From the night of genocide, marching towards the strongest.

I'm sure I can become an excellent ninja!

Just as Kurama Yakumo was secretly encouraging herself, Sasuke's calm voice came: "Miss Yakumo, you are you. You don't need to take others as your goal, and you don't need to take me as your goal. You can't catch up with me."

Sasuke finally understood why Kurama Yakumo now saw him as a target, rather than Rock Lee three years later as in the original story. (Note: Kurama Yakumo awakened his Dark Monster powers and killed his parents a year before Team 7 graduated, the same year Rock Lee graduated, and then officially appeared the following year.)

Rock Lee was the first student in Konoha's history to graduate from the Ninja Academy purely through taijutsu (not counting Might Guy and his son, who knew a little ninjutsu; Rock Lee knew absolutely none).

Xiao Li's deeds undoubtedly inspired Kurama Yakumo, who was almost in despair at the time, as if a person in a long dark abyss had seen a ray of light shining in.

"Forehead...."

Kurama Yakumo, whose eyes had seemed to be burning with passion, suddenly rolled his eyes, a slight twitch at the corner of his eye. "Even though you're a renowned genius from the Ninja Academy, but..."

So annoying! [○?｀Д'?○]

Kurama Yakumo was a little angry, but she didn't feel any resentment or jealousy towards the young man in front of her. After all, the words she almost said just now would have hurt someone.

Even now, Yakumo Kurama still harbors a deep desire to become a ninja and firmly believes that with his own efforts, he can become an excellent ninja.

Although her parents were worried about her health, they did not stop her from practicing.

This situation continued until three years later in the original timeline. When Kurama Yakumo's parents saw that she was experiencing more and more physical problems due to her training, and still refused to give up, they invited Kurenai Yuhi, who was very skilled in genjutsu in Konoha, to be her private tutor.

However, after meeting the girl, Kurenai Yuhi, worried about her health, persuaded her to give up her goal of becoming a ninja and live a normal life. At that time, her parents, who were also worried about her health, agreed with Kurenai's approach.

After ten years of hard work and perseverance, his dream was shattered, and resentment, desire, and the monster of revenge began to grow in Yakumo's heart.

Finally, one night, the monster named Ido broke free from Yakumo's heart!

Chapter 16 Sasuke is such a warm person.

As soon as Sasuke spoke, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Kurama Yakumo felt embarrassed and didn't know how to respond.

Then Sasuke's calm voice continued: "Everyone has their own unique talents. This means that God brought me into this world because there must be a reason why I am needed. Miss Yakumo, everyone's talents are different. There are gains and losses. God may have taken away your physical talents, but He will make up for it in another way."

At this point, Sasuke casually glanced at the portrait in the distance. It depicted a person sailing alone on a raft on a turbulent sea. The terrifying, dark, and deep sea was filled with a strong sense of oppression and anxiety.

Before the raft, a raging storm swept in, seemingly about to engulf and crush people at any moment. As Sasuke looked out, he seemed to feel a monstrous wave bursting through the frame of a painting and sweeping in like a violent storm.

However, above what appears to be an endless sea in the picture frame, the sky is clear and azure, spotless, with the sun shining brightly.

Light and darkness, a bright sky and a dark ocean, create a striking contrast.

As the saying goes, you can tell a person's character by their handwriting and their paintings.

Calligraphy, painting, sculpture, music—countless art forms throughout history have been used to express what people see and hear, and to express their joys, sorrows, and other emotions. This is why these arts have endured for countless years and have a long history.

The dark ocean represents the resentment and darkness that arises from Yakumo Kurama's years of unfulfilled hopes, which is the negative side of her heart.

The high-hanging sun represents that even if she achieves nothing, Yakumo Kurama will still strive to train hard to achieve her goal and firmly believe that she will succeed. This is the positive side of her.

Everyone has their own unique talents and abilities.

Kurama Yakumo followed Sasuke's gaze, and as if he had thought of something, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Does Sasuke mean that when God closes a door, He will always open a window for you?"

Kurama Yakumo remembered his awakened bloodline limit.

Is it because God deprived me of my physical talents that He compensated me with illusion magic?

If Sasuke is right, there are always gains and losses. So, Sasuke's talent, as it manifests in him...

That's so cruel!

Kurama Yakumo's gaze towards Sasuke was tinged with heartache.

Sasuke glanced at her and said calmly, "Not necessarily. Sometimes when God closes a door for you, he also closes a window along with it."

"Forehead....."

Kurama Yakumo rolled her eyes. She felt that Sasuke always managed to say the most awkward things in the most indifferent tone.

“However, your situation should be the good side, so don’t worry.” Sasuke looked at the picture frame in the distance, seemingly implying something.

"Draw more sunny and bright things in the future. Where does a little girl like you get so many little thoughts all day long?"

"Hmph!" Yakumo Kurama pouted and argued, "I'm not young at all, and besides, I'm clearly older than you!"

"That's it."

Sasuke nodded without arguing, picked up a small stone tablet from the side, and continued carving.

Seeing this, Yakumo Kurama didn't disturb him and quietly stayed to the side.

A few minutes later, Sasuke examined the completed small stone tablet for a while and said, "Miss Yakumo, your painting is quite nice. How about you give me one? Of course, I won't take it for free. This stone tablet will do as an exchange."

"Huh?" Yakumo Kurama was taken aback. After thinking for a moment, he agreed, "Sure, actually I'm also very interested in Sasuke-kun's sculpture."

After exchanging artworks, Sasuke took his leave as it was getting late.

"Sasuke-kun, will you come to the back mountain again in the future?"

As they were about to part, Yakumo Kurama hesitated for a moment before asking softly.

"If nothing unexpected happens, I'll probably come here often!"

Sasuke pointed to the surrounding rocks and said calmly.

"Ok!"

Kurama Yakumo gave a soft "hmm," feeling a sense of relief.

"See you next time, Sasuke-kun."

See you next time!

After Sasuke left for a while, Yakumo Kurama picked up the stone tablet in his hand and began to look at it.

"When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on someone, it first tests their resolve, strains their muscles and bones, starves their body, and empties their resources..."

Kurama Yakumo read it softly, but after a while, she became lost in thought. The few words on it contained profound philosophical insights, and she had never seen such a profound sentence before.

The characters above are in classical Chinese. Although she was born into a ninja clan, as the eldest daughter of the clan, she never missed any courses in cultural literacy, so she could naturally understand them. Moreover, Sasuke even specially translated them into the language of this world. (There is classical Chinese in Naruto; the Sage of Six Paths spoke in it when he appeared, and Naruto even made a comment about it.)

To toughen one's mind and strengthen one's body...

Is Sasuke encouraging me?

As she read, Kurama Yakumo's eyes gleamed. What was described matched her current situation so perfectly, and even resembled Sasuke's situation.

Even after encountering such terrible and cruel things.

Do you also remember to extend kindness to a complete stranger you've just met?

Sasuke, you're such a kind person...

"Compared to you, what are my current difficulties?"

Kurama Yakumo murmured, as if the dark clouds had turned into bright sunshine, and the resentment in his heart had vanished completely.

She smiled and picked up her pen to draw again.

The painting depicts a handsome young man against a backdrop of green grass and the rising sun in the distance.

The warm morning light shone on the boy's face, subtly curving the corners of his lips.

It was as if a warm smile, piercing through the gloom, had appeared on his face.

Although Sasuke didn't laugh during their conversation, Yakumo Kurama was still depicted that way.

...........

Sasuke walked alone on the mountain path back to Konoha Village, casually glancing at the surrounding scenery while pondering to himself.

Kurama Yakumo, this little girl has a lot of talent.

Sasuke just observed that Yakumo Kurama's paintings can no longer be described as merely lifelike or vivid; rather, they possess his own soul, spirit, and life, as if they were tangible.

Such works often only appear in the hands of art masters and are passed down for thousands of years.

However, Sasuke knew that Yakumo Kurama's painting skills were far from reaching the level of an art master; it was only because of her extraordinary talent that her paintings possessed a soul.

In the original timeline, Yakumo Kurama possessed the ability to transform illusions into reality, create illusionary labyrinths, and seal the five senses.

When her talent went berserk, she instantly killed her two Jonin-level parents. Her uncle, a Jonin from the Kurama clan, was also helpless against her genjutsu and could only escape with his life by shutting down his five senses.

Even Kurenai Yuhi, a master of genjutsu, would have died at the hands of Yakumo Kurama if Naruto Uzumaki hadn't suddenly barged in.

The Kurama clan's bloodline limit is strong, but definitely not this strong—strong enough to allow a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl who has never had formal ninja training to instantly kill a Jonin.

Previously, Sasuke had read about the Kurama clan's bloodline limit in the books at the shrine. It only mentioned sealing the five senses and did not mention the abilities of Genjutsu True Life or the Illusion Labyrinth.

Yin Dun creates existence from nothingness, transforming illusion into reality.

This demonstrates just how strong Kurama Yakumo's spiritual talent was, possessing the ability to transform the false into the true!

It could be said that Yakumo Kurama's talent was the last cry of this family that was heading towards decline and decay.

Chapter 17 Sasuke and Naruto's Situation

The Hokage Building, office.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

A knock on the door interrupted the Third Hokage, who was staring intently at the crystal ball, his face flushed.

"cough..."

The Third Hokage coughed lightly, silently turned off the image on the crystal ball, and assumed a serious and upright posture.

"Please come in."

As soon as he finished speaking, Iruka walked in and respectfully greeted, "Third Hokage!"

Huh?

Why is the Third Generation Lord's face so red?

It's probably because the three generations of adults are getting old and their blood pressure is more likely to be high.

"Oh, it's Iruka. Is there something you need to report?"

The Third Hokage spoke softly, his tone conveying a strong sense of affability and kindness, as if the person standing before him was not the leader of a village, but the kind-faced old man next door.