A comic book journey to see the Eye of Antiquity

"He's quite a clever kid."

Behind them, Danzo had already wiped the smile off his face, looking at Yang Lei who had thrown himself into Asuma's arms, and he knew what he was thinking.

Yang Lei's speed has reached twice the speed of sound, almost matching the speed of the Body Flicker Technique. How could Danzo not be shocked? He was only twelve years old.

However, upon further reflection, Danzo felt relieved after thinking about Yang Lei's arduous cultivation over the past few years. He reminded everyone that there was also the Blue Beast Mattek and his apprentice Rock Lee in the village, and those two were no less formidable than Yang Lei.

Unlike typical master-disciple relationships, Matt Ke often took Lee Rock to train even before he graduated, making their relationship much more solid, intimate, and close.

Why are you running around aimlessly so late at night?

At this moment, Asma, standing at the door, put Yang Lei down on the ground, gave him a good rub on the head, and scolded, "What if you get kidnapped? What if you run into bad people?"

Hearing such a blatant veiled insult, Danzo's face twitched, his eyes twitched, and he suppressed the urge to hit someone, shouting outside, "Alright, I just wanted to talk to Yang Lei, you can go back now."

“I understand,” Asuma smiled and nodded to Danzo, saying, “I wasn’t criticizing you just now, Lord Danzo, please don’t take it to heart.”

That's why there's a ghost.

None of the three people present believed Asma's words, including himself.

"That's right."

Before leaving, Asuma said to Danzo, "Lord Danzo, my father asked me to tell you that if you still have any doubts or suspicions about Yang Lei, you can go to him. Don't look for Yang Lei anymore. He is still young and can't withstand your torment."

After saying that, Asma turned and left with Yang Lei.

(PS: Friends, there's a setting in the book review section now where you get banned after posting a few comments, with things like "exceeding the limit on advertising posts." I'm speechless. I was just about to chat with the readers in the review section, and this is what happened... Sigh... By the way, I actually wrote a separate chapter about some frequently asked questions in the work-related section, you can go and take a look.)

Chapter 41

0040 My ninja career has finally come to an end...

"call."

As soon as Asma stepped out of Root's headquarters and onto the street, he exhaled a long breath of stale air, raised his fist, and gave Yang Lei a sharp slap on the head, shouting, "What are you doing here, kid?"

Asma had just returned home and was about to lie down to rest when he was woken up by the Anbu, who said that Yang Lei had been brought to Danzo. He dared not delay and had to hurry back to the Third Hokage. The father and son discussed it and decided that it would be better for him to take charge.

Although the Third Hokage has considerable influence, if he were to ask for Yang Lei back, Danzo would be even more puzzled and would be more eager to uncover the secrets surrounding Yang Lei.

Asma was different. Yang Lei was, after all, his godson. His appearance could represent the Third Hokage's wishes without arousing too much suspicion from Danzo.

"it hurts."

Yang Lei clutched his head, complaining, "It was the Anbu who called me. How was I supposed to know it was Danzo who contacted me? Besides, wasn't the Anbu supposed to be the Third Hokage's direct subordinate force?"

Yang Lei couldn't show that he already knew about Root's existence. In fact, the fact that he could say the Anbu was the Third Hokage's direct subordinate unit already showed that he was quite knowledgeable. You know, Naruto, that oblivious guy, didn't even know the Anbu existed. Even if he knew, he probably hadn't paid attention to it.

“Alright,” Asma sighed softly, knowing she couldn’t blame Yang Lei. She lit a cigarette for herself and led Yang Lei forward, explaining the difference between Root and Dark Division.

Originally a branch of the Anbu, it was later completely controlled by Danzo and became another dark force in Konoha. Its operating principles were basically the same as those of the Anbu, except that it was not under the control of the Third Hokage, but only obeyed Danzo.

Even a few years ago, Danzo gave Root the order to assassinate the Third Hokage. If it weren't for Kakashi's sudden betrayal, the Third Hokage might have really been in danger. After all, in the Third Hokage's heart, Root was one of his own.

After that, the Third Hokage finally became wary of Root and Danzo. At the same time, because he was unable to eliminate Root due to the advisors' support for Danzo, he completely separated Root and the Dark Side, making them no longer the same organization, but two separate forces.

Because Root and Dark Side were once part of the same organization, they have a great similarity in their clothing. They even wear masks. To distinguish themselves, Dark Side chooses masks that resemble animal shapes, while Root's masks are more colorful and come in a wide variety of types.

In other words...

Yang Lei feigned sudden realization and said, "Just by looking at his mask, you can tell whether he's from the Dark Division or Root."

"That's right."

Asma nodded, pointed to the building in front of him, and said, "Alright, you're home now. I should go back too, since I have to get up early tomorrow. Go to sleep early."

To prevent any further accidents, Asuma took Yang Lei home. He believed that once today was over, Danzo would not attack Yang Lei again.

Yang Lei should have been safe at least while the Third Hokage was still the Hokage.

See you tomorrow.

Yang Lei said goodbye to Asma and slowly walked into the building.

. . . . . .

The next morning, Yang Lei got up very early as usual.

His years of training have honed his biological clock, allowing him to wake up precisely before six o'clock every morning.

However, today was different from usual. Instead of wearing the weights to train outside, he went to the bathroom inside to wash up and changed into a new set of clothes that he had bought a few days ago but had been reluctant to wear.

"nice."

Standing in front of the mirror, Yang Lei looked himself up and down. He was wearing a black casual outfit and black casual shoes, unlike the other ninjas who had their toes sticking out; they were wearing normal casual shoes.

Ninjas' shoes usually expose their toes, which allows for an additional means of attack, such as concealing a knife under their feet, using their toes to block enemy attacks, or swinging a shuriken with their feet. Because of their unusual design, they can be used to surprise the enemy and are an important means of attack.

Yang Lei, however, was not used to this, and he had never done any special training in using his feet, so he did not need to expose his toes.

"Very handsome."

Yang Lei casually tousled his short, choppy hair, clearly quite pleased with his appearance.

Actually, Yang Lei's attire can only be described as mediocre. He doesn't really know how to dress. All I can say is that he has a good-looking face. There's no way around it; being handsome is much more important than dressing well.

If you add good looks to a good physique, even the most ordinary clothes will look pretty good on him.

"That's right."

Snapping his fingers, Yang Lei turned and ran to a cabinet to rummage through it. In no time, he pulled out the headband that he had hidden at the bottom.

In the previous graduation exam, as long as you passed, you could get a ninja badge on the spot. Otherwise, how do you register as a ninja today?

Of course, since ninja registration takes place at the ninja academy, the ninjas could be issued on the spot, but that would be too rushed. It would be more humane to issue them in advance so that everyone can think of their own symbolic attire.

Over the years, ninja headbands have evolved beyond their original purpose of proving identity and protecting the forehead. They've become more of a decorative item, and ninjas who receive headbands are now primarily concerned with where to place them to reflect their personality. Even the most powerful ninjas in the original work are no exception; look at each one—they've all created their own unique style.

Yang Lei was also considering where he should tie it.

"That's right."

Suddenly, Yang Lei had a bright idea. Hinata's headband seemed to be tied around his neck, so why not tie it like that for him?

Anyway, his show-off is only for Hinata's benefit; it's useless for others to see it. As for the other men, let's just leave him alone.

"That's settled then."

Having made up his mind, Yang Lei no longer hesitated. He quickly tied the ninja headband around his neck and slightly unzipped his black casual shirt so that it could be seen at a glance.

"Bang bang."

Just as Yang Lei had finally finished dressing, there was a knock on the window, and Asma had already arrived.

"Uncle Asma."

Yang Lei went over and opened the window, letting Asma in.

"This is breakfast."

Chapter 42

Asuma handed over the breakfast he had brought, and without lingering for long, said, "I just came up to tell you that Danzo already came looking for you yesterday, right? I believe he won't come looking for you again after this. So I don't need to follow you anymore. You can go and register as a ninja yourself in a bit."

"it is good."

Yang Lei nodded. He had never relied on Asuma since he arrived in Konoha Village, and he had been living on his own all these years. If it weren't for Danzo, he wouldn't need Asuma's company.

"Then I'll go."

Asuma waved his hand and said, "Today is the day we, the class of Jonin, gather together."

After saying that, Asuma jumped out of the window again and headed towards the Hokage Building.

"finally."

Yang Lei went to the window, eating as he gazed at Hokage Rock in the distance, muttering to himself, "My ninja career is finally about to begin."

0041 Ninja Registration!

After finishing the breakfast Asma brought, Yang Lei headed out. He wanted to get to school early so he could see Hinata and complete his ninja registration as soon as possible so he could return and continue his training.

From now until the Chunin Exams, Yang Lei will have a few more months to continue training himself. He can handle the small tasks in the village with just his shadow clones.

Even after the Chunin Exams, Yang Lei shouldn't receive any missions to leave the village for a short period of time. Putting aside the importance of his eyes, generally speaking, they are just freshmen who have just graduated and wouldn't be assigned to overly dangerous missions.

In this way, he can still seize the time to continue improving his strength.

This year, in addition to continuing to improve his physical fitness, Yang Lei will also begin training in practical combat skills.

"If there are summoning beasts."

Walking down the street, Yang Lei clenched his right fist and muttered to himself, "With the characteristics of Shadow Clone, my combat experience should grow quickly."

As mentioned before, the Shadow Clone Technique is an advanced clone technique. The clones created are just like real people and can help the original body in battle. In this way, when the shadow clone disappears, it will naturally transmit its own experiences back to the original body.

Whether it's injuries sustained, fatigue from actions, or various memories, such as experiences from performing ninjutsu or information from battles with enemies, all of these can be fully received by the body.

This is why the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique is considered a forbidden technique. It's not just because the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique consumes too much chakra, but also because when the shadow clones disappear, they bring back too much fatigue and too many memories to the original body. If the original body can't withstand it, it will collapse.

Of course, fortune favors the bold, and shadow clones bring many benefits, especially in cultivation. As mentioned earlier, they can transmit one's experiences back to the main body, making them ideal for practicing combat.

In the context of online games, this is similar to taking a double experience potion.

And this was just one shadow clone. If it were Naruto's signature Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, it would be like taking several times or even dozens of times the experience boost. No wonder that guy became stronger and stronger in the later stages, and his growth rate became faster and faster.

"arrive."

With his own thoughts on his mind, Yang Lei quickly arrived at the school. He saw that not many of his classmates had arrived yet, only a few kittens were waiting in the classroom, and he didn't see a single 'familiar' person among them.

Yang Lei didn't know those people, and those people naturally weren't very familiar with him either. Even if they had paid some attention to him before because of his reputation as a genius, he had been skipping classes for the past five years and had long been forgotten.

Yang Lei didn't care about that. It was better not to be disturbed. He went to his usual seat, leaned forward and lay down on the table, and quietly waited for the ninja registration to begin.

Not long after, the graduating students, wearing headbands, began to return to school. Soon, many people were seated in the classrooms, and many seats were empty. Those were the students who had not graduated. It was unknown whether they would choose to give up the profession of ninja or study for another year.

Hinata was among those returning to school. When she saw Yang Lei waving at her, he also chose to wear his headband around his neck, her pretty face flushed, and she felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

Hinata, just like in the original story, still tied the headband around her neck. What she didn't know was that Yang Lei knew this in advance and deliberately wanted to be "on the same wavelength" with her, assuming that they were indeed a good match and could even think of the same thing.

"Fellow genin."

At this moment, Iruka pushed open the door to the house. He no longer referred to the children in the house as 'students' but as 'genin'. This made the children happy but also a little nervous. From now on, they were no longer children, but ninjas who could stand on their own.

They were overthinking it. Only Yang Lei knew the truth in advance. At most, only ten people could graduate this year. Besides the Nine Little Strongmen, it would be him. The others would either have to go back to school for another year to wait for the opportunity to be mentored by Jonin, or they would have to choose other professions, such as giving up becoming a ninja, or going to the intelligence department or the Anbu.

"Come with me to register as a ninja."

At this moment, Iruka waved his hand and led the genin to a classroom that had been prepared in advance to begin the ninja registration.

"Huh? Where's Naruto?"

While waiting, Yang Lei was puzzled because Naruto didn't show up. Everyone else thought Naruto hadn't passed his graduation exams, but only he knew that Naruto had received special permission to graduate.

"Speaking of which..."

Yang Lei shifted his gaze from Hinata's flushed face, who was looking down, and glanced at the aloof Sasuke. He thought to himself, "I was hoping to get a close look at the first clash between these two best buddies, but the main character isn't here. What a disappointment."

The cunning Yang Lei has clearly forgotten the plot. His supposed first encounter between Naruto and Sasuke was during the genin roster assignments, but now it's ninja registration, so even if Naruto came, it wouldn't happen.

"Yang Lei".

The team arrived at Yang Lei's place very quickly.

"arrive."

Yang Lei responded, cleared his mind, and strode into the classroom. There weren't many people inside, only a cameraman and Iruka.

"Please sit here."

The photographer directed Yang Lei to sit in front of the camera, snapped a color photo of his upper body with a 'click', and his job was done.

"Yang Lei, come here."

After the photography, it was Iruka's turn to work. He pointed to a document on the table and said, "Write down your name and age. This will be your wall of honor. Be sure to write down enough glorious achievements on it. Don't forget your ambitions from back then."

Iruka looked at Yang Lei and suddenly recalled their first meeting.

Five years ago, Iruka, who had already been confirmed to take over as the second-year homeroom teacher, was summoned by Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga clan, and was told to change Hyuga Hinata's seat. He was also told to keep an eye on a little boy named Yang Lei and to make sure he didn't disturb the Hyuga clan's pearls.

Iruka's expression at that moment was quite interesting. If he remembered correctly, the class he took over was for second-year students, which meant the children were only seven years old.

Chapter 43

But looking at Hiashi Hyuga, it seems like they're a class about to graduate.

However, Iruka didn't say anything. After all, the Hyuga clan was a powerful clan in Konoha. Although the Uchiha clan hadn't been wiped out at the time, the Hyuga clan wasn't completely dominated by the Uchiha clan, but it wasn't something a mere Chunin like him could refuse.