I'll Help You

That kid was using Magnet Release! the Hidden Mist rogue ninja thought in shock.

In the Shinobi World, Magnet Release had almost exclusively appeared in the Kazekage lineage of Sunagakure. Since this black-haired brat could use Gold Sand, which only the current Fourth Hokage could manipulate, he had to have some connection to Sunagakure's upper ranks.

He was beginning to understand why Sunagakure had posted a C-rank bounty officially while the black market had put an A-rank price on the kid's head.

The kid's value had never been in his life itself.

He no longer wanted to kill Lin Chongshu. Information about a Sunagakure rogue ninja who possessed the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai was valuable enough already.

He slashed backward again, precisely knocking aside the Gold Sand flying toward him head-on. At the same time, he explosively pushed off with both legs, easily breaking free from the sand's restraints.

Just as he was about to rush out of the alley—

A small figure dropped from above.

A kunai pierced into the side of his neck and emerged at an angle beside his Adam's apple. Blood gushed continuously along the kunai.

He grunted, then spun around and kicked at Lin Chongshu's chest.

Just as his foot was about to hit, a layer of fine sand surged from Lin Chongshu's collar, pressing against his skin and forming a palm-sized sand cushion between the foot and his ribs.

With that kick, the sand cushion scattered completely, and Lin Chongshu was sent flying.

He skidded into a sitting position on the ground, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. His chest felt as though it had been struck by an iron hammer.

Without the sand cushioning the blow, that kick would have broken at least three of his ribs.

The Hidden Mist rogue ninja covered his neck with one hand and braced himself against the ground with the other as he backed away.

The kunai was still embedded in his neck. Every breath forced bloody bubbles from the wound, and blood ran through his fingers, staining half his shoulder red.

Clutching his chest, Lin Chongshu rose to his feet. Another kunai was in his hand as he slowly pursued him toward the alley entrance.

This was his second time killing someone. He had none of the panic from the first time, nor much mental strain—only a trace of tension.

The alley was quiet, save for the popping of bubbles forced from the Hidden Mist rogue ninja's throat and the crunch of Lin Chongshu's shoes on the sand.

He watched the rogue ninja clutch his neck and retreat continuously, his eyes stretched wide, his pupils filled with terror.

[Detected that the host has imposed lethal suppression on the Hidden Mist rogue ninja. The target has experienced extreme fear while on the verge of death. Reward extraction complete.]

[Obtained: Water-Nature Chakra.]

Lin Chongshu froze for a moment, then the corner of his mouth curled upward.

This was the first time he had drawn a chakra nature from the system. It also meant that he could finally become a ninja.

The Hidden Mist rogue ninja's face grew paler and paler. His lips moved as though he wanted to say something, but his punctured throat no longer allowed him to make a sound.

His other blood-soaked hand reached into his ninja tool pouch and pulled out a scroll, extending it toward Lin Chongshu as garbled syllables escaped his mouth, as if he were begging for mercy.

Lin Chongshu raised his hand and controlled the sand.

Sand surged up from the ground and covered the Hidden Mist rogue ninja's face, wrapping his eyes, nose, and mouth together.

"I'm not stupid." Lin Chongshu kept his distance, his voice calm and unhurried. "If I kill you, won't all this stuff still be mine?"

The sand tightened.

The Hidden Mist rogue ninja's body twitched a few times, then became still.

Lin Chongshu crouched down, pried open his fingers, and pulled out the scroll. Then he removed the ninja tool pouch from his body.

Looting corpses had made him nervous the first time. Now, he was getting quite practiced at it.

He searched the body again, pocketing the stacks of coins he found in its clothes. Finally, he cut off the man's head, wrapped it in his clothes, and left the alley.

Since he was a rogue ninja, this head might still be worth a little money.

As he stepped out of the alley, he casually opened the panel for a look.

[Name: Lin Chongshu]

[Strength: 5.6]

[Mental: 6.2]

[Agility: 5.1]

[Constitution: 5.3]

[Speed: 5.2]

[Chakra (Water): 1]

[Shukaku's Power: Sand Manipulation (Proficiency 18)]

[Bloodline Limit: Magnet Release—Gold Dust (Proficiency 4)]

(According to the official databook standards, Itachi Uchiha's chakra amount is 5 and Jiraiya's is 10. These values have been magnified tenfold here, using 50 for Itachi Uchiha and 100 for Jiraiya as references.)

The chakra section was finally no longer blank. It seemed fighting real ninja was indeed more useful than bullying ordinary people.

He closed the panel and rubbed his still-aching chest.

A ninja really was a ninja. Their constitution was far beyond that of ordinary people. Not only had the Gold Sand failed to pierce his palm, he had even broken free of the sand's restraints so quickly.

In the end, Lin Chongshu had been forced to get involved personally and had nearly gotten his ribs broken by that kick.

Next time he encountered someone stronger, he needed to plan an escape route in advance.

Lin Chongshu did not leave the village directly. He circled through two alleys and quietly returned to Shan Tianzhu's house.

It was not because he wanted to squeeze anything more out of him. Shan Tianzhu's attributes had already been squeezed nearly dry. He simply needed somewhere quiet to tend to his injuries.

Besides, he wanted to figure out why that rogue ninja had targeted him.

The moment he climbed over the courtyard wall, he heard an argument coming from inside the house.

"Forget it! He's already gone. Can't we just pretend none of this happened and live peacefully?" It was a woman's voice, trembling with tears.

"Forget it?" Shan Tianzhu's voice was shrill and shaking. "He stayed in my house for a night! He stayed in your room for a night! And you want me to forget it?"

"You squatted outside the door all night, didn't you know? He didn't do anything at all!"

Slap!

The dull thud of the woman falling to the floor and the child's shrill crying after being startled awake erupted almost at the same time.

"I don't know!" Shan Tianzhu roared until his voice cracked. "All I know is that you let him stay in your room all night! He's gone, and you're still speaking up for him! Do you have a guilty conscience? Did you wish he could have stayed a few more days?"

Crouching beneath the courtyard wall, Lin Chongshu frowned. He had not wanted to interfere in this family matter, but Shan Tianzhu's final shout made him stop.

"I'll have God execute him! I'm willing to spend however much it takes!"

The woman climbed up from the floor, clutching her child. Her voice shook beyond recognition. "Are you crazy? The conflict between God and Lord Hanzo is getting worse and worse. What if we get dragged into it?"

"I don't care!" Shan Tianzhu kicked over the wooden basin on the floor. "He humiliated me! He slept with my woman in my house! I can't swallow this!"

"But I wasn't even—"

Slap!

At that moment, the courtyard gate was pushed open from outside.

A ninja wearing a Hidden Rain Village forehead protector walked in. His chin was sharp, and his eyes were like two beans as they swept across the courtyard.

The woman huddled in the corner with the child in her arms, a red handprint on her face. Shan Tianzhu stood in the middle of the room, breathing heavily.

The Hidden Rain Village ninja pulled out a stack of coins and tossed it onto the table. "God is busy. This little money of yours isn't enough to make him spare attention for such a trivial matter."

Within seconds, Shan Tianzhu's expression shifted from rage to fawning.

He bent over and moved closer, his voice softening. "Sir, could you perhaps make an exception?"

The man glanced at him, then counted out several coins from the stack on the table and slipped them into his own pocket.

"The money isn't enough, so the job can't be done. But my rules remain the same. Whether the job succeeds or not, I collect a thirty percent handling fee."

He turned to leave, but paused when he passed Shan Tianzhu. "Come back after you've gathered enough next time. Don't waste my time or the God's messenger's time."

The door closed.

Shan Tianzhu stared at the remaining coins on the table, his lips twitching. His wife huddled in the corner with the child and did not dare make a sound.

Suddenly, he grabbed the money from the table and clenched it in his hand. "There must be someone else who can help me. There must be..."

"You can ask me."

Shan Tianzhu spun around sharply.

Lin Chongshu walked in through the doorway, carrying the round bundle wrapped in clothes. Dark red liquid was still dripping from the cloth.

He set the bundle on the table and sat down on a long bench. "I'll help you."