"Ugh—!"
With a strangled scream, the puppeteer controlling several kunai through chakra threads had his throat slit by Asuma and collapsed to the ground.
Without his puppet, a puppeteer was like a tiger with its fangs and claws torn out. Even though he resisted stubbornly, facing Asuma and Kurenai working together, he still ended up dead.
Feiyu's stockpile of souls increased by one, and Asuma and Kurenai finally gained their first true experience fighting and killing another ninja. The puppeteer's life ultimately amounted to that contribution.
Asuma's face flushed red, his breathing uneven—not from exhaustion, but from nerves.
The first time killing another human left a deeper impact on most people. Because of his past and mentality, Feiyu barely felt anything, but for Asuma, barely ten years old, the shock was considerable.
Fortunately, years of shinobi training allowed both Asuma and Kurenai to recover quickly, though something in their presence had subtly shifted.
With this squad of Sand ninja eliminated, the rest of the journey posed no problems. Hyūga Hizashi's team reached the battlefield medical station and successfully delivered the supply scrolls.
Upon returning to Konoha, Hizashi filed the mission report—and unsurprisingly, was immediately summoned to the Hokage's office.
"Hyūga, is everything in your report true? Uchiha Feiyu is really that strong?"
After reading the document, Hiruzen looked doubtful. He trusted a Hyūga elite not to fabricate, but the performance described was simply too unbelievable.
The "Uchiha outsider" that nobody in the clan valued…
Had shown power so alarming that even Hiruzen hesitated to believe it.
Hizashi was only twenty, yet with the Byakugan bloodline he was already considered an elite jōnin. He genuinely believed he was no match for Feiyu. That alone meant Feiyu's baseline was elite jōnin level at minimum.
A thirteen–fourteen-year-old elite jōnin?
Without a powerful kekkei genkai, that was practically impossible. Only top-tier bloodline users ever reached that realm so young.
Hizashi nodded firmly.
"Uchiha Feiyu's strength absolutely surpasses mine. Compared to typical elite jōnin, he is likely stronger."
"Ordinary Sand Chunin were all defeated in a single strike. The special jōnin lasted only two exchanges."
"In my judgment, Feiyu has at least reached elite jōnin level—and may already possess quasi-Kage strength."
Hiruzen inhaled sharply on his pipe, brow tightening.
"And his Sharingan? Did you see it? What stage has he developed?"
Hizashi blinked, then replied:
"His Sharingan is currently only two tomoe, not yet three."
"…I see. Understood. Good work, Hizashi. You may go rest."
Hiruzen let out a subtle sigh of relief as he dismissed him.
As Tobirama's student, he knew the Sharingan's rules well.
A Mangekyō-level user could not disguise their eyes as a mere two tomoe. Two tomoe meant Feiyu's Sharingan development was genuine—not suppressed or hidden.
As long as he hadn't awakened Mangekyō, Hiruzen wasn't too worried.
Feiyu's talent was extraordinary, yes. But even a genius following a normal human growth curve had limits.
Even if he became quasi-Kage at fourteen and reached Kage-level by sixteen or seventeen, that was simply fast growth—not transcending the human ceiling. Without a full bloodline awakening, surpassing the Kage realm was nearly impossible.
And based on what he'd heard, Feiyu showed little affinity for deeper Sharingan evolution. Hiruzen even suspected that reaching two tomoe had been driven by Feiyu's overall combat aptitude rather than emotional stimulus.
"How did that brat even awaken it at ten years old…? No matter."
"Leaving someone like that stuck in a regular genin squad is a waste."
Hiruzen leaned back.
Fortunately, Feiyu's relationship with the Uchiha clan was strained. There was no fear of the clan influencing him. Even if Danzō hadn't succeeded in corrupting him, he had at least created a rift that couldn't be mended.
"But that kid's personality… troublesome."
"ANBU? Impossible. Frontline assignment… but will he agree?"
Hiruzen had no doubt:
If Feiyu disliked the assignment, the best-case scenario was him slacking off.
Worst case?
He'd simply defect.
Feiyu didn't believe in the Will of Fire, had no deep bonds with the village, didn't care about reputation or others' opinions.
To Hiruzen, Feiyu was not a proper shinobi—but precisely because of that, Hiruzen couldn't treat him like disposable cannon fodder.
A normal genin or Chunin acting selfish and fearful? Hiruzen had a dozen ways to control them.
But someone like Feiyu, already near elite jōnin strength, with no ties holding him down?
Push him too far and he really would run.
And no one wanted to create a rogue elite jōnin during a world war.
Especially one with the potential to reach Kage level.
Meanwhile…
Feiyu himself was staring in surprise at the black Demonic Inheritance Tome within his consciousness.
Below its dark pages, a small altar had appeared—three wisps of black mist swirling above it.
One was noticeably stronger than the others.
The source was obvious.
These were the offerings: the three Sand ninja he'd just killed.
The stronger wisp belonged to the special jōnin; the two weaker ones, to the Chunin.
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