Anbu Pursuit

"Congratulations, Host. You have completed the mission: kill Mizuki. Rewards: an opportunity and directions to Shikkotsu Forest. Congratulations, young man. You've taken a big step toward becoming stronger."

"I nearly got myself killed for that mission. Where is Shikkotsu Forest, anyway? And what does 'opportunity' mean?"

"Shikkotsu Forest is due north, near the coast of the Land of Fields. At your current speed, it will take you about two months to get there. As for the opportunity, Shikkotsu Forest will give you a chance to undergo a trial. If you can earn the Katsuyu Sage's approval, you'll be able to train there in Senjutsu."

"Why is it so far away? I don't have a penny to my name. 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 as if the wound in his shoulder hurt even more.

Even injured, he had to run with all his might. The entire Land of Fire could be considered Konoha Ninja Village's territory, and as long as he stayed there, he was in danger. He also needed to treat his wounds. He had to find a town with medical facilities. He didn't have any bandages or medicine on him, so all he could do was wrap his wounds with his clothes.

It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to buy bandages and medicine; he simply couldn't prepare for everything. Besides, he'd originally planned to steal the Scroll of Seals and leave. Then the damn system had suddenly given him a mission.

"Damn system, if I... die in Konoha, it'll be entirely your fault. You'll feel guilty for the rest of your life. So can't you conjure up some medicine?"

"This system must solemnly remind you that my name is the Limited Ninjutsu System. If you die, I'll simply find another host, so there's no need to worry. Also, I can't conjure medical supplies."

Feng Yao didn't even have the strength to argue anymore. He had been running for two hours and was utterly exhausted. He was probably about to go into shock from blood loss. He had no idea whether Konoha had sent anyone after him, but until he reached somewhere safe, he couldn't relax.

After climbing a hillside, Feng Yao finally spotted a prosperous town ahead. With its mild climate and abundant farmland, the Land of Fire was the richest of the Five Great Nations. Otherwise, after running for two or three hours in another country, he might not have found a town with medical facilities at all.

He didn't hurry into town. Instead, he found a creek, crouched down, and washed his face and the blood off his body. He took off his clothes until he was wearing only a white shirt, bundled up most of his ninja tools and his backpack, and used a Kunai to dig a hole and hide them. After cleaning up his tracks, he headed for town.

The town's streets were bustling. Several restaurant owners stood outside, trying to attract customers, while beautiful geisha clung flirtatiously to passersby. Feng Yao had no interest in any of it. After leaving the busy streets behind, he finally found a modest-looking clinic.

As soon as he opened the door, the pungent smell of medicine hit him. An old man past fifty, wearing reading glasses, was reading a newspaper. At the sound of the doorbell, he lowered the paper and saw a plainly dressed boy in his early teens. Then he raised it again and asked in a careless tone,

"What's wrong with you? Have you taken anything for it?"

Clinics like this were usually run by ordinary doctors who treated minor ailments, like colds, for the townspeople.

"Hello, Grandpa. I've got a knife wound. I'd like some clean bandages and painkillers."

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

Hearing that he had a knife wound, the old man finally lowered his newspaper and sized Feng Yao up.

"Neither. I hurt myself by accident. I was afraid my family would scold me, so I came to a clinic to get it treated."

"Sit down and let me take a look."

Feng Yao sat in a chair. The old man opened his clothes and examined the wound on his arm. It wasn't long, but it was deep, and the bone was faintly visible. The old man frowned, then took a needle and thread for stitching, an anesthetic, and clean bandages from the cabinet behind him. He began to open Feng Yao's clothes.

"You're lucky. This old man knows a thing or two about stitching wounds. I'll give you an anesthetic first."

"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have triggered a mission: evade the Anbu pursuit. Konoha has dispatched three Anbu members to hunt you down. You must hold out for one day while they pursue you to complete the mission. Reward: instant transportation to Shikkotsu Forest and one lottery draw."

Message: Young man, you've successfully attracted the Third's attention. Slip away right under the Anbu's noses and give him a good slap in the face.

"Hold out 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 ninja? How am I supposed to do that? Play mahjong with them?"

"Please remain calm, Host. Missions are issued based on your current need to grow stronger and the situation you face. You urgently need to go to Shikkotsu Forest to learn, so this mission is tailor-made for you. However, Konoha's Anbu are harder to deal with than Mizuki. Please be especially careful. If you're captured, the mission will be considered a failure, and you'll be executed immediately."

The system's voice remained completely emotionless. Feng Yao angrily shot back,

"If I'm captured, I'm dead even if you don't execute me. What difference does it make?"

"There is a difference. This system has its pride. If you aren't good enough, I'll have to clean house."

"..."

After hearing this, Feng Yao stopped the old man from giving him an anesthetic. With the Anbu's tracking skills, they would find him soon. If he was anesthetized, it might affect his ability to move. The old man looked at him in confusion.

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

"So you have that kind of constitution. Well, nothing to be done. Try to bear it."

With that, the old man got to work. Feng Yao muffled a groan after the first stitch. It hurt even more than he'd expected, and his face twisted. The old man glanced at him and handed him a wooden stick to bite on, so he wouldn't bite his tongue during the procedure.

Feng Yao quickly took it and clamped down. The stick creaked under his teeth, as if it might snap at any moment.

The old man was a decent stitcher and worked quickly. The whole thing was over in less than half an hour. Feng Yao spat out the stick, which now bore two rows of deep teeth marks.

His head and back were drenched in sweat. The old man had given him twelve stitches, and he'd nearly passed out from the pain. He let out a long breath, pulled his arm back, and prepared to leave. The old man suddenly stopped him.

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

"What! Why is it so expensive?"

"One thousand for the procedure, and twenty for the stick you chewed up. I'll have to buy another one."

Forget a thousand ryo—Feng Yao didn't even have a fraction of that on him. He'd spent it all in Konoha. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to fight Mizuki.

"Ahem. Sir, could I pay you later?"

"What did you say? You little brat, why'd you come here if you can't pay? You're not leaving until your parents come and pay."

The old man glared, bristling with anger as soon as he heard Feng Yao had no money. He was about to detain him when Feng Yao came up with an idea.

"Grandpa... you don't know, but my mother has lung cancer, and my father drinks and beats us every day. I had to go out and work to pay for my mother's treatment, and I sent this month's wages home for her medical bills. I really don't have anything to give you. How about this, Grandpa? I'll write you an IOU and pay ten percent interest each month. Please give me a little more time. I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I can."

His acting was incredible. The pain of life in his eyes and the two tears he forced from the corners of them softened the old man's attitude. Feng Yao hadn't completely made the story up, either. The parents he'd mentioned were his parents back on Earth.

"Kid, you've been polite to this old man, so I'll trust you this once. Come over and write an IOU."

"Sure."

Feng Yao trotted after the old man, looking nothing like someone who'd just been consumed by grief.

After writing the IOU, Feng Yao left the clinic and headed north. He'd walked a few hundred meters when he suddenly remembered something. He buried an item in an alley, then doubled back the way he'd come.

Meanwhile, by the creek outside town, three ninja wearing animal masks found the Kunai and backpack Feng Yao had hidden. They were Anbu Ninja, Konoha's special assassination unit.

"He must have treated his wound here. He buried these less than an hour ago. He's probably in town now."

"Slip in quietly. It's daytime, so we shouldn't attack yet. Let's find him first."

The three Anbu members pieced together Feng Yao's current situation and their next move in a few short exchanges, then scattered and entered the town.

Only an hour had passed.

Before long, one of the Anbu members found the clinic where Feng Yao had treated his wound. The old man was still sitting in his chair, reading.

"Has anyone come in here recently? A boy around ten, maybe, who was injured?"

The old man looked up at the Anbu member across from him. Though the mask hid his face, the old man had seen enough to recognize a Konoha Anbu ninja. He immediately asked gravely,

"Why are you looking for him?"

"Heh. So he was here. I can't tell you why, but I hope you'll tell me where he went."

The Anbu ninja spoke politely, but there was already a threat in his voice. The old man looked up and met the masked man's gaze with his cloudy eyes. After a few minutes, he finally looked away.

"He went north."

The old man was only an ordinary doctor. Though he didn't know what had happened, he'd already done Feng Yao a great kindness by not immediately telling the Anbu where he'd gone. They were practically strangers, and Feng Yao still hadn't paid his bill...

"Thank you."

The Anbu member turned and left. He also notified his companion to search the north more thoroughly, but after the two of them checked every shop there, they didn't see a single person.

"Damn it. Did that old man lie to me?"

The Anbu member who'd questioned the old man cursed.

"Not necessarily. Maybe the kid found a good hiding place. We brought his belongings from Konoha, didn't we? Take them out. I'll summon a Ninja Dog and see if it can track him."

He bit his finger, formed Hand Seals, and slapped his palm against the ground. A cloud of white smoke burst forth, and a brown Ninja Dog appeared. The other man took out a piece of clothing.

The Ninja Dog sniffed a garment Feng Yao had worn before and barked twice. Then it raced through the streets, with the two Anbu members following discreetly behind.

After a short while, they reached an alley. The Ninja Dog pawed at a corner and dug out a bloodstained garment. It was the shirt Feng Yao had used to bandage his left arm before burying it there.

The two Anbu members couldn't help rubbing their foreheads, both looking troubled. It seemed Feng Yao really had gone north at first, but he wasn't there anymore. He'd left the clothes behind as a decoy.

Indeed, Feng Yao had headed north after leaving the clinic. But then he realized that if someone traced him back to the clinic, they'd figure out which way he'd gone. So halfway there, he turned around. He'd once studied ninja tracking and knew that Ninja Dogs were one of the most common tracking methods. So he'd buried a piece of clothing nearby to throw them off.

Six hours had passed by now.

"Hmph. As long as he hasn't left town, he has to be somewhere. You and I will split up and search. Take the Ninja Dog and check every area, one by one. I don't believe he can sprout wings."

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

"Damn it, that bastard! We've been following the Ninja Dog around for ages, and all we've found are socks and cloth strips. Is this guy running around naked?"

The other man looked tired too. They'd searched most of the town, and even the Ninja Dog was exhausted, but they still hadn't found a thing.

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

"Impossible. Tanaka's stationed outside. He's a reconnaissance ninja. That kid could never slip past him."

"It's almost evening. Let's take a short break, then keep searching."

Fourteen hours had passed. There were still ten hours left before a full day was up.

So where was Feng Yao? He was still in the north. First, he scattered his clothes and other belongings in several places around town. Then he doubled back to the north and hid in a public toilet. The Ninja Dog had an incredibly keen nose, so he needed to cover his scent with something stronger. A toilet was the best option.

To be extra safe, he'd even smeared a little... on himself.

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

"Host, you only need to hold out for another eight hours."

"Damn it. I'll repay this humiliation in the cesspit a hundredfold someday."

As he spoke, his stomach growled. He'd gone almost a whole day without eating. He'd prepared some dried food, but it was all back by the creek. There was no way he could go out and get it now, so he could only sit there and starve.

"Host, to be honest, the... here is edible too. If you don't mind."

"Get lost."

He hadn't expected the system to start making jokes. Anyway, he only had to hold on for eight more hours. Then he could teleport away and finally escape the danger.

On the other side of town, the two Anbu Ninja finally began to suspect something.

"I think we've been relying too much on the Ninja Dog."

"What do you mean, Tankyu?"

"I was thinking while I rested. If I were him, and I knew my pursuers would use a Ninja Dog, what would I do?"

"You mean he covered up his scent and left clothes outside to mislead us?"

"Exactly. That would explain why the Ninja Dog can't find him. What place in town smells the strongest and would be easiest to use to cover up a scent?"

"You mean he's in a toilet!"

"Right. This kid's craftier than we thought. But his little tricks end here."

"Let's split up and search."

Twenty-two hours had passed.

A little over an hour later, one of the Anbu Ninja, Tankyu, finally approached the toilet where Feng Yao was hiding. Just as he was about to go inside and search, a stick thrust out of the doorway and tried to strike him. Tankyu immediately drew his sword to block it and jumped back, pulling out a Kunai with his left hand.

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

Feng Yao emerged into the moonlight. His clothes were torn to shreds, and he held a water pipe he'd ripped out of the toilet in his right hand.

"Going back means I'll die anyway, so you might as well execute me here. How about a deal? I'll tell you the ninjutsu recorded in the Scroll of Seals if you let me go."

"Hmph. You underestimate the will we carry, kid. Anyone who threatens the village must be eliminated."

Feng Yao had taken out the Scroll of Seals as bait, hoping to stall for time, but the ninjas were loyal to Konoha and the Hokage. His ploy had failed.

"Ah, I was hoping. Anyway, I used to be one of the village's own. Let's fight fair. I'm injured, so we'll each take ten steps back before attacking. How about it?"

"Are you trying to pull something? I'm not backing down. Listen to me and surrender."

Tankyu didn't know what Feng Yao was plotting, but as an elite Anbu member, he wasn't going to fall for a trick so easily.

"Too bad... Don't just stand there—attack!"

Feng Yao suddenly shouted. Tankyu's body tensed. The reports had said Feng Yao might be a spy from another village, so there might be enemy reinforcements. Tankyu hurriedly turned to look.

But of course, there was nothing there.

Taking advantage of the brief opening, Feng Yao turned and ran. Tankyu realized he'd been fooled and immediately threw a Kunai. Feng Yao barely dodged it.

"Hmph. What a crafty brat."

As Feng Yao sprinted away, he roared inwardly,

"Damn system, I'm about to die! How much longer?"

"Fifteen minutes."

The system replied without the slightest urgency. Feng Yao had no time to curse it. His life depended on making it through those fifteen minutes. He raced toward the town's north gate and suddenly shouted,

"Help! Murder! Ninjas from another country have infiltrated the Land of Fire! Someone help!"

"What!"

"What's going on?"

The town guards panicked when they heard him. They looked over and saw a disheveled boy running toward them, a faint stink coming off him. A ninja was indeed chasing him, though it was too dark to see clearly.

Feng Yao rushed over and grabbed a soldier by the leg, wiping his nose and tears all over him. He looked utterly miserable. The soldier seemed disgusted that Feng Yao had dirtied his trousers and wrenched himself free before asking,

"What's going on? Who's trying to kill you? Who's chasing you?"

"He's a ninja from the Land of Wind. He infiltrated the Land of Fire to steal the Scroll of Seals. He disguised himself as a Konoha Anbu member, but I saw through him, so he tried to kill me to cover it up. My companions are already dead."

Feng Yao lied without batting an eye. His smooth string of words convinced the soldier about half of the story. The soldier moved to protect Feng Yao. When Tankyu caught up and saw the guards shielding him, he stopped.

"I'm a member of the Konoha Ninja Village Anbu, carrying out a secret mission. Move aside at once."

"What proof do you have?"

Tankyu was dumbfounded. Weren't his uniform and mask proof enough? Meanwhile, Feng Yao took advantage of Tankyu being held up and kept running toward the edge of town. Tankyu grew anxious and charged straight at the guards. Seeing him attack, the soldiers became convinced he was a ninja from another country and tried to stop him. But they were no match for an elite Anbu ninja, and he took them all down in just a few moves.

By then, Feng Yao had already made it out of town. He looked back, saw that his pursuer wouldn't catch up for a while, and smiled like a victor.

"Haha! System, how many minutes are left?"

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

He'd barely finished asking when several gusts of wind struck from beside him. The technique used chakra to form an earthen dragon that attacked by spitting out clods of earth.

Though it was only dirt that hit him, Feng Yao felt as if he'd been struck by an iron ball. He was sent flying and rolled several times before coming to a stop. The ninja who'd attacked him with the technique was the last Anbu member, who'd been ordered to lie in wait outside the town.

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

As he spoke, he drew the Ninja Blade on his back and slashed at Feng Yao. Feng Yao yelled inwardly,

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

"Congratulations, Host. You have completed the mission: evade the Anbu pursuit for one day. Reward: instant transportation to Shikkotsu Forest. Would you like to use it now?"

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

A summoning-style formation appeared beneath Feng Yao. Just as the blade was about to hit his head, there was a puff, and he vanished in a cloud of white smoke. The blade struck the ground. The Anbu ninja's eyes widened. He hadn't seen the boy form Hand Seals, yet he'd vanished right before his eyes.

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

"No. He suddenly disappeared. I don't know how. It looked like someone rescued him."

"Someone rescued him? Hmph. So he really was a spy sent to Konoha by another country. Too bad we didn't kill him. Let's go back and beg Lord Hokage's forgiveness."

Tankyu was furious when he heard. The three of them had pursued a kid who wasn't even a Genin and still lost him. It was a disgrace.

After meeting up with another Anbu Ninja, the three hurried back to Konoha. What they didn't know was that one day, they would deeply regret failing to kill Feng Yao.

Inside the Konoha Ninja Village

"Why, Third Grandpa? Why aren't you worried at all that Feng Yao has disappeared? And you too, Iruka-sensei! Why are you treating Feng Yao this way?"

"Naruto, this is a very complicated matter. You could say Feng Yao left of his own accord. You'd be better off forgetting about him."

Naruto clenched his fists. He was already wearing the Forehead Protector that signified he was a Konoha Ninja, but he couldn't feel happy at all. He had been about to go look for Feng Yao when he was told Feng Yao had disappeared. What was more, everyone seemed to have deliberately chosen to forget him, as though he had never existed. Naruto couldn't accept it. Just as he was about to continue—

"Lord Hokage, we're back."

"Naruto, leave for now. Go join your assigned team after the graduation exam. Don't think about Feng Yao anymore. He isn't coming back."

Naruto stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The three who had returned were the Anbu Ninjas tasked with hunting Feng Yao.

"I'm sorry, Lord Hokage. The mission failed. Someone rescued Feng Yao. We don't know which country's ninja intervened, but we can confirm that Feng Yao is a spy. I suspect his parents are highly suspicious as well."

"Oh? I didn't expect even you three to fail to kill him. Never mind. Feng Yao's parents were probably just ordinary people who were used. Gather all the information on him and record it in the handbook carried by Anbu members. He may show up later as a ninja from an enemy country."

"Yes, sir."