Encounter

"C-Curse Priest, sir, he…"

"Why did the buff disappear?"

"That’s impossible!"

"It hurts so much, the backlash is here…"

"…"

The "Power of the Era" Reincarnators who had originally been empowered by the battlefield buff, as though under the effects of the Bloodlust Technique, had forced Kirigakure’s ninjas to the point where they could barely lift their heads.

As the black mist dispersed, the patterns on their bodies dimmed. One after another, they seemed to have been drained dry and immediately went limp.

The departure of that black mist had not merely taken away their buff; it had even taken a considerable amount of their own life force with it!

They themselves had been part of the materials sustaining this battlefield!

Under normal circumstances, the battlefield would give them feedback, and its absorption would be limited, so it would not have much effect.

But now that the battlefield had ended prematurely with the Curse Priest’s death, it immediately inflicted a tremendous backlash upon them.

While Xu Yue dealt with the Curse Priest, Mei Terumi had not remained idle either. She turned around and began assisting the Hidden Mist ninja suppressing the rebellion, who had nearly collapsed under the pressure.

With no opponent of equal standing left to restrain her, Mei Terumi’s kekkei genkai was truly unstoppable.

Whether it was the Taketori Clan or the weakened Reincarnators, none could withstand even a single exchange.

Especially after those Reincarnators discovered the true cause of the Curse Priest’s death, realization dawned upon them, and their faces filled with terror.

How could this have happened?

The Curse Priest had possessed a wide variety of methods, excelling in support and offense alike. With all sorts of strange techniques, his defense and ability to preserve his life had never been weak either.

His actual combat strength had been absolutely terrifying. Even an expert of the same rank might be instantly killed if they let their guard down!

That was why they had not been too worried about Muto and Japan’s Reincarnators.

But what was this situation now?

The Curse Priest, who had been at the height of his power and had suppressed the Fifth Mizukage single-handedly, had been beaten to death like a dead dog, without even the ability to struggle!

Their hearts were filled with despair, and even their will to resist faded away…

After resolving the Curse Priest, the greatest uncertain factor,

Xu Yue naturally would not let Mei Terumi steal all his points.

According to the interrogation of several Elite Reincarnators earlier, he needed to personally contribute more than twenty percent of the kills in order to obtain Shikotsumyaku.

He formed hand seals.

Wood Style…

Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!

Faced with a technique once wielded by the First Hokage reappearing in the world, even Mei Terumi stopped completely and stared blankly at the thriving rainforest.

Konoha, acknowledged as the number one village, truly lived up to its reputation!

Ding~ Suppress Rebellion triggered mission completed. Based on mission contribution, final rewards: B-Rank Plot Points*1, S-Rank Plot Points*1.

Ding~ Taketori Clan's Disappearance achievement mission completed. Reward: Kekkei Genkai—Shikotsumyaku.

As the last struggling Taketori Clan rebel fell, Xu Yue, whose Cat Face Mask was stained with a few traces of blood, received the notifications that both missions had been completed.

It had not been in vain that he had invested so much. The results were quite satisfactory.

First, he had acquired Mei Terumi’s Lava Release, triggering the S-Rank reward mission, and then obtained the Taketori Clan’s Shikotsumyaku.

This trip to the Land of Water had exceeded expectations. Although he had not obtained any new Tailed Beast Chakra, it had still been worth all the preparations he had specially made.

As for the thirteen laborers, they had not truly contributed much. But with the finishing-blow targets he had specifically provided, along with the Kage-level expert he had even deliberately dragged over for each of them to hit a few times so they could count as participants in the battle,

their final rewards had reached four to five B-Rank missions apiece.

Even for Xu Yue, these mission points were rewards worth casually farming. For these laborers, most of whom had barely seen any C-Rank Plot, they were utterly unbelievable.

After receiving their reward notifications, quite a few of them still looked dazed and foolish, unable to make sense of what had happened.

They could not help feeling that something must have gone wrong somewhere.

Yet through their rewards, Xu Yue could see that the Mission Space’s measures against farming missions were quite thorough.

He had captured so many people, even catching an expert and letting them stab him. Under normal circumstances, A-Rank Plot Points would not have been excessive, yet the Mission Space’s anti-farming mechanism had forcibly erased more than half the rewards.

Still, he had been prepared for that beforehand, and his intended goal had been achieved.

I’ll only spoon-feed you in this Mission Space once. If you can’t use the foundation I’ve provided to fight your way forward in future Mission Spaces, then you truly won’t deserve these rewards…

"Uchiha Yue, you truly live up to your reputation. This time, our Hidden Mist owes you a favor."

After the rebellion had been suppressed, Mei Terumi walked over from the devastated battlefield and thanked Xu Yue with a composed expression.

"Although you are a rogue ninja of Konoha, if you do not mind abandoning your reputation, you can hide your identity and live directly in Kirigakure."

The next moment, Mei Terumi extended an olive branch to Xu Yue.

Her nerve was truly extraordinary!

After wiping out four Hidden Mist ninja clans, Xu Yue had practically become a clan-massacring maniac.

Yet Mei Terumi still dared to take him in!

Of course, while it was risky, if the gamble paid off, then with the strength he had displayed, he would naturally become one of the village’s greatest trump cards.

Especially now, when the Fourth Mizukage was seriously injured and Utakata had defected, the village needed an expert of this caliber to stabilize people’s hearts.

"What else can you offer me? Yourself?"

Xu Yue did not pay much attention to Miss Mei Terumi’s recruitment. This mission had already progressed quite far, and in order to save on the extension time later, he could not stay in Hidden Mist for much longer.

"I can also provide another Boil Release."

Mei Terumi said somewhat unwillingly.

"Besides, neither man nor woman is married. It isn’t impossible for you to stay here, but you’ll have to let me see what you look like first."

Mei Terumi’s words left Xu Yue slightly speechless. This Fifth Mizukage really was going all out; she was even prepared to offer herself. Unfortunately, time was truly running out.

"Sorry, I still want to go elsewhere and test the limits of my own potential."

Xu Yue refused decisively, so decisively that Mei Terumi felt a burst of anger. That bastard—if she could beat him, she would definitely make him taste her power.

"Still, I think there may be something wrong with your Fourth. It would be better if you took the position and became the Fifth. We have worked together before, after all. If something comes up next time, as long as you offer sufficient benefits, it’s not as though I can’t consider it…"

Since Xu Yue wanted to continue his business of renting out Jinchuriki, he naturally would not easily abandon his current merchant identity.

Because of the unrest in Hidden Mist, gathering the goods had been somewhat slower, slightly affecting his itinerary.

But the impact was not significant. As it happened, it also made it convenient for him to go meet a few people…

A boy even more adorable than a girl, and a white-haired youth had their own encounter in a forest near the edge of the Land of Water.

"Lord Zabuza needs me. I can become Lord Zabuza’s weapon. That is the meaning of my life."

Haku, carrying a water jar on his back to fetch water, saw Kimimaro nearby. Seeing that he was still lost and wore the same gaze Haku himself had possessed before meeting Lord Zabuza, he calmly spoke of the meaning of his existence.

"Is that so? Then… what is the meaning of my life?"

Kimimaro’s face was full of confusion and emptiness.

"If you’re willing, why not come with—"

Before Haku could finish, another soft, magnetic, hoarse voice drifted over.

"That won’t do. He is a child I had my eye on first."

As the voice sounded, a figure stepped out from the shadows.

Orochimaru!

"Haku, why are you so slow?"

At the same time, Zabuza approached from the other side. Having failed in the rebellion, he was now a genuine rogue ninja as well.

When Zabuza saw Orochimaru appear, a grave look entered his eyes.

His hand unconsciously gripped the hilt of the Kubikiribōchō on his back.

After casting Zabuza an indifferent glance, Orochimaru had no interest in saying another word to him. He walked directly to Kimimaro’s side, reached out to brush aside Kimimaro’s hair, placed a hand against his cheek, and began instilling a new purpose into him.

"As long as a person lives, they will have a mission. As long as you survive, you can find your own purpose…"

"Teacher Orochimaru, you’re luring away minors again."

But at that moment, a gentle voice came from a treetop nearby, interrupting Orochimaru’s words.

It drew everyone’s attention.

A figure wearing a Cat Face Mask was crouched atop a tree branch, watching the scene with great interest…