Naruto Shadow Emperor – Read Fanfic

By dusk, as the sun set, everyone returned indoors.

“Ah, it’s so lively!” Tazuna said, rubbing his head with a hearty laugh. “It’s been a long time since it’s been this lively!”

Everyone gathered around the dinner table, their eyes inevitably drawn to the two exaggerated figures.

“Nom nom, nom nom…”

Naruto and Sasuke were devouring their food like starving wolves, shoveling rice into their mouths at an alarming pace. In no time, they emptied their bowls and slammed them down simultaneously, shouting, “More!”

“Ugh!”

The next moment, both of them opened their mouths wide and spat it all out…

Sakura’s face turned black as she pounded the table, yelling, “If you’re going to spit it out, don’t eat it!”

“No way, I need to eat more!” Sasuke wiped his mouth and glanced at Naruto.

Naruto’s face was excited: “Even if it makes me sick, I need to eat to get stronger fast!”

Yukigetsu stood at the window with his bowl, looking helpless, “Yeah, yeah, but spitting it out like that… the smell…”

Kakashi, however, glanced at Yukigetsu curiously, asking, “Why are you eating so much today too? You didn’t train as hard as they did, right?”

Yukigetsu shrugged, not wanting to explain, but Sakura, unwilling to let Sasuke and Naruto overshadow him, explained to him, “No, Kakashi-sensei, Yukigetsu-kun was training all day too!”

Tazuna looked up, “He seemed to be doing nothing all afternoon. When did he train?”

“But he was practicing the Body Flicker Technique all day…” Sakura said matter-of-factly.

Kakashi glanced at Sakura first, wondering when she became so gentle with Yukigetsu. Then he looked at Yukigetsu, still confused, and said, “Yukigetsu, you’ve already mastered the Body Flicker Technique, so why keep practicing?”

Even the ravenous Sasuke and Naruto paused, curious.

Yukigetsu took another sushi roll, chewed it, and swallowed it before smiling casually, “I want to see if I can continuously use the Body Flicker Technique over short distances.”

“How short?” Kakashi put down his chopsticks and propped his chin on his hand.

“Two steps or even one step,” Yukigetsu said, spreading his hands.

Kakashi frowned, shaking his head, “Even if it’s possible, it’s pointless. For such short distances, you can just use Taijutsu to move quickly. Why waste chakra?”

Yukigetsu rubbed his nose, “I want to see if I can be faster than Taijutsu, as fast as teleportation.”

Sasuke and Naruto, mid-bite, were stunned. Did they hear right? As fast as teleportation? Is that even possible?

“But what’s the point?” Kakashi shook his head, still not convinced.

Yukigetsu squinted, “I call it Micro Flicker. In close combat, no one can match it.”

Kakashi pondered for a moment and then said, “It might be useful in battle, but it’s impossible. It requires extreme chakra control.”

“But I can use Tsunade’s Strength,” Yukigetsu interrupted.

Kakashi shook his head, “That’s different. Even if you can use Tsunade’s Strength, it only requires controlling chakra in one place, like your fist or foot. The Body Flicker Technique requires evenly distributing chakra throughout your body. Moving such a short distance requires very little chakra.”

He paused to give an example, “Like spreading a basin of water across a room, but now you only have a cup of water and still need to spread it evenly.”

“That’s so difficult!” Sakura exclaimed in surprise.

Yukigetsu smiled again, “I still want to try.”

Kakashi shook his head helplessly, seeing the determined look in the boy’s eyes. It was clear he wasn’t just trying; he was determined to succeed, a person who wouldn’t give up until he hit a wall…

Naruto then asked curiously, “Kakashi-sensei, what is Tsunade’s Strength?”

“It’s a signature technique created by Tsunade, one of the Sannin!” Kakashi explained, turning to Naruto.

Sasuke’s eyes widened slightly. A Sannin-level technique that Yukigetsu had already learned?

Seeing their surprise, Kakashi added, “Yukigetsu’s talent for chakra control is exceptionally high.”

“Ah!” Sakura exclaimed. She never thought that what Yukigetsu said during the day was true; she had thought he was bragging…

Sasuke frowned in frustration. Since graduation, the gap between him and Yukigetsu seemed to be widening. How was this guy improving so fast?

Naruto fell silent, too, clearly feeling the weight of Yukigetsu’s achievements. Tsunade’s Strength and Micro Flicker Technique were overwhelming. But he wouldn’t give up. Never!

The next moment, Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a glance and resumed their frantic eating…

“Nom nom, nom nom…”

Meanwhile, Inari, sitting quietly, glanced at them and lowered his eyes, thinking they were just a bunch of fools.

Sakura suddenly stood before a picture on the wall, puzzled, “It’s strange. Why hang this picture when it’s torn? Inari kept looking at it during dinner. It seems like someone deliberately tore off a piece.”

Hearing this, Yukigetsu looked up and saw Tazuna, Inari, and his mother, Tsunami, with somber expressions. Tilting his head, he rubbed his chin, thinking there might be a story here. Sakura’s observation skills weren’t bad…

Tsunami spoke softly, “That’s my husband.”

“In the past…” Tazuna’s face was filled with nostalgia. “He was known as the hero of this town…”

Bang!
Inari suddenly pushed his chair away and walked towards the door.

“Inari, where are you going?” Tsunami stood up, calling urgently.

The door slammed shut.

Tsunami turned and shouted, “Dad! How many times have I told you not to mention him in front of Inari? Why do you always…”

Slam.

Tsunami also slammed the door and left.

The main hall fell silent.

After a while, Sakura couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong with Inari?”

Naruto, equally curious, asked, “What happened?”

“Inari and his stepfather…” Tazuna took off his glasses, wiping his eyes. “They were very close, like a real father and son. Back then, Inari always had a smile on his face.”

“But after that incident, Inari completely changed!” Tazuna fell silent for a moment, then continued, “The incident that made the island’s people and Inari lose their courage and faith forever… it was that day’s… that incident…”

“That incident…” Kakashi asked, “What happened?”

“His name was Kaiza…” Tazuna began slowly. “Back then, his favorite saying was, ‘For the things that matter, whether in pain or sorrow, you must strive to protect them with your own hands, even at the cost of your life! That way, even in death, you’ll leave behind proof that you lived as a man!'”

“What an idiot!” Yukigetsu scoffed, walking over.

Naruto glared, “What are you saying?”

Tazuna didn’t get angry but said seriously, “Kid, even if you despise such courage and faith, you have no right to deny it.”

Yukigetsu closed his eyes, his expression strange.

Kakashi glanced at him, then asked, “What happened next?”

“One time, the river dam was broken by a storm…” Tazuna recalled. “Kaiza led the people to repair the dam in the rain, saving everyone and becoming the town’s hero!”

Naruto listened, feeling his blood boil, “What happened then?”

Tazuna fell silent again. After a long pause, he continued, “For Inari, Kaiza was a father he could be proud of. But when Kado came, that incident happened…”

“What incident?” Sakura asked, confused.

Yukigetsu shook his head, opening his eyes, “He led a rebellion and got killed, right?”

Everyone was shocked, turning to look at Tazuna, who painfully closed his eyes and nodded.

“That’s why I said… he’s an idiot!”

Yukigetsu stood up, indifferent, and walked out, “Faith… is ridiculous. Only your own strength matters!”

Naruto and the others fell silent, not refuting him.

Kakashi, propping his chin with his hands, watched Yukigetsu’s back with a deep look in his eyes. So, I wasn’t wrong. This kid really thinks this way. Whether right or wrong, I still need to try to change him. There are so many beautiful things in this world, and I don’t want my only cherished brother to overlook them…

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