I don't know how long I'd been swimming, but at last I could see a sliver of light above me.
I couldn't yet gauge Takigakure's strength at this point in time. If I wanted to take the Hero Water without paying any price, I had to avoid a direct confrontation with the village.
After all, Takigakure had yet to suffer the losses of the Second Shinobi World War and the Third Shinobi World War. It was at the height of its power.
Though it couldn't match major villages like Konoha or Sunagakure, its hidden forces were not to be underestimated. No one knew how many elite Jonin the village had in reserve.
"We must guard the Hero Water, just as the village chief ordered. We absolutely can't let outsiders get near it," a steady voice said.
"Don't worry. With us here, even if someone discovers the village, they won't leave alive," another voice replied.
"These are turbulent times. I heard there's a war going on outside. Keep the clan members from wandering off as much as possible, so they don't reveal the village's location."
"Right. Once we get through this period and the next generation of ninja grows up, Takigakure will be safer."
Bai Lin hid behind a massive boulder, holding his breath as he listened carefully.
Through a crack in the rock wall, he clearly saw six ninja wearing Takigakure Forehead Protectors guarding a rustic wooden house. They stood in a hexagonal formation, warily scanning their surroundings.
"Getting in looks like a bit of a problem." He frowned, quickly weighing his options. If I'm exposed, I'll have to face the full force of Takigakure.
Charging in was clearly the worst choice. He might not get the Hero Water, and he could end up surrounded.
If he wanted to get his hands on it without a sound, he'd need to find another way.
A moment later, while the six Takigakure ninja kept watch, a figure silently appeared above and behind them, guarding the wooden house. It was Bai Lin, with the Heaven Curse Mark: State Two activated.
His skin resembled armor plating, and a pair of "wings" made from his hands had sprouted from his back. A cross-shaped marking appeared in the middle of his face.
The State Two Cursed Seal boosted his perception, speed, and strength dramatically. He concealed his presence, becoming a hunter in the dead of night.
Bai Lin lightly beat his bone wings and plunged down like a phantom, hurtling straight toward the wooden house.
Before the six Takigakure ninja could react, Bai Lin had already slammed into the house like a cannonball.
"Bang!"
A deafening crash rang out as Bai Lin punched a hole through the roof like a cannonball. Wood splintered in every direction, and dust billowed through the air.
Bai Lin landed steadily in the middle of the house. His gaze immediately locked onto the beam ahead, where a translucent, gourd-shaped jade bottle hung motionless. Pale green liquid sloshed gently inside, radiating an overwhelming aura of Chakra.
It was the Hero Water!
"Found it." A glint of excitement flashed in his eyes. Without hesitation, he reached up, yanked down the jade bottle, and stowed it in the System Space.
The whole thing took no more than two seconds.
He beat his bone wings and shot through the hole in the roof, turning into a shadow as he raced toward the pool.
"Sorry, I couldn't think of a way to sneak in without making a sound. I had to take it by force." Bai Lin glanced down at the ninja on the ground. His voice was flat, without the slightest hint of remorse.
"Who are you?! How dare you steal Takigakure's most precious treasure!" one Jonin roared.
"See ya. You look tired." Bai Lin's lips curled into a teasing smile.
"Stop him! Don't let him get away!"
"Send the signal! Notify the village chief and the elders!"
Angry shouts and hurried footsteps came from behind him. More and more villagers and ninja had been roused, and they were chasing after Bai Lin.
A great many Takigakure ninja were following him. Bai Lin saw at least thirty fast-moving ninja—likely the village's Jonin forces.
Many more ninja followed close behind them, presumably Takigakure villagers with Chunin and Genin-level skills.
Even with the boost from State Two of the Cursed Seal, Bai Lin was far too fast for them to catch.
Soon, he reached the pool he'd entered through earlier. Without the slightest hesitation, he leapt into the icy water.
To his surprise, the Takigakure ninja kept after him. Many of them jumped into the water as well, using their familiarity with the waterways to continue tracking him.
When he left the pool and reached the shore, he sensed the Takigakure ninja still hot on his heels. The teasing smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a cold expression.
"Looks like you're out of luck."
He lowered his head and looked at the pool with his crimson Sharingan, his voice cold as ice. "You could've let them steal the Hero Water. At least you'd still be alive."
"But you just had to keep chasing me, and that really annoys me."
"And when I'm annoyed, you're all going to have a bad time."
As he spoke, Bai Lin gripped his right wrist with his left hand and opened his right palm. Violent Lightning Release Chakra gathered in his hand.
The blue lightning grew brighter and brighter, shrieking as it tore through the air. The surrounding air crackled as it became ionized, and fine cracks even began to appear in the ground.
What could make Bai Lin happy?
Naturally, it was having his enemies in the water when his specialty was Lightning Release.
The Takigakure Jonin underwater realized something was wrong and immediately tried to retreat the way they had come.
But it was already too late.
Bai Lin's lips curled into a cruel smile. He brought the Lightning Release Chakra, condensed to its utmost, close to the water's surface and said in a low voice, "Lightning Release: Chidori Current!"
Blue lightning surged into the water like a tidal wave, instantly spreading with the current and covering the entire pool and the flooded area along the shore.
The crackling current rampaged wildly like countless blue serpents, rushing toward the Takigakure ninja.
"Argh! Glug, glug!"
"Help! Glug, glug!"
Screams rang out one after another.
Lightning Release Chakra surged through the water and into their bodies, paralyzing their chakra pathways and tearing their insides apart.
The Chunin- and Genin-level ninja had almost no way to resist. Their bodies stiffened at once, and then they lost the strength to swim. They convulsed uncontrollably and soon stopped breathing.
Even the Jonin had no chance to perform a jutsu underwater, let alone withstand a shock of electricity that covered such a vast area. The current wrapped around their bodies, blackening their skin and making them cough up blood. They were left unable to fight.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on killing a genin. You received 50,000 ryo to spend.]x1.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on slaying a Chūnin. You've earned 200,000 ryō to spend.]x8.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on killing a jōnin. You have received 500,000 ryō to spend.]x22.
Most of the ninja who'd caught up with him were Takigakure Jonin. A few were Chunin with impressive speed. He hadn't expected a Genin to be mixed in among them, which caught him off guard.
System notifications rang through his mind one after another, like messages flooding a screen.
In just a few seconds, the shore and pool were filled with the bodies of Takigakure ninja. Blood stained the water red, and the once-imposing force of pursuers had been all but wiped out.
Bai Lin slowly stopped channeling Lightning Release Chakra. Releasing Lightning Style: Chidori Current at full power in State Two of the Cursed Seal had nearly emptied his Chakra reserves, and his face had grown pale.
But when he saw the spending amount on the System Panel soaring and the Hero Water safely stored in the System Space, excitement flared in his eyes once more.
"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it," he murmured. He beat his bone wings, and his body turned into a blue streak of lightning.
Behind him, corpses littered the shore of the pool and a river of blood flowed—a nightmare Takigakure would never forget.
(If you've read this far, please leave a comment about what you thought of the chapter. It'll help me keep improving.)
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