Kurotsuchi: The Game Difficulty Is a Bit High

The briefing room of the Anbu base was spacious and minimalist.

A map of the Land of Earth hung on the rock wall, while a chakra lamp in the corner emitted a steady white light, illuminating the entire room.

Shifeng stood before the map, reporting the mission details to Ōnoki.

Yeying leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his Owl Mask removed to reveal a delicate but icy face.

Jingxin sat by the long table with a cup of hot water in front of him.

"Mission accomplished," Shifeng concluded his report. "Twenty-three bandits were completely annihilated, including five confirmed rogue ninjas. Seven hostages were rescued and have been escorted back to the village by the follow-up unit. We sustained no casualties."

"Furthermore, regarding the true objective of the mission, Blood Gold's choice was exactly right."

Ōnoki nodded and turned his gaze to Jingxin. "Blood Gold, how are you feeling after these past few days of missions?"

Jingxin answered truthfully: "It's fine."

Yeying suddenly spoke up: "Are you afraid?"

Jingxin: "?"

Seeing the gazes cast upon him by the people in front of him, Jingxin was surprised at first, then immediately realized why they were asking.

At this moment, Jingxin felt as though he were facing a group of nannies.

To think they were actually conducting a psychological wellness check!

"Ahem." Jingxin coughed lightly. "I know what I am doing this for."

Shifeng spoke of his own experience: "I killed for the first time when I was twelve, during a border patrol mission when I encountered a Kumogakure reconnaissance squad."

"They struck first, I countered, and my kunai pierced the heart of a young ninja."

"At that time, I stared into his eyes for a long time, until his pupils completely dilated."

His voice was calm, as if he were telling someone else's story. "I figured it out later."

"I didn't kill him because I hated him, nor because I enjoyed the slaughter, but because if I hadn't killed him, he would have killed my comrades and endangered my village. This is the logic of a ninja: simple and cruel."

Yeying also stepped in as a "political commissar" to add: "The Sharingan lets you see death clearly, so you must look at it properly. See the fragility of life, see the price of violence, and then make your choice—when to kill, and when not to. That is true control."

Jingxin appeared thoughtful, but he showed no signs of inner struggle.

"Hahaha!" Ōnoki floated over to him and pressed a hand onto the top of his head. "It seems we underestimated Blood Gold's resolve. This was a counseling session that shouldn't have been necessary."

Shifeng yawned. "So, is class dismissed?"

"If only the new generation in the village were all like this," Yeying sighed.

Ōnoki waved his hand. "You two go get some rest."

The two took their leave.

Jingxin knew the purpose of this "lesson" was to help him navigate his inner world.

But Jingxin was perfectly clear-headed. He knew the path he was walking, he knew who his enemies were, and he knew what he needed to do right now.

However, the others didn't know that!

"Lord Tsuchikage," Jingxin said candidly. "I know my situation, and I know why I kill."

"My mission is to protect Iwagakure, and to seek revenge."

Revenge.

That was a dangerous topic.

Ōnoki cautioned: "Although you are a very rational person, anyone's state of mind tends to fluctuate when discussing 'revenge'."

"I want you to know that until you are one hundred percent certain of success, do not easily put yourself in harm's way."

"You have great talent, and the Sharingan besides. You will be very powerful in the future. For an ever-strengthening you, revenge will be a natural outcome; don't be in a rush."

The faces of several people flashed through Jingxin's mind.

Uchiha Itachi.

Uchiha Chusheng.

Old Bastard Shimura.

None of them were easy to deal with. In the entire Ninja World, there were few who truly knew these people's hidden cards and their real strength; Jingxin was one of them.

Compared to his peers, Jingxin was indeed strong.

But compared to these monsters, he was still too green.

He wasn't Itachi's younger brother; trying to challenge him with mere three-tomoe eyes would only get him treated like a bug on the side of the road.

"Go get some rest. The difficulty of the next mission will be higher," Ōnoki patted Jingxin on the shoulder.

Jingxin gave a soft acknowledgment and left the Anbu base.

The sky had already darkened, and lights were flickering on throughout the streets of Iwagakure.

He followed the familiar route toward the training grounds.

There are two years left until the story begins; every second must be seized.

The figure in the training ground was there, just as expected.

Kurotsuchi's hands were encased in thick layers of rock. Every punch she threw whistled through the air, striking the reinforced wooden posts with dull, heavy thuds. Her short hair was dampened by sweat, a few strands clinging to her fair cheeks and swaying with her movements.

Noticing Jingxin's arrival, she halted and turned to face him.

"Mission over?" she asked, her voice carrying the slight breathlessness of exertion.

"Mm."

"Did it go smoothly?"

"It did."

"Spar with me for a while?"

"Fine."

The two moved apart to create distance.

Kurotsuchi formed hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Rock Spikes!"

Three sharp stone pillars erupted from the ground, thrusting toward Jingxin from different angles.

Jingxin activated his Sharingan, easily reading the trajectory of the spikes and dodging them.

He charged toward Kurotsuchi, his speed measured but his footwork precise.

Kurotsuchi met him head-on, swinging her rock-clad fist.

Jingxin ducked to avoid the blow, his right hand shaped like a blade as he struck toward her ribs.

Kurotsuchi blocked with her left hand, the collision of rock against flesh producing a muffled sound.

For the remainder of the session, they abandoned ninjutsu and engaged in pure taijutsu sparring.

Ten minutes later, Kurotsuchi stopped, gasping for air.

Sweat had completely soaked her training uniform, the fabric clinging to her skin and revealing every curve of her body.

Her chest heaved noticeably, and the muscular lines of her waist and abdomen glistened under the sheen of perspiration.

Jingxin averted his gaze.

"Phew, that felt great!" Kurotsuchi pulled a towel from her pocket, wiped her face and neck, and then naturally leaned in, using the towel to gently dab at the non-existent sweat on Jingxin's forehead.

Her movements were effortless, as if this were the most mundane of actions.

The towel carried her body heat and a faint scent of sweat, her fingers occasionally brushing against Jingxin's skin.

Jingxin's body stiffened for a moment.

"I can do it myself."

"Relax, I'm not going to eat you. You're really tough to win over, you know~"

"I've told you before not to read those nonsensical books."

"But they're genuinely interesting! It's just that the difficulty level in real life is a bit high. According to our plot, you should be blushing, acting tsundere, and falling for me right now."

"..."

Seeing the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, Kurotsuchi laughed. "I'm heading back to shower; I'm drenched in sweat. You should get some rest too."

She left the training ground, her figure disappearing into the night.

Jingxin watched her go, then sat cross-legged and began to practice Dust Release.

The power of Dust Release was beyond doubt; it was worth any price to master.

Whenever he was on a mission, Jingxin would assess the difficulty; if he could return to Iwagakure the same day, he would conjure a Shadow Clone to refine chakra, though the output was only half of what he could achieve on a normal day of training.