and Tanako Hon had only just met. How could they possibly have said anything intimate?
Of course, even if they had, there was no way he would tell Yamada Juki.
Yamada Juki looked disappointed. "Can't you tell Tanako likes you?"
"Yesterday was such a good opportunity, and you actually didn't seize it. You really disappoint me."
"Don't tell me you think Tanako isn't pretty?"
Yamada Juki's words left Yoruha utterly speechless.
"What are you talking about? Did your family really have something to do yesterday?"
Yoruha seriously suspected that Yamada Juki had done it on purpose yesterday.
That there had been nothing going on at his house at all.
Yamada Juki looked at Yoruha with total disappointment.
"Don't ask. I'm very disappointed in you."
"Such a great opportunity, and you didn't take it."
"Tanako may not be from a ninja great clan, but she's still from a powerful family in the Land of Fire."
"She's pretty, gentle, and she even likes you. If I were you, I definitely would've confessed yesterday."
Yamada Juki held his forehead and shook his head as if deeply disappointed.
Yoruha, however, had black lines all over his face. "What exactly goes on in your head? Are you really twelve years old?"
He knew children in this world matured early, but surely not to this extent.
Yoruha seriously suspected that Yamada Juki might already be in his twenties.
Otherwise how could he be thinking so far ahead?
Even Yoruha himself had never thought that much about it.
Yamada Juki raised a hand in a gesture that said don't talk to me.
"Disappointed. Too disappointed."
"Yoruha, I'm just too disappointed in you."
Yamada Juki put on the air of an adult, making the corner of Yoruha's mouth twitch.
"You should put your mind on training instead. If you worked this seriously at your training, your strength wouldn't still be at this level."
Yamada Juki's strength was around average among this year's graduates.
Of course, Yoruha had been the same.
But Yoruha's current strength was now far above Yamada Juki's.
Meanwhile, Tanako Hon stood off to the side, listening to the conversation between the two, her face red enough to drip blood.
And yet she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
After all, Yamada Juki and Yoruha were speaking very softly.
It was obvious they did not want her to hear.
She didn't know whether Yoruha had any such thoughts, but last night she really had almost confessed to him.
She simply hadn't had the courage to say it out loud at the time.
Now, although she was following her mother's advice and keeping some distance from Yoruha, she still had a favorable impression of him.
Just as the three of them were talking, Yoruha suddenly sensed something.
"Buzz—clang, clang—"
A few metallic sounds rang out in succession. Yoruha was standing in front of Yamada Juki and Tanako Hon, a Kunai in his hand.
On the ground to his left and right, several Kunai and Shuriken were embedded.
Yoruha frowned as he looked into the distance.
"Teacher Toichi, that's too much. We're only newly graduated ninja."
Yoruha was unhappy.
That sudden attack just now was something ordinary genin could never have defended against.
If Yoruha hadn't made a move just now, then with Yamada Juki and Tanako Hon's strength, they would definitely have been turned into pincushions.
The fact that the two of them were still standing there with blank, stunned expressions said enough about what would have happened if Yoruha had not intervened.
What angered Yoruha was that Kihon Toichi had nearly gotten Yamada Juki and Tanako Hon injured—or even killed.
After Yoruha spoke, Kihon Toichi stepped out from beneath a tree in the distance.
Clapping his hands, he said, "Not bad. Just as I guessed. An attack of this level really poses no threat to you."
Kihon Toichi paid no attention to Yoruha's reproach just now.
Only then did Yamada Juki and Tanako Hon come back to their senses.
They had just been attacked by Kihon Toichi.
Looking at the Kunai and Shuriken by their feet,
a chill ran through both of them.
If Yoruha hadn't stepped in, or if he hadn't blocked them, they might have died without even understanding what had happened.
They looked toward Kihon Toichi. Ever since yesterday, they had already feared him.
His aura, the Pressure from yesterday, and today's ambush—all of it made them feel just how ruthless Kihon Toichi's methods were.
Then they looked at Yoruha's back.
At that moment, his back seemed so tall to them, like a great mountain standing in front of them.
But Yoruha was not in such a good mood.
In his view, Kihon Toichi's actions showed that he did not take their lives seriously.
Seeing the anger on Yoruha's face, Kihon Toichi slowly walked over. "Don't be so angry. I was only testing your reaction speed. I'm not so careless as to put my students in real danger."
But Yoruha did not accept that explanation at all.
Still, since none of the three had actually been hurt, there wasn't much he could say.
What Yoruha did not know, however, was that the way he had just blocked the Kunai and Shuriken thrown by Kihon Toichi had greatly shocked Kihon Toichi.