belamy20

66-70

Added 2024-10-16 10:18:12 +0000 UTC

*Chapter 66: Arrival at the Land of Water (Seeking Recommendation Votes)*

Thanks to Shiro's efforts, he had almost completely removed the seals on Fujiko Shizuka's body.

However, the remaining ones were in rather awkward places.

Even with Shiro's thick skin, he felt too embarrassed to use his palm-healing technique in those areas.

But the ones left wouldn't affect her ability to use ninjutsu, and unless Shizuka specifically checked, she wouldn’t even notice them.

"Now that the seals are undone, can you return to your village?" Shiro wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled slightly.

"Return to the village? Why would I return?" Fujiko Shizuka looked at Shiro with wide, innocent eyes.

Shiro was dumbfounded.

Although he had been taught since childhood that the prettier the girl, the less you should trust her, this situation was beyond anything he'd ever seen.

"Didn’t we agree that after I removed the seals, you would let me go?"

"Yes, I did say that. But we’re on the same path, so what can we do?"

Shiro's mouth twitched—he realized he had been tricked.

Just as he was about to explain, Shizuka spoke again, "After all you’ve done for me, do you really think you can just walk away?"

Shiro suddenly felt like no amount of explanation could clear his name.

He had only gotten so close to help remove the seals, maintaining his distance as much as possible. Yet, what he dreaded most still happened.

Shiro gave up; Fujiko Shizuka was stubborn. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have trained endlessly after Kagumo’s death.

Once she made up her mind, there was no turning back without something even more drastic happening.

So, Shiro stopped trying to convince her.

Now, Shiro had a "shadow," with Shizuka following him everywhere, even when he did mundane tasks like going to the bathroom, where he’d turn around to see her astonished face.

Seizing a moment when she wasn’t paying attention, Shiro quickly ran over to Suigetsu and wrapped one arm around his neck, while his other hand crackled with lightning.

"Suigetsu, I’m not unreasonable. Go convince them to leave, or maybe you’d like to try some electrotherapy?"

Suigetsu looked ready to cry, his body recoiling, afraid that Shiro’s Chidori might accidentally hit him.

"Why do you always make things so hard for me? Those two girls are so strong! If I go, I’ll just die!"

As Shiro held his Chidori, deep in a “friendly” discussion with Suigetsu, a crew member walked over, striding steadily.

When he saw Shiro with his arm around Suigetsu's neck, the crew member couldn’t help but shiver.

"Honorable guests, the ship has been repaired, and we’re ready to set sail at any time."

Shiro’s face lit up with joy. As long as the ship could leave, everything would be easier.

Before, Shiro had been worried that if they spent the night on the dock, something dangerous might happen, making it impossible to leave.

Noticing Shiro's movement, Fujiko Shizuka quickly ran over. But before she could speak, her eyes met Shiro’s blood-red pupils, and both she and Konoha suddenly froze in place.

Taking advantage of the moment, Shiro grabbed Suigetsu’s collar and rushed onto the ship.

Once the ship set sail, Shiro finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Shizuka snapped out of the illusion just as the ship was slowly departing, and her face darkened.

"That bastard, using genjutsu! But remember this: no matter where you run, I, Fujiko Shizuka, will find you and become your wife."

Konoha sighed helplessly.

After years of knowing her, she understood Shizuka’s personality. Once she set her mind on something, nothing could change it.

Besides, after observing for a while, it was clear that Shiro was definitely husband material for Fujiko Village!

After several days at sea, Shiro was lying on the deck, struggling to breathe.

"I should have stayed back there; this ship ride is torture! Ugh—"

By now, Shiro wasn’t just seasick but also suffering from several complications caused by it—hunger, dehydration...

Suigetsu, however, was calmly eating food and sipping water as he crouched in front of Shiro.

"It’s just a boat ride. Is it really that bad?"

Shiro twitched, forming hand signs with both hands. Suddenly, his body erupted with lightning, and Suigetsu, innocently eating his meal, was caught in the Chidori’s flow, his body convulsing.

"K-k-k-k-kid, how many times are you going to use your lightning release? You’ve already electrocuted all the fish in the ocean! Even if you’re not eating them, we can’t handle your lightning jutsu anymore..."

Shiro gave an awkward smile.

The deck was covered in seawater from the shocks.

Every time Shiro taught Suigetsu a lesson, the entire crew got an involuntary dose of electric shock.

Eventually, the deck was empty.

"Anyway, we’re almost at the Land of Water, so take it easy for a bit!"

Hearing the word "almost," Shiro’s eyes lit up, and he struggled to stand.

Sure enough, a large stretch of land appeared on the horizon, barely visible through the mist.

But as one of the Five Great Nations, the Land of Water’s dock was surprisingly devoid of ships.

"Shiro! Don’t—don’t jump!"

SPLASH!

Before Suigetsu could finish, he heard the sound of Shiro diving into the water.

Suigetsu's mouth twitched in exasperation as he reluctantly followed.

The ship’s captain, seeing the two of them jump off, was overjoyed. He turned and shouted toward the crew, "Quick! Turn the ship around! The devils are finally gone!"

The captain had suffered enough. Every day, he endured random doses of lightning with no way to protest.

What usually took ten days to sail had been reduced to five, thanks to Shiro’s constant urging.

From now on, Shiro would definitely be on the ship’s blacklist!

Shiro ran swiftly, no longer resembling the seasick man he had been on the deck. He was now like a ravenous beast that had finally spotted its prey.

Though Suigetsu had trained a bit over the past few days, his water-walking abilities were still far behind Shiro’s.

All he could do was watch as Shiro sped further ahead.

On the shore, three Mist Village ninjas were having a conversation when one of them stood up, frowning as they looked out to sea.

"Sir, look, two ninjas are approaching."

The one called "Sir" was a woman with long, orange-yellow hair that gave her a mature and alluring presence.

"Even though the internal situation in the Land of Water is chaotic, we don’t let other nations send spies so easily. Since they’re coming, make sure they stay."

The female ninja toyed with her hair, a wicked smile appearing on her lips.

"Understood! Shall we kill them?"

"No, capture them alive. Who knows what surprises we might find."

With that, the two male ninjas quickly performed hand signs, and a thick mist rolled in, hiding all three of them.

(End of chapter)

Chapter 67: Ambushed on the Beach (Please vote!)

Shiro ran to the beach and immediately collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.

After five days at sea, it felt amazing to finally be standing on solid ground.

"Humans are definitely meant to stand on the earth," he muttered.

About five minutes later, Suigetsu Hozuki stumbled onto the beach, panting. When he saw Shiro looking so satisfied, the corners of his mouth twitched.

"Hey! Do you have to jump off the boat every time?"

As soon as Suigetsu finished speaking, two figures suddenly sprang out.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

A huge water dragon spiraled in the air and shot straight toward Shiro.

Shiro frowned. He looked weak, but when it came to life and death, he didn’t mess around.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In an instant, five or six dozen clones appeared on the beach. However, as soon as they emerged, they collapsed like dead fish.

Shiro's mouth twitched. He hadn't expected his shadow clones to be so unreliable.

Since he couldn't rely on them, he had to depend on himself!

Dragging his exhausted body, Shiro began forming hand signs.

Since they used Water Dragon Jutsu, he'd fight fire with fire.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

A water dragon rose from the sea and twisted in the air before colliding with the enemy's dragon.

Boom!

The two dragons smashed into each other, sending water flying everywhere. But Shiro’s dragon remained standing tall, looking down at the two ninja with disdain.

"Let’s see how you like the Water Dragon Jutsu!"

"Damn, who is this kid? How does someone so young have such strong chakra?"

"What village is dumb enough to send a genius like this on an undercover mission? Did he tick someone off?"

Shiro’s water dragon relentlessly attacked the two ninjas. However, no matter how fast the water dragon was, it couldn’t match the speed of the ninjas’ movements. Every time it looked like the dragon might catch them, they dodged with ease.

"Just keep stalling. Let's see how long this kid can keep going," one of the ninjas sneered, effortlessly avoiding the water dragon.

As the water dragon swooped toward them again, a large sword suddenly slashed out from the dragon’s body, striking one of the ninjas directly.

"Damn it! There was someone inside! And that’s the Executioner's Blade!"

The remaining ninja tensed up. He hadn’t expected anyone to hide inside the water dragon. But when he saw Suigetsu’s body, he shuddered.

"The Hydrification Jutsu! I thought the entire Hozuki Clan was wiped out in the rebellion. Who is this guy?"

The Hozuki Clan had once been famous in Kirigakure. The Second Mizukage was from that clan. But after the Fourth Mizukage’s oppressive rule, many clans rebelled, including the Hozuki Clan, which was wiped out.

Shiro smiled faintly. He had many tricks up his sleeve, but against Kirigakure ninjas, Lightning Style worked best. Still, he was using Water Style on purpose to help Suigetsu train. After all, Shiro didn’t bring Suigetsu along to be dead weight but to support Mei Terumi.

"Shiro! Let's go for another round! I’ll take out the last one!" Suigetsu shouted.

"Alright, just make sure you time it right!" Shiro grinned as he sent the water dragon charging toward the ninja again, with Suigetsu lurking inside, ready to strike.

But just then, a massive water ball dropped from the sky.

Shiro’s pupils shrank. He abandoned control of the water dragon and quickly retreated.

The water ball hit the ground and rapidly expanded. Luckily, Shiro managed to dodge in time, but Suigetsu wasn’t so fortunate and got caught. Even with the Hydrification Jutsu, he struggled to escape its grasp.

"Not bad, kid," a soft voice said behind him.

Shiro shuddered as he felt soft hands wrap around him from behind, and something large and soft pressed against his back. A kunai was held against his throat, but Shiro just smiled.

"You missed your best chance to kill me!"

As he finished speaking, a faint blue electric light flickered across his body. The figure behind him was hit by the shock and twitched uncontrollably before melting into a puddle of water.

"A water clone?"

Shiro quickly activated his Sharingan. Fighting two Chunin was fine for training Suigetsu, but whoever was hiding in the shadows was definitely a Jonin. Even Shiro had to take this seriously.

Thick fog had settled around them, not so dense that you couldn’t see, but enough to hinder his Sharingan.

Shiro lacked the combat experience of a true Jonin, and in this tricky environment, he quickly found himself at a disadvantage.

"Wind Style: Whirlwind!"

Shiro took a deep breath, then blew a gust of wind that cleared the fog in front of him. A figure immediately tried to evade.

"Brown hair? A woman?"

Shiro wasn’t about to underestimate her just because she was a woman—any Jonin was dangerous.

Though the fog in front of him had cleared, it still lingered on both sides. As soon as the whirlwind dissipated, the fog thickened again.

"Damn it! If that’s how it’s gonna be, don’t blame me!" Shiro growled, forming hand signs before slamming his hands into the sand.

"Sand Style: Sand Burial!"

Waves of sand rippled outward from him, and his chakra drained rapidly. He couldn’t help but admire Gaara’s immense chakra reserves. This was nowhere near as powerful as Gaara’s technique.

Shiro closed his eyes, focusing on the vibrations from the sand.

"Gotcha! Let’s see you run now!"

The sand trembled violently for about ten seconds before settling.

"A Sand Ninja? With that much chakra at his age... Is it Gaara?"

A feminine voice echoed, but Shiro didn’t feel relieved.

"She’s still alive? Who is this woman?"

"Are you that eager for me to die, little brother? Too bad, I’m very much alive!" the voice teased as footsteps grew louder, echoing all around him.

"Damn it! Let’s do this again!" Shiro cursed as he prepared another Sand Burial, though his chakra was already running low.

But before he could react, a voice whispered right next to him.

"Too slow. I’m already here."

Shiro spun around in shock.

"Mei Terumi! The one with a hundred million bounty!"

(End of chapter)

Chapter 68: Cooperation (Please Vote for Recommendations)

"Mei Terumi! Stop! We're not enemies; I'm here to help you!"

Shiro came to the Land of Water with two main objectives: first, to secretly learn ninjutsu, and second, to help Mei Terumi end the Blood Mist era and ascend to the Mizukage's seat.

Of course, Shiro wasn’t doing this out of pure goodwill.

Even without his intervention, Mei Terumi would eventually become the Fifth Mizukage.

Shiro's plan was to make Mei owe him a favor, build his own influence, and disrupt Obito Uchiha’s plans.

His main goal was to use this chaotic battlefield to sharpen his combat abilities.

Since he recognized that this female ninja would be the future Fifth Mizukage, Shiro saw no need to continue fighting.

Upon hearing Shiro's words, Mei Terumi quickly backed away, putting some distance between them. Her beautiful eyes remained cautious as she eyed Shiro.

"Oh? You betrayed Konoha just to help me? Do you think I need your help?" Mei crossed her arms, smiling seductively.

"The Blood Mist claims lives every day. Even ending it one day sooner will save lives!"

Shiro wasn’t afraid of Mei not believing him.

The current Hidden Mist Village had been devastated for years and was on the verge of collapse. Countless Mist ninjas had died because of this.

With someone offering assistance, Mei Terumi would naturally be pleased.

"Your strength isn’t an issue, but I’m curious about what kind of person you are for Konoha to issue such a bounty."

Mei pulled a flyer from her chest and tossed it toward Shiro.

Shiro caught it, still feeling its warmth.

"What the—! One billion?! Where did she get that much money?!"

Shiro stared, dumbfounded, at the wanted poster in front of him.

Most of it was a self-portrait of him, but it depicted him as a hideous villain—someone who looked like a major criminal at first glance.

Beneath the portrait was a string of numbers, starting with a one, followed by eight zeros.

Shiro had never imagined that one day he’d be worth so much!

"They want you captured alive and safely escorted back to Konoha. You’ll be well-fed and unharmed. Otherwise, they’ll consider anyone who hurts you an enemy of the entire village. Did you abandon Konoha’s new Hokage for her to issue such a bounty?"

Shiro chuckled bitterly.

In some ways, yes, he really had abandoned Tsunade.

Reading the bounty details, Shiro felt a strange warmth in his heart.

"I’m here to help you, not to explain what happened between me and the Hokage. You don’t need to know that."

Mei was stunned for a moment, not expecting the boy in front of her to be so assertive.

But only someone strong and decisive could pull off something big.

That didn’t mean Mei Terumi would completely trust Shiro, though.

After all, anyone who completely trusted a ninja from an enemy village would have long since fed the fish at the bottom of the sea.

"Oh? So how exactly are you planning to help me?" Mei asked, intrigued.

"Kill the Fourth Mizukage!"

Mei’s body trembled, and then her face filled with anger.

"How dare you suggest killing our Mizukage right in front of me! Do you believe I won’t kill you right now?"

"Killing the Fourth is the only way to end the Blood Mist. Besides, do you really think the Yagura you know is still the same person?"

Mei touched her chin, deep in thought.

Yagura Karatachi had originally been a kind-hearted person, but he suddenly became cruel and ruthless.

Although the Mist Village had always suffered from internal strife, Yagura’s policies had far exceeded the scope of mere infighting.

Moreover, voices calling for Yagura’s removal were growing louder.

Just then, Suigetsu Hozuki appeared, dragging his Executioner's Blade behind him, leaving a deep groove in the ground.

"So, you guys know each other? Good thing my strikes earlier weren’t too deep, or else someone might’ve died."

Mei breathed a sigh of relief but furrowed her brows when she saw Suigetsu.

"Suigetsu? I thought you were dead."

"Don’t jinx me! As you can see, I’m still alive and kicking!" Suigetsu replied impatiently, glancing at Mei. He had survived, but his entire clan had perished, including his brother, Mangetsu Hozuki.

"Shiro, right? It seems you came well-prepared for the Hidden Mist. For the sake of the Hozuki Clan, I won’t kill you. So, what’s your plan?"

Suigetsu's arrival eased some of the tension in Mei's eyes.

"Kill the Fourth Mizukage and make you the Fifth!"

"Even if Yagura dies, the Mizukage seat won’t necessarily fall to me. And with your current strength, you think you can kill the Fourth?" Mei scoffed, her face full of disdain.

"Of course, we won’t kill him outright. You’ll help me get close to Yagura, and I’ll make him even crazier by pushing his policies to the extreme, forcing the major clans to the brink." Shiro paused and grinned wickedly at Mei.

Mei’s lips curled slightly, signaling that she understood his plan.

"Then I’ll subdue the clans, while you gain Yagura’s trust. Eventually..."

"Exactly! How does that sound?"

Mei’s face grew angrier, her eyes blazing with fire.

Suddenly, a huge water prison formed at Shiro’s feet, trapping both him and Suigetsu within it.

"You dare plot to kill our Mizukage? Such treason is unforgivable!" Mei declared, turning toward two nearby Chunin.

"You two, come here and arrest these spies. I’ll personally deliver them to Lord Mizukage!"

The two Mist ninja were momentarily stunned but quickly rushed over.

"Lady Terumi, why not just kill them if they’re spies?"

"Kill? One of them is a billion-dollar bounty, and the other is the last remnant of the Hozuki Clan with the Hydrification Technique. Capturing them alive is far more valuable than killing them!" Mei smiled seductively, blowing Shiro a kiss.

Suddenly, a thick mist spewed from her mouth, enveloping the two Mist ninja.

Ding! Recognized jutsu: Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique (Unable to use—no Kekkei Genkai)

The two Hidden Mist ninjas struggled, their clothes slowly dissolving until even the sound of their struggle ceased.

Mei dispelled the jutsu, and the two had completely vanished.

The water prison holding Shiro and Suigetsu disappeared.

"What... just happened?" Shiro muttered, bewildered.

"Don’t worry about it. Those two were Yagura’s spies. If this plan leaks, we’re both dead, so better safe than sorry." Mei yawned as if what she’d just done was of little consequence.

"Let’s head back to the village first. We’ll need to plan this out carefully."

Chapter 69: A Powerless Suigetsu (Please Vote)

It turns out that Terumi Mei had been acting the whole time, just to throw the other two off guard.

Shiro almost used his Chidori Stream, but fortunately, he stopped himself just in time.

At that moment, Shiro’s stomach growled loudly, and he couldn’t help but collapse to the ground.

“Lady Terumi Mei, can we talk after I get something to eat? I’m really thirsty and hungry right now.”

Terumi Mei gave Shiro a helpless look.

This was the same person who had almost killed her just moments ago.

“But there’s nothing to eat right now.”

“Wait here!” Shiro smiled and then ran out to the sea.

“Chidori!”

With a shout, electric sparks flew, and soon, fish began floating belly-up on the surface.

In no time, Shiro came back carrying a dozen fish.

Suigetsu Hozuki had, at some point, gathered a pile of dry wood and was looking eagerly at the fish.

“Shiro, Shiro, I want five this time!”

“You just ate, and Lady Terumi Mei is here too. You can only have two.”

“Shiro! I hate you!”

Terumi Mei chuckled helplessly, waving her hand dismissively. “You guys eat. I’m not hungry.”

It wasn’t that Terumi Mei wasn’t hungry.

As someone from a coastal ninja village, she had grown up eating fish her whole life.

And Shiro didn’t look like someone who could make anything particularly tasty.

Soon enough, the fish were slowly roasting over a low fire, and a tempting aroma filled the air.

When Shiro sprinkled some special seasonings on the fish, the scent became even more irresistible.

Terumi Mei, who had eaten fish all her life, couldn’t help but swallow hard.

“Lady Terumi Mei, why don’t you try one?”

As soon as Shiro offered the fish to Terumi Mei, Suigetsu shot him a murderous glare. But after seeing Shiro’s look, Suigetsu quickly backed down.

“No, thanks!” Terumi Mei shouted defiantly, but her mouth had already watered, and she accidentally sprayed it all over Shiro’s face.

Her face flushed red for a moment, but she tried to remain calm. She picked up a fish and took a small bite.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up as if she had discovered a new world.

Bite after bite, she quickly finished the whole fish.

Without waiting for Shiro to offer another, she reached out and grabbed a second fish herself.

This time, she didn’t bother with small bites and devoured it in no time.

When she reached for a third fish, she realized both of them were staring at her. Her face turned red again, but she didn’t back down.

“These fish were sprayed with my saliva earlier. You wouldn’t still want to eat them, would you?”

“I don’t really mind,” Suigetsu said, reaching for the fish, but he quickly withdrew his hand when he saw Terumi Mei’s murderous glare.

Suigetsu’s fingers trembled as he looked pleadingly at Shiro.

Shiro chuckled and ran back to the sea again.

With another flash of electricity, he came back with another batch of fish.

As the new fish were roasting, Shiro noticed Terumi Mei licking her lips, looking eager.

“Lady Terumi Mei, if you want more, just take them. Please don’t spray me again.”

Terumi Mei’s face turned bright red, all the way down to her neck.

“If you don’t shut up, what I spray next won’t be saliva!”

Shiro shuddered.

Terumi Mei was one of the rare ninja with two bloodline abilities, capable of using both the Boil Release and Lava Release techniques! She could even melt the armor of the Susano’o, let alone Shiro’s body.

“Suigetsu, you can only have one skewer!”

“Why! Why can I only have one? That’s not fair!”

Shiro smiled, raising his right hand as electric arcs flickered around it.

“Fine…”

Shiro nodded in satisfaction, completely ignoring Suigetsu’s pitiful expression.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Shiro lay contentedly on the beach.

Terumi Mei, still licking her fingers, moved closer to him.

“I didn’t expect someone so young to be such a good cook. Your future wife will be lucky.”

Shiro rolled his eyes at her.

Why were women in the ninja world like this? Could one grilled fish really land you a wife? Shouldn’t you need a house, a car, and savings? And even then, dealing with the bride price would be tough for most people.

“I’m still young. Why think about such things?”

Terumi Mei smiled and put her hands on Shiro’s shoulders, teasing him, “What about me? I may be a bit older, but I know how to take care of people!”

Shiro shivered again.

That "Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique" came from her mouth, and if he upset her, she could vaporize him on the spot!

“Let’s head to the village first.”

“Aw, don’t be in such a rush. At least teach me how to grill fish first!”

When they entered Kirigakure, the village was still shrouded in mist.

This time, they didn’t bring Suigetsu Hozuki with them.

That Decapitating Carving Knife of his was too famous and too conspicuous.

If he entered the village, he’d be spotted right away.

There weren’t many people in the village, and the few they encountered all looked tired.

Some even wore expressions of sorrow.

“This is the real Kirigakure, where ninja are sacrificed all the time. Those who die for the village or their families become mere casualties.”

Shiro forced a bitter smile.

Since the days of the Bloody Mist, the Hozuki clan had been wiped out, the Kaguya clan had perished, and the village was steeped in death and sorrow.

If all the clans had united against Yagura, there might have been a chance to stop him.

But none of the clans wanted to be the first to rise up. By the time they realized they were being weakened one by one, it was too late to act.

“This is our temporary base. We change locations every week, so we don’t have to worry about being found by the Anbu.”

Shiro looked at the so-called base in front of him and awkwardly laughed.

It wasn’t much of a base—just a few thatched huts, and the roofs even had holes in them.

Inside, a few ninja were resting on the ground.

A boy wearing glasses caught Shiro’s attention.

“Chojuro!”

When Chojuro heard his name, he immediately turned his head.

“Lady Terumi Mei, who’s this?”

Terumi Mei smirked and took a few steps back. “A friend. A friend from the Land of Fire!”

“Right, I’m here…”

Before Shiro could finish his sentence, he noticed that everyone in the room had stood up.

Their eyes, like those of hungry wolves, were fixed on him.

Everyone’s hands were already on their ninja pouches, clearly not giving him a warm welcome.

Shiro looked helplessly at Terumi Mei.

But Terumi Mei acted like she didn’t see anything. She sat down on a chair, playing with her hair, as if silently cheering him on.

“Damn! I’ve been set up again!”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 70: Rasengan Combined with Chidori Senbon (Requesting Votes)

Chojuro took down the twin swords from his back, revealing a short sword wrapped in layers of bandages. Shiro didn’t dare let his guard down for a second.

This twin sword was the Hiramekarei.

As one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Chojuro paired with the Hiramekarei becomes more powerful the longer the fight drags on!

Back then, Chojuro used this very technique to blast Uchiha Sasuke, who had already activated his Susano’o, into the air.

His strength could not be underestimated.

Meanwhile, several nearby ninja prepared to rush in, but a man raised his hand to stop them and stepped forward himself.

Shiro wasn't feeling pleased at all.

Because this man was Ao! One of Mei Terumi’s closest allies.

He wore an eyepatch over his right eye, but underneath was a Byakugan!

Because of that, Ao was always a wanted criminal in the Hidden Leaf Village.

Ao and Chojuro stood on either side of Shiro, both fully prepared for battle.

Shiro gave a wry smile.

The Mist Village was truly a land of warriors.

Every ninja who graduated from their academy had to kill one of their classmates.

Although ten years ago, Zabuza Momochi had slaughtered an entire class on his own, forcing the village to change the rules, the Mist's bloodthirsty nature was still very much alive.

If you tried to avoid a fight, you’d be seen as weak and get bullied by the Mist ninja.

"Since you're here, let's go! Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In an instant, the cramped room was filled with over a dozen shadow clones.

Chojuro rushed in without hesitation, his sword slashing through several shadow clones, causing them to burst apart.

At the same time, Ao formed hand signs, gathering droplets of water onto his fingertips.

"Water Style! Azure Dragon Hand!"

Ding! Jutsu recognized: Water Style – Azure Dragon Hand (without Byakugan support, no pressure point effect).

A droplet of water flew straight at Shiro, piercing through two shadow clones along the way.

Shiro didn’t dare take the hit head-on and quickly dodged.

The droplet grazed Shiro, piercing his clothes.

Before Shiro could regain his footing, Chojuro was already upon him with his Hiramekarei.

“Damn, he’s fast!”

Shiro swiftly formed hand signs, and sparks of electricity erupted from his body.

“Lightning Style! Chidori Stream!”

Just as Chojuro was about to strike, the arcs of lightning hit him directly, forcing him to retreat.

The spot where he was struck had already turned black and charred.

“Damn it, this Leaf ninja is tough!”

No sooner had Chojuro spoken than a dozen lightning-infused needles shot toward him. He tried to dodge, but one needle managed to hit his arm.

His arm immediately went numb, making it difficult to control his chakra.

At that moment, five of Ao’s water clones rushed toward Shiro, surrounding him.

Shiro's body began to swell until it reached its limit.

Boom!

The explosion’s shockwave blew off the roof, and Ao’s water clones were shattered instantly.

“Such speed! When did he set this up? This kid is terrifying. If we give him time to grow, he’ll be the next White Fang of the Leaf Village!”

Hiding behind a tree, Shiro gritted his teeth, watching the scene inside the wrecked building.

“Damn it, taking on both of them at once... I’m going to lose if this keeps up!”

Shiro knew all too well that with Ao’s Byakugan, hiding wouldn’t work for long.

To defeat them, and maybe more, he needed a jutsu that was both fast and powerful!

“Looks like I have no choice! System, combine Rasengan and Chidori Senbon!”

Ding! Jutsu recognized. Combining Rasengan with Chidori Senbon (success rate: 30%, failure rate: 69%, jutsu mutation chance: 1%). Proceed with combination? (Remaining attempts: 2)

Compared to the Flying Thunder Break from before, this success rate was much higher.

With three attempts, there was a good chance it would work at least once, so it was worth a try.

The chance of a jutsu mutation remained at 1%, seemingly a fixed value.

"Combine!"

Ding! Combining... please wait!

Ding! Combination failed. Try again! (Remaining attempts: 1)

Shiro furrowed his brow. After completing several tasks, he had finally earned a chance to combine techniques, and now it was gone.

This made him feel a painful regret.

But there was no time to hesitate. Clenching his teeth, he shouted:

“Combine again!”

Ding! Recognizing jutsu: Rasengan with Chidori Senbon (success rate: 30%, failure rate: 69%, jutsu mutation chance: 1%). Proceed with combination? (Remaining attempts: 1)

"Combine!"

Ding! Combining jutsu!

Ding! Jutsu combination successful! (Remaining attempts: 0)

Ding! You have obtained the jutsu, Lightning Style: Spiral Needle!

Shiro’s face lit up with joy.

Not only had the combination succeeded, but the resulting jutsu was exactly what he had imagined.

Both were needle-based jutsu.

While Chidori Senbon was fast, plentiful, and could block chakra points, its attack power was too low. If it didn’t hit a critical point, it couldn't turn the tide of battle.

The paralysis effect of lightning chakra also wore off quickly.

But the Spiral Needle was different.

It added the spinning power of the Rasengan to the Chidori Senbon, boosting its piercing strength and explosive impact.

If it hit a vital point, it could even kill in one strike!

With his new jutsu, Shiro’s confidence surged. He leapt out, tauntingly staring down his two opponents.

Chojuro, who had been ready to charge forward, quickly retreated, seeking help from Ao with his eyes.

“Ao, is this kid setting a trap?”

Ao scanned the area with his Byakugan several times before nodding slightly.

“No ambush detected, but I don’t know why he’s so confident.”

“If there’s no ambush, then fine. You provide support from a distance; I’ll take him out.”

Shiro smirked as Chojuro charged toward him.

He rapidly formed hand signs.