"Rock Ninja!"
"Charge! Break through Konoha's formation! Wipe them out!"
Somewhere within the borderlands between the two countries, hundreds of ninja from both sides were locked in a desperate battle across a plain. This was the battlefield Qi had reached.
The Rock Ninja excelled at large-scale team combat. Ever since the war began, they had maintained a fierce offensive against Konoha. Now, thousands of ninja faced off along the border between the two sides. These few hundred were only a small part of the long front line, though several hundred ninja still made for a sizable engagement.
According to the Shinobi World's most conventional style of combat, the Genin of both sides acted like infantry, taking the vanguard and fighting on the front lines. Some Chunin joined them to lead teams and use higher-level ninjutsu to strengthen their side's attacks. The Jonin, the strongest fighters, stayed behind to hold the line, ready to deliver a lethal blow at any moment.
Though Qi was Orochimaru's student, he was still only a Genin. So, along with a large number of other Konoha Genin, he fought as a frontline combatant.
Ninja generally learned a number of ninjutsu only after reaching the rank of Chunin. Among Genin, taijutsu far outweighed ninjutsu. This was especially true of the Rock Ninja, whose primary nature transformation was Earth Release. Their combat style relied mainly on taijutsu, with defense and ninjutsu as support.
That was where Qi had the advantage. He wasn't an ordinary Genin. He had the Yuki Clan's secret scrolls, as well as the Water Release scroll Unma had given him! After years of training, he had already made real progress. Among Genin, he was an expert!
Most importantly, the elemental advantages and disadvantages between different chakra natures didn't have much of an effect at the Genin level.
Ninja fought in squads. Even now, with thousands of ninja battling one another, the basic combat format hadn't changed.
Qi was part of the second wave of troops sent into battle. The moment his feet touched the battlefield, he ran into a squad of Rock Ninja Genin. Fortunately, there wasn't a single Chunin among them!
"Cover me. I'll take them out!"
Qi knew that, as a newcomer, he needed to prove his strength. Only then would the commanders take him seriously, instead of treating him as expendable cannon fodder.
Making a good impression now would improve his chances of surviving later, so he didn't mind showing off a little.
"Got it!"
There were five people in Qi's squad: one Uchiha, one Hyuga, and two from ordinary backgrounds. The Uchiha answered him. After all, providing cover meant using ninjutsu, and the Hyuga Clan didn't use ninjutsu.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The Uchiha Clan excelled at Fire Release. Even their Genin could use it to a certain extent. That was the difference between ninja born into a prestigious clan and those from ordinary families.
"Wind Release: Gale!"
Another Genin formed hand seals and used a jutsu. He seemed to have started a moment later, but Wind Release usually required fewer hand seals than other types of nature transformation. In the end, both of them released their jutsu at the same time.
At the Genin level, the vast majority only knew basic techniques such as the Three Basic Jutsu. Anyone able to use techniques beyond those basics wasn't ordinary.
It seemed that Qi's reputation as a student of one of the Sannin had earned him some special treatment. Aside from the Uchiha and Hyuga, the other two in his squad probably weren't ordinary either.
Wind fed the flames. Boosted by the Wind Release, the Fireball Jutsu surged to another level of power and swept toward the Rock Ninja.
The Rock Ninja naturally didn't just stand there and take the hit. There were five of them, too.
"Form up! Hand seals!"
As soon as the Konoha squad began forming hand seals, the Rock Ninja in the lead gave the order.
In an instant, all five Rock Ninja began making the same hand seals. That was the Rock Ninja's specialty: several people used the same jutsu together to make up for their individual lack of strength.
Besides, splitting the chakra cost between five people greatly reduced the amount each one had to spend. The Rock Ninja's ability to keep fighting on the battlefield was the best among the Five Great Nations.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
A wall of earth rose from the ground, meeting the Fireball from Konoha's side head-on. Five people's strength was bound to be greater than two people's. There was no way the wall wouldn't hold.
"Boom!"
The torrent of flames slammed into the earth, twisting violently for several seconds before finally fading away. The wall had been scorched black, its surface covered in cracks as it began to crumble.
"Good! Keep forming hand seals!"
The Rock Ninja leader gave a cold smile. The five of them began repeating the same hand seals.
"Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear!"
"Boom!"
The sound of earth breaking rang out. Sharp stone spears burst from the ground beneath Qi and his squad, stabbing upward toward all five of them.
Under ordinary circumstances, one or two of the spears might have pierced someone. But everyone in Qi's squad was an elite Genin, and the Rock Ninja on the opposing side weren't Chunin either. All five leaped into the air and dodged the attack.
But that inevitably threw their formation into disarray...
"Their formation's broken! Kill them!"
All five Rock Ninja grinned savagely and pulled out various ninja tools.
"Thanks for the cover. Everyone, fall back and let me handle this."
A cold glint shone in Qi's eyes. The Rock Ninja had a unique combat style, but he wasn't afraid of a face-to-face fight. Even the Rock Ninja Genin couldn't be more vicious than a squad of Mist Ninja Genin.
The two rounds of ninjutsu had given him all the time he needed to prepare.
As his body began to fall, Qi bent slightly, tapped the side of a stone spear with his foot, and sprang clear of the spears, dropping toward the five Rock Ninja.
"So he's just a rookie. Kill him!"
The Rock Ninja leader saw Qi leap high into the air and burst out laughing. He raised a hand, and a Kunai tied with an Explosive Tag shot toward Qi.
The other four Rock Ninja sneered and did the same. Shuriken and Kunai flew toward every part of Qi's body.
"Poof!"
There was no exception and no suspense. Every Shuriken and Kunai hit Qi perfectly. The Explosive Tags attached to them ignited, and a chain of explosions swallowed his figure.
Yet what flew out of the explosions wasn't Qi's mangled remains, but a large amount of liquid—water...
The flames from the explosions were extinguished at once. White steam hissed and spread outward...
"Water Clone Technique!? How is that possible? He clearly jumped into the air!"
Ninja in wartime, especially Genin, were clearly more capable than their counterparts in peacetime. When the splash of water came rushing at them, the Rock Ninja reacted immediately and scattered to either side.
"Pretty sharp, Rock Ninja. Too bad your response was the wrong one..."
A Kunai glowing blue shot out of the mist with a sharp scraping sound and slashed across one Rock Ninja's throat.
"Shhk..."
The skin hardened by the Hardening Technique was as fragile as folded paper. It split with ease, and blood spurted from the artery like a fountain, staining the white mist a shocking red...
"But you were right about one thing. I really did jump into the air..."
Qi emerged from the mist, but the danger he posed only increased. He used the footwork he had learned from Ogata, and the moment he burst out of the mist, he had already reached the second Rock Ninja.
"Brat! Don't get so cocky!"
The four remaining Rock Ninja flew into a rage. In a flash, they surrounded Qi. The mist had already cleared, leaving his real body exposed...
"Die!"
Four Kunai stabbed down at once.
"Sorry, but I refuse."
Qi still didn't dodge. Before the Kunai could reach him, he exploded again. This time, the volume of water was even greater, and all four Rock Ninja were swallowed by the sudden curtain of water.
"Poof!"
Before the curtain of water had even dissipated, three more sprays of blood appeared...
But when the fourth sound rang out, it was the clanging of metal against metal. Clearly, Qi hadn't managed to kill all four at once...
That didn't mean he was giving up. The clashing sounds rang out without pause. In the water, Qi and the lone survivor must have traded blows more than ten times in a single breath...
"Who are you, really!?"
The Rock Ninja who had originally led the squad—and the only one left alive—finally staggered out of the curtain of water, covered in wounds.
Within the curtain of water Qi had created, he could move far more easily than usual. His enemies, on the other hand, were seriously hampered. That was how Qi had managed to kill three of them in one go.
"As you can see, I'm your enemy."
The jutsu's effects had completely worn off. Qi held a Kunai in each hand, glaring at the Rock Ninja and pressing him hard.
"I'm busy right now. If you don't mind, stand still and let me cut you down."
"What kind of jutsu is that?"
"It's called Water Curtain Flower. It hides my real body inside a Water Clone. It's a secret bloodline technique unique to my clan. With your abilities, you can't break through the Water Clone to reach my real body."
Qi was uncharacteristically generous with a man who was about to die.
"All right. Rest in peace."
Blue light appeared on both Kunai, and the sharp scraping sound rang out once more.
"You lied to me! I never saw you form hand seals!"
The Rock Ninja leader was devastated. He had thought he'd run into a rookie, but it turned out he'd met the grim reaper...
Underestimating his opponent really was a mistake... but it was already too late for regret...
"Sorry. My clan's secret techniques use one-handed hand seals for many jutsu. I was born knowing how to do them. I didn't need to practice."
Qi shrugged, kindly clearing up the Rock Ninja's last question.
A moment later, he smoothly slit the other man's throat, spattering himself with blood...
"Great. That went well..."
Looking at the five corpses sprawled around him, Qi nodded with satisfaction.
"This has potential!"
Water Curtain Flower was a rather special secret technique of the Yuki Clan. It was easy to learn at a basic level, but the stronger the user, the more powerful its effects became. It could also be combined with other secret techniques. At Qi's current level, he could only use it to catch Genin off guard.
It might not work on a Chunin. Chunin were far stronger than ordinary Genin, and if one of them used a powerful jutsu, Qi might not only fail to catch them by surprise but could end up injured himself.
Still, now that Orochimaru had taken him on as a student, he had the perfect conditions to train in ninjutsu. He would soon become stronger, and one day he'd be able to unleash Water Curtain Flower's true potential.
Before entering Konoha, Qi had remembered what Ogata told him.
If you don't want to die, you have to become stronger by any means necessary!
Come to think of it, so what if Orochimaru had taken him on as a student? As long as he could become truly powerful, he wouldn't care if he turned into a snake. Orochimaru was interested in the Uchiha Clan's bloodline. Qi just had to keep track of the timing and avoid the period when Orochimaru would defect.
As long as he didn't get branded with a Cursed Seal, what did he have to fear!?
"You're strong!"
A voice came from behind him.
"I'm all right. I couldn't have done it without you buying me that opening."
Qi turned around and looked at his four teammates walking toward him. The one who had spoken was still the Uchiha.
"But you took out all five of them by yourself. I couldn't have done that so easily."
This time it was the Hyuga speaking. The other two said nothing, instead keeping an eye on their surroundings. After all, this was a battlefield.
"I'm Hyuga Tong, and he's Uchiha Xiu. What should we call you?"
After exchanging glances with the other three, the Hyuga ninja nodded at Qi.
Unlike the others, Qi had been assigned to them at the last minute. He didn't even know his teammates' names. Now that Hyuga Tong had introduced himself, it was clear the others accepted Qi as one of them too.
"My name is Kagetsu Qi. What about our other two brothers?"
"Tahara Ryuji."
"Sasaki Hideyoshi."
The other two, who had been keeping an eye on their surroundings, turned back with a smile, acknowledging Qi's friendliness.
But as soon as he finished speaking, the Konoha ninja named Hideyoshi pointed to their right.
"Another Rock Ninja squad is coming."
"Then let's fight. I'll take the lead this time! Tong, don't rush. It'll be your turn next. We'll take them on one at a time!"
Uchiha Xiu chuckled and stepped to the front.
"This time, you and Ryuji cover me."
"No problem."
Qi nodded. Now that his teammates had accepted him, he had no need to steal the spotlight.
The next moment, all five reformed their formation and charged at the Rock Ninja who had appeared on their right...
The battles that followed were no surprise. None of the five were extraordinary experts, but everyone except Hyuga Tong could use nature transformation. On a battlefield dominated by Genin, they managed just fine.
On top of that, the Rock Ninja Chunin were already being kept busy by Konoha's Chunin. The Rock Ninja had more Genin than Konoha, but fewer Chunin, which meant Qi and his squad never ran into Chunin. They only faced Genin like themselves, greatly improving their chances of surviving the battlefield.
By the end of this probing battle of attrition, the five-person squad had maintained an astonishing survival rate. Not one of them died, although they were all wounded to some extent.
"So ice is your bloodline?"
Back at camp, Uchiha Xiu, who was covered in blood as well, stared intently at Qi.
"Looks like a very powerful bloodline."
"Heh..."
Qi smiled.
"Next to the Three Great Dojutsu, what could possibly count as powerful?"
At that, both Xiu and Tong wore pleased smiles.
It wasn't that they had any ulterior motives. Anyone would be happy to hear their clan's bloodline praised.
"Qi, you're too modest. The First's Wood Release once stood on equal footing with our clan's Sharingan. I'd say your abilities are pretty impressive too."
Xiu patted Qi on the shoulder. He thought this new teammate was pretty decent.
"Ahem..."
Tong coughed from the side, as if reminding Xiu that the Byakugan was one of the Three Great Dojutsu too.
"Tong, we're comrades who fought side by side. Don't let all that clan stuff get in the way of our friendship. Honestly, your Hyuga Clan can only use taijutsu. That's a disadvantage you were born with."
Xiu's gaze was clear. He and Tong were both boys in their teens, far from the scheming old men in their clans. The rivalry between the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans wasn't nearly as serious between comrades like them.
So, in response to Xiu's frankness, Tong merely grumbled and sighed. After all, what Xiu said really was the Hyuga Clan's weakness...
Meanwhile, Qi exchanged a smile with Ryuji and Hideyoshi. It seemed the Uchiha and Hyuga were always competing over which clan had the strongest dojutsu; only the intensity varied.
But Qi alone knew that the strongest dojutsu was neither the Byakugan nor the Sharingan. It was the Rinnegan. Unfortunately, even Pain's Rinnegan might not have been complete. Of course, that was just his guess. After all, the ancestor of the Uchiha Clan had once possessed a pair of Rinnegan.
"Qi."
A middle-aged ninja walked over. Qi recognized him as one of the several Anbu who had accompanied 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 taken aback, but didn't dare delay. What if Orochimaru had something new to teach him?
He turned and greeted his four teammates.
"Sorry, everyone. I'll be right back."
"You're showing off now. How many people in Konoha have one of the Sannin as their teacher?"
Uchiha Xiu gave a wry smile.
"Go on, then. Otherwise, we'll all die of envy..."