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For the following week, the team continued patrolling the Land of Whirlpools. Only after confirming that there were no lingering Kirigakure ninjas did they make their way back to the village.
During this period, several ANBU squads arrived to conduct final sweeps of the area, ensuring its security. However, these matters were no longer of concern to Sarutobi Ryo and the others, as they were still participants in the Jonin Examination.
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Two days later, Sarutobi Ryo returned to Konoha. The Jonin Examination, which had lasted twelve days, was finally drawing to a close.
While Utatane Koharu entered the Hokage's Office to report on the mission, Sarutobi Ryo and his team took a moment to rest in the open space outside the Hokage Building.
"Master, that old woman is blatantly favoring Minato Namikaze..." Yamanaka Kei muttered, arms crossed, irritation evident in her voice.
When Koharu learned that their team had discovered the remains of Kato Dan before anyone else, she had momentarily displayed surprise. A clear indication that she had expected Minato Namikaze to be the one to complete that task.
Yamanaka Kei wasn't wrong in her assessment.
Both Koharu and Mitokado Homura, the village elders, had been supporting Minato in secret, pushing him as the most promising candidate for the Fourth Hokage. It was only natural that they wanted him to gain recognition, complete prestigious missions, and secure his position. But fate had dictated otherwise—Ryo's team had seized the opportunity first, earning the credit.
Not that Sarutobi Ryo cared about recognition. He simply wanted to bring Kato Dan home, nothing more.
Yet Yamanaka Kei was far from satisfied. "At this rate, Minato Namikaze is only going to keep rising!" she complained, frustration mounting. "And if that happens, Master, your chances will continue to dwindle."
Sarutobi Ryo, watching the Hokage Building's windows, shifted his gaze toward his childhood friend. "So?" he prompted.
A mischievous, almost sinister smile played on Yamanaka Kei's lips. "So… I think we should take the initiative and get rid of him! If Minato Namikaze dies, the path to Hokage will be wide open for you, Master!"
Just like that, the plan escalated from petty scheming to outright murder.
Sarutobi Ryo exhaled slowly. The leap in logic was extreme, but he wasn't entirely surprised. He had long known that Yamanaka Kei harbored a darker side, a ruthless streak that lacked restraint.
"Young Master?" Yamanaka Kei blinked up at him expectantly.
"Don't be reckless." Sarutobi Ryo dismissed her idea without hesitation.
This wasn't the first time she had voiced such thoughts, and likely wouldn't be the last. Since childhood, she had never hesitated to express the darker corners of her mind, only to be stopped by Ryo time and time again.
Because this wasn't the way of the Will of Fire.
The Will of Fire was about protecting what was dear, cherishing one's comrades, and uniting as a village. Even if Minato Namikaze was a competitor, he was still a fellow Konoha shinobi, not an enemy to be eliminated—unless, one day, their paths diverged beyond reconciliation.
Yamanaka Kei, however, was different. She wasn't like Danzo, who manipulated events in the shadows for power. Her motives were raw, instinctual, and utterly unrestrained.
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At that moment, a young Konoha ninja approached them. His cheeks tinged pink, his eyes darting nervously.
"Miss Kei... do you have some free time later?" he asked hesitantly.
Yamanaka Kei widened her eyes in disbelief. Did this guy not see that she was standing beside her Young Master?
But then, her surprise melted into amusement. A slow smile curved her lips.
"Look at me…"
"Huh?" The ninja blinked, confused.
"Look into my eyes," she repeated, voice lilting. "Do they look nice?"
The young man swallowed hard. "Y-Yeah… very nice…"
"Good." Her smile deepened, taking on an eerie edge. "From now on, you're no longer a man. You're a dog. A barking dog."
The ninja's eyes glazed over.
Sarutobi Ryo immediately recognized what had happened.
Not just a simple Genjutsu.
A fusion of "Genjutsu + Yamanaka Clan's Mind Secret Technique."
Genjutsu operated through sensory manipulation—sight, sound, touch. Yamanaka Clan techniques, on the other hand, invaded the mind directly, allowing for control, possession, and even memory alteration.
Yamanaka Kei had combined the two seamlessly.
"Let's go~." She waved a hand dismissively.
A moment later, the poor ninja dropped to all fours and took off, barking like a hound.
"H-Huh?! What's happening?!"
"Is that… the Four-Legged Technique from the Inuzuka Clan?!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd as the spectacle unfolded in the open space before the Hokage Building.
Laughter bubbled from Yamanaka Kei as she watched the chaos unfold.
Sarutobi Ryo, however, frowned.
His sharp gaze turned toward her, cold and unyielding.
Kei only stuck out her tongue, utterly unrepentant.
He sighed. If he let her continue like this, she would either fall into the wrong hands, betray the village, or worse—bring trouble upon those around her.
It was time to strike back and correct her ways.
Just as this thought solidified in his mind, a familiar sensation flickered across his right eye.
A new notification.
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[The Will of Fire System]
[New "Fire Will Weapon": Yamanaka Kei]
[Side Quest Activated: Instill the Will of Fire into Yamanaka Kei!]
[Side Quest Reward: Yamanaka Clan's Advanced Mind Techniques]
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Sarutobi Ryo narrowed his eyes.
So be it. If she was going to act like this, then he would make sure she learned the true meaning of the Will of Fire—whether she liked it or not.