Naruto: The Scourge

Seeing Kushina being chased by a group of genin, Yuji remained expressionless. He hadn't intended to intervene. His first act of intervention had been driven purely by the stirring of old memories, a moment of emotional impulse. Since then, he turned a blind eye to his classmates' bullying of Kushina. In reality, however, every boy who tried to bother Kushina always came away humiliated, which was why they had sought help from a genin this time.

But these matters had nothing to do with him… People ultimately must rely on themselves to protect their own.

After glancing in their direction, Yuji continued forward. His path was the opposite of the direction Kushina had chosen to flee.

From his perch in the trees, Minato watched Yuji walk away, his eyes filled with contemplation. Over the past six months, Minato had seemingly gained some understanding of Yuji, even though they had exchanged only a few words.

"What kind of person are you...?"

Minato withdrew his gaze, exerted force with his legs, and leaped to another tree, bounding after Kushina. When he arrived, he saw Kushina's hair being yanked by Matsushita, her fiery red strands taut in his grip as she staggered forward, enduring the pain.

"I... I hate this hair too, but it's still part of me!"

Kushina turned around, gritting her teeth and glaring angrily at Matsushita, who was momentarily stunned, staring at the strands of hair in his hand.

Minato, hidden in the trees, watched silently. This was her strength—different from Yuji's kind of strength.

And what about my strength… where does it come from?

Returning home, Yuji still didn't see any trace of Orochimaru. After spending seven or eight months in the village, he had seen Orochimaru less than twenty times. Every time Yuji wanted to ask Orochimaru about chakra, the exhaustion etched on Orochimaru's face forced him to hold back.

The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. With the titles of Hokage's disciple and one of the Sannin, Orochimaru seemed to have been executing missions nonstop since the end of the Second Shinobi War.

This man had his eyes on the position of Hokage and was working tirelessly toward it.

The vastness of Orochimaru's home made it feel empty and cold, but it was still the only place where Orochimaru could truly rest. In such an exhausted state, how could Yuji find the courage to bring up his questions?

Upon returning, Yuji changed into casual clothing and prepared a simple meal, eating alone.

Though simple, the food was plentiful.

In no time, he devoured the meal and cleaned up before heading to the courtyard. The old tree there now served as a target for throwing practice.

Thud!

With a casual toss, the kunai hit the bullseye.

One, two, three…

For over an hour, Yuji practiced tirelessly, never missing the mark—a testament to the results of six months of rigorous training. His consistency was impeccable, though his strength lacked the power of an adult, which also affected his speed. But these shortcomings didn't concern him. As his body grew, his strength would naturally improve.

After kunai practice, Yuji proceeded with his daily physical training—push-ups, sit-ups, and lifting stone weights.

Anything that could enhance his physical abilities, he forced himself to do. After every session, he needed another meal to replenish his energy, though food could not relieve his mental fatigue.

After finishing his training, Yuji took a shower, washing away the sweat, and headed to the kitchen to prepare another meal. Each day followed this unchanging cycle, with no clear end in sight.

Six months was neither too long nor too short…

But in these six months, Yuji constantly thought about the other world, while forcing himself to forget the passage of time. He reminded himself repeatedly: six months here would only mean a few minutes there.

Patience was key—he understood that well.

After preparing his meal, Yuji sat down, his sore arms shaking slightly as he ate. Halfway through the meal, his physical discomfort began to fade.

Yuji couldn't fully comprehend his body's peculiarities, but it didn't stop him from utilizing them. Thanks to this trait, he had managed to persist through his routine.

Though the energy from the food wasn't enough to completely eliminate his soreness, it eased about 60-70% of the pain, allowing him to sleep soundly later.

Tap…

As Yuji ate, a faint sound came from the entrance.

"Hm?"

Pausing mid-bite, Yuji raised his head slightly and muttered, "Orochimaru's back?"

He set down his chopsticks and walked toward the entrance, where he saw Orochimaru changing his shoes.

"You're back," Yuji said, looking at Orochimaru's back.

Orochimaru nodded slightly, paused for a moment, and sniffed the air, detecting the aroma wafting from the dining area. He suddenly asked, "Is there food left?"

"There's a little. If it's not enough, I can make more," Yuji replied.

Orochimaru glanced at him briefly and said indifferently, "No need."

With that, he headed straight for the dining area.

Yuji didn't follow him immediately but instead went to the kitchen to get a set of utensils for Orochimaru. When he brought them over, Orochimaru was already seated at the table, still in his mission attire.

Yuji handed him the utensils and watched as Orochimaru ate slowly and methodically.

The food was sparse, so Yuji ate what was left in his own bowl and didn't touch the rest.

Orochimaru cast a subtle glance at Yuji, silently finishing his meal.

Minutes later, not even scraps remained. The thoroughly emptied dishes hinted at how hungry Orochimaru truly was, contrary to his outward demeanor.

Yuji had never considered what it would be like to share this cold, empty house with someone else. Now, it didn't seem so bad.

After setting down his bowl and chopsticks, Orochimaru looked at Yuji, who had been watching him since the moment he ate his last bite.

"Orochimaru, teach me how to control chakra."

That night, Yuji could no longer suppress his desire and directly asked Orochimaru to teach him chakra control.

"The academy will teach you," Orochimaru said flatly, his voice as raspy as ever.

"I want to learn now," Yuji said firmly.

A flicker of surprise crossed Orochimaru's eyes. He was fully aware of Yuji's performance at the academy and his daily rigorous training. Orochimaru could also sense Yuji's intense desire to master chakra. However, Yuji had always kept this desire in check. For him to suddenly bring it up, there must be a reason.

What that reason was, Orochimaru had no interest in knowing.

"You've already begun forming chakra within your body," Orochimaru replied calmly, looking at Yuji.

______________________________________________

If you want 20 chapters ahead, check out my Patreon: 

patreon.com/PureParadox