Water Ghost

Night fell. WwW Com

The candlelight glowed pale yellow through the window of the lakeside cabin.

Li Tong had just returned. After parting ways with Tsunade, he had gone to the general market and bought a lot of things. He had also visited the labor market and made arrangements with several workers. A group of carpenters and bricklayers would come the next day to build him a bathhouse.

It was good to have money. For Li Tong, any problem that money could solve wasn't a problem at all.

By the candlelight inside the cabin, Li Tong sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, eyes closed and mind focused as he began converting chakra with all his might.

He was training because he had no choice... First, the Rain Ninja had tried to assassinate him that day, then the Hyuga Clan had done the same. It had made him feel the danger closing in! Since he hadn't inherited the original owner's memories, he had no idea how strong he was, so he needed to train and get a proper sense of his abilities.

This was the body of a Rain Ninja Genin!

Rain Ninja Genin were physically stronger than Genin from other ninja villages!

That was because of the harsh conditions in Amegakure. Though Li Tong looked skinny, his body was actually strong and powerful.

Judging by his physical condition alone, Li Tong figured that the body of a Rain Ninja Genin was at least equivalent to that of a Chunin from another village.

But physical fitness—whether someone was strong or not—wasn't the main factor in a ninja's strength. What really mattered were the techniques they had mastered and the amount of chakra they possessed. Techniques determined a ninja's maximum offensive or defensive power, while chakra determined their endurance.

At this stage, Li Tong wasn't short on ninjutsu!

Since arriving in this world, he had gained three A-rank techniques by eating cards: Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, Sealing Jutsu: Binding Thorn Curse Seal, and Taijutsu: Dual Blade Double Strike. He had also gained one D-rank technique, Water Style: Hidden Mist Technique, and one B-rank ninjutsu, Lightning Style: False Darkness!

Besides those, Li Tong had also mastered a Kekkei Genkai.

That was one of the rewards in his Awakening Gift Pack.

In the world of Naruto, Chunin could use A-rank techniques proficiently, while Jonin could use B-rank techniques proficiently!

And Li Tong was only a Genin.

So his chakra reserves were crucial! If he didn't have enough chakra, even mastering an S-rank forbidden technique would be useless. He wouldn't be able to use it at all.

The wooden cabin was silent.

Li Tong's breathing was steady. At first, he had found it a little hard to get used to, but gradually he found his rhythm. His focus was so intense that he lost track of time. When he finally came to his senses, it was already late at night.

Li Tong wasn't sleepy at all. After his first training session, he felt more energetic than ever. He glanced at the full moon hanging high outside the window, then got off the wooden bed, stretched his arms and legs, and stepped outside.

A gentle breeze stirred the grass by the lake. Soft moonlight made the green blades glisten.

Li Tong walked to the lakeshore and looked around at the woods, but saw nothing. He called out, "Chen He, are you there?"

"Chen He!"

"Are you there?"

He called several times, but Chen He didn't appear. Li Tong frowned slightly. Something wasn't right. Chen He should have been nearby, protecting him in secret!

"Chen He went to rest." A hoarse voice suddenly sounded behind Li Tong.

Li Tong jumped in fright and turned around. A tall Anbu Ninja stood there, wearing a mask. He had no idea when the man had appeared, but he could see his identity information.

--

Name: Du Hu (Senju Li)

Identity: Ninja of the Fire Country's Konohagakure Anbu Special Assassination and Tactical Squad.

Reputation: 5589.

Relationship: Neutral.

--

He was an Anbu Jonin... So Chen He had gone to sleep. Anbu Ninja were people too; they needed rest. Du Hu must have come to take over his shift.

"May I ask what I should call you?"

"Du Hu!"

"Oh, Lord Du Hu."

"Mm."

After those few words, Li Tong got the impression that Du Hu was an extremely cold person. It wasn't just the tone of his voice; it was the look in his eyes as well. He wondered how many ninjas in Konoha Anbu were like that.

"Um... Lord Du Hu, could I trouble you with something?" Li Tong asked carefully.

"What?"

"Could you show me the Hand Seals for those basic E-rank ninjutsu? You know I've lost my memory. I need to regain my strength, but I can't remember how..."

"Watch!" Du Hu interrupted him, bringing his hands together. "This is the Clone Technique!"

"This is the Transformation Technique!"

"This is the Substitution Technique!"

"This is the Rope Escape Technique!"

"This is the Transformation Technique!"

"This is the Escape Technique!"

There were six basic E-rank ninjutsu in all. Du Hu demonstrated them one by one, deliberately slowing down his Hand Seals so Li Tong could see them clearly. After showing him all six, he rasped, "Remember them?"

"I remember. Some fragments of my memories are coming back!" Li Tong nodded.

He really had remembered them!

Hand Seals!

"Transformation Technique!"

Li Tong's body shuddered, and white smoke billowed around him. He transformed into Du Hu. His chakra was a little unstable, but he had succeeded on the first try, which showed that his foundation was still there. With a few more attempts, he would quickly regain full mastery.

"Keep practicing," Du Hu said, then vanished in a flicker.

He had disappeared without using Hand Seals. It seemed he had mastered some kind of secret Body Flicker Technique that required none.

By the lake.

Beneath the moonlight.

Li Tong formed Hand Seals again and again, practicing the six basic ninjutsu. In about half an hour, he had almost mastered all of them. His Hand Seals were extremely fast. It wasn't that he had incredible talent; he had simply found the familiar feeling of the body's past.

He didn't stop, continuing to practice over and over.

He planned to keep going until his chakra was nearly depleted, then stop and let it recover. That way, he could get a clear idea of how much chakra he had.

On the opposite shore, in the silent forest, Hyuga Anan crouched in grass over a meter high, gazing at the figure training in front of the cabin across the lake. His Byakugan remained active, allowing him to see not only Li Tong but also the four Anbu Ninja guarding him in secret.

The world through the Byakugan was a gray-white blaze of light, as if everything were made of lines. Everything was visible through a translucent haze.

Hyuga Anan swept his gaze back and forth, then fixed it on Li Tong again. He watched for a long while, and a strange smile gradually tugged at his lips.

So the guy really had lost his memory! He was even retraining in E-rank ninjutsu.

Hyuga Anan knew that at noon, Li Tong had killed a Rain Ninja assassin in the street. The man had been a Chunin, and Li Tong had killed him with an Explosive Tag. It didn't mean much. The Chunin had simply been unlucky. If he had dodged instead of turning around and swinging his sword, he definitely wouldn't have been blown to pieces!

To be honest, Hyuga Anan had never taken Li Tong seriously. Even before losing his memory, he had only been a Genin. A Genin was still a Genin. No matter how harsh his training had been, he couldn't beat a Chunin one-on-one, and now he had lost his memory, too.

And Hyuga Anan wasn't a Chunin.

He was an Elite Chunin!

Still, Hyuga Anan felt plenty of pressure. It came from within the Hyuga Clan. Hizashi Hyuga, the branch family's young leader, had given him only three days to complete the assassination. He also had to hang the corpse from a flagpole, just as Hizashi Hyuga had ordered. If he failed, the consequences would be grim.

As an assassin who handled the "dirty work" for Hizashi Hyuga, Hyuga Anan was well practiced at this sort of thing. But time was running short. That damn brat wasn't alone—Anbu Ninja were always guarding him.

That was why Hyuga Anan had come to watch Li Tong in the middle of the night.

He didn't want to miss any opportunity. One would eventually come. Anbu Ninja weren't gods, either. Protecting someone was harder than killing someone, and there were plenty of ways to kill a person: poison, a trap, or making a commotion to draw those Anbu Ninja away, then appearing in the open and killing the target quickly!

Hyuga Anan was patient. He was waiting for an opening.

For instance, the Anbu would change shifts in the second half of the night. Maybe then he'd get his chance.

Hyuga Anan didn't need much time. To kill a brat like this, half a minute would be enough!

In front of the cabin, Li Tong finally stopped and sat cross-legged on the grass by the lake to recover.

Before he knew it, the night had worn on into the small hours.

Li Tong opened his eyes, still feeling full of energy. He knew he should go to sleep. After a moment's thought, he took off his clothes by the lakeshore and leaped into the water.

A bath!

He didn't have a bathhouse yet, so he could only bathe here.

Once in the water, Li Tong swam all the way to the middle of the lake, then began diving. He liked doing that. Besides, he had found a sword in a lake in the forest behind Konoha village last time, and he wanted to see if this lake held anything, too.

Hyuga Anan watched the lake. Seeing Li Tong repeatedly dive beneath the surface, staying underwater for a long time each time, his gaze gradually hardened.

An opportunity!

He'd kill him underwater!

He would kill him silently in the darkness, then carry off the body without a sound.

Hyuga Anan moved, creeping slowly through the grass. It took him a full half-minute to reach a suitable spot. He didn't even take off his clothes. His body slid slowly into the water, which closed over his head. Then he ducked sharply and plunged to the lakebed. He kicked hard against the bottom, shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

He was like a legendary water ghost, rapidly closing in on Li Tong beneath the surface.

When he could just make out Li Tong's body, he reached behind his waist and slowly drew a short blade.