No Sudden Wealth, No Fat Horse

"Wa! Wu! Yue! Ye!"

"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"

Watching Nara Enshui collapse, the rage in Jiraiya's heart surged beyond control.

Thick chakra erupted violently. His white hair stretched infinitely under the chakra's stimulation, spreading out completely like a lion's mane, with several bundled strands shooting straight toward Yoru.

At the same time, his hands clapped together sharply, and his cheeks puffed out.

"Ninja Art: Toad Oil Bomb!"

While the hair restricted Yoru's movement, sticky oil sprayed from Jiraiya's mouth, instantly forming an arc and raining down on Yoru.

And in that instant, Jiraiya's hands shifted through seals once more.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball!"

Blazing flames ignited on the oil with a roar. The terrifying fire exploded, ready to engulf Yoru.

"I'm starting to feel like a Nara killer."

Facing Jiraiya's all-out assault, Yoru grinned, not even bothering to dodge.

"As much as I'd like to fight you once, your opponent isn't me, Sannin Jiraiya."

"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!"

The fearsome flames bore down on Yoru, but in that moment, Yagura's figure appeared beside him.

At the same time.

Water coalesced into a transparent mirror.

The next instant, a figure identical to Jiraiya emerged from the mirror, spewing out the same surging toad oil and fireball!

Blazing flames collided. The massive blast swallowed some unlucky souls. The clash of the two forces was evenly matched for the moment.

"Karatachi Yagura..."

Staring at the baby-faced man before him, Jiraiya's killing intent was icy: "Do you think you're a match for me?"

"Won't know until I try."

Yagura gripped his Hook Ruler and flashed a smile: "Besides, I don't necessarily have to beat you. As long as I hold you back, this war is ours to win, isn't it?"

Behind him, Yoru vanished in an instant, reappearing behind a Konoha ninja.

A flash of the blade.

Before the Konoha ninja could even react, his head was separated from his body.

With a casual slap, Sokatsui erupted from his palm, blasting another nearby Konoha ninja to pieces.

A single swing of his sword sent blade aura surging, cutting several Konoha ninjas in half. Their blood stained the lake beneath them crimson.

"You bastard!"

Jiraiya's eyes burned with fury.

A powerhouse like Yoru, unopposed on the battlefield, was like a tiger among sheep—pure slaughter.

The one originally meant to deal with Yuki Yoru, Fugaku, was now surrounded by two or three Mist Jonin, each a bloodline limit user!

Shikotsumyaku, Ice Release, Water Transformation Technique!

To handle the Uchiha Clan Head, the Mist had truly pulled out all the stops.

"Don't get cocky, brat of the Yuki Clan!"

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet! Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!"

Just as Yoru was about to continue his slaughter, a figure blocked his path.

His hands moved through seals at terrifying speed. In an instant, two dragons—one of earth, one of fire—rose from the ground and appeared simultaneously.

"Combined Ninja Art: Earth Dragon Flame Stream!"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke roared. The twin dragons bellowed, shrieking at Yoru as they charged.

"Quite the fighting spirit you've got, Sarutobi Shinnosuke."

Yoru drew his blade and swung. An ice dragon, no less fierce, roared from the tip of his sword, colliding heavily with the earth and fire dragons before both dissipated into the sky.

"Killing the Third Hokage's son would certainly be something to boast about, but I have other things to do right now. I can't waste too much time on you."

Shunpo erupted.

Yoru's figure vanished before Sarutobi Shinnosuke, reappearing behind another Konoha ninja.

A flash of the blade. Another life claimed.

[Ding! Successfully killed one Jonin. Reward: 1000 Points.]

The pleasant system notification rang out continuously. Watching his ever-rising points panel, the corners of Yoru's mouth curled upward.

Crime pays, while good deeds rot in graves.

So it really takes war to make him rich overnight in the shortest time!

In his eyes, these Konoha ninja were nothing but walking Points. What mattered most was that many of them could trigger system quests.

The system's quest trigger criteria were simple: anyone who had appeared in the original work could basically trigger one.

There was no need to mention those Yoru had already taken out—Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, Hizashi Hyuga, and the like.

Even Nara Suzaku, and the just-killed Nara Enshui—mere cannon fodder who had shown up in the original Fourth War—had triggered system quests.

The rating wasn't high, only C-rank, and the Points were just five thousand.

But five thousand from the quest reward, plus two thousand from the Jonin kill quota—that made seven thousand.

One gave seven thousand, two gave fourteen thousand. Hell, if ten or eight of these showed up, he'd be set!

As the saying goes, no man gets rich without a windfall, no horse grows fat without night grass. Right now, this battlefield was Yoru's true chance to step into the realm of peak experts!

"Great Ball Rasengan!!"

Just as Yoru was about to continue his rampage, Jiraiya's figure suddenly appeared to his right. In his hand spun a chakra mass several cubic meters in size, which he slammed directly onto Yoru's body.

A ferocious impact erupted. Yoru only had time to release a single layer of Circular Gate Shield.

But how could a Bakudo of the thirty-ninth rank withstand such terrifying force?

In an instant.

The Circular Gate Shield shattered, and Yoru's body was sent flying violently!

Damn it, Yagura!

Faking me out?

Turning his head, he saw Yagura using his Water Mirror Technique, trading ninjutsu blasts with Sarutobi Shinnosuke, while Jiraiya took that opening to attack Yoru.

"Ninja Art: Wild Hair Needle Binding!"

The moment Yoru was sent flying, several strands of white hair rapidly coiled around him. Under powerful chakra, they tightened more and more, trying to crush him outright.

At the critical moment, Yoru's figure vanished directly. A white ANBU mask was shredded to pieces by the hair strands.

"Utsusemi!"

"Don't think you can run!"

The white hair, as hard as steel, swept across the battlefield. Paired with oil-infused Fire Release, even surging Water Release couldn't extinguish it.

Yoru's figure flickered continuously, but many Kirigakure ninja weren't so lucky. Anyone caught in the splash of Jiraiya's jutsu paid with their lives.

"This won't do..."

Yoru's gaze turned cold. He suddenly raised his hand and grabbed toward the pursuing Jiraiya, while issuing a low shout to the Kirigakure ninja beside him: "Everyone, get back!"

Even without Yoru's warning, the nearby ninja had already scattered far away.

Jiraiya and Yoru's attacks were too intense. In a battle of this level, anyone caught in the crossfire would either die or be severely injured.

"Bakudo #4: This Rope!"

A rope of energy materialized out of thin air, tightly binding Jiraiya's body.

Jiraiya strained his arms, but immediately afterward, three massive spike-shaped beams of light shot over, pinning his hands and waist firmly to a wall formed by Earth Release.

"Bakudo #30: Mouth Spike Triple Flash!"

"Carriage of thunder, rift of the spinning wheel, this thing has light, divided into six!"

The urgent incantation poured from Yoru's mouth. Staring at the briefly restrained Jiraiya, Yoru's right hand clenched tightly toward him.

"Bakudo #61: Six Rods Light Prison!"

With full incantation, six light blades shot in from all directions, binding Jiraiya's body fiercely.

Then, Yoru's hands gripped Hyōrinmaru tightly. His aura surged sharply in that instant as he swung toward Jiraiya's head!

"Reign over the frosty heavens! Hyōrinmaru!"

"Vacuum Ice Blade Slash!"