The flames that engulfed the battlefield had destroyed almost all of the spoils.
Even Hayano Keisuke's high-grade puppets—only three of the most heat-resistant ones survived. The rest had been burned beyond recovery.
Even metal tools like shuriken and kunai had warped in the heat, losing all value.
However, Yoru still recovered five bodies, including three jōnin and two genin.
Corpses themselves had value.
If this had been an official mission, he could have turned them in to Konoha's intelligence division for rewards—both money and merit.
Unfortunately, this was private work.
More importantly, how could he explain that a mere chūnin had eliminated such a force?
If news of this battle spread, it wouldn't take long for people to connect it to the earlier incident at the dammed lake.
And then—he would become famous.
Promotion, recognition, glory…
Yoru had no interest in any of that.
What he wanted was something entirely different.
After his recent breakthrough, he had only one goal:
To cultivate properly, and seek longevity.
Still, there was another way to make use of the bodies.
In the underground bounty market, jōnin might fetch a reward.
But this wasn't the later era.
With constant wars draining resources, many villages didn't even have enough funds to place high bounties.
Even if there were rewards, they might not be worth much.
At best, the payout might equal a few A-rank missions.
And that wasn't worth the effort.
But simply destroying the bodies would be wasteful.
Maybe… it was worth a trip.
As soon as Miwa Masayo heard his idea, she jumped up in shock.
"Yoru! Are you out of your mind, meow? What kind of idea is that?"
"There's a reason for it…"
"What kind of reason makes you want to go to the Sand Village when war could break out at any time?"
Yoru sighed slightly.
"You remember those 'fireworks' I set off in Konoha?"
"That was because of my impulsiveness. I wanted to make a big move—and it caused trouble."
"Even though I used natural energy to erase all traces, there's still a problem."
"Danzō doesn't follow logic. If he can't find evidence, he simply targets the Uchiha clan."
"Root has been watching the Uchiha like mad ever since."
Miwa Masayo nodded. "I know that. So?"
"If I create the same kind of 'fireworks' in the Sand Village…"
Yoru looked at her.
"Do you think Danzō's attention will be divided?"
Miwa Masayo thought for a moment.
"…It might work."
But she still shook her head.
"It's not worth the risk, meow."
Yoru fell silent for a while before speaking again.
"The situation right now isn't bad."
"But… something changed during that battle."
He pointed at himself.
"Who would've thought we'd become this strong?"
"The ninja world isn't as dangerous to me anymore."
"To be honest, the number of people who can truly threaten my life is very small."
"Most of them are high-ranking figures from the major villages—and they don't move around freely."
Miwa Masayo tilted her head.
"So what?"
Yoru paused, then laughed awkwardly.
"…Yeah. So what?"
Then his expression turned serious.
"My mindset… has changed."
"I don't think I can stay as calm as before."
"Back then, even knowing Root was watching me, I could endure it."
"But now…"
He exhaled slowly.
"I might not be able to tolerate it anymore."
Miwa Masayo suddenly laughed.
"Honestly, I feel the same, meow."
"We're strong now. The world is huge."
"Why should we stay in one place?"
"Yoru, where should we go? Maybe the southern coast first—there are crabs there, and coconuts!"
"And Wave Country has amazing crab paste, we can learn how to make it!"
"And the Land of Demons, and the Land of Snow—"
Yoru stared at her, stunned.
He hadn't expected her to go further than him—she was already planning where to go after leaving.
He lightly tapped her head.
"I was only thinking about it, and you already made a full plan?"
"I haven't decided to leave Konoha."
Miwa Masayo grumbled softly.
"Only thinking, not doing… too hesitant, meow…"
Yoru picked her up and gently patted her head to calm her down.
After a moment, he spoke again.
"Rika-chan, where do you think is the best place to live in the ninja world?"
She lightly bit his hand in protest at the nickname, then answered:
"Konoha, of course. You can get anything there."
"Good food, a comfortable environment… and good neighbors."
Yoru nodded.
"Exactly."
"So why should I leave?"
"I just want to live well."
"Why should I be forced out of the best place to live?"
Miwa Masayo blinked.
"Meow?"
"The Uchiha clan helped found Konoha."
"As an Uchiha, why can't I live there properly?"
"Why should we be the ones pushed out?"
Yoru's gaze sharpened.
"If I'm strong enough to survive even after leaving…"
"Then why not try something else first?"
"Why not turn things upside down?"
"If it fails, I can still leave."
Miwa Masayo's eyes widened.
"Turn things upside down? What are you planning?"
Yoru smiled faintly.
"I want the Third Hokage to retire."
"A real retirement."
"Even if an Uchiha doesn't become Hokage immediately…"
"As long as the Fourth Hokage isn't controlled by the current leadership…"
"The Uchiha's situation will improve."
"And I…"
He looked down at her.
"I can live peacefully in Konoha."
"Train properly."
"And cultivate… with Rika-chan."
Miwa Masayo's eyes lit up.
"And you'll make more delicious food for me!"
Yoru laughed.
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