Return to the Village, Uchiha Itachi's Banquet (First of Two Updates; Tomorrow's Will Be Made Up with an Extra Chapter)

Qingyu then carefully collected the shrine maiden's blood.

After Qingyu put it away, the shrine maiden looked at Qingyu.

The black-haired boy in front of her was clearly a male ninja, but he exuded an aura that made her feel comfortable.

It was as if the blood of a priestess flowed through his veins.

But how could that be?

Miroku quickly recalled the records of past priestesses in his mind.

In the Land of Demons, each generation of priestesses is succeeded by the daughter of the previous priestess. No priestess has ever married into another country, and it is impossible for any priestess's bloodline to flow into Konoha.

Unless----

She suddenly thought of a possibility: in the past thousand years, there was a priestess who had crossed paths with a foreign ninja, but no one knew about it.

That's why there are no publicly available records of it.

"Qingyu."

Miroku spoke, his voice soft.

"If you have time in the future, you can come to the Land of Demons often."

She paused, then added, "Furthermore, I hope to exchange more insights on Sealing Technique with you. Perhaps through our joint research, we can develop more effective Sealing Technique to deal with any future attempts by Mōryō to break the seal."

Upon hearing this, Qingyu nodded slightly.

"I will come if I have the chance."

Qingyu nodded, exchanged a few more pleasantries, then Gate of Opening and went out.

Miroku watched Qingyu's figure disappear into the night outside the door.

Several days later.

The gates of Konoha reappeared before everyone's eyes.

The two ninjas guarding the gate saw Minato Namikaze and Tsunade from afar and immediately straightened their backs and bowed.

Minato Namikaze smiled and nodded at them, then walked through the village gate first.

--

Qingyu followed behind Tsunade. After several days of recuperation, Tsunade's injuries had fully healed, and the seal mark that had disappeared on her forehead had reappeared.

Hokage Building.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, holding the mission report handed over by Minato Namikaze, puffing on his pipe as he read through it.

The report detailed the events of the Land of Demons mission, including the priestess's request, the resurrection of the Kairyo, and the intervention of the Cloud Village.

The entire process of the Terracotta Army's resistance and Qingyu's final escort of the priestess to the Land of Marshes to seal the demon.

"The priestess Miroku survived!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen put down the report and exhaled a long puff of smoke.

The smoke slowly diffused in the air, blurring the expression on his face.

His eyes, hidden in the shadow of his straw hat, revealed a look of surprise.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had also heard of the priestess of the Land of Demons.

Unexpectedly, this time the ironclad rule was broken.

"The Mōryō has been successfully sealed away; the outcome of this mission far exceeded expectations."

Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his head and looked at the ninjas standing in front of the desk.

"Qingyu."

Sarutobi Hiruzen took the pipe out of his mouth.

"You saved the life of the priestess Miroku, Land of Demons will surely maintain good relations with Konoha. The Mōryō has been sealed away, and the priestess has survived. This favor is enough to keep the Land of Demons close to Konoha for a long time."

He paused, and an approving smile appeared on his wrinkled face.

Although the Land of Demons is not a large country, it is still a country with a complete administrative system.

Even if they can't provide troop support, providing supplies and intelligence would still be an advantage in the upcoming war.

"Here you go."

Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Thank you for the compliment, Lord Hokage."

Qingyu said.

Tsunade watched Sarutobi Hiruzen's satisfied expression, stepped forward, and slammed her hand on Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk with a dull thud.

"Old man, since you think Qingyu did a good job, why not give him a real reward?"

The pen holder on the table jumped when she Sarutobi Hiruzen.

He coughed twice and put the pipe back in his mouth.

"Okay, I'll increase the reward for this mission on top of the original amount—"

"Add what? I'm talking about a reward."

Tsunade Teuchi him, crossing her arms.

"Even the priestesses have had their fees increased, so you, the Hokage, can't be more stingy than a priestess. Qingyu risked being devoured by the Mōryō to seal them away; aren't you going to offer something in return?"

"Of course, of course."

Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head with a wry smile.

His disciple really loves to sabotage others.

Then Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Qingyu.

"Tsunade is right. You really made a great contribution to this mission. In addition to the mission reward, I'll give you an extra Ninjutsu scroll. Go to the Ninjutsu archives and choose the one you want."

Tsunade nodded in satisfaction and returned to Qingyu's side.

That's more like it.

"Thank you Lord Hokage."

Qingyu's heart stirred.

He already knows quite a few Ninjutsu, so learning another Ninjutsu would probably be a good thing.

The Ninjutsu Archives contains a vast collection of Ninjutsu scrolls accumulated since the founding of Konoha, ranging from basic elemental Ninjutsu to various secret Ninjutsu. You can choose a useful one later.

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand, indicating that they could leave.

Once outside the Hokage Building, Tsunade was noticeably in a better mood than when she went in.

"The old man can still get things done occasionally."

Tsunade said.

"Let's go back and rest for a while, then we'll go to the casino tonight. I've been on missions these past few days and haven't even touched a die; my hands are itching to play."

"Sister Tsunade, you've just recovered and you're already in such a hurry to gamble?"

Qingyu shook her head.

"What do you mean, kid?"

Tsunade glared at Qingyu, then pulled Qingyu over.

"I've worked incredibly hard and made countless contributions to the village."

"Yes, yes, yes."

Qingyu nodded.

This trip to the Land of Demons was indeed very rushed; Tsunade didn't even have time to gamble.

Now that I'm back in Konoha, I'm naturally itching to return.

That night, Tsunade dragged Qingyu to the casino and they stayed until midnight.

The casino was brightly lit, with the sounds of dice clashing and gamblers shouting filling the air.

Tsunade sat at a Sic Bo table, a stack of chips piled in front of her, with Qingyu sitting next to her. With Qingyu by her side, Tsunade's luck was indeed quite good tonight.

There were wins and losses along the way, but overall, I actually made a small profit.

"Haha, I knew you were the one to bring!"

Tsunade exchanged her last chip for banknotes, counted the thickness, and nodded in satisfaction.

The moment she turned her head, her face still held the excitement of winning money, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"Alright, it's time to go back."

Qingyu draped his coat over Tsunade's shoulders and helped her out of the casino.

It was already late at night.

There were only a few pedestrians on the streets of Konoha.

The night breeze carried away the lingering smells of smoke and alcohol from the casino, and also took away the heat from Tsunade's face.

You are truly my lucky star.

Tsunade said with a grin.

Before Qingyu could answer, Tsunade suddenly stepped forward, opened her arms, and pulled him into her embrace.

Qingyu's face was completely buried in Tsunade's chest.

Qingyu silently complained in her heart, but her body did not struggle.

Being held by Tsunade like this didn't feel bad. Although it was a little difficult to breathe, the softness and warmth were enough to make up for everything.

Tsunade held him for a long while before letting go.

She looked down at Qingyu and reached out to ruffle his hair.

"Alright, it's time to go back."

After she finished speaking, she turned around and walked towards home.

When I got home, Shizune was already asleep.

A small nightlight was left on the low table in the living room, and next to it was a note that read: There's soup in the pot, remember to drink it.

Tsunade saw the note.

"Shizune is getting better and better at taking care of people."

After finishing her drink, Tsunade stood up and stretched.

She yawned and said, "I'm sleepy, I'm going upstairs first. You should go to sleep early too."

"Um.

Xin Qingyu nodded and watched Tsunade walk up the stairs.

Her steps were unsteady, clearly the fatigue that had accumulated after the excitement of gambling for most of the night had faded finally overwhelmed her.

Once Tsunade's figure disappeared at the end of the second-floor corridor, Qingyu stood up, tidied up the empty bowls on the coffee table, turned off the living room lights, and returned to her room.

He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

[Undying Will], [The Shrine Maiden's Inheritance], [The Witch], and the [Dark Ninja] trait that dropped from Yomi earlier, etc., this trip to the Land of Demons was very fruitful.

The war hadn't officially started yet, but he felt his strength had reached a new level.

"I need to learn the Shrine Maiden's Sealing Technique as soon as possible."

Qingyu pondered to herself.

He was curious whether this Sealing Technique would be effective against Tailed Beast.

After all, to some extent, both the Mōryō and the Tailed Beast are aggregates of Chakra.

However, Kuiryo is purely Chakra formed from negative emotions.

But the Tailed Beast are— Natural Energy.

When Naruto activated "Sage Mode" to sense the Ten-Tails, he could only feel a vast, boundless collection of Natural Energy.

Qingyu estimated that this must be the secret behind how Tailed Beast can be reborn after death.

However, the Natural Energy was transformed into Tailed Beast Chakra through some method.

It shouldn't take long.

As Qingyu was pondering this, sleepiness gradually crept in, and Qingyu's consciousness sank into darkness.

The next morning.

Shizune was preparing breakfast in the kitchen when she heard a knock on the door. She wiped her hands and went to Gate of Opening.

Standing outside the door was Yūhi Kurenai.

"Shizune, is Qingyu back?"

"You're back. You're upstairs washing up."

Upon hearing that Qingyu had returned, Yūhi Kurenai immediately bypassed Shizune and hurried towards the living room.

She had just reached the top of the stairs when she bumped into Qingyu coming down from the second floor.

"Red?"

Qingyu raised an eyebrow as she looked at the excited Yūhi Kurenai.

Coming to see him so early, it seems you've been waiting for a long time.

"Qingyu, you're finally back!"

Yūhi Kurenai walked quickly forward, looked up at Qingyu's face, her red eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

"What kind of S-Rank Mission is it? I heard from Genma Shiranui that you went to the Land of Demons. Are there really demons there? Are they powerful?"

She asked several questions in one breath, and by the end she was almost out of breath.

Qingyu was both amused and exasperated by her rapid-fire questions, and gently patted her head.

"With so many questions, which one should I answer first?"

Yūhi Kurenai's eyes squinted slightly as they were rubbed, but she quickly opened them again, her gaze even brighter than before.

"Every single one must be answered."

Qingyu pulled Yūhi Kurenai to sit down on the sofa and briefly recounted the events of the Land of Demons mission.

Of course, he didn't mention things like the Trait System or the priestess's blood, which were things he couldn't easily reveal. He simply described the sealing process of the Mōryō and the general situation of the battle with the ninjas from the Land of Demons.

"There are even unkillable puppets!"

This was the first time Yūhi Kurenai had ever heard of such a thing.

If this kind of thing were used in a war, it would definitely have a huge impact.

Unless they can seal away the Mōryō like Qingyu and the others.

"But it's actually S-Rank Mission!"

Yūhi Kurenai sighed.

S-Rank Mission starts with a million taels of silver.

She just graduated, Qingyu is already capable of carrying out S-Rank Mission.

"Qingyu, you are too dazzling."

The crimson light in Yūhi Kurenai's eyes dimmed slightly.

She thought she had made great progress, but compared to Qingyu, she suddenly felt that she would never catch up.

Seeing the dejected look on Yūhi Kurenai's face, Qingyu didn't say any comforting platitudes, but simply raised her hand and gently patted her head.

"You are unique."

"?"

Yūhi Kurenai raised her head.

"If you keep working hard, one day you'll be able to stand on your own and carry out your own S-Rank Mission."

Qingyu comforted her.

"Too."

Yūhi Kurenai nodded.

She has a bold and forthright personality, and even if she feels frustrated, she can adjust immediately.

"Why don't we go to the Training Ground together today to practice? I also want to test out the Sealing Technique I just learned."

Qingyu said.

He wanted to see how effective the Shrine Maiden's Sealing Technique would be against the ninja.

"Good."

Yūhi Kurenai was also curious about what kind of Ninjutsu Qingyu would use.

Several quiet months slipped by unnoticed.

War officially broke out.

More and more ninjas are piling up at Konoha Hospital.

Qingyu sees busy medical-nin every day.

Fortunately, although he had helped out at Konoha Hospital, he was not affiliated with the Konoha Hospital.

Therefore, Qingyu still has a lot of free time.

In the past few months, Qingyu has spent most of her time cultivating.

Advanced applications of Shrine Maiden Sealing Technique, Water Release, Fire Release, Medical Ninjutsu, and the Rasengan, etc.

Backyard.

Qingyu raised his right hand, and a spinning Chakra ball appeared in his palm.

It was none other than the "Rasengan".

However, this "Rasengan" is much smaller than the regular "Rasengan".

Then, Qingyu slowly injected a stream of Lightning Style Chakra into the Rasengan.

"With this level of integration, he should be able to achieve something like Boruto."

Qingyu thought to herself.

He then threw the Chakra sphere in his hand.

Lightning Style · Rasengan!

In an instant, the sphere of Chakra slowly disappeared into the air.

However, the next moment...

Boom!

The wooden stake was instantly damaged by the "Lightning Style: Rasengan," with deep spiral grooves appearing on it.

"We finally succeeded!"

Qingyu let out a sigh of relief.

This move is also known as the "Disappearing Rasengan".

It's a technique developed by Boruto. Boruto unconsciously incorporated some Lightning Release Chakra, thus creating a new Ninjutsu that becomes invisible midway through its execution.

"It's more than enough for a sneak attack."

Qingyu thought to herself.

Without using the Sharingan or Byakugan, it would be difficult to notice such a change.

If the attack hits the affected area, the outcome of the battle could be decided on the spot.

Just as Qingyu was about to continue her cultivation, she heard footsteps coming from the direction of the courtyard gate.

Qingyu withdrew his Chakra and turned to walk towards the courtyard gate.

Standing outside the door was Shisui Uchiha.

"Qingyu, I'm sorry to bother you."

Shisui Uchiha.

"I'm here to deliver the invitation on behalf of the clan head. A banquet will be held tomorrow night at the Uchiha Clan Compound. I hope that Qingyu and Lady Tsunade."

He took an invitation from his sleeve and handed it to Qingyu with both hands.

The cover of the invitation was printed with the Uchiha Clan's Gunbai crest.

Qingyu took the invitation and unfolded it.

The gist of the message is that Uchiha Fugaku Uchiha Itachi, will be hosting a celebratory banquet in the Uchiha tomorrow night, and he cordially invites Tsunade and Qingyu to attend.

"A seven-year-old with the mindset of Hokage has been born."

Qingyu thought to herself.

While other children were still figuring out how to acquire the spirit of the Will of Fire, Uchiha Itachi had already received the Hokage -style mindset personally appointed by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Between the village and the clan, he chose extermination without hesitation.

"However, I wonder what traits I can collect?"

Qingyu pondered to herself.

He didn't approve of Uchiha Itachi's actions, but he had half Uchiha blood, so he was considered half an Uchiha.

However, Qingyu still had to admit that Uchiha Itachi was incredibly talented.

However, he later fell ill and remained in a weakened state, thus failing to demonstrate his true strength.

Even after Impure World Reincarnation, Uchiha Itachi didn't achieve many victories.

As for why Uchiha Fugaku invited Tsunade and himself, Qingyu understood after a moment's thought.

Having displayed talent surpassing that of other ninjas, he was bound to attract the attention of the Uchiha Clan.

Because the Uchiha Clan values strength above all else.

Tsunade, needless to say, is the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju and one of the Legendary Konoha Sannin. Although the Uchiha and Senju had a long-standing feud, that was decades ago.

Now that Uchiha Fugaku is the head of the Uchiha Clan, he will definitely invite all the prominent figures.

It was, after all, a banquet hosted by the young patriarch of the Uchiha Clan.

"Shisui, is this a full moon celebration or some kind of banquet?"

Qingyu was curious.

Uchiha Itachi should have been born some time ago, so why is the banquet only being held now?

"I don't know, it seems to be a celebration?"

Shisui Uchiha didn't know much about this matter either.

"I just came to deliver a message, and I happened to see you, so I asked to deliver it."

Shisui Uchiha.

Is that so?

Qingyu nodded.

"I will go."

Qingyu put the invitation away and nodded to Shisui.

"What about Lady Tsunade?"

"Shisui Uchiha asked."

Although Qingyu agreed, the clan leader's sincerity would be greatly diminished if Tsunade didn't go.

"I'll Sister Tsunade, she'll probably go too."

That would be great.

A smile appeared on Shisui Uchiha's face.

After Shisui Uchiha left, Qingyu went to tell Tsunade the news.

"Go to the Uchiha Clan?"

Tsunade looked at the invitation.

"It wouldn't hurt to go."

She said.

Now that war has broken out, Konoha is in a sensitive period.

The Uchiha Clan's fighting strength is quite important, and attending the banquet is actually a signal of goodwill towards the Uchiha.

Tsunade estimated that quite a few clan ninjas would go.

Even clans that don't usually have much contact with the Uchiha Clan and have very distant relations will probably go.