The news of Sakumo Hatake's arrival in the Hidden Cloud Village hadn't yet spread widely—but after A's outburst, every nearby ninja quickly gathered around.
They stared curiously at the man known throughout the ninja world as the White Fang of the Leaf, their faces showing no trace of hostility.
Thanks to the Uchiha clan's groundwork, the Cloud shinobi were more than happy to welcome a powerful ally who could strengthen their village.
As the crowd grew larger, A simply pulled Sakumo along toward the Valley of Clouds and Lightning.
It was where Killer B usually trained—even the Eight-Tails could move freely there—making it the perfect battlefield.
"Lord A, you have to win!"
"Show them the pride of the Hidden Cloud, don't lose face for us!"
"To witness the White Fang in battle… I can hardly contain myself!"
Not only the Cloud ninjas—even members of the Uchiha clan rushed over eagerly.
Observing a fight between such powerhouses was a priceless experience for any shinobi.
Having just arrived in the village, Sakumo couldn't help but feel a bit pressured.
He looked toward Yuzuru Uchiha, somewhat uncertain.
Yuzuru said calmly, "Don't even think about holding back. As long as you don't kill him, no one will blame you."
"…Got it."
Sakumo took a deep breath, steadying his emotions, quietly pushing his condition to its peak.
Seeing this, A immediately activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode and charged forward.
Their fight had no wasted movements—only pure speed and raw power.
Steel clashed, lightning roared!
——
——
Less than thirty minutes later, Sakumo narrowly defeated A.
When his short blade pierced A's back and struck near his heart, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Even though most couldn't follow the speed of their movements, it didn't dampen their excitement.
"As expected of the White Fang of the Leaf—Lord A still lost."
"I can't help but smile when I think that such a strong expert will be our comrade from now on."
"Poor Leaf village. Even my grandma would know how to treat their powerful shinobi better if she were the Hokage!"
"We should rename him the White Fang of the Cloud! Let those Leaf fools worry about it now—hahaha!"
Amidst the laughter and cheering, A walked over to Sakumo and extended his fist.
"White Fang-senpai, I'll challenge you again," he said. "If you slack off, I won't lose next time."
Seeing the earnest look on A's face, Sakumo slowly raised his arm and bumped fists with him.
As the crowd dispersed, a faint smile tugged at Sakumo's lips.
This feeling of not having to hold back… it's really nice.
Yuzuru walked up to him and said evenly, "Sakumo, the Hidden Cloud has many ways to strengthen the body. As long as you earn enough contribution points, you can learn them."
"Work hard. I'm looking forward to seeing the faces of those Leaf traitors when you've completed your transformation."
Watching Yuzuru's back as he left, a surge of determination welled up in Sakumo's chest.
He couldn't stop here.
When Yuzuru built his new order in the future, he would face immense opposition—and Sakumo needed to become stronger to help him.
To end killing with killing. To end war with war.
He would become the blade in Yuzuru's hand—one that cut down all his enemies.
——
——
After parting with Sakumo, Yuzuru returned to the Hidden Cloud, intending to go home and see Mikoto and Kushina.
But just as he neared the Uchiha compound, he spotted two kids standing face-to-face.
One wore goggles and looked excited, waving his arms around.
The other wore a mask, arms crossed, eyes sharp and cool.
"Obito, Kakashi!" Yuzuru called out.
Obito Uchiha's eyes lit up. He ran over eagerly and asked, "Big Brother Yuzuru, why is this guy in our village?"
Yuzuru patted his head. "Kakashi and his father will be Cloud shinobi from now on."
"What?!" Obito clutched his head, shouting, "Why him of all people, that dead-fish-eyed guy?!"
Kakashi Hatake replied coldly, "Don't give me stupid nicknames, you dropout."
"What did you say?!" Obito pointed at him furiously. "I'm a genius of the Cloud Village now! A big deal at the academy! I'm not a dropout anymore!"
Kakashi just snorted, eyes filled with disdain.
Seeing that look, Obito rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.
Yuzuru sighed and grabbed him. "Obito, you can't beat Kakashi. He's stronger than you."
Obito stared in disbelief. "Stronger than me?!"
"I wasn't even afraid to challenge you! How could I be weaker than him?"
"I call myself the second genius of the Uchiha because I respect you as my big brother!"
"And now you say I'm not as strong as him?!"
Seeing there was no stopping him, Yuzuru let go. Obito charged.
Within moments, he was pinned to the ground by Kakashi.
"Dropout."
Kakashi stood up, turned, and bowed slightly. "Lord Yuzuru, I'll go find my father."
"Go ahead."
Once Kakashi left, Yuzuru helped Obito up. "Obito, Kakashi will be attending the ninja academy too. You'll have plenty of chances to beat him. Keep training—challenge him every day if you have to. One day, you'll win."
Obito looked at him, eyes shining. "Big Brother Yuzuru, I won't let you down."
He turned and dashed off.
Whistling happily, Yuzuru continued toward the compound.
With Kakashi around, Obito probably wouldn't bother him so often anymore.
As he entered the Uchiha district, he noticed colorful ribbons strung across many buildings.
Curious, he glanced around—it seemed someone was getting married.
After a quick look, he lost interest and continued toward home.
But the next moment, a familiar voice echoed in his mind—the system's long-silent tone.
[Ding! Detected that the host's family now has a clan member with a special bloodline: Yotsuki Bloodline. Reward obtained: Yotsuki Bloodline!]
[Current Yotsuki Bloodline evolution progress: 1%!]