First Battlefield Experience

"Rock Ninja!"

"Charge! Break the Konoha formation! Wipe them out!"

Within the borders of a certain country between the two nations, hundreds of ninjas from both sides were locked in a desperate struggle on a vast plain. This was the battlefield where Qi had just arrived.

The Rock Ninja, who excelled in large-scale team combat, had maintained a fierce offensive against Konoha since the war began. Currently, thousands of ninjas were locked in a standoff along the border; these few hundred were merely a fraction of the long front line, though even a few hundred ninjas constituted a massive localized scale.

Following the most conventional combat style of the ninja world, the Genin of both sides acted like infantry, serving as the vanguard to engage in melee combat. Some Chunin participated as well, leading the squads and unleashing higher-level ninjutsu to bolster their forces. As for the Jonin, the highest combat power, they naturally remained in the rear to hold the line, ready to deliver a lethal blow at any moment.

Although Qi was a disciple of Orochimaru, he was still only a Genin. Therefore, he fought on the front lines as a combatant alongside a large number of other Konoha Genin.

In the ninja profession, one usually only masters a certain number of ninjutsu after reaching the rank of Chunin. Among Genin, the ratio of taijutsu is far higher than that of ninjutsu. This is especially true for the Rock Ninja, as they primarily use Earth Style, and their combat style generally favors taijutsu, with defense and ninjutsu serving as supplements.

This was Qi's advantage. He was no ordinary Genin; he possessed the secret scrolls of the Yuki clan and the Water Style scrolls gifted by Unma! After years of cultivation, he had achieved great success. Among the rank of Genin, he was an expert!

Most importantly, the elemental counter-effects between different chakra natures were not yet significantly apparent at the Genin level.

The ninja combat style was squad-based; even with thousands of ninjas slaughtering each other, the fundamental way of fighting remained unchanged.

As Qi, part of the second wave of troops, stepped onto the battlefield, he immediately encountered a squad of Rock Ninja Genin. Extremely fortunately, there were no Chunin in this group!

"Cover me, I'll take them out!"

Qi knew that as a newcomer, he had to demonstrate his true strength to be valued by the commanders and avoid becoming expendable cannon fodder.

Since high-profile actions would improve his future survival rate, he didn't mind standing out.

"Understood!"

Qi's squad consisted of five people: one from the Uchiha Clan, one from the Hyuga Clan, and two from common backgrounds. The one who replied was the Uchiha, as "covering" essentially meant unleashing ninjutsu, and the Hyuga Clan was a non-ninjutsu style clan.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

The Uchiha Clan excelled in Fire Style; even Genin could perform it to a certain degree. This was the difference between those from prestigious clans and those from ordinary families in the ninja world.

"Wind Style: Gale Force!"

Another Genin also performed hand seals. Although he seemed a step behind, Wind Style generally required fewer hand seals than other types, allowing them to release their ninjutsu simultaneously.

For the Genin level, most only knew basic techniques like the Three Body Technique. Anyone capable of using techniques beyond these was no ordinary person.

It seemed that Qi's reputation as a disciple of the Sannin had earned him some preferential treatment; aside from the Uchiha and Hyuga, the other two in his squad were likely no simple characters.

Wind aided fire. With the boost from the Wind Style, the power of the Great Fireball Technique rose to a new level, rolling toward the Rock Ninja ahead.

The Rock Ninja, naturally, would not sit idly by and take the hit. They were also a group of five.

"Form up! Seal!"

The lead Rock Ninja issued the order the moment Qi's side began their seals.

In an instant, the five Rock Ninja began their seals in unison. This was a specialty of the Rock Ninja: multiple people performing the same ninjutsu to compensate for individual lack of power.

Furthermore, by splitting the chakra among five people, the consumption was much lower. The Rock Ninja's ability to sustain combat on the battlefield was the best among the Five Great Nations.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

A wall of earth rose from the ground, meeting the Konoha Great Fireball head-on. The combined strength of five was surely greater than that of two; it was impossible for them not to block it.

"BOOM!"

The torrent of flames slammed into the earth layer, twisting violently for several seconds before finally dissipating. The earth wall was scorched, covered in cracks, and began to crumble.

"Very good! Keep sealing!"

The lead Rock Ninja smiled coldly, and the five began the same sequence of seals again.

"Earth Style: Rock Pillar Spears!"

"Bang!"

The sound of earth breaking echoed out. Sharp stone spears suddenly erupted from beneath the feet of Qi and his team, thrusting upward toward the five of them.

Under normal circumstances, this volley of spears might have skewered one or two people. However, Qi's squad consisted of elites among Genin, and the Rock Ninja opposite them were not Chunin, so the five leaped into the air, dodging the attack.

But in doing so, their formation inevitably fell into chaos.

"Their formation is broken! Kill them!"

The five Rock Ninja grinned hideously and drew various ninja tools.

"Thanks for the cover, everyone back off. Leave this to me."

A cold glint flashed in Qi's eyes. Although the Rock Ninja's combat style was unique, he did not fear them in face-to-face combat. No matter how ruthless the Rock Ninja Genin were, they couldn't be fiercer than the Mist Ninja Genin squads.

Because of the two rounds of ninjutsu exchanges, he had successfully completed all his preparations.

As his body finally began to descend, Qi bent slightly, tapped his foot against the side of a stone spear, and vaulted out of the range of the spears, dropping toward the five Rock Ninja.

"So he's just a rookie, slaughter him!"

The Rock Ninja leader laughed aloud upon seeing Qi jump high into the air. With a flick of his hand, a kunai attached with an explosive tag was launched at Qi.

The other four Rock Ninja also sneered, following suit, as shuriken and kunai rained down toward Qi's body.

"Puff!"

Without exception, and without the slightest suspense, all the shuriken and kunai struck Qi perfectly. Immediately, the explosive tags attached to them were triggered, and a series of explosions instantly swallowed his figure.

However, what flew out along with the explosion was not Qi's severed limbs, but a massive amount of liquid—water...

The flames ignited by the explosion were extinguished the very first moment they appeared, and white steam hissed as it spread outward...

"A Water Clone!? How is that possible? He clearly jumped into the air!"

One had to admit, wartime ninjas—especially genin—possessed a level of quality that was clearly a grade higher than those in times of peace. Faced with the sudden deluge of water, these Rock Ninja reacted instantly, scattering to both sides.

"High quality indeed, Rock Ninja, but unfortunately, your method of response is wrong..."

A kunai radiating a cyan glow, accompanied by a sharp, grinding sound, suddenly surged out from the water mist and slashed across the neck of a Rock Ninja.

"Squelch..."

The skin, reinforced by a hardening technique, was sliced open as easily as if it were made of paper. Blood erupted from the artery like a fountain, staining the white water mist with a horrifying, vibrant red...

"But you were right about one thing: I did indeed jump into the air..."

Qi revealed his form, but the danger level only rose instead of falling. Utilizing the footwork he had learned from Ogata, he had already reached the second Rock Ninja the moment he burst from the mist.

"Brat! Don't get too arrogant!"

The remaining four Rock Ninja were instantly enraged. With a flash of movement, they surrounded Qi. By now, the water mist had dissipated, leaving Qi's true body fully exposed...

"Die!"

Four kunai stabbed down simultaneously.

"Sorry, I refuse."

Qi, standing in the center, neither dodged nor parried. Before the kunai could land, he exploded once again. This time, the volume was even greater than before, and all four Rock Ninja were submerged in the suddenly erupting Water Curtain Flower.

"Pfft!"

Before the water curtain could fully disperse, three more flowers of blood drifted into the air...

But when the fourth sound rang out, it was the clash of metal. Clearly, Qi had failed to kill all four at once.

Of course, this did not mean he had given up. One could only hear the constant ping-pang of weapons clashing; Qi and the sole survivor were likely trading over a dozen blows in the water in a single breath...

"What exactly are you!?"

The lead Rock Ninja, the only survivor, finally burst out of the water curtain, covered in wounds.

Within this water curtain created by Qi, his own movements were far more agile than usual, while the enemy suffered severe interference. It was precisely because of this trait that Qi had been able to kill three men in one go.

"As you can see, I am your enemy."

The effect of the technique had completely faded. Qi held a kunai in each hand, glaring at the Rock Ninja with a predatory, aggressive intensity.

"I'm very busy right now. If you don't mind, please stand still and let me kill you."

"What kind of technique is this?"

"This is called Water Curtain Flower. Hiding one's true body within a Water Clone is a secret bloodline technique unique to my clan. With your abilities, you couldn't possibly break through the Water Clone to strike my real body."

Qi was uncharacteristically generous toward a dead man.

"Alright, rest in peace."

Cyan light appeared on both kunai, and the sharp, grinding sound rang out once more.

"You lied to me! I never saw you perform any hand seals!"

The lead Rock Ninja was filled with grief and indignation. He had thought he was dealing with a rookie, but it turned out to be a grim reaper...

Underestimating the enemy was truly an unforgivable act... but it was too late for regrets...

"Sorry, many of my clan's secret techniques involve single-handed seals. It's innate; no practice required."

Shrugging his shoulders, Qi kindly cleared up the Rock Ninja's final confusion.

Seconds later, he successfully sliced the man's neck, ending up covered in blood...

"Very good, a complete success..."

Looking at the five corpses sprawled in various directions around him, Qi nodded in satisfaction.

"This has potential!"

Water Curtain Flower was a rather unique secret technique of the Yuki Clan. The barrier to entry was quite low, but the effectiveness soared in tandem with the user's strength, and it could be combined with other secret techniques. At Qi's current level, it could only be used to ambush genin.

But against a chunin, it was a different story. A chunin's power was far greater than that of an average genin; if the opponent used a powerful ninjutsu, Qi's current level would not only fail to ambush them, but he would likely end up injured himself.

However, now that he had been taken as a disciple by Orochimaru, he had excellent conditions for training in ninjutsu. He would soon become stronger, and the true utility of the Water Curtain Flower would one day be fully realized.

He still remembered the words Ogata had told him before he entered Konoha.

If you don't want to die, you must become strong by any means necessary!

Actually, thinking about it, so what if he was taken as a disciple by Orochimaru? As long as he could become a true powerhouse, he wouldn't mind even if he became a snake-like creature. Besides, Orochimaru was only interested in the Uchiha Clan's bloodline; he just needed to manage the timeline well and avoid the period when Orochimaru would eventually defect.

As long as he didn't get cursed with a Cursed Seal, what was there to be afraid of!?

"You are strong!"

A voice came from behind him.

"It's alright. If you hadn't helped me create the opening, I wouldn't have been able to pull this off."

Qi turned around to face the four teammates walking toward him; the one who had spoken was the member of the Uchiha Clan.

"But you killed five of them in one go. I don't think I could have done that so easily."

This time, it was the guy from the Hyuga Clan who spoke. As for the other two, they remained silent, keeping their eyes on the surroundings—after all, this was a battlefield.

"I am Hyuga Tong, and he is Uchiha Xiu. What should we call you?"

After exchanging a glance with the other three, the Hyuga ninja nodded at Qi.

Unlike the others, Qi had been inserted into the team at the last minute; he didn't even know his teammates' names. Now that Hyuga Tong had taken the initiative to introduce himself, it was clear that the others had accepted and acknowledged Qi.

"I am Kagetsu Qi. And what should I call you two brothers?"

"Tahara Ryuji."

"Sasaki Hideyoshi."

The other two, who had been keeping watch on the surroundings, turned back and smiled, acknowledging Qi's friendliness.

However, after saying this, the Konoha ninja named Hideyoshi pointed toward the group's right.

"A new squad of Rock Ninja is coming."

"Then let's fight. This time, I'll take the lead! Tong, don't be impatient; next time it will be your turn. We'll take them one by one!"

Uchiha Xiu chuckled and stepped to the front.

"This time, it's your turn to cover me, along with Ryuji."

"No problem."

Qi nodded. Since his companions had accepted him, there was no need for him to hog the spotlight.

The next moment, the five of them adjusted their formation and lunged toward the Rock Ninja who had appeared on their right...

The ensuing battle was devoid of suspense. While these five were not exactly top-tier experts, everyone except Hyuga Tong possessed elemental jutsu. On this battlefield dominated by genin, they were quite effective.

Furthermore, the chunin of the Rock Ninja were already being targeted by the chunin of Konoha. While the Rock Ninja had more genin than Konoha, their number of chunin was inferior, which meant Qi and his team never encountered chunin, only genin like themselves, significantly increasing their survival rate on the battlefield.

In the end, after this tentative war of attrition, the five-man squad maintained an astonishing survival rate. None of the five died, though all of them were more or less wounded.

"That ice—is that your bloodline limit?"

Back at the camp, Uchiha Xiu, also covered in blood, looked at Qi with burning eyes.

"It looks like a very powerful bloodline limit."

"Heh..."

Qi smiled.

"In front of the Three Great Dojutsu, what could possibly be called powerful?"

Hearing this, both Xiu and Tong wore expressions of genuine satisfaction.

It wasn't that they had any ulterior motives; it was only natural to feel happy when someone praised their family's bloodline.

"Qi, you're too modest. The First Hokage's Wood Release once stood on equal footing with our clan's Sharingan. I think your ability is just as impressive."

Patting Qi on the shoulder, Xiu felt that this new companion was truly decent.

"Ahem..."

Tong coughed from the side, seemingly reminding Xiu that the Byakugan was also one of the Three Great Dojutsu.

"Tong, we are comrades fighting side by side. Let's not let those family matters affect our bond. In all honesty, your Hyuga Clan can only use taijutsu; that is an innate disadvantage."

Xiu's gaze was clear. Whether it was him or Tong, they were only teenagers in their teens, far from the complex minds of the elders in their clans. The conflict between the Hyuga and Uchiha was not nearly as severe among them as fellow comrades.

Because of this, when faced with Xiu's bluntness, Tong only muttered and sighed. After all, what Xiu said was indeed the Achilles' heel of the Hyuga Clan...

Meanwhile, Qi exchanged a smile with Ryuji and Hideyoshi. Clearly, the competition between the Uchiha and Hyuga over who possessed the strongest dojutsu was omnipresent, just to varying degrees.

However, among the five, only Qi knew that the strongest dojutsu was neither the Byakugan nor the Sharingan, but the Rinnegan. Unfortunately, even Pain did not possess a complete Rinnegan. Of course, this was just his speculation; after all, the ancestor of the Uchiha Clan had once wielded a pair of Rinnegan.

"Qi."

A middle-aged ninja walked over. Qi recognized him; he was one of the Anbu ninjas who had followed Orochimaru to the battlefield.

"Lord Orochimaru wants you to come over. He has something to tell you."

"Understood, I'll go right away."

Qi was stunned, but he dared not delay. What if Orochimaru had something else to teach him?

He turned to his four teammates and greeted them.

"Sorry everyone, I'll be right back."

"You're showing off, aren't you? How many people in Konoha have one of the Sannin as a master?"

Uchiha Xiu gave a wry smile.

"Go on, hurry up, or we'll really be jealous to death..."