NOVEL WEB Chapter 12: Chapter 11: Serve Them Red Pepper
The children at the orphanage enjoyed a rare feast.
Naturally, Yami's gifts were not ordinary. Most of the food he brought consisted of various meats, a luxury for the orphans of Konoha's orphanage. Typically, they only had the chance to eat meat two or three times a month, and even then, the portions were small. So today's meal was truly a special treat.
However, Yami himself wasn't in the best mood. His expression remained dark, and he spoke less and less.
"Is the food not to your liking?" Nonō cautiously observed his demeanor. "I'm very sorry. The orphanage's chef isn't very skilled."
If she were just an ordinary orphanage director, she wouldn't need to be so careful, even if Yami had donated valuable supplies.
But unfortunately, being the orphanage director was only Nonō's official identity. She also had another role.
Yakushi Nonō—an elite Root operative. A spy who had completed countless dangerous missions, earning the title "Wandering Miko."
Most of the orphans in the orphanage possessed the potential to become shinobi, making them a valuable reserve force for Root.
Nonō was well aware of Danzō's ruthlessness. Yami was his last remaining relative, meaning she had to tread carefully. If she made a misstep and earned his resentment, her plans for retirement would be utterly ruined.
That was why she paid such close attention to his mood swings.
"It's nothing." Yami shook his head slightly, quickly finishing the food in his bowl. He then placed his chopsticks down and said, "Director Nonō, I have training this afternoon, so I won't stay much longer."
As he stood up, Shisui also stopped his conversation with the children.
Yami walked over and looked at the white-haired boy who had been chatting with Shisui earlier.
"What's your name?"
"Kabuto," the white-haired boy answered softly, gratitude evident in his eyes.
"Alright, Kabuto, I'll come to see you next time." Yami smiled, then left with Shisui and the shinobi who had accompanied him.
After spending half a day at the orphanage, Yami had interacted with nearly two hundred orphans. However, aside from Nonō, only twenty children had formed a bond with him and granted rewards.
No wonder he wasn't pleased.
Most of those twenty had basic Chakra, and only a few had unique Chakra attributes.
If the rewards from Nonō and Kabuto weren't decent, he would've been even more frustrated.
---
[Host has established a vigilance bond with Yakushi Nonō, obtaining 'Chakra Control Talent (Excellent).']
[Host has established a gratitude bond with Yakushi Kabuto, obtaining 'Chakra Control Talent (Genius).']
---
Chakra control talent might seem minor, but in reality, it was incredibly important.
Tree climbing and water walking were just the most basic training exercises. The real challenge lay in accurately regulating Chakra output during battle.
In game terms, Chakra was equivalent to mana. Having a large mana pool allowed for the use of more jutsu, but it didn't determine the strength of those techniques.
A jutsu's power depended on multiple factors:
The amount of Chakra infused into the technique.
The user's mastery of Nature Transformation.
The inherent strength of the jutsu itself.
Chakra control not only affected the maximum output of a single jutsu but also determined one's ability to learn high-level techniques.
Take Uzumaki Naruto's Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, for example—it required exceptional Chakra control and advanced Nature Transformation mastery to even attempt.
After integrating these rewards, Yami's Chakra control talent hadn't reached the Ultimate level, but it had improved significantly.
Aside from Tsunade, his Chakra control talent was now likely the best in the entire shinobi world.
---
Yami returned to the Shimura clan estate to train with Shisui.
Since it was the first day, there was no structured training yet.
Shisui simply had Yami go all out against him, using every technique at his disposal, so he could assess his level.
Without revealing his hidden Nature Transformations, Yami displayed his full strength. This impressed Shisui repeatedly.
At Yami's age, Shisui himself had been much weaker. His rapid growth only began after awakening the Sharingan.
Especially in kenjutsu—no wonder Danzō had specifically asked him to mentor Yami.
---
As the sun set, the afternoon of training quickly came to an end.
Standing at the entrance, Shisui smiled at Yami. "Yami, I'll bring the Uchiha clan's kenjutsu scroll tomorrow. As for the Body Flicker Technique, I'll teach it to you once your swordsmanship reaches a bottleneck. What do you think?"
Yami nodded. "I'll follow your guidance, Shisui-senpai."
It was clear that Shisui was genuinely investing in him, not only was he willing to pass down Uchiha kenjutsu, but he also intended to teach him the signature Body Flicker Technique that had earned him fame.
After watching Shisui leave, Izumi—who had been starving, thought she could finally eat.
However, she was soon pulled along by Yami, who bought a massive quantity of green peppers from the market. He then had Aburame Seiji and Yamanaka Ryo carry them to the orphanage.
Under Nonō's puzzled gaze, Yami, acting like a spoiled young master, ordered the orphanage's chef to stop preparing dinner and instead serve an all-green pepper banquet.
---
In Konoha, green peppers were one of the most hated foods—both by children and many adults.
Not only did they have a strong, distinct smell, but many found their taste unbearable, similar to how some people despised cilantro.
To make matters worse, most of Konoha's cooking methods involved boiling or steaming them plainly. Even if someone could tolerate the smell, the taste was atrocious.
The green peppers Yami had bought were essentially the entire market's stock.
Dish after dish of green peppers was served.
As Nonō lectured the children about the nutritional benefits of green peppers, they forced themselves to swallow the bitter meal, their expressions filled with agony.
Seeing this, Yami grinned and announced loudly, "Don't worry! I'll bring even more green peppers next week! Eat them without hesitation!"
"Waaaah!"
Finally, a young child couldn't hold back and burst into tears.
It was like a chain reaction—soon, wails and cries echoed throughout the orphanage.
Nonō and the caregivers scrambled to comfort the distraught children, while Yamanaka Ryo and Aburame Seiji's faces twitched uncontrollably.
Their young master… was truly wicked.
As expected of Danzō's grandson.
---
Yami chuckled in satisfaction.
[Congratulations, Host...]
(To be continued.)
**
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