Although Jun Tianlin had stumbled upon a Hyuga Clan member on the Black Scroll whom he was supposed to kill, and the man's Byakugan was something he needed, the fact that he was a Jonin was enough to make Jun Tianlin hesitate.
No matter how badly he wanted it—how desperately he wanted it—his life had to come first... What use were bloodline limits if he was dead?
So, after wrestling with the decision, Jun Tianlin finally decided to start with the first person listed on the scroll: Yamamoto Ichiki, a Chunin rogue ninja from Kumogakure.
After all, he knew his own limits. Though he had spent seven hellish years in Otogakure, Jun Tianlin's strength had improved tremendously. His body had grown far stronger, and he had made great strides in controlling and developing his Kekkei Genkai, Shikotsumyaku.
Though the Kaguya Clan was not skilled in ninjutsu and could only use the most basic Three Body Techniques, Jun Tianlin, with his mastery of Shikotsumyaku, still had no reason to fear a Jonin.
But... his seven years of training had made him, and they had also been his undoing!
Those seven years had made Jun Tianlin stronger, and he had undergone countless combat drills. But if he truly fought a Jonin to the death, even with Shikotsumyaku, Jun Tianlin would undoubtedly be the one to die!
That was the difference in combat experience and instinct!
A ninja who had only gone through combat drills was no ninja at all. He was a hothouse flower. Once he fought someone close to his own strength, he would surely be the one to die!
But once someone had weathered the storms of battle and been tempered by life and death, their senses, composure, willpower, spirit, body, combat experience, and instincts would all undergo a tremendous change. Every one of those strengths would be transformed.
That was what it meant to cast everything aside!
Taking a wound to deal a blow, trading wounds, trading wounds for a life, trading one life for another... Such tactics for killing an enemy could only be understood after surviving life-and-death battles and being baptized in blood.
A tender flower could never understand the cruelty of battle!
If someone in a fight cared only about preserving their own life, constantly defending without attacking, they failed to realize that the moment they thought that way, they were already close to death.
Offense was always the best defense.
The truth behind that saying was truly... the wisdom of the ancients never failed!
One day later, at the border of the Land of Lightning...
"Is this Green Peak Town?"
After a long journey, Jun Tianlin had finally crossed the entire Land of Fire and reached the border of the Land of Lightning. He had found the place where Yamamoto Ichiki, the Chunin rogue ninja from Kumogakure, was hiding: Green Peak Town!
Looking at the slightly old-fashioned town before him, steeped in the weight of the years, Jun Tianlin felt a surge of emotion. A strange glint flashed in his eyes.
"As expected of a land with fierce customs, where everyone values martial prowess. Even a little town on the border is so imposing, radiating such a savage air. I wonder how grand Kumogakure itself must be."
After voicing his admiration, Jun Tianlin shook his head and walked into town.
Forget all that. I've been rushing around all day, and now I'm exhausted and starving. I don't have the strength to deal with Yamamoto Ichiki. If I run into him now, he'll probably kill me before I even get the chance to kill him. I'd better find a hotel, eat a good meal, and get a night's rest. I can make plans once I've recovered.
After reaching the center of town, Jun Tianlin casually picked a hotel that looked decent, ordered a meal, and ate his fill. Then he rented a room, shut the door, and collapsed onto the bed, fast asleep.
As for money... well, Jun Tianlin hadn't been worried about that. Before leaving Otogakure, he and Kimimaro had each taken fifty thousand ryo. That should be enough to cover the next month, right?
People could go without food and grow hungry, and without sleep they could feel like they were floating!
Even for a ninja, even for a member of the Kaguya Clan renowned for their powerful bodies, even for someone with such a formidable Kekkei Genkai as Shikotsumyaku, a full day of nonstop travel had still left Jun Tianlin worn out.
Compared to killing enemies, eating well and getting a good night's sleep felt far more practical...
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