Reindali

"Heh heh. No matter where you're from, sorry, but you've made it onto the system's kill list." Tianqi still had other options, but he didn't want the hassle. He planned to take them out directly and dismantle their force.

Tianqi used Body Flicker to appear in front of the Genin. He drew the Tang Dao, which he hadn't used in a long time, and took their lives as they stared at him in shock.

"Don't blame me. Blame yourselves for choosing the wrong side." Tianqi looked at the three dead Genin. Then he tossed their bodies onto the road and used their blood to write a few words, leaving Jiraiya and the others to clean up. He went straight into the Land of Hot Water.

The other three arrived soon afterward and immediately spotted the bodies.

"Be careful. Don't let your guard down. They might be pretending to be dead to trick us," Orochimaru said cautiously, watching the three bodies without approaching.

"I'll know for sure if I put a Kunai in them." Jiraiya said, then promptly pulled out a Kunai and threw it at the bodies.

Thud! The Kunai struck one of the bodies, and a little blood trickled out. Seeing this, Orochimaru relaxed. "If they were alive, that Kunai would have made them bleed profusely. Since only a little blood came out, they're dead. It's safe!"

The three went over to inspect the bodies, while Tang He stayed back in fear.

"Oh, there's writing here." Tsunade spotted the words Tianqi had written, and the other two looked over.

[Bury the bodies] Seeing those words, they all guessed Tianqi had written them.

"So he's treating us like hired hands," Jiraiya grumbled.

"Enough. Let's get to work. It's already good that he didn't make us go in first." As he spoke, Orochimaru began digging alongside Tsunade.

"I know. I was just saying." Jiraiya joined them.

Before long, the three had buried the bodies and continued on into the Land of Hot Water.

After entering the Land of Hot Water, Tianqi didn't keep killing the enemy. Instead, he started searching for their leader.

"Man, I should've asked Tang He where the leader lived. My sensing range is limited as it is, and now I have to search while moving. This is way too slow." Tianqi moved from tree to tree, avoiding patrols of nobodies.

"Oh, for crying out loud, I'm losing my mind. How long is this going to take?" After searching for ages without finding anything, Tianqi grew impatient.

"If I can't find you, I'll force you to show yourselves." As soon as he finished speaking, a Rasengan Shuriken took shape in his hand.

"Showtime, my little darling!" Tianqi hurled the Rasengan Shuriken into a forest.

Boom! Its powerful Wind Release: Cutting ability instantly destroyed a whole swath of trees. Tianqi hid at a distance and quietly waited for the fish to bite.

Meanwhile, after entering the Land of Hot Water, Tsunade and the others spotted many enemies. They didn't act recklessly, but hid nearby. Since Tianqi had gone ahead to clear the way and the enemies here were still alive, he must have had a plan.

The three waited quietly until an explosion rang out.

Boom!

"What the heck was that? Where did that explosion come from?" Jiraiya asked.

"It should be Tianqi's ninjutsu. Don't rush—we'll wait a little longer. He's strong, so he'll probably be fine. We might not be," Orochimaru analyzed calmly.

"But we can't just sit here waiting forever." Hearing that Tianqi had used ninjutsu made Tsunade anxious. Though she wasn't strong, she still wanted to help.

"Don't worry. Let's wait a little longer. There'll be an opportunity," Orochimaru said calmly.

Tang He didn't join the conversation. He knew Tianqi was strong and would be fine.

Tianqi's Shadow Clone watched their reaction and nodded again and again. "Good, good. They didn't charge in recklessly. Orochimaru really is sharp. But the real me is having a blast up front—he even used a Rasengan Shuriken. Now I'm getting an itch to fight too."

While they chatted, the ninjas of the Land of Hot Water were panicking.

"Damn, where did that explosion come from? Could another hidden village be attacking us?"

"What are you panicking for? If the sky falls, the Leader will hold it up. What's there to fear?"

"But we're all just Genin! No matter how strong the Leader is, he's only one person!"

"What's going on? Why are you all making a racket here?" Reindali, their Leader, came out.

When they saw their Leader, everyone fell silent. A high-ranking member with Chunin-level strength stepped forward and whispered in Reindali's ear, "They say a powerful enemy has invaded. Our scouts didn't spot anyone. If not for that explosion, we wouldn't even know someone had gotten in."

"Hmph. Anyone who dares make trouble on my turf must have a death wish. We have a powerful backer. What's there to fear?"

"Grab your weapons, brothers. Follow me! I want to see which fool's stupid enough to come here and cause trouble." Reindali hefted his greatsword and charged out with the others.

Soon, a group of ninjas reached the site of the explosion.

"This is the place?" Reindali asked, looking at the flattened ground.

"That's right, Lord Reindali. This is it," one of the ninjas replied.

"Which fool's stupid enough to cause trouble on my turf? Come out right now, and see how I teach you a lesson!" Reindali said arrogantly, completely unafraid.

Seeing the leader emerge, Tianqi smiled. Since he was so cocky, this was the perfect chance to test the technique. Chidori crackling in his hand, Tianqi appeared before them.

"Hey, which hidden village sent you? Tell me the truth, or don't blame me for what happens next." Tianqi guessed they were recruiting and building up their forces here to prepare for war.

"So you finally show yourself. And you're just a brat. You're going to threaten me? I'd like to see you try." Seeing that his opponent was only a young boy, Reindali immediately underestimated him. He'd worried they might be facing a formidable foe, which was why he'd brought everyone along. If he'd known it was just a brat, he wouldn't have come in person.

"Looks like you're not taking me seriously. Then take a look at this." Tianqi used Chidori to guide the attack, and a lightning-formed Kirin appeared in the sky.

Tianqi's Kirin came from a system exchange, so he didn't need to rely on the weather like Sasuke. He could use it whenever he wanted.

Everyone below stared at the Kirin in the sky, stunned.

"Look! There's a monster in the sky!"

"How did something like that appear out of nowhere? Did this guy do it?"

"If he did, we probably won't be able to stop a ninjutsu like that!"

Reindali's face darkened. As a Jonin, he sensed the danger more keenly than anyone. "I never expected this young man to gather such a terrifying amount of chakra for a ninjutsu. If it lands, it'll wipe out all my men—and I could die too."

But when he thought of the deal with that hidden village, Reindali's expression quickly settled.

"It's just a ninjutsu. You think I'd be afraid? This technique only looks powerful. It's nothing special, so don't be scared!" Seeing his subordinates start to falter, Reindali spoke up at once.