The Balance of Fate Demands a Life

"Hidden Mist Technique."

A ninjutsu not even Konoha had recorded.

The identity of the intruder was already obvious—a ninja from Kirigakure.

The caster was no amateur; one could tell just by the sheer range this technique covered.

It was just, why target him of all people?

Whether from the perspective of politics, talent, or bloodline, it made no sense.

His short blade left its sheath once more, and he activated the Mist of Vitality immediately.

The two similar ninjutsu blended together seamlessly.

Mo Jingxian pushed his sensory perception to the limit, but there was no sign of an enemy within the range of the technique.

"Heart, brain, kidneys, throat. Tell me, where should I strike you?"

The cheerful voice drifted from east to west, as if floating from every direction, making it impossible to pinpoint a location.

Mo Jingxian remained unaffected, his hand holding the blade steady as a rock.

As the two mists intertwined, the enemy had yet to enter the sensory range of the Mist of Vitality.

He took this opportunity to study the differences between the two techniques.

Compared to this, his own technique was still unrefined; it was merely the leakage of chakra, and the water elements around him had not been effectively organized.

No wonder the system panel hadn't recorded it.

The enemy seemed to have finished playing; seeing that his intimidation had no effect, he struck directly.

The disturbance in the mist was incredibly subtle, and the long blade moved with extreme speed.

Only after he dodged did he hear the faint sound of air being pierced.

It had exceeded the speed of sound!

The moment the long blade entered the range of the Mist of Vitality, he had sensed it.

Mo Jingxian did his best to dodge, but the blade still tore a gash in his shoulder.

His body's movements could not keep up with his thoughts.

The long blade came and went in a flash, disappearing again in the blink of an eye.

Perhaps "long blade" was the wrong way to describe this weapon; it was more like a giant needle.

The intruder's identity was finally confirmed.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen's Nuibari.

Kushimaru Kuriarare!

But why would he appear in Konoha?

He cast the thought aside instantly; it was meaningless to dwell on it now.

"Look what I've found? Could you be a brat from the Hozuki clan?"

The enemy seemed to be playing cat and mouse, having only struck once so far.

Underneath his torn clothes, Mo Jingxian's body turned into clear water, beginning to heal.

He hoped the man would keep talking nonsense, preferably long enough for someone to notice the anomaly here.

"Yes, my name is Hozuki Getsumei, we're on the same side."

The atmosphere fell silent for a few seconds before the enemy hiding in the shadows suddenly became exasperated.

"Wrong, this isn't the Hydrification Technique! How dare you lie to me!"

Watching the small amount of emotional value provided by Kushimaru Kuriarare, Mo Jingxian felt a secret pang of regret.

His little trick had been seen through; he didn't know the Hydrification Technique at all, he was merely relying on water elements to wrap around his body, making it look like he did.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three consecutive rapid attacks followed, but Mo Jingxian relied on his foresight to dodge them all.

Fighting until now, he still hadn't seen the enemy's figure, yet he was in increasing danger.

His clothes were tattered, and two spots were already stained red with blood.

This opponent was too troublesome; Mo Jingxian knew he couldn't go on like this.

He had to find a way to break the deadlock, or he feared he would meet his ancestors before any reinforcements arrived.

"Modified Water Python Technique!"

Forming hand seals, a water python manifested in the air before him, then split into countless small snakes that slithered in every direction.

"An interesting technique, but do you really think you can find me with these? Naive!"

The feeling of being toyed with was unpleasant, so Mo Jingxian actively blocked out Kushimaru Kuriarare's harassment.

The long needle arrived once more.

It pierced through his chest in total silence.

The figure left behind dissolved into a puddle of clear water, and Mo Jingxian reappeared ten meters away.

Having used the Water Substitution to dodge the strike, a small Water Python just happened to crawl outside the range of the Hidden Mist Technique.

Now is the time.

Without a moment's hesitation, he relied on his connection to the water element and lunged forward.

"Bang!"

The next moment, Mo Jingxian was sent flying backward.

His body turned into water spray in mid-air, and his true form reappeared where he had just been standing, his face deathly pale.

His chakra was nearly depleted.

For a moment, Kushimaru Kuriarare seemed to lose interest in speaking, and the thick fog became terrifyingly quiet.

The pressure surged abruptly.

"Hoo—hiss!"

Beyond his own breathing, the sound of his heart beating felt like thunder and drums in his perception.

Cold sweat hung from the tips of his hair, about to drip into his eyes, but he dared not wipe it away.

A gaze filled with malice was hidden somewhere he could not see, staring fixedly at him.

One second, two seconds...

Suddenly!

The reputation value information refreshed.

Several entries of reputation from the Uchiha appeared on the panel.

His reputation value had reached 998 points.

His eyes brightened; he was only two points away, perhaps he still had a chance.

"Kuriarare, stop playing around, it's about time."

There was another one!

The moment the voice spoke, Mo Jingxian's heart skipped a beat.

Anyone capable of being with one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen must be another of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

He didn't know exactly who it was, but there was no need to know anymore.

Under the siege of two elite jonin, his probability of survival was almost zero.

"Boring, I wanted to play a little longer; it's rare to run into such an interesting bug."

"Pfft!"

A long blade pierced through his shoulder, Raiga Kurosuki having succeeded in a sneak attack.

Damn it!

Mo Jingxian finally learned the lesson of these old schemers in the Ninja World; despite having an absolute advantage, they still chose to sneak attack.

Kushimaru Kuriarare's attack followed in the next instant, the two of them coordinating seamlessly.

In an instant, three more holes appeared in Mo Jingxian's body, piercing straight through.

If he hadn't forcibly twisted his body to avoid his vitals, he likely would have perished in this thick fog already.

The two elite Mist ninja successfully pinned him in place with their long blades.

The mist churned; perhaps the enemies were so confident in their technique that they didn't pay enough attention.

The Mist of Vitality rolled back, and Mo Jingxian emptied his chakra in one go, a massive Water Python swallowing all three of them into its belly.

This technique was a fusion of the Water Binding Technique and the Water Prison Technique, possessing the effects of both.

Furthermore, its ability to trap enemies was superior to the Water Prison Technique.

Kushimaru Kuriarare and Raiga Kurosuki looked like insects trapped in amber, the shock on their faces yet to fade.

Who could have imagined that two dignified elite jonin would capsize in a gutter, trapped in a technique by a mere youth?

If they were in the wild, they would have many ways to break free, merely wasting a bit of time.

But this was Konoha, and once surrounded, the consequences went without saying—it would be hard to even die.

Raiga Kurosuki was an exceptionally decisive man.

"Funeral of Lightning: Banquet of Lightning!"

A blinding white light flashed suddenly, and at almost the same moment, intense pain surged through Mo Jingxian's body.

The water flow dispersed completely, and the Water Python technique was broken.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

A series of coughs.

Water is a conductive substance; the effect of releasing a massive current from within the Water Python was self-evident.

Although they had successfully taken down their enemy, Kushimaru Kuriarare and Raiga Kurosuki were in no better shape.

White smoke rose from their heads, their clothes were tattered, and the faint scent of scorched protein wafted through the air.

With such a result, the desire for playfulness naturally vanished; Raiga Kurosuki raised his long blade and brought it down fiercely.

Just a moment ago, as the Lightning Release coursed through his entire body, Raiga Kurosuki had provided two points of Reputation, bringing the total to exactly 1000.

Mo Jingxian felt his eyelids weigh a thousand pounds; they were heavy, so very heavy.

In his delirium, he seemed to see a scale, and driven by the instinct for survival, he desperately placed his life upon it.

"One-minute trial card for Peak Uzumaki Kushina, including 10 points of Life attribute. Confirm exchange?"

"Special reminder: After the exchange, the host's remaining lifespan will be only 1 year."

The Lightning Release dispersed the thick fog, and the lightning blade held high by Raiga Kurosuki reflected a blinding light.

Mo Jingxian instinctively squinted his eyes.

"Exchange!"

The lightning blade descended violently.

"Boom!"

Chakra like flame and blood surged into the sky, and Mo Jingxian gradually began to float.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he straightened his body.

The red Nine-Tails chakra—no, it was a literal ton of chakra—was released by him the very first moment.

"Is this the power of the Nine-Tails? How formidable."

Mo Jingxian clenched his fists and looked up, glancing at the two stunned men.

"My turn now. Are you two ready?"

"Run!"

Kushimaru Kuriarare and Raiga Kurosuki scattered and fled, not even leaving behind a parting threat.

"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

Eight golden chains flew out from Mo Jingxian's back, instantly piercing the collarbones of the two men and dragging them back.

"Who are you? Impossible, this is impossible!"

Kushimaru Kuriarare screamed, his features twisted, harboring immense fear toward the incomprehensible scene before him.

"Such powerful chakra, it has even distorted the space... Hahaha... I do not lose unjustly."

A thousand people have a thousand faces; regardless of how the two behaved, he had no intention of letting his enemies off easily.

With several consecutive punches, he first shattered both men's arms, intending to deal with the rest slowly.

Reputation points flooded his screen, about to break through the 50-point mark.

He no longer had the heart to pay attention; having gambled away decades of his life in one go, he needed to vent.

"Four Symbols Seal!"

"Eight Trigrams Seal!"

"Five Elements Seal!"

A series of sealing techniques were cast, and the skin of the two captives became covered in talismans.

Curses, pleas for mercy, begging for death, numbness—no matter how they wailed, Mo Jingxian remained unmoved.

In less than half a minute, the two had experienced hell-level treatment.

Afterward, Mo Jingxian undid the seals one by one, leaving the two men confused.

"Get lost!"

He released them, allowing them to leave.

The two looked at each other, not daring to move for a moment.

"Want to die? Fine! I'll grant your wish."

He made a move as if to strike again.

"No need, we're leaving, no... we'll roll, we'll roll away right now."

Kushimaru Kuriarare and Raiga Kurosuki shuffled a few steps, looked back, and shuffled a few more.

The two clearly did not believe the other party would actually let them go.

Mo Jingxian, of course, wished he could kill these two pieces of trash, but what about afterward? He wouldn't be able to explain it.

Even if he blasted the two of them into dust, the Konoha higher-ups would still refuse to let go of the Nine-Tails chakra.

It would be better to pin the blame on the two of them instead.

Suppressing his killing intent, he saw the two were still dawdling and punched out at them.

The next moment, Kushimaru Kuriarare and Raiga Kurosuki fully demonstrated the Body Flicker Technique of elite jonin, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

A few breaths later.

The energy faded, and pain assaulted his brain once more.

Vaguely, he seemed to see seven or eight figures rushing toward this location from all directions.

His vision went black, And then he knew nothing more.

Summer, 47th year of Konoha.

The Land of Wind, Sunagakure, brazenly launched a war on the pretext that Konoha had assassinated the Third Kazekage.

That very day, Sand Ninja spies attacked a Konoha supply depot.

For some reason, spies from other ninja villages acted upon hearing the news, coordinating with the Sand Ninja to create massive trouble within Konoha.

After quelling the riots, Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned the higher-ups, ninja clans, and jonin overnight to discuss countermeasures.

The next day, as the sky began to brighten.

The gates of Konoha slowly opened, and a ninja force of a thousand men marched out, heading to the Land of Rivers 300 kilometers away for reinforcements.

Mo Jingxian slept for three full days.