Arriving at the Border of the Land of Lightning [Begging for Collections and Flowers]

Although Jun Tianlin had accidentally discovered on the black scroll that he was tasked with killing a member of the Hyuga Clan, and that their Byakugan was something he needed, the target's strength as a Jonin was enough to make him hesitate.

Even if he wanted it, wanted it, and wanted it more, everything had to be predicated on his own life... If his life were gone, what use would these Kekkei Genkai be?

Therefore, after a period of internal struggle, Jun Tianlin decided to start by dealing with the first person recorded on the scroll—Yamamoto Ichiki, a rogue Chunin from Kumogakure.

After all, he knew his own situation best; although he had spent seven hellish years in Otogakure, Jun Tianlin's own strength had improved significantly. Not only had his physical constitution taken a leap forward, but his control and development of the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai had also made great progress.

Even though the Kaguya Clan was not skilled in ninjutsu and could only use the most basic Body Replacement, Transformation, and Clone techniques, Jun Tianlin, who had mastered the Shikotsumyaku, still would not fear a Jonin.

However... his seven years of training were both his making and his undoing!

In those seven years, although Jun Tianlin's strength had increased and he had undergone countless combat drills, if he were to truly engage in a life-or-death struggle with a Jonin, even with the Shikotsumyaku, he would undoubtedly be the one to die!

This was the gap between combat experience and combat consciousness!

A ninja who has only undergone combat drills is not a ninja; they are a flower in a greenhouse. Once they fight someone of similar strength, they are the ones who will surely die!

Once one has experienced blood and slaughter, and been tempered between life and death, their five senses, mindset, willpower, spirit, body, combat experience, and combat consciousness will undergo a massive transformation; all kinds of power will undergo a qualitative change.

This is called sacrifice!

Trading blood for injury, injury for injury, injury for life, life for life... these series of combat methods are techniques of killing that one only understands after experiencing life and death and being baptized in blood.

A delicate flower will never understand the cruelty of battle!

If a person in battle only thinks about prioritizing their own life, constantly defending without attacking, they do not realize that with such a mindset, they are not far from death.

Offense is always the best defense.

The true meaning embodied in this sentence is truly... the ancients did not deceive me!

One day later, 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 arrived at the border of the Land of Lightning, locating the whereabouts of the rogue Chunin from Kumogakure, Yamamoto Ichiki—Green Peak Town!

Looking at the slightly archaic small town before him, which exuded an air of historical vicissitudes, Jun Tianlin felt many emotions, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

"It truly is a country with a fierce folk culture where everyone values martial arts. Even a small town on the border of such a country is so magnificent and exudes such a fierce, violent aura. If this were Kumogakure, I wonder how boundless and grand it would be."

After a sigh of admiration, Jun Tianlin shook his head and walked into the town.

"Never mind that. I've been rushing for a day, and now I'm tired and hungry. I don't have the strength to deal with Yamamoto Ichiki at all. If I were to run into him now, I'm afraid he would finish me off before I could even kill him. I think I'd better find an inn, have a good meal, and rest for the night to recover my spirit before making plans."

Walking into the center of the town, Jun Tianlin casually found an inn that looked decent, ordered food, and after eating and drinking his fill, he rented a room, closed the door, and lay directly on the bed to fall into a deep sleep.

As for the money, well, that was not something Jun Tianlin had ever worried about. Before leaving Otogakure, he and Kimimaro had each taken a "huge sum" of 50,000 ryo. He believed that should be enough to cover the month, right?

People are iron, food is steel; if you don't eat, you'll be hungry, and if you don't sleep, you'll be drifting!

Even as a ninja, and a member of the Kaguya Clan known for their powerful bodies, possessing such a formidable Kekkei Genkai as the Shikotsumyaku, a full day of continuous travel had left Jun Tianlin exhausted.

Compared to killing an enemy, eating well and sleeping well were far more practical...