WEEKLY POWER GOALS đđ„ 30â2ch | 60â5ch | 100â8ch | 200â15ch | 400â25châ° Resets Monday!
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The next day, Konoha Hospital.
Ding! Treatment successful. Congratulations, Host, for obtaining ăFire Style: Great Fireball Techniqueă!
"Ugh. Why'd I get such a useless thing?"
Qianyu muttered under his breath and turned towards another hospital bed.
"Useless thing?"
The patient on the bed looked bewildered. How did this doctor know his wife's pet name for him?
Ding! Treatment successful. Congratulations, Host, for obtainingâŠ
Ding! Treatment successful. Congratulations, Host, for obtaining ăEarth Style: Earth-Style Wallă!
"Huh? Finally, a decent drop!"
The latest system notification flashed. Qianyu's spirits lifted.
After treating so many patients, he'd finally been rewarded with a B-rank jutsu.
With his perfect chakra control, creating original jutsu wasn't hard.
But creating something practical in a short time, something that could surpass techniques refined over countless generations? That, Qianyu couldn't do yet. It required true creativity. It was like knowing how to use all sorts of mathematical formulas perfectly versus inventing a new one from scratch. WellâŠ
"Alright. That's enough healing for today."
Qianyu nodded, satisfied, and headed for the exit. Right at the hospital door, he ran into Nawaki, who was looking for him.
"Seriously, Qianyu," Nawaki complained. "We're about to head to the Land of Rain as reinforcements, and you're still finding time to volunteer here?"
"A healer's heart. You wouldn't get it," Qianyu rolled his eyes and strode past him.
"Hey, Qianyu, wait up!"
Nawaki hurried after him, blocking his path with a mysterious grin. "Guess who our third teammate is?"
"Who?" Qianyu asked, hands behind his head, sounding bored.
"It's Kosuke Maruboshi!" Nawaki shook Qianyu's shoulders excitedly. "That genin with the insane Water Style!"
"Kosuke Maruboshi?!" This time, Qianyu was genuinely surprised.
Maruboshi was a Konoha legend.
In his youth, overeagerness led to the deaths of two comrades. He swore to the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, that he'd remain a genin for life. But his actual skill far surpassed that of an ordinary jĆnin.
In his long career as a genin, he'd partnered with countless famous shinobiâthe Second and Third Hokage, the White Fang, the Sannin⊠all the big names. A real clout-chaser, just like Shiranui Genma. Everyone jokingly called him the 'Eternal Genin.'
"But doesn't Kosuke-senpai only take simple, genin-level missions?" Qianyu asked, puzzled. Wasn't this old-timer strictly a casual player, avoiding ranked matches?
"Tch~" Nawaki waved a hand, puffing out his chest smugly. "Senpai's sort of my grand-uncle's half-disciple. My big sister went to ask him personally. You think she couldn't get him to agree?"
"Damn, kid. Cut the crap," Qianyu said, giving Nawaki a light punch on the shoulder.
âŠ
One week later. The Land of Rain.
A battlefield for the great nations, this country seemed to weep without end. A constant, drizzling rain fell.
Three figures moved swiftly through the rainy night, their footsteps splashing in the puddles, sending ripples across the waterlogged ground.
"Didn't expect them to hand us an A-rank mission right off the bat. The fighting here must be pretty intense," Nawaki said, tightening the straw raincoat around him, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Qianyu glanced at him but didn't reply.
This was his first mission as a proper combat unit, and starting at A-rank⊠he felt a little nervous.
But after getting his hands dirty with Wugang and the others, the idea of killing didn't burden him much anymore.
"Indeed. While Konoha and Iwa have no intention of all-out war, after fighting in the Rain for so long, both sides have real anger brewing," a voice answered Nawaki.
The speaker was a middle-aged man who looked weathered beyond his years, carrying a large pot on his back.
This old-timer, who resembled a ninja turtle, was their teammate for this missionâKosuke Maruboshi.
Despite being just a genin, Kosuke's information network was even better than Qianyu's or Nawaki's. He understood the current war situation exceptionally well.
"Kosuke-senpai, Nawaki and I lack your combat experience. Perhaps you should take command for the upcoming operation," Qianyu suggested.
"Me? Command?" Kosuke Maruboshi's steps faltered. Hesitation flashed across his face.
"Yes! Please, analyze the mission for Qianyu and me first," Nawaki chimed in.
"I⊠Alright. Thank you both for trusting me."
Kosuke smiled wryly. Being treated as just a genin for so long, he'd started to believe it himself.
But looking at the two boys' expectant faces⊠he saw his two young comrades from long ago, the ones who used to look up to him. Instinctively, he straightened his posture.
"Our intelligence operative, codenamed 'Miko,' intercepted vital information from Iwagakure not long ago. During her retreat, she was pursued by an Iwa squad. Our mission is to retrieve that intelligence and deliver it to the communications unit."
"Notably," Kosuke warned, "due to the intel's importance, the pursuing Iwa squad likely includes members of their Explosion Corps."
"The Explosion Corps?" Qianyu's expression turned grave.
The Iwa Explosion Corps was akin to Konoha's ANBU. Its members were elites among elites. Shinobi like Deidara and Gari were part of it.
"Wait!" Nawaki spotted an issue. "Our mission is just to get the intel? What about our comrade from the intelligence division? The operative?"
âŠ
Inside a narrow, rocky valley.
Five or six figures shot forward like comets chasing the moon. Murderous intent was plain on their faces, eyes locked on the woman fleeing ahead.
All six, including the woman, wore Iwagakure uniforms. But one man's attire was a darker shadeâthe distinctive combat gear of the Explosion Corps.
"You thief! You think you can steal Iwa's intel and escape? Earth Style: Earth-Style Spears!"
An Iwa-nin roared, leaping up. He ran along the steep cliff face, landed a short distance behind the woman, and slammed his palms into the ground.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Dense stone spikes erupted from the earth like bamboo shoots after rain. The ground shook violently.
The woman ahead dodged frantically. She barely avoided the spears but was thrown off balance by the trembling earth.
"Earth Style: Rock Darts!"
Another Iwa-nin moved swiftly, hands forming seals. A sharp stone spear shot from the ground, aimed directly at the off-balance woman.
"Ungh!"
The woman grunted. The stone spear grazed her thigh, tearing away a chunk of flesh.
Yet, in the next instant, the wound on her thigh closed miraculously.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Iwa-nin, expecting her to fall, misjudged. Their attacks landed where she had been. Seizing the chance, the woman burst forward with renewed speed, putting distance between them again.
"Dammit!" an Iwa-nin cursed under his breath.
Are you a spy or a damn medic-nin? How do you know a high-level medical ninjutsu like Mystical Palm Technique?
A moment ago, before the attack landed, the woman had predicted where she'd be hit, concentrated a massive amount of chakra there, and healed the wound the instant it appeared.
"Do not rush. Be patient with your prey. She doesn't have much chakra left to burn."
The silent member of the Explosion Corps finally spoke.
"Yes, KĆ«go-sama!"
The other Iwa-nin responded, regaining their composure.
And just as KĆ«go said, after the relentless chase, the woman's stamina was nearly gone. Her vision began to blur and double.
"Just finish this mission⊠just finish it⊠the children will have new clothesâŠ"
The woman murmured to herself, forcing her focus.
When she said "the children," a light returned to her dim eyesâlike a person in a desert spotting water.
Lord DanzĆ promised her. If she completed this mission, he would provide a large donation to the orphanage. Enough for the children to live carefree for a long time.
Thinking of the children's happy smiles when they received new clothes⊠even in this desperate situation, a faint, content smile touched her lips.
BOOM!
The ground beneath her feet exploded.
Rocks and dirt flew. The shockwave threw her into the air. She slammed hard against the nearby cliff wall.
"Cough! Cough!"
She landed in a battered heap on the ground, blood gushing uncontrollably from her mouth.
Tap. Tap.
KĆ«go led the Iwa-nin as they closed in, surrounding her. They looked down at her crumpled form with cold indifference.
"Children⊠the Headmistress might not make it back⊠I hope you all⊠grow up safe and soundâŠ"
Seeing the boiling murderous intent in the Iwa-nin's eyes, the woman slowly closed her own. A tragic, beautiful smile settled on her face.
For the orphanage children, she'd been forced to risk her life, again and again. She was so tired. She just wanted to rest nowâŠ
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