Being able to fight alongside Yoru on the battlefield—that alone was the greatest affirmation Uzumaki Hiromi could hope for.
Brimming with motivation, Hiromi left the command tent and returned to treating the wounded of Kirigakure. Terumi Mei, meanwhile, pouted and muttered sarcastically,
"'With me around, there's no way you'll become a jinchūriki'... Ugh…"
Smack!
Another firm slap landed squarely on her shapely backside. Mei yelped, clutching her butt and quickly stepping aside, her face flushed red as she glared at Yoru.
Yoru walked past her and returned to his seat, his expression immediately turning serious.
"Captain Terumi Mei, is there any further business? If not, I need to resume my official duties."
"Ugh, you're so annoying!"
"The Nine-Tails' jinchūriki might be powerful, but there's no way Konoha would send her alone to the frontlines. There will definitely be backup. I'd appreciate it if Captain Mei kept tighter tabs on battlefield intel."
"I! GOT! IT!"
Red-faced and flustered—whether from anger or embarrassment—it was hard to tell, Mei vanished from Yoru's tent in a flash step, still rubbing her rear.
Yoru let out a small smile, but it quickly faded, replaced by a solemn expression.
[System Interface – Open]
"With my current strength, facing a jinchūriki with that much chakra and absurd regeneration... I'm simply not enough."
"Hyōrinmaru's ice binding has barely any effect on the Nine-Tails. A full-cast Kurohitsugi may look impressive, but it definitely won't be enough to one-shot Kushina… it might even cause her to go further berserk."
"To win this war… I need more power."
Yoru's gaze locked onto an item displayed prominently near the top of the system's exchange interface—faintly glowing with light.
[Zanpakutō: Hyōrinmaru (Bankai)]
That's right—Bankai.
In the Bleach power system, Bankai is the second and final release state of a Zanpakutō, following Shikai. It represents the complete manifestation of the sword's spirit and grants its wielder a massive leap in power.
Upon achieving Bankai, a Shinigami's reiryoku and combat strength undergo a qualitative leap—typically 5 to 10 times stronger than Shikai. On top of that, the abilities of the Shikai form are further enhanced to their peak potential.
If, in Shikai, Yoru already possessed Kage-level strength—and could rely on battlefield terrain advantages like water for elemental boosts…
Then with Bankai, he'd be on par with—or even beyond—those considered Super Kage-level.
No exaggeration: if he'd had Bankai during the fight against Jiraiya, he wouldn't have needed any diversions or support strategies. He could've gone in head-on—activate Daiguren Hyōrinmaru, and cut the man down in one go. No stalling. No dragging it out.
Yoru wanted to exchange for Hyōrinmaru's Bankai. But unfortunately…
He couldn't.
[Zanpakutō: Hyōrinmaru (Bankai)]
Item Rank: SS
Item Description: Unlock the full true name of Hyōrinmaru. Complete soul resonance with the Zanpakutō spirit.
Cost: 1,000,000 points (currently half price)
Thanks to the system's limited-time discount, the cost had dropped to 500,000 points.
Yoru's current balance?
410,000.
Still far short.
The war had brought brutal casualties to both sides. Kushina's single Tailed Beast Bomb had obliterated countless Kirigakure shinobi—but Yoru's Ice Release had done no less to Konoha's forces.
The massive Konoha death toll earned him nearly 200,000 points. Killing Jiraiya gave another 260,000.
"If only I hadn't exchanged for Shunō: Wrath of Winter… I'd almost have enough."
Had he skipped redeeming Shunō, his current balance would've been 460,000. Just 40,000 shy.
But that had been necessary—without Shunō, he had no chance against Sage Mode Jiraiya.
"So… if I can rack up another 90,000 points here on the battlefield, I can get it."
Yoru calculated silently. It wouldn't be easy—but not impossible either. It all depended on his luck.
If he managed to kill a few named characters from the original timeline and triggered side quests, the points would pile up fast. If all he faced were nameless extras… things might get tricky.
An elite jōnin nets 2,000 points.
To get 90,000?
He'd need 45 of them.
"Damn… maybe I should just open loot boxes!"
At 1,000 points each, he could open 410 boxes.
Come on—410 loot boxes. How could they not drop anything good?
He was seriously tempted to do it. But in the end, he held back.
It wasn't that Yoru lacked faith in his own luck. This was the same guy who had pulled Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi and Bakudō #81: Dankū from a box. His luck was legendary.
But what if the system messed with the drop rates behind the scenes?
"Never gamble against the house," he muttered.
He pushed the impulse aside, took a deep breath, and closed the interface—returning to paperwork.
With Jinnan Town obliterated, a huge breach had opened in Konoha's border defenses against Kirigakure.
To prevent a full-scale invasion, Konoha's forces hastily regrouped, focusing their manpower around Misawa Bridge.
"I can't believe that bastard Yuki Yoru has that kind of power… I've never seen Ice Release like that."
"He froze the entire town in moments. It was like a natural disaster…"
"That level of jutsu… I thought only the First Hokage could pull off something like that. And now this guy…"
"Don't compare him to the First Hokage! Yuki Yoru is just some punk from Kirigakure! How dare he—!"
"But… he killed Jiraiya-sama."
A cacophony of voices filled the Konoha command tent.
In one corner, Uchiha Shisui sat in silence, one eye closed as he quietly meditated.
The battle at Jinnan had been a brutal wake-up call.
These Kirigakure shinobi were far more dangerous than anything he'd ever encountered. He couldn't afford to let his guard down again.
Next time, it might not just be his right eye he lost.
It could be his life.
"Shisui, come outside for a moment."
A soft voice interrupted his focus.
Looking up, he saw Uchiha Fugaku waiting for him. Shisui followed without hesitation.
"What is it, Clan Head?"
Fugaku looked at Shisui's missing eye and sighed.
"You're done with this war. Go back to the village."
Shisui's brows furrowed.
"Why, Clan Head? I only lost one Sharingan—it's not like I'm gravely wounded. Jiraiya-sama gave his life for the village. I lost just an eye. How can I turn my back now—"
"It's not about your Sharingan."
Fugaku interrupted him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Just now… word came from the village. Your father's condition…"
"…It's bad."
"...What?!"