"Clap... Clap... Clap..."
"What an exquisite battle..."
Seeing that the fight had finally ended, Yu and Kazahana Koyuki couldn't help but applaud as they slowly walked over from the side.
"Yu-sama!!"
"Queen Koyuki!!"
Seeing Yu and Kazahana Koyuki appear, Kimimaro and Haku, the two boys, called out in unison.
Over the past four years, these kids have grown quite a bit. Kimimaro is fourteen, Haku is fifteen. One has white hair and a stern appearance, while the other has black long hair and a gentle, refined look, and they have vaguely turned into the figures Yu remembered.
Especially since two years ago, both of them had already broken through to Jonin level strength. With their respective Kekkei Genkai abilities, even an ordinary adult Jonin would not be a match for them.
"You two have really made a lot of progress over these years, and I'm very satisfied."
Walking up to Haku and Kimimaro with Kazahana Koyuki, Yu wore a calm smile on his face, but his gaze suddenly shifted to Haku. "Since the enemies have all been dealt with, do you still need to maintain your Water Clone, Haku…"
"Hehe…"
"As expected, nothing escapes Yu-sama's eyes…"
Surprised that Yu saw through him so easily, Haku smiled faintly, and his entire form suddenly transformed into a puddle of clear water on the ground. It turned out that the figure almost killed by the Jonin in black earlier was just his Water Clone!
"Although your approach isn't as ruthless and decisive as Kimimaro's…"
"It excels in having a clear battle strategy and meticulous observation, so it's quite good…"
Seeing that Haku and Kimimaro have achieved their current level of strength through his careful guidance, Yu couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.
After all, he had once been a student taught by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was renowned as the Ninjutsu Professor. Although his teaching abilities might not reach the heights of the Third Hokage, they were certainly above those of the vast majority of Ninjas.
In the anime, Uchiha Sasuke underwent a qualitative transformation in strength within less than three years after fleeing to the Sound Ninja Village with Orochimaru, let alone Yu, whose strength far surpasses Orochimaru.
In the years following their time with Yu, Haku and Kimimaro's combat skills and strength were honed almost daily. Combined with their own outstanding aptitudes and exceptional talents, they were able to reach the level of elite Jonin in such a short period of time.
"However, speaking of which…"
"Having disturbed you here for so long, it's about time we leave and set out again…"
After saying this, Yu cleared his thoughts and gently focused his gaze on Kazahana Koyuki beside him.
It is now the 60th year of Konoha. Recently, he received news that the Land of Fire's Konoha and the Land of Wind's Hidden Sand Village are jointly holding the Chunin Exams. Yu finally began to realize that the world's trajectory seems to have entered a stage he is most familiar with.
"What? You're leaving?!"
Upon hearing this, Kazahana Koyuki was instantly shocked and quickly said, "Yu-sama, you could actually stay here. Everything I have is yours, and if you're willing, you could become the Daimyo of this country…"
In her agitation, Kazahana Koyuki almost expressed all her feelings, but upon realizing it, her face turned crimson, and by the end, her voice had become barely audible.
"Oh—"
Seeing Kazahana Koyuki's extremely shy expression, Haku and Kimimaro exchanged glances and intentionally made a long, drawn-out sound, which only made her even more embarrassed.
In fact, it wasn't just Haku and Kimimaro; even the surrounding Ninja guards of the Land of Snow over the years could see their queen's feelings for Yu-sama.
If Yu had the intention, he could easily become the Daimyo of this country through a union with the Land of Snow's Queen, Kazahana Koyuki.
"Alright, alright, Koyuki, I completely understand your feelings."
"But now you are the Queen of the Land of Snow; every action you take affects the fate of this country."
Feeling the girl's affection, Yu let out a sigh and placed his hands on Kazahana Koyuki's shoulders, gazing at her seriously. "And I still have many matters that I need to handle personally. Besides, I'm not leaving forever. As long as I have time, I will come back here to see you anytime and anywhere, so…"
"Kimimaro, Haku, let's set out!"
After saying this, Yu smiled lightly and turned decisively, leaving behind a distant silhouette that Kazahana Koyuki could only look at longingly.
He wasn't lying; next, he planned to take Haku and Kimimaro to Konoha for the so-called joint Chunin Exams, and it would be interesting to see the Third Hokage's reaction.
Additionally, he needed to deal with the persistent old bastard Danzo, retrieve Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, and take care of those old Konoha Elders, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. In short, a whole lot of tasks awaited his attention.
"Yes, Yu-sama!!"
Watching Yu turn and leave, Haku and Kimimaro immediately responded, stepping in line with Yu. The three figures gradually lengthened in the sunlight of the Land of Snow…
"Damn it… You must come back to see me!!"
Seeing that she couldn't hold them back, Kazahana Koyuki shouted loudly at Yu's receding figure.
"Queen-sama, Yu-sama and the others have already gone far…"
After a while, Sandayu Asama came over to remind her, seemingly unable to bear watching Kazahana Koyuki's wistful gaze.
"I know…"
After finally pulling her gaze away, Kazahana Koyuki's beautiful eyes burst with an even more determined light. "But this is the first time I've truly fallen for someone, and I will never give up…"
Land of Waves.
This is a small island nation located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, connected to the outside world by only one large bridge. It is economically impoverished and its people are struggling. In theory, it is a nation with no Ninjas, where underground forces control the country.
Although Yu had passed through here while on an intelligence mission to the Land of Water with Uchiha Shisui in the past, the current scene, with the water routes sprawling and the transportation being both cumbersome and complex, was quite intriguing to him, even though he had never truly set foot in this country.
Unfortunately, this time Yu was not here to travel with Haku and Kimimaro.
"Cough, cough, cough… Ugh…"
The three of them were moving swiftly over the mist-covered water surface when Kimimaro suddenly had a violent coughing fit and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Kimimaro!!"
Although it wasn't the first time Haku had seen Kimimaro in such a condition over the years, he still stopped and helped him.
"Are you alright??"
Yu also stopped, looking at Kimimaro with some concern.
In the past few years, under his top-notch Medical Ninjutsu treatment, Kimimaro's condition had improved significantly compared to this period in the anime.
However, Yu knew that these were merely temporary solutions until the fundamental genetic defect of Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai was completely resolved.
"No, don't worry about me…"
"Yu-sama, Haku, I can keep going…"
Although Kimimaro's face had turned somewhat pale, he still pushed Haku aside and stood up, insisting on continuing. His unwavering willpower would not allow him to become a burden to Yu and Haku.
With Kimimaro's persistence, the three of them had no choice but to continue.
"Once this matter is settled…"
"I must find a way to completely resolve Kimimaro's issue…"
As they moved forward on the water's surface, a mysterious glint flashed in Yu's amber eyes. In fact, he already had a roughly feasible solution in mind.
Kimimaro is an absolutely loyal subordinate and companion. He will complete any command from Yu without hesitation. His talent, strength, potential, and willpower are rare and exceptional in this world.
And after all these yearst together, Yu would definitely find a way to cure him if there was a chance.
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