Shinku Yuhi Wasn't Responsible?

The medical ninja at the scene were more than half dead when the Uchiha duo was suddenly surrounded and attacked.

No miracle occurred. The two were cut down within ten seconds, their eyes gouged out.

The seven who had succeeded left carrying large swords. They were likely the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

Shinku Yuhi had been saved, then promptly collapsed onto the ground.

None of the survivors emerged immediately. It was not until half an hour later, when an old woman appeared, that the others gradually gathered.

Shinku Yuhi sat there blankly without saying a word while several old women quietly directed the younger people to collect the bodies.

Hundred Herbs was the first to think of Qian Yun. "Hey, errand boy, what are you standing around for? Get over here and work!"

Qian Yun did not refuse. He had been worrying about what excuse he could use to touch the corpses.

The first was Uchiha A. Qian Yun obtained the green [Eye Power Talent].

He had thought a corpse could only drop one trait, but this man actually dropped four.

Blue [Shuriken Talent], green [Fire Release Talent], and green [Body Flicker Talent].

Uchiha B's traits were similar. Everyone else mostly had white [Medical Talent].

The fallen ninja's tool pouches were removed, then divided evenly.

An argument broke out over this, and Biwa Miko was by far the loudest.

"You old hag, shut your mouth!

"Do you know I'm a descendant of the Senju of the Forest Clan?

"Do you even know what the Senju of the Forest are? Our clan represents leadership!

"You're a nobody from the slums, and you dare talk back to me?

"Believe it or not, I can make sure you don't get any mission pay with a single word!

"My uncle-in-law is the Third Hokage. Remember that!"

The old women glared furiously, but none of them spoke to refute her.

They muttered quietly among themselves.

Although the Senju of the Forest Clan had long since disbanded and split into hundreds of insignificant small families, the Senju of the Forest still retained their prestige.

With the Sarutobi Clan added to the mix, Biwa Miko truly was not someone they could provoke.

One old woman muttered, "A clan of fence-sitters. They even change their surname whenever they please!

"When the Senju were strong, they loudly joined the Senju of the Forest Clan!

"When the Senju disbanded, they joined the Sarutobi Clan instead.

"Pah, a nest of trash!"

Another old woman chimed in, "I heard the Second Lord nearly had their entire clan executed back then!

"It was because of this that the Second Lord disbanded the Senju of the Forest Clan!"

Old Woman A grinned and nodded. "Later, to curry favor with the Sarutobi Clan, they even sent all the women in their clan to be toyed with by the old Sarutobi clan head!

"After that, they gave birth to plenty of bastards!

"Their family relationships are a complete mess now!

"Hehehe..."

The two old women became increasingly animated, and Biwa Miko rushed over to start tearing into them again.

In the end, it devolved into cursing each other's ancestors for eighteen generations.

Qian Yun did not say a word. He simply sat beneath a large tree and rested.

After that group finished arguing, someone threw two ninja tool pouches in his direction.

They seemed to have been searched already. Aside from food, there was only water inside.

Qian Yun still said nothing. He hung the pouches behind his waist, then followed the team out again half an hour later.

He had originally intended to desert, but now he had changed his mind.

The Senju of the Forest and Sarutobi Clans were such vile people. As a transmigrator with a system at his side, why the hell should he fear them?

He would deal with them.

The first would be Sarutobi Biwako.

You damned old bitch. If I make it back alive, I'll make you beg me in tears.

You dared send me to the battlefield?

That was the biggest mistake of your life.

Afternoon.

The team crossed the Valley of the End. The forest ahead became denser and darker, making it the easiest place for an ambush.

The group slowed down and advanced quietly, terrified of encountering the Seven Ninja Swordsmen again.

Of more than a hundred people, only forty-two remained. Everyone was afraid now, except for the silent Shinku Yuhi.

He looked like a breathing corpse.

As the sun set, the team stopped. Biwa Miko insisted on resting in an open grassy field, saying grass was suitable for camping.

The old women said such a place was most likely to be ambushed, but Biwa Miko once again invoked her status, and everyone had to listen to her.

The old women were helpless. Besides, most of the medical ninja could barely walk anymore, so they could only let Biwa Miko give orders.

Qian Yun remained silent. He felt it made no difference where they camped; they could even be assassinated in the main camp.

Just as Qian Yun was about to sit down, Biwa Miko pointed at him and shouted angrily.

"You go camp to the east, and stand watch while you're at it. Don't think you can use this chance to pursue me, either! Hmph!"

Everyone looked over. Qian Yun still said nothing and walked directly toward the woods to the east.

No one noticed that Qian Yun quietly activated the faint virus within Biwa Miko's body.

She subconsciously scratched her butt, then tightly squeezed her legs together.

It seemed very itchy.

As soon as Qian Yun left, Biwa Miko pointed at the old women and barked, "Aren't you worried about Hidden Mist ninja assassinating us?

"You go camp ahead and stand watch while you're at it. Leave taking care of Clan Head Shinku to me!"

The old women were helpless. They did not want to speak either; after traveling all day, they were truly exhausted.

Next, several male ninja were sent to the west. Only Hundred Herbs was left behind for her to order around.

The first task was boiling water, followed by pitching the tent.

Hundred Herbs was already tired as a dog, yet he still fawned over that huge idiot.

The other female ninja said nothing. No one had the strength to argue about such matters anymore.

Shinku Yuhi had already gone to sleep. He seemed too lazy to deal with that nonsense.

After bathing, Biwa Miko had Hundred Herbs set up a pot and cook soup.

Under a bright moon and sparse stars, an outdoor meal truly had its own charm.

Her itch seemed to have stopped. It looked like the Virus Nourishment Technique still needed improvement.

Qian Yun released ninja insects to stand guard, then quickly ate his rations and went to sleep.

His instincts told him that the closer they got to the battlefield, the more likely they were to be assassinated, especially supply teams and medical teams.

In the latter half of the night.

Qian Yun was sleeping soundly when three golden-rimmed ground beetles crawled across his face.

He jolted awake, then quickly concealed his presence and observed his surroundings.

Fog had risen.

Yet the moon was still bright and the stars sparse overhead.

Anyone who was not brain-dead could guess that this was the Hidden Mist ninja's signature technique, the Hidden Mist Jutsu.

Qian Yun hurriedly crawled into a thorn bush. He figured that even if an enemy came to kill him, they would have to consider being cut by the surrounding thorns.

Most Hidden Mist ninja used Water Release. As long as they did not burn down the forest, he had a chance to survive.

I have to survive!

I haven't made that old bitch Biwako lose her reputation yet. I absolutely can't die.

Puff, puff, puff...

Just after Qian Yun hid himself, cries of battle erupted from the grassy campsite.

The female medical ninja screamed repeatedly, with Biwa Miko's voice being the loudest of all.

Clang, clang, clang...

The sleeping Shinku Yuhi suddenly moved. His swordsmanship was incredibly sharp, and he killed three Hidden Mist chunin the moment he struck.

A Hidden Mist jonin in a dark vest charged at him, only to be forced back step by step by Shinku Yuhi.

The strength of a veteran Konoha elite jonin was truly terrifying.

He was nearly sick to death, yet he could still suppress a Hidden Mist jonin.

The old women's squad rushed over and finally stabilized the situation.

Qian Yun was still playing dead when a large hand suddenly seized him by the throat.

Fuck me!

Why couldn't I sense the enemy approaching?

He was lifted up, his neck feeling as though it were about to be crushed.

Another large hand covered his forehead, and a wisp of soul invaded his mind.

Not good, he's trying to read my memories.

The system absolutely cannot be exposed, or I'll never know peace again!

At the critical moment, Qian Yun sensed the bacteria inside his opponent's body and activated them immediately.

The Hidden Mist ninja pulled his hand back and scratched his butt. When he tried to continue reading Qian Yun's memories, he suddenly felt a chill at his neck.

Splat! Splat!

Blood sprayed from his neck, and his pupils began to dilate.

Qian Yun's throat was released, and he finally had a chance to breathe.

The Hidden Mist ninja fell to the ground, his eyes still wide with death's grievance.

[Ding: Defeated ninja Raku. Obtained Memory Reading trait (White)!]

He fused it immediately.

After taking the man's ninja tool pouch, he immediately tried to read the Hidden Mist chunin's memories.

It was somewhat difficult. Qian Yun did not know how to release his own soul.

He hurriedly searched the ninja tool pouch, but there was nothing inside except food and water.

This man did not even have a single explosive tag, much less a ninjutsu scroll.

While he was feeling frustrated, the battle on the grass had already been decided. Shinku Yuhi had actually killed five jonin in succession.

The remaining two fled for their lives at top speed.

As luck would have it, they fled right toward Qian Yun.

Worst of all, one of them charged straight at him.

With no time to think, Qian Yun immediately raised the corpse in front of himself.

Squelch!

The corpse was pierced through, the sword tip stabbing directly toward Qian Yun's chest.

Just as the other man's lips curled upward, he suddenly discovered that Qian Yun had turned into a wooden post.

As he tried to pull out his katana, a sharp pain suddenly exploded at the back of his head. Qian Yun's kunai was firmly embedded there.

He died with his eyes still open.

[Ding: Defeated ninja Blue Water. Obtained Swordsmanship trait (Green)!]

The other man was so frightened that he fled in a panic, while the pursuing Shinku Yuhi finally let out a sigh of relief.

Qian Yun took the second ninja tool pouch, then walked over to the panting Shinku Yuhi.

When Shinku Yuhi saw Qian Yun offering him the pouch, he shook his head.

"Solo kill spoils belong to the individual!"

After saying that, he sheathed his sword and headed toward the camp. Qian Yun sealed the corpse, then changed locations and went back to sleep.

Hidden Mist ninja seemed quite poor. The second ninja tool pouch still contained only food, water, and that katana.

Dawn.

The grassy campsite was noisy. It seemed a group of girls were accusing Biwa Miko, saying she should not have placed the camp in an open area.

The forty-two people had been reduced to nineteen because of her. Eleven of them were injured and required care, and everyone believed she should get no share of the supplies this time.

Unable to argue against a crowd, Biwa Miko cried as she sought out Shinku Yuhi to complain.

Unfortunately, Shinku Yuhi ignored her entirely. After counting their numbers, he continued onward.

Biwa Miko became like dog shit everyone avoided. After venting her anger on Hundred Herbs, she was still unsatisfied and came to blame Qian Yun as well.

But Qian Yun was like a mute gourd. No matter what she said, he gave no response.

Uh...

Not entirely no response. He gave her another dose of the Virus Nourishment Technique.

Biwa Miko began scratching herself all over again.

When she became frantic, she shoved her hand into her pants and scratched fiercely several times.

When she pulled her hand back out, there was already blood and flakes of skin beneath her nails.

Hundred Herbs instinctively took a step back when he saw it.

Tsume Inuzuka threw three ninja tool pouches to Qian Yun. This time, they contained not only food and water, but also medical supplies and combat supplies.

"Thank you sincerely!"

Tsume Inuzuka blushed. She seemed to rarely speak with boys, and none of the imposing air she had displayed during the argument remained.

The journey passed amid Biwa Miko's tearful whining, and the team finally reached the battlefield camp as darkness fell.

This was a primeval forest called the Death Forest of the Land of Fire's Eastern Sea.

Unlike Konoha Village's Death Forest, this place was as large as a major town. It had originally been filled with venomous insects and fierce beasts.

Now, only a small number of birds remained perched in the canopy. The beasts had all been eaten by ninja, while the poisonous insects had been subdued by the Aburame Clan.

The insects still active outside were basically all reconnaissance ninja insects of the Aburame Clan.