The Empire Procreation System, The Beginning of the Hegemon's Path

"Things?"

Haku's clear eyes were filled with confusion and fear; she did not understand the meaning of the word.

But she could feel that the "Brother Han" before her was different from before.

His gaze was as cold as Siberian permafrost, devoid of a single trace of warmth. It was an absolute indifference that viewed all things in the world as mere tools.

Mizuki Han did not explain.

He had neither the time nor the mood to soothe a child's emotions right now.

[Proceed with gene fusion immediately?]

The system's prompt rang in his mind.

"No."

Mizuki Han recited silently in his heart.

Now was not the time. Fusion required time, and enemies could storm in from outside at any moment.

His gaze swept quickly over the corpses on the ground.

Anbu uniform, mask, ninja sword, a pouch of ninja tools...

These were his capital for survival.

He began to strip the guard's clothing without a moment's hesitation. The cold touch of the corpse caused a wave of physiological discomfort, but his hands did not pause for even a second.

In this world where human life was as cheap as grass, sentimentality was the most worthless and lethal emotion.

Soon, he had changed into the blood-stained Anbu uniform and donned the mask. The slightly oversized clothing perfectly concealed his current weakness.

Next, he picked up the ninja sword and the tool pouch.

Inside the pouch were three kunai, five shuriken, and one explosive tag.

This was the entire inventory of a Mist Village Anbu.

Meager, but better than nothing.

"Firepower is still severely lacking."

Mizuki Han whispered in his heart; this was a sense of crisis carved into his very bones.

He glanced at Haku, who was curled up in the corner, and commanded coldly, "Come here."

Haku shivered at his icy tone, but she obediently shuffled over.

Mizuki Han did not take her hand; instead, he grabbed the back of her tattered kimono and hoisted her up, his movements as rough as if he were picking up a kitten.

"Follow close. If you dare make a single sound, I will leave you here."

His voice, muffled by the mask, sounded heavy and oppressive.

Terrified, Haku clamped her hands over her mouth and nodded frantically.

Mizuki Han wasted no more words. With Haku in one hand and his ninja sword in the other, he cautiously peered out of the cell door.

The corridor was empty, save for the distant sounds of screams and the clashing of weapons.

The great purge was still ongoing.

The entire Anbu base had fallen into chaos.

For him, this was an excellent opportunity.

Chaos meant the collapse of order, and it also meant the possibility of fishing in troubled waters.

"I must find an exit as soon as possible."

Mizuki Han's mind was racing.

According to the original owner's memories, this Anbu base had a complex structure, like a giant anthill, with more than one exit.

But every exit would inevitably be heavily guarded.

Charging in head-on was a dead end.

"System, is there a map function?" he asked in his heart.

[Answering the host: This system is the Empire Procreation System. Its core functions are gene extraction and bloodline evolution. The map function requires the host to establish an initial force and unlock it via the 'Empire Module'.]

"Useless."

Mizuki Han cursed silently.

It seemed he would have to rely on himself for everything.

Recalling the original owner's memories, he began to navigate the labyrinthine passages.

He did not choose the main thoroughfares from his memories; instead, he ducked into dark, damp, and secluded side paths.

In times like these, one must never take the beaten path.

This was a habit he had cultivated in his past life—always keeping a Plan B and Plan C in reserve.

His footsteps were light, making almost no sound. Before every corner, he would stop and listen carefully for any movement on the other side of the wall.

He moved like a top-tier hunter in his own territory, meticulously avoiding all risks.

"Halt! Who goes there!"

Suddenly, a furious shout erupted from ahead.

Two Mist Village Anbu, also wearing masks, burst from around a corner, blocking his path.

Mizuki Han's heart plummeted.

His chakra was completely depleted; he was now just an ordinary person in an Anbu uniform.

He had no chance of winning a direct confrontation.

Seeing him carrying a child and noticing that his uniform seemed ill-fitting, the two Anbu immediately grew suspicious.

"Take off your mask! State your designation!" one of them demanded sternly.

Mizuki Han didn't move.

In the span of a tenth of a second, his mind had simulated over ten countermeasures, only to reject each one.

Run? They were ninjas; he couldn't escape.

Beg for mercy? That would only hasten his death.

Fight to the death? Only a fool would do that.

What to do?

At this critical moment, Haku, whom he was carrying, suddenly struggled violently.

"Monster! You murderers! Let me go!"

Haku's scream, childish and piercing, was filled with hatred.

As she struggled, she glared furiously at the two Anbu.

Mizuki Han paused for a moment, then immediately understood Haku's intention.

This seemingly frail little girl was protecting him in her own way!

She wanted to use her hatred to draw their attention, to pose as a captured Bloodline Limit user who refused to cooperate, thereby dispelling their suspicions about Mizuki Han's identity.

What a... clever child.

A flicker of something unusual crossed Mizuki Han's mind, but he quickly suppressed it.

Going along with it, he said in a hoarse voice, mimicking the tone of the guard they had just encountered, "So noisy! If you scream again, I'll cut out your tongue!"

As he spoke, he made a rough gesture with his other hand, as if to cover Haku's mouth.

Seeing this, the two Anbu's vigilance indeed relaxed considerably.

In their eyes, this was merely a colleague escorting a remnant of a Bloodline Limit user, delayed because the captive was disobedient.

After all, such things were common amidst the chaos of the purge.

"Ah, escorting a prisoner," one of the Anbu's tone softened. "Hurry up and deal with it. Elder Gen has already ordered us to speed things up."

"Understood," Mizuki Han replied in a low voice, deliberately letting his body sway slightly to appear fatigued.

"This one struggled too much and drained a lot of my chakra," he complained casually.

This remark completely dispelled their last doubts.

"Hmph, scum from the Mizuki Clan are always troublesome," the other Anbu said dismissively. "Once you're done, head to the west sector to assemble. Don't cause trouble here."

With that, the two Anbu ignored him and turned, leaving in a hurry.

A deadly crisis had just been resolved by a seven-year-old girl with a courageous lie.

Only when the sound of their footsteps had completely faded did Mizuki Han slowly exhale.

He lowered his head and looked at Haku in his arms.

The girl was still trembling, but her eyes were remarkably resolute.

Mizuki Han's gaze held a complex emotion for a moment, but quickly returned to its usual calm indifference.

He offered no thanks, no comfort.

He simply continued carrying Haku, walking deeper into the darkness.

Trust and emotion were the most useless things in this world.

Only absolute strength and control were the eternal truths.

Haku's actions had merely confirmed her utility—besides her bloodline, she possessed a mind far beyond her years.

She was a suitable tool.

After navigating the maze-like corridors for another ten minutes, he finally found a ventilation shaft in an inconspicuous corner.

The shaft was narrow, barely wide enough for one person.

According to his memory, this led to the Anbu base's sewage system, one of the few undefended exits.

No one would believe a ninja would stoop to escaping through such a filthy place.

But Mizuki Han would.

As long as he could survive, he would jump into a cesspit without a moment's hesitation, let alone a sewage pipe.

He pried open the grate and crawled inside without a second thought.

The pipe was filled with a nauseating stench, and slimy liquid coated his entire body.

He shielded Haku in front of him, crawling arduously through the narrow, dark tunnel.

He did not know how much time had passed when a sliver of light finally appeared ahead.

It was the exit!

Mizuki Han felt a surge of joy and quickened his pace.

However, the moment he was about to crawl out of the pipe, an intense sense of crisis made every hair on his body stand on end!

He abruptly halted his movements.

[System Warning: High-intensity chakra signature detected within a 100-meter radius!]

[Energy Level Assessment: Jonin.]

[Danger Level: Extremely High!]

There was an ambush at the exit!

Mizuki Han's heart sank to the bottom of a well.

He realized immediately that this might be a trap.

A trap specifically prepared for those who thought themselves clever and tried to escape through the sewage outlet.

His "persecution mania" flared up.

Could it be that every step he had taken was already within someone else's calculations?

From killing the guard in retaliation to choosing this secluded path, and then discovering this vent...

Was all of this designed?

The thought made him shudder.

He immediately followed his "Three-Part Chakra Principle"—although he currently had no chakra, the principle was already carved into his soul.

Always reserve 30% of energy for escape, 40% for a finishing blow, and the remaining 30% for dealing with emergencies.

Now, he needed intelligence.

He needed to know who that Jonin outside was, and what they were waiting for.

Mizuki Han's gaze fell upon the explosive tag he had been keeping as a treasure.

A bold and insane plan formed in his mind in an instant.

He took a kunai from his ninja tool pouch and carefully tied the explosive tag to it.

Then, he glanced at Haku in his arms.

"Are you afraid of death?" he asked suddenly.

Haku was stunned for a moment, then shook her head.

"I am not."

"Good."

Mizuki Han shoved the kunai with the attached explosive tag into Haku's hand.

His voice was cold and cruel, as if he were issuing an unquestionable order.

"In a moment, I will throw you out."

"You must use all your strength to throw this thing toward the light."