Anbu Pursuit

"Congratulations to the host for completing the mission: kill Mizuki. Reward: the location of and an opportunity at Shikkotsu Forest. Congratulations, young man, you have taken a great step toward becoming stronger."

"I almost died for this mission! Where is Shikkotsu Forest? And what do you mean by 'opportunity'?"

"The location of Shikkotsu Forest is due north, near the coast of the Land of Fields. At your current speed, it will take about two months to arrive. The 'opportunity' refers to a trial Shikkotsu Forest will grant you; if you can earn the recognition of the Katsuyu Sage, you may cultivate Sage Mode there."

"It's so far away! I'm penniless—am I supposed to beg my way there?"

"That is outside the scope of this system's considerations."

Hearing the system's reply, Feng Yao felt the pain in his shoulder intensify.

Even though he was injured, he had to run with all his might. The entire Land of Fire could be considered the territory of Konoha Ninja Village; as long as he stayed here for even a day, he was in great danger. His wounds also needed attention, and he had to find a town with medical facilities. He didn't carry gauze or medicine, so he had only managed to wrap his wounds crudely with his clothes.

He hadn't bought supplies because he had no choice; he couldn't account for every contingency. He had originally planned to steal the Scroll of Seals and leave immediately, but the damn system had suddenly issued a mission.

"Damn system, if I... die in Konoha, you'll have to take full responsibility. You'll have to feel guilty for the rest of your life, so can't you just conjure up some medicine?"

"This system must solemnly remind you that my name is the Limited Ninjutsu System. If you die, I will simply find another host, so please do not worry. Furthermore, I cannot conjure medical supplies."

Feng Yao no longer had the strength to argue. He had been running for two hours and was exhausted; he feared he would soon go into shock from blood loss. Although he didn't know if Konoha had sent anyone to hunt him down, he wouldn't feel safe until he reached a secure location.

Climbing a hillside, Feng Yao finally saw a bustling town ahead. Because of its mild climate and abundant arable land, the Land of Fire was the most prosperous of the Five Great Nations; otherwise, he might not have found a town with medical facilities after running for only two or three hours in another country.

He didn't rush into the city. Instead, he found a small stream, knelt down to wash the blood from his face and body, and stripped down to just a white undershirt. He bundled up most of his ninja tools and his backpack, dug a hole with a kunai to hide them, and after clearing his tracks, he headed toward the town.

The town streets were very lively. Several restaurant owners stood outside soliciting customers, and beautiful geishas affectionately hugged passersby. However, Feng Yao had no interest in any of this. After bypassing the busy district, he finally found an inconspicuous medical clinic.

Upon opening the door, he was hit by a pungent medicinal odor. An elderly man over fifty was wearing reading glasses and looking at a book. Hearing the bell, he put down his newspaper, saw a teenager in simple clothes, and raised the paper again, asking nonchalantly:

"What's the illness? Have you taken any medicine before?"

Such clinics were usually run by ordinary doctors who typically treated minor colds for the townspeople.

"Hello, Grandpa. I have a knife wound. I would like some clean gauze and painkillers."

"A knife wound? Are you a ninja or a samurai? You don't look more than twelve or thirteen."

Hearing it was a knife wound, the old man finally put down his newspaper and sized up Feng Yao.

"Neither. I just accidentally hurt myself. I'm afraid my family will scold me, so I came to a clinic to have it treated."

"Sit over here and let me see."

Feng Yao sat in the chair, and the old man unbuttoned his shirt to look at the wound on his arm. Although the cut wasn't long, it was deep—deep enough that he could faintly see bone. The old man frowned, took out stitching needles, thread, anesthetic, and clean gauze from the cabinet behind him, and helped Feng Yao remove his shirt.

"Consider yourself lucky. I still know a thing or two about fine stitching. I'll give you the anesthetic first."

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a mission: Evade Anbu pursuit. Konoha has dispatched three Anbu members to hunt the host. The host must survive for one day under their pursuit to complete the mission. Reward: Direct teleportation to Shikkotsu Forest and one lucky draw."

Slogan: Young man, you have successfully caught the attention of the Third Hokage. Slip away from under the noses of the Anbu and slap him in the face!

"Survive for a day? You really think highly of me. The Anbu will probably catch up in less than two hours. You want me to last a whole day against three elite Konoha ninjas? How? Should I play mahjong with them?"

"Please remain calm, host. Missions are issued based on your current need to improve your strength and the situation you face. You urgently need to go to Shikkotsu Forest to study, and this mission is tailor-made for you. However, Konoha's Anbu are much harder to deal with than Mizuki. Please be extra careful. If you are captured, the mission fails, and you will be erased."

The system's voice remained devoid of emotion, and Feng Yao retorted angrily:

"If I get captured, I'm dead anyway! What's the difference!"

"There is a difference. This system also has its pride. If you are not excellent enough, I will inevitably purge the portal."

"..."

Knowing this, Feng Yao stopped the old man from administering the anesthetic. Given the Anbu's tracking abilities, they would likely catch up soon. If he were drugged, it would affect his mobility. The old man looked at him with confusion.

"Grandpa, you don't need to give me anesthetic... uh... I'm allergic to it. Just go ahead."

"You have that kind of constitution? Then there's no help for it. Just bear with it."

With that, the old man began. As soon as the first stitch went in, Feng Yao let out a muffled groan. It was even more painful than he had imagined, and his face twitched. The old man glanced at him and handed him a wooden stick to bite down on, preventing him from biting his own tongue during the procedure.

Feng Yao grabbed it and bit down hard. The wood creaked, sounding as if it might snap at any moment.

The old man's stitching technique was decent, and he was quick. The whole process took less than half an hour. Feng Yao spat out the wood, which now bore two rows of deep tooth marks.

His head and back were soaked with sweat. He had received twelve stitches and had nearly fainted from the pain. He let out a long sigh, pulled his arm back, and prepared to leave. The old man suddenly blocked his path.

"You haven't paid yet. That's one thousand and twenty ryo."

"What! Why is it so expensive?"

"One thousand is the surgery fee, and twenty is because you ruined my wooden stick. I have to buy a new one."

In truth, let alone a thousand ryo, Feng Yao didn't even have a fraction of that; he had spent it all in Konoha, or he wouldn't have been able to defeat Mizuki.

"Cough, cough. Sir, can you put this on my tab?"

"What did you say? You brat, if you don't have money, why come for treatment? Don't think about leaving. I'm calling your parents to pay."

Hearing there was no money, the old man's eyes widened in anger, and he moved to detain him. Feng Yao thought quickly.

"Sigh... Grandpa, you don't understand. My mother has lung cancer, and my father is a drunkard who beats us. To pay for my mother's treatment, I had to come out and work. I already sent this month's earnings home, so I really don't have any left. Look, how about this? I'll write you an IOU with ten percent monthly interest. If you could just give me some time, I will definitely pay you back as soon as possible."

With an Oscar-worthy performance, the pain of life in his eyes and two tears forced out at the corners, the old man's attitude softened significantly. In fact, Feng Yao wasn't entirely lying; he was just referring to his parents back on Earth.

"Kid, I see you're still polite to an old man. I'll trust you once. Come over here and write the IOU."

"Understood."

Feng Yao followed the old man with a spring in his step, showing not a trace of the heart-wrenching grief he had displayed just moments ago.

After finishing the IOU, Feng Yao walked out of the clinic and headed north. After walking for about a few hundred meters, he suddenly thought of something, buried an item in a small alleyway, and then retraced his steps.

Meanwhile, by the creek outside the town, three ninjas wearing animal masks discovered the Kunai and backpack that Feng Yao had hidden. These individuals were members of the Konoha assassination special forces, the Anbu.

"He must have treated his wounds here briefly. It hasn't been more than an hour since he buried those items; he is likely still inside the town."

"Infiltrate quietly. It's daytime, so it's inconvenient to make a move. Let's locate him first."

"He is injured, so he will definitely seek out a doctor in town. Start by checking all the clinics, and leave one person outside the town to prevent him from escaping."

The three Anbu members analyzed Feng Yao's current situation and their subsequent plan of action, then scattered to enter the town.

At this point, only one hour had passed.

Not long after, an Anbu member found the clinic where Feng Yao had treated his wounds. The old man was still sitting in his chair, reading a book.

"Did someone come by here just now? About ten years old, injured."

The old man looked up at the Anbu member opposite him. Although the mask obscured the man's face, the old man was experienced and worldly; he knew this was a ninja from the Konoha Anbu. He immediately asked with a grave expression.

"What business do you have with him?"

"Heh, so he was here. I'm afraid I cannot disclose the nature of my business, but I hope you can tell me where he went."

Although the Anbu ninja's words were polite, his tone was laced with threats. The old man stared up at him, his clouded eyes meeting the mask. After a few minutes, he finally withdrew his gaze.

"He headed north."

There was no help for it; the old man was just an ordinary physician. Although he didn't know what had happened, not revealing Feng Yao's departure direction immediately was already doing his utmost. The two were merely passing acquaintances, and Feng Yao hadn't even paid his medical fees yet...

"Many thanks."

The Anbu member turned and left after saying this, simultaneously notifying his other companion to intensify the search to the north. Yet, after the two searched every shop in the north, they didn't even catch a glimpse of a shadow.

"Damn it, did that old man lie to me?"

The Anbu member who had been gathering information cursed.

"Not necessarily. Perhaps the brat hid himself well. Didn't we bring his personal belongings from Konoha? Take them out; I'll summon a ninja dog to try."

After speaking, he bit his finger, performed hand seals, and slammed his hand onto the ground. With a burst of white smoke, a brown ninja dog appeared. The other person took out a piece of clothing.

The ninja dog sniffed the clothes Feng Yao used to wear, let out two barks, and began weaving through the streets. The two Anbu members followed secretly behind.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they arrived at a small alley. The ninja dog dug a blood-stained garment out of a corner—it was the very piece of clothing Feng Yao had used to bandage his left arm and buried there earlier.

The two Anbu couldn't help but rub their foreheads, both feeling a headache coming on. It seemed Feng Yao had indeed headed north at first, but he was likely gone now, having left the clothes behind as a diversion.

Indeed, after Feng Yao came out, he had headed north, but he suddenly thought that if someone investigated this clinic, his escape route would be exposed. So, halfway there, he circled back. He had once studied the knowledge of ninja tracking and knew that ninja dogs were one of the most common methods used for tracking. Thus, he had buried a piece of clothing nearby to confuse them.

At this time, six hours had passed.

"Hmph, as long as he hasn't left the town, he must be somewhere. You and I will split up to search. Take the ninja dog and search area by area. I don't believe he can grow wings."

And so, they found a bundle of white cloth in a noodle shop to the east, a left sock in a bathhouse to the west, and a right sock in an alley to the north. In the northwest...

"Damn it, this bastard! We've been following the dog for half a day, and aside from socks and rags, there's nothing. Is this guy running around naked?"

The other person was also somewhat exhausted. They had already searched most of the area, and the ninja dog was tired, yet they had gained nothing.

"Sato, do you think he might have already left the town?"

"Impossible. Tanaka is guarding the outside. He is a reconnaissance-type ninja; this guy would never slip past Tanaka's eyes."

"It's almost evening. Let's rest a bit and then search again."

Fourteen hours had passed now, with ten hours remaining until the full day was up.

So, where was Feng Yao? He was actually still in the north. After placing many of his personal belongings in the southeast, west, and north, he had returned to the north and hidden inside a public restroom. Because a ninja dog's nose is very sensitive, he needed to use a stronger odor to mask his own. A restroom was the best choice.

To be even safer, he had even smeared some... on himself.

"System, how much longer until twenty-four hours? I'm about to be suffocated by the stench."

"Host, just hold on for another eight hours."

"Damn it. Today's humiliation in the latrine—I will pay it back a hundredfold in the future."

As he spoke, his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten for nearly a day. He had prepared some dry rations, but they were all left by the creek. He couldn't go out to retrieve them now, so he could only stay there and starve.

"Host, to be honest, the... here is also... if you don't mind."

"Get lost..."

He hadn't expected the system to be so cheeky. Regardless, he only had eight hours left to endure. Once that passed, he could teleport away and truly escape the danger.

Meanwhile, the two Anbu ninjas on the other side finally discovered a clue.

"I think we might have been too reliant on the ninja dog earlier."

"What do you mean, Tankyu?"

"I was thinking while I rested just now: if I were him, knowing the enemy would deploy a ninja dog, what would I do?"

"You mean he masked his own scent, then left some clothes out to mislead us?"

"Correct. If that's the case, it explains why the ninja hounds haven't been able to track him. Where in this town do you think the scent is strongest and easiest to mask?"

"You mean he's in the restroom!"

"Exactly~ This guy is craftier than we imagined, but his little tricks end here."

"We'll split up to search."

Twenty-two hours had passed by now.

Over an hour later, one of the Anbu ninjas, Tankyu, finally approached the restroom where Feng Yao was hiding. Just as he prepared to step inside to search, a stick emerged from the doorway, attempting a sneak attack. Tankyu immediately drew his blade to block and retreated, pulling out a Kunai with his left hand.

"Feng Yao, I've finally found you. Come back with us to see the Hokage, or I will execute you on the spot."

Feng Yao stepped out into the moonlight. His clothes were already torn to shreds, and he held a faucet pipe he'd ripped from the restroom as a weapon.

"Going back means death anyway, so I might as well be executed here. How about we make a deal? I'll tell you the ninjutsu recorded in the Scroll of Seals, and you let me go. How does that sound?"

"Hmph, you underestimate the will we carry. Brat, you are a threat to the village and must be purged."

Feng Yao took out the Scroll of Seals as bait to stall for time, but unfortunately, these ninjas were loyal to Konoha and the Hokage; his scheme did not succeed.

"Sigh, it was my delusion. Regardless, I was once a member of the village. Let's have a fair fight. I'm injured, so how about we both take ten steps back before attacking?"

"What kind of trick are you trying to pull? I won't retreat. Listen to me and surrender."

Though he didn't know what Feng Yao was up to, Tankyu, as an Anbu elite, wouldn't be easily deceived.

"That's a pity... You guys, attack!"

Feng Yao suddenly let out a violent roar. Tankyu's body jolted. The intelligence report stated that Feng Yao might be a spy from another village, so it was possible he had enemy reinforcements. He quickly turned his head to look.

The result! ...Of course, there was nothing there.

Feng Yao took advantage of this brief gap to turn and run. Tankyu realized he'd been tricked instantly and threw a Kunai, but Feng Yao dodged it clumsily.

"Hmph, what a cunning guy."

As he ran like a madman, Feng Yao roared internally.

"Damn system, I'm about to kick the bucket! How much time is left?"

"Fifteen minutes."

The system replied in its usual unhurried manner. Feng Yao had no time to curse; his life depended on these fifteen minutes. He sprinted wildly, and as he neared the north gate of the town, he suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Help! Murder! Ninjas from other countries have infiltrated the Land of Fire! Someone, help!"

"What!"

"What's going on?"

The town guards panicked upon hearing this. They looked over and saw a disheveled boy, faintly emitting a foul odor, running toward them. There was indeed a ninja following him, but it was dark, and they couldn't see clearly.

Feng Yao rushed over and hugged a soldier's leg, wiping his snot and tears on it. He looked truly miserable. The soldier, slightly disgusted by Feng Yao dirtying his pants, struggled free and asked.

"What's the situation? Who is trying to kill you? Who is chasing you?"

"He's a ninja from the Land of Wind, lurking in our Land of Fire to steal the Scroll of Seals. He disguised himself as a Konoha Anbu, but I discovered him, so he tried to silence me. My companions are already dead."

Feng Yao didn't even blush while lying. His fluent string of words convinced the soldiers by fifty or sixty percent. They shielded Feng Yao behind them. When Tankyu arrived and saw the guards protecting Feng Yao, he stopped.

"I am a member of the Konoha Anbu, currently on a secret mission. Move aside immediately."

"Do you have any proof?"

This question stunned Tankyu. Weren't his uniform and mask proof enough? Meanwhile, Feng Yao took advantage of Tankyu being blocked to continue running out of the city. Tankyu grew anxious and charged directly at the guards. Seeing Tankyu attack, the soldiers truly believed he was a ninja from another country and moved to intercept him, but how could they be a match for an Anbu elite? He took them all down in a few rounds.

By now, Feng Yao had already run out of the city. He looked back at his pursuer, and upon confirming that the other party couldn't catch up for a while, he revealed a victor's smile.

"Haha, system, how many minutes left?"

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

Just as he asked, before he could hear an answer, he felt several gusts of wind coming from the side. This was a ninjutsu that used chakra to condense earth into a dragon, attacking by spitting mud bullets.

Even though it was just mud that hit him, Feng Yao felt like he'd been struck by an iron ball. He was sent flying, rolling several times before coming to a stop. The one who used the ninjutsu to attack him was the final Anbu ninja who had been ordered to lurk outside the city.

"You're quite capable, but die now."

He drew the ninja blade from his back and slashed toward Feng Yao. Feng Yao screamed in his heart.

"Damn system, is the time up yet!!"

"Congratulations to the host for completing the mission: Evade Anbu pursuit for one day. Reward obtained: Direct teleportation to Shikkotsu Forest. Do you wish to use it now?"

"Of course!!!! Hurry up!!"

A summoning-like magic circle appeared beneath Feng Yao's body. Just as the blade was about to land on his head, with a bang, he vanished into a cloud of white smoke. The blade struck the ground instead. The Anbu ninja's eyes widened; he hadn't seen the boy perform any hand seals, yet he had slipped away right under his nose.

"What happened? Tanaka, did you kill him? Where is the body?"

"No, he suddenly disappeared. I don't know what happened either. It seems he was rescued by someone."

"Rescued? Hmph, as expected, he was a spy sent to Konoha by another country. It's a pity we couldn't kill him. Let's go back and ask the Hokage for punishment."

Tankyu was extremely dissatisfied upon hearing this. Three Anbu members failing to catch a kid who wasn't even a Genin was nothing short of a humiliating disgrace.

After rendezvousing with another Anbu member, the three of them hurried back to Konoha, unaware that they would one day regret their failure to kill Feng Yao with every fiber of their being.

Inside Konoha Ninja Village.

"Why! Grandpa Hokage, why aren't you worried at all that Feng Yao has gone missing! And Iruka-sensei too, why are you treating Feng Yao like this?"

"Naruto, this matter is very complicated. You could say that Feng Yao left of his own accord; it would be better for you to just forget about him."

Naruto clenched his fists. Although he was now wearing the forehead protector that symbolized him as a Konoha ninja, he couldn't feel happy at all. He had been planning to go find Feng Yao, only to be told that he had gone missing. Furthermore, everyone seemed to be deliberately choosing to forget Feng Yao, as if he had never existed, which was something Naruto could not accept. Just as he was about to continue, a voice interrupted.

"Lord Hokage, we have returned."

"Naruto, you should leave first. Go attend the team assignments after your graduation exam. Don't think about Feng Yao anymore; he is never coming back."

Naruto slammed the door in anger as he left. The ones who had returned were the three Anbu ninjas responsible for hunting down Feng Yao.

"I apologize, Lord Hokage. The mission failed; Feng Yao was rescued by someone. We don't know which nation the ninja belonged to, but we can confirm Feng Yao's status as a spy. I also suspect that Feng Yao's parents are highly suspicious."

"Oh? I didn't expect that even you three would fail to kill him. Very well. Feng Yao's parents are likely just ordinary people who were being used. Collect all information on him and record it in the manuals carried by Anbu members. It is possible that this person will appear as a ninja from an enemy nation in the future."

"Understood."