Ten Deaths, No Life

"What a frustrating situation."

Young Bro sighed. "I admired you and wanted to recruit you. But the moment you accept my offer, you'll no longer be worthy of my admiration."

"That's right."

"But if a person can stay alive, that's ultimately something to be grateful for.

"Life is precious and beautiful. To survive, you'll always have to give something up—say, my admiration for you."

Uchiha Jiang Feng smiled faintly. "From the sound of it, if I refuse, you'll kill me."

"Not just you. All of you."

Young Bro raised a hand and pointed at each of them in turn—Jiang Feng, Tsunade, and the rest. "I didn't bring this many people deep into the Land of Fire just to stand around and shoot the breeze."

After a pause, Young Bro added, "This is also a sign of respect for you."

Two years ago, Lao Da had merely admired Jiang Feng. Now, he respected him. Jiang Feng had lived up to the talent that had once caught Lao Da's attention, growing into a powerful fighter who could face him in battle.

Eliminating a young Konoha prodigy before the war began would be immensely significant.

"You seem confident you can keep us here."

"Shouldn't I be?"

Young Bro gestured to the nearly hundred elite fighters around them. "Every one of them was handpicked from Kumogakure's tens of thousands of ninja. I chose the best of the best to kill Tsunade.

"Taijutsu specialists to tie her down in close combat, Ninjutsu specialists to suppress her from a distance, Speed Type Ninja to track and encircle her, Sealing Jutsu specialists...

"Even the Third Generation Hokage would meet his end if he walked into this carefully prepared trap."

"Are they part of your trap too?" Tsunade asked, her face pale as she stared coldly at Young Bro.

"They? Oh, you mean those people from the Land of Rain."

Young Bro paused, then sneered. "A healer's heart, indeed. I never thought that Tsunade, the woman who struck fear into the people of the Land of Rain, could be so compassionate."

To the people of Konoha, Tsunade was an Angel of White.

To the people of the Land of Rain, she was little different from the god of death.

Tsunade only stared coldly at Young Bro, waiting for an answer.

"It was just a coincidence.

"We'd been planning this assassination attempt against Tsunade for a long time. Not long ago, we discovered a group from the Land of Rain in Tanzaku Town who intended to assassinate her. Our advisors quickly realized we could use them to lull Tsunade into lowering her guard.

"None of us expected that little ploy to work so well. The legendary Sannin Tsunade has ended up a cripple."

Young Bro shook his head. It was hard to tell whether he regretted not taking out Tsunade sooner or regretted the manpower and resources this operation had required.

Still, even if Tsunade was crippled, Jiang Feng was stronger than expected. The elaborate preparations hadn't gone to waste.

Tsunade's feelings were complicated.

The good news: the pretty girl and the others hadn't been swayed. The bad news: they genuinely wanted her dead.

Young Asuma muttered, "A bunch of musclebound brutes, and they came up with such a vicious plan."

"Kid, that sounds like an insult."

Young Bro glared at Asuma. "Who told you that all we do in Kumogakure is build muscle?"

Jiang Feng sighed. "Anyone who thinks the people of Kumogakure are brainless fools is the real fool."

Having read the original story, Jiang Feng knew just how shrewd Kumogakure's people were. In a way, it was his favorite ninja village.

United, focused, decisive, perceptive... Without the Protagonist Halo, Kumogakure was practically flawless.

Before the Third Raikage died, Kumogakure had already plotted to kidnap Kushina Uzumaki, prompted by the village's Sealing Jutsu and the instability of its Jinchuriki.

Early in the Fourth Raikage's tenure, Kumogakure had keenly seized on Konoha's vulnerability after the Nine-Tails' Rampage and kidnapped Hinata during a peace ceremony. Even after the plan failed, they'd turned the tables and pressured Konoha into apologizing.

During the Fourth Ninja World War, the Fourth Raikage—Lao Da himself—might have seemed impulsive and hot-tempered, but as Supreme Commander of the Shinobi Alliance, he showed remarkable leadership and cool judgment.

How could a people like that be brainless brutes? When it came to strategy and planning, Kumogakure might even surpass Konoha.

"Exactly. Anyone who thinks we're fools is the real fool."

Young Bro let out a cold laugh, then turned to Jiang Feng. "That's all I have to say. You can draw your sword now."

Boundless killing intent surged into the sky. The nearly hundred Kumogakure elites steeled themselves, their combined bloodlust so oppressive that Kurenai Yuhi could barely breathe.

Asuma and Kurenai, the two youngsters experiencing a scene like this for the first time, trembled with fear.

Five against a hundred. Their side had two weaklings and a burden; the enemy had a hundred elites and a powerful leader. Who wouldn't panic?

No matter how you looked at it, they were in a Desperate Situation with Ten Deaths, No Life.

But Jiang Feng didn't panic. He could even think calmly.

Why had Young Bro told him to draw his sword?

Because he was powerful and famous. His Heavenly Flying Immortal might not be known throughout the entire Ninja World, but it was at least somewhat renowned.

Besides, he'd always cultivated the image of an elegant, otherworldly Swordsman, and was famous for his superb swordsmanship.

For Jiang Feng, who possessed more than a thousand years of Internal Energy, a superhuman Ninja World physique, and mastery of countless martial arts, there wasn't much difference between using his fingers, his fists and feet, or a blade. In fact, he was even stronger barehanded.

But the others didn't know that. Young Bro didn't know either.

They'd assume that if Jiang Feng could trade dozens of blows with Young Bro using only finger techniques, then the swordsmanship that had made his name must be even more terrifying.

So he absolutely couldn't draw his sword.

As long as he didn't draw it, Lao Da would remain wary. Even a slight psychological edge was precious.

Jiang Feng shook his head. "I won't draw my sword."

"Why not?" Young Bro raised an eyebrow.

"Because your skin is too dark."

"What does my dark skin have to do with you drawing your sword?"

"Everything."

A strange glint appeared in Jiang Feng's eyes, and an intense Aura of Intimidation radiated from him.

"When you thrust your sword into someone's throat and watch the blood blossom beneath your blade, if you can see that fleeting, breathtaking splendor, you'll understand that nothing else can compare to its beauty.

"Your throat isn't pale enough. Naturally, the blood that blooms from it wouldn't be beautiful enough either."

Young Bro was stunned. Jiang Feng's conviction was so powerful, his air of intimidation so intense.

It was so intense that, even though Lao Da knew Jiang Feng had some other reason for refusing to draw his sword, he couldn't help believing him a little: perhaps Jiang Feng truly wouldn't draw his sword because he wasn't pale enough.