Lotus Shadow, Will of Fire

[Ding, temporary mission released. Temporary mission one: Break the genjutsu, 1000 EXP.]

[Temporary mission two: Upgrade ocular power, 1500 EXP.]

The system's chime jolted Ryosuke awake.

He felt a searing pain in both his eyes.

He couldn't help but cover his eyes with his hands.

"Die." The bizarre Cloud Ninja had now sprouted three heads and six arms, lunging toward Ryosuke with a kunai.

Ryosuke suddenly snapped his head up. The Cloud Ninja's body shuddered, then dissolved into a cloud of black mist and vanished.

"So that's how it is."

In Ryosuke's eyes, the surrounding environment shifted once more.

He saw a dozen shadows of that Cloud Ninja all around him, each maintaining the posture of casting a jutsu.

The real Cloud Ninja was sitting under a tree, his face drenched in sweat.

Ryosuke looked down at his own hands.

He finally understood what had just happened.

This Cloud Ninja's genjutsu was quite advanced, capable of interfering with Ryosuke's judgment.

It had made him believe he had activated his Sharingan and used jutsus and skills.

But in reality, he had done nothing at all, which was why he hadn't been able to break the opponent's genjutsu.

If not for the sudden cawing of a crow that made him see the blood-red moon in the sky, he feared he would still be trapped in the opponent's illusion.

With the genjutsu failed, the backlash caused the Cloud Ninja to cough up a mouthful of blood. He stumbled as he gripped the tree trunk to stand up.

"The Sharingan is truly formidable. Even a two-tomoe Sharingan can break my secret technique. I accept my defeat."

The Cloud Ninja said, his face deathly pale.

Ryosuke walked over to him. "Demonstrate this jutsu again, and I will spare your companion."

As he spoke, he threw the kunai in his hand toward the tree, and a scream immediately followed.

"Do you think I would believe you?" the Cloud Ninja said with a bitter smile.

"You don't have to believe me, but you can believe in the Uchiha," Ryosuke said indifferently.

"True, true. The Uchiha clan certainly has the right to claim that."

After saying this, he slowly began to weave hand signs.

Ryosuke activated his Sharingan, memorizing the entire sequence of the opponent's hand signs.

Perhaps this genjutsu couldn't compare to Itachi's Tsukuyomi or Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, but Ryosuke didn't know if his own Sharingan would ever possess high-level genjutsu.

Besides, one can never have too many skills.

Ryosuke performed the technique himself, and a cube-shaped space appeared in his hands.

"What is the name of this jutsu?"

"Lotus Shadow."

Ryosuke nodded. "Rest easy on your way out; I won't lay a hand on your companion."

With that, he finished off the Cloud Ninja with his kunai.

A smile still hung on the corner of the man's mouth, as if he were quite satisfied with this outcome.

[Ding, congratulations to the host for killing an enemy. Randomly plundered a jutsu: Ninpo · Lotus Shadow.]

Damn it, I actually plundered one I already had. This is such a rip-off.

Hearing the system's chime, Ryosuke couldn't help but complain.

However, he didn't go up the tree to kill the injured Cloud Ninja, choosing instead to turn and leave.

Soon, he ran into Shisui, Sanhe, and Miyuki, who was still holding the little girl.

"You took care of all the enemies? You really know how to pick up the easy wins," Sanhe said with dissatisfaction.

In his view, finishing off ninjas who were already injured was naturally a very simple matter.

"Ryosuke-kun is truly amazing. We owe this to you," Miyuki said, her face wearing her habitual fake smile.

"Since the matter is resolved, let's head back."

Shisui glanced behind Ryosuke but didn't say anything.

Clearly, he had discovered the injured Cloud Ninja but chose not to point it out in front of Ryosuke.

"Are we just going back like this? Don't we need to check the other nearby villages? What if there are more Cloud Ninja?"

Ryosuke couldn't help but ask.

They had only been out for a day and a half; heaven knows when the next mission would come.

Although he was quite satisfied with the harvest this time, he could have gained much more.

Shisui patted Ryosuke on the shoulder and said, "Let's leave the rest to the other squads. We can't shoulder everything ourselves; perhaps the Third Hokage has other missions that require us."

Neither Sanhe nor Miyuki spoke, but it was clear they were in full agreement with Shisui.

This mission had given them a taste of real ninja combat, and they were now in dire need of rest.

Seeing this, Ryosuke had no choice but to nod.

And so, the four of them spent the better part of the day returning to the village.

Hokage Office.

The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe, staring at the mission report Shisui had handed him, remaining silent for a long time.

"Is he asleep?"

"It's possible; the Hokage is quite old."

Sanhe and Miyuki whispered to each other; this was their second time seeing the Third Hokage in person.

The first time was when they received their headbands.

"Ahem."

The Third Hokage seemed to have heard their discussion and gave an awkward cough.

"Shisui, you all completed this mission very well. You may take a week off to rest; here is your compensation."

The Third Hokage opened a drawer and took out four cloth pouches.

Sanhe was the first to grab one and immediately opened it.

"Wow, it really is two thousand ryo! We're rich! Lord Hokage, we don't need to rest, please keep assigning us missions!"

Miyuki took the remaining pouches and distributed them to Shisui and Ryosuke.

Shisui handed his share to Ryosuke.

"Ryosuke contributed the most this time, so consider this a reward from your teacher."

"Teacher, aren't you being a bit biased? We put in a lot of effort too, you know!" Sanhe complained.

"Sanhe, Shisui-sensei isn't being biased. This is what Ryosuke-kun deserves."

Ryosuke did not refuse, instead saying to Sanhe, "Don't forget you still owe me for a bento."

"Eh? How do you still remember that?" Sanhe jumped high into the air.

The three of them soon left the Hokage Office.

However, Shisui remained behind.

"Shisui, what do you think of Ryosuke?" The Third Hokage stood up, looked out at the scenery of Konoha, and suddenly asked.

"Lord Hokage, I don't understand what you mean." A flash of surprise crossed Shisui's eyes.

"I mean, do you feel that Ryosuke possesses the Will of Fire?" the Third Hokage continued.

"The Will of Fire... I'm not sure about that yet, but Ryosuke is truly a genius, perhaps even more talented than I am. In time, he will surely become one of the village's most important protectors," Shisui said earnestly.

The Third Hokage nodded without saying a word.

Outside on the street, Sanhe was chasing Ryosuke, demanding he treat them to a meal, while Miyuki tried to mediate between them.

It was a seemingly harmonious scene, yet it felt completely out of place with the atmosphere of the rest of the village, as pedestrians on the road went out of their way to avoid them.