Uchiha Sasuke still hadn't figured out his next move, but he'd already carved Shimura Danzo's name onto his kill list.
As for Kaede Kitahara, venting in his diary was all he could do. Plenty of people used diaries to expand their empires, so why couldn't he use his to curse people out? Completely reasonable, right?
He sighed at himself. As a transmigrator, he was embarrassingly weak. Other transmigrators his age were already punching Uchiha Madara and kicking Otsutsuki. Meanwhile, he was still stuck turtling and growing slowly.
That was the gap in pure strength.
Thankfully, he'd been reborn into this world early and had long ago accepted he was, at best, painfully average. If not for this sudden diary system, he probably would've lived out his entire life as a nobody.
Provided he hid in a safe place and avoided the future swarm of monsters, of course.
No grand ambition, no fiery declaration of "I'll replace him," just survival.
After putting his diary away, Kaede kept watch while compressing chakra in his palm, shaping it just like he remembered from the anime's Rasengan training method. His learning speed was already far better than Uzumaki Naruto's. It didn't take long before his swirling chakra started to resemble the technique.
Once he fused standard Uchiha blood into his body, Kaede became a genius in every sense. His ninjutsu learning speed jumped several levels. The three techniques he already knew improved almost without training. What had once been simple familiarity turned into genuine mastery. More power, faster execution.
He wasn't used to learning things this easily.
On the third day, the group reached the small town marked in their mission details. According to intel, Suzuki Ryuto was hiding here.
"Intel says Suzuki Ryuto disguised himself as a hot-spring owner. This place should be one of Orochimaru's information posts." Kaede skimmed the mission report. "We're going in. Try not to make a scene."
He didn't want a large commotion. In this world, the relationship between civilians and shinobi wasn't nearly as harmonious as the manga made it look. Many shinobi weren't good people to begin with.
They were trained killers. Six-year-olds entered the academy, and twelve-year-olds graduated straight onto a battlefield. With that upbringing, how many of them could be mentally healthy?
Shinobi had a high percentage of unstable minds. Many had wiped out villages, even cities. Civilians lived under constant tension.
Shinobi needed civilians for resources, so civilians were tolerated. That was the only reason they weren't wiped out.
In the Land of Fire, because of Konoha's founding ideals, relations were better. But there were countries where civilians and shinobi were practically enemies.
Civilians admired shinobi, feared them, and envied them.
Since this mission was inside their own country, Kaede didn't want to frighten anyone unnecessarily.
Hyuga Keiko activated her Byakugan, scanning the hot-spring inn.
Kaede had to admit it. Byakugan was ridiculously useful. Who said it wasn't as good as the Sharingan? The Byakugan was amazing.
"Captain, confirmed. There's a chakra source at elite Chunin level inside. That should be Suzuki Ryuto. Besides him, I sense three Genin. They're probably the stationed intel squad."
A moment later, Keiko closed her Byakugan.
"Take them all out."
Kaede nodded. "I'll handle it. You two stay outside and watch the exits. If anyone escapes, kill them."
"Got it."
Amakusa Ryuji nodded. After several battles he could see it clearly. Kaede's growth was absurd. Originally Kaede had only barely outpaced him. Now he couldn't even see the gap.
Even their previous instructor, the newly promoted Tokubetsu Jonin Akai Akimoto, probably wasn't Kaede's match anymore.
Kaede didn't say anything else and stepped inside. He activated his Sharingan immediately.
Since his teammates weren't with him, there was no need to hide it. With the Sharingan open, his perception sharpened significantly. Not as precise as the Byakugan, but enough to sense chakra clearly.
"Welcome, sir—"
A staff member stepped forward but froze when he saw Kaede's clothing. Konoha attire. His face twitched before he forced it still. He thought he'd managed to stay calm. A young ninja, alone, wasn't necessarily dangerous.
Kaede glanced at him.
The man collapsed, his mind snared instantly.
A moment later, Kaede slit his throat with a kunai.
The inn wasn't actually open to the public at all. Only Suzuki Ryuto and three intel ninjas were inside. Perfect for Kaede's purposes.
Against ordinary Genin, Kaede's strength was overwhelming. His combat power rivaled elite Jonin. For Genin, it was pure annihilation.
He didn't even need refined jutsu. Simple techniques were enough to crush them.
Unless he faced a Jonin-level enemy, there was no challenge.
Before long, the three Genin lay dead at his feet.
He found Suzuki Ryuto soon after. This time, he refrained from using the Sharingan. He needed Ryuto's head for proof, and Anbu procedures usually required the Yamanaka Clan to read the target's memories.
He had no intention of exposing his Sharingan to anyone else yet.
"You… who are you?" Suzuki Ryuto panicked the moment Kaede stepped into the hidden chamber.
He was a pudgy middle-aged man who used to have elite Chunin strength under Orochimaru, but years of desk work had dulled him badly.
Kaede didn't even pause. In one fluid motion, he drove his kunai straight through Ryuto's throat.
"How… is this possible…"
Suzuki Ryuto died without understanding how he was defeated so easily.