"Damn it! He's actually serious. It's the middle of the night, and there isn't a soul around!"
As Qi walked down the street, he had cursed the mastermind's ancestors for eighteen generations countless times in his heart...
Though the so-called "otherworlder's foresight" had already told him that the man was ruthless and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, now that he was the one caught up in it, the whole thing was downright sickening.
Of course, the worst part was that he wasn't strong enough yet. Otherwise, he'd have loved to slaughter every last one of the people the man had sent out tonight. They were all lurking in the shadows anyway, so killing them wouldn't cause any trouble.
"If you're in such a hurry that you put yourself in danger, you're only holding your master back."
A figure hurried up to Qi. It was Uchiha Xiu.
"The clan's experts already went to help. Your master will be fine. My father was once on good terms with the White Fang. He said your master was a true expert, even one the White Fang of the Leaf greatly admired."
"That would mean more to my master. The thing he's cared about most his whole life is losing to the White Fang of the Leaf..."
Qi gave a bitter smile, but slowed down as well. He knew Xiu had a point. Who knew what Konoha was like tonight? He wasn't so arrogant as to think he was as skilled as Minato, able to come and go freely among a crowd of ninja.
Since the enemy had named Ogata as a target too, they would definitely send Jonin after him. Qi might have a chance against a Special Jonin, but if a true Jonin showed up, he'd be walking to his death.
"Only someone like your master would care about that. If I could survive a fight against the White Fang, I'd be bragging about it for the rest of my life..."
Xiu's face darkened. Qi's words had left him conflicted. Was this what people meant by comparing yourself to others until you died of envy?
"Above us!"
He shouted. As he did, he and Qi each struck a palm against the other's. With a sharp smack, they used the contact to make an instant ninety-degree turn, leaping apart to either side.
Whoosh!
Dozens of kunai and shuriken rained down at the exact moment they separated, embedding themselves in the ground.
"Die!"
With a furious shout, Xiu flipped in midair and flung both hands outward. Shuriken flew without pause toward the figure that had appeared above them.
"Uchiha!"
A muffled groan rang out. The figure, still in midair, was struck by Xiu's shuriken. It turned into several logs amid a cloud of smoke and dropped from above.
"It doesn't matter! We'll take them both out!"
At those words, several figures burst out of the ground at once. Splitting into two groups, they charged at Xiu and Qi.
They were dressed in black and wore masks. Their identities were obvious...
"I'll take your grandpa out!"
Before they could reach him, Qi clapped his hands together and stamped one foot against the ground.
"Earth Dragon Emergence! Die!"
BOOM!
With a tremendous crash, more than a dozen dragon-shaped pillars of ice burst from the earth and slammed into the figures one after another.
Thud!
Against those iron-hard pillars of ice, human bodies were terribly fragile. A shocking spray of red filled the air, and five or six attackers were sent flying far away!
"Damn bloodline technique! This guy's already stronger than an elite Chunin!"
One of them spat blood as he shouted,
"I'm going to kill the bastard who gave us the intel!"
They were all real bodies. Each of them had broken several bones from that impact. They were lucky their internal organs hadn't been crushed!
But before they could retreat, Xiu had already finished forming Hand Seals. The understanding they'd built up on the battlefield was enough to let them work together seamlessly.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Technique!"
Scarlet flames replaced the spray of blood. Before the attackers could hit the ground, a massive pillar of fire swallowed them, destroying everything but their souls...
"Ah!"
Another scream came from behind them. Xiu's master suddenly appeared and punched through the chest of a ninja who had been about to ambush them. Then he flicked his hand, tossing the corpse to the side of the road.
"From now on, every step will be dangerous. Are you sure you still want to go to your master?"
He walked up to Qi without changing expression and looked at him.
"The enemies we've met so far are only Chunin. The next ones might be Jonin."
"Weren't you going to help me?"
Qi looked intently at Xiu's master.
"Then help me fight my way through!"
"Heh..."
Xiu's master laughed.
"You've got guts! Go do what you want, then. I'll follow you."
"Thanks."
Qi said nothing more. He turned and continued toward Ogata's residence. As he passed the bodies, he casually flicked his hand and sent a volley of ice spikes toward an empty patch of ground, pinning a ninja who had just emerged from it to the earth...
"Not bad. You're a sensory-type ninja, too."
Xiu's master nodded. He now looked at Qi with a trace of approval.
People with strength always earned respect. That was a ninja's pride.
With strength rarely seen at his age, and the bearing of a ninja, Qi had earned the respect of this powerful Uchiha.
There was no other reason. As long as someone like him didn't die young, he was certain to become a true powerhouse one day. Any faction would respect and seek to recruit someone like that...
Of course, the man who wanted Qi and Ogata dead had a greater goal than building up his own strength. That was why he had chosen to sacrifice them.
"This area's been sealed off with a barrier. No matter how much of a commotion we make, nobody will notice. Don't think you can draw anyone's attention this way. The only thing you can do is kill your enemies and survive the night."
With a few leaps, Xiu's master caught up with Qi and Xiu and reminded them coolly,
"So conserve your chakra. Don't waste it like you did just now."
"I understand. I was only testing it."
Qi nodded.
He'd already guessed that, on the night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre, the Konoha High Command had used a barrier to conceal everything happening on the Uchiha clan's grounds.
Still, that thing was impressive. He'd made such a racket, yet it hadn't drawn a single uninvolved person.
Just as Qi was about to ask who the Uchiha had sent to Ogata's place, a flash of blue suddenly lit up in front of the three of them. Several bolts of lightning as thick as barrels crashed down from above, swallowing them whole...
"Rumble..."
The lightning that engulfed them slammed into the ground, carving out a hole big enough to build a toddler's swimming pool...
"This isn't a Lightning Release Technique used by Konoha. Who are you?"
An orb of ice rose from the hole, then shattered into countless fragments that fell back inside. Three figures leaped out and landed on the ground.
It was Xiu's master who had spoken.
"Good evening, everyone. Sorry to disturb you."
With a swish, a line of ninja appeared on the scene. Their appearance made it obvious: they were impostors dressed in Konoha Ninja uniforms.
"Who we are isn't important. What matters is..."
A young man stepped out from the group.
"Kagetsu Qi, please die here. I'd be very grateful."
"How convenient."
Qi sneered and drew the short blade from his back.
"Because I'd love to butcher every one of you and make a birthday cake for my master. Tomorrow happens to be his birthday."