"Not bad. How did you kill Raiga Kurosuki?"
Jiraiya circled Liu Yun a few times, rubbing his chin and clicking his tongue in wonder.
Bandits on his first mission, then one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist on his second...
That was an enormous leap.
So enormous that he could hardly believe it.
He had assumed Tsunade had killed him, but she said she had only used two moves. Liu Yun had been the one who actually killed Raiga Kurosuki.
"I got lucky," Liu Yun said. "My teacher had already badly injured Raiga Kurosuki."
Jiraiya shook his head. "Even badly injured, Raiga Kurosuki isn't someone a Chunin can take on. The old man will probably get quite a shock when we get back."
Liu Yun neither agreed nor disagreed.
A shock would be good. That was exactly what I wanted.
As a successor to the Will of Fire with impeccable credentials, it was time for him to cement his reputation as a genius and secure some of the perks that came with it.
Of course, becoming a genius also meant attracting the attention of other hidden villages.
News of the battle at Uzushio Village had yet to spread.
But something this big could not be kept secret.
Once the entire Shinobi World learned the outcome of this battle, jaws would surely drop.
His name might even appear on the underground black market's bounty list.
Liu Yun was not particularly concerned. Only mediocrity inspired no envy.
He had gained plenty from this battle. Once he replenished his equipment back in the village, his strength would take another major leap.
His bounty might not rise as quickly as his strength.
When that happened, the Gekko Clan would be great again... for the first time.
"Uncle Jiraiya, where are those Ninja Blades?"
"Why are you calling me uncle too?" Jiraiya asked helplessly. "Come in. The blades are all still here. Sakumo just came by to take a look, but none of them suited him."
Jiraiya took out a scroll and activated its formula.
Poof!
As a cloud of white smoke rose, four Ninja Blades appeared on the table.
The Kubikiribōchō, the Nuibari, the Exploding Blade Shibuki, and the Kabutowari.
Liu Yun looked them over one by one and picked them up to get a feel for them.
[New equipment material detected] [Kubikiribōchō] [Estimated quality: blue] [Refining cost: 60,000 ryō per attempt] [Special condition: kill this Ninja Blade's owner or kill the Mizukage] [Condition fulfilled. Begin refining?]
[New equipment material detected] [Nuibari] [Estimated quality: green] [Refining cost: 30,000 ryō per attempt] [Special condition: kill this Ninja Blade's owner or kill the Mizukage] [Condition fulfilled. Begin refining?]
[New equipment material detected] [Exploding Blade Shibuki] [Estimated quality: green] [Refining cost: 30,000 ryō per attempt] [Special condition: kill this Ninja Blade's owner or kill the Mizukage] [Condition fulfilled. Begin refining?]
[New equipment material detected] [Kabutowari] [Estimated quality: green] [Refining cost: 30,000 ryō per attempt] [Special condition: kill this Ninja Blade's owner or kill the Mizukage] [Condition fulfilled. Begin refining?]
"No."
After reading all four system prompts, Liu Yun's mouth twitched.
The special conditions for all four blades were the same: "kill this Ninja Blade's owner or kill the Mizukage."
All he could say was that Kirigakure was quite a place.
No wonder it could become the Bloody Mist Village. Even with Madara Uchiha and Obito manipulating things behind the scenes, Kirigakure's own problems could not be ignored.
Bullying was everywhere, and overthrowing one's superiors was all the rage.
At the same time, he noticed that only the Kubikiribōchō was blue-quality among the four blades.
The Nuibari, the Exploding Blade Shibuki, and the Kabutowari were all green-quality.
Why was that?
Liu Yun could not help feeling puzzled. He had initially assumed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's blades would all be of the same quality.
The Kubikiribōchō was the least useful of the lot.
Yet judging by the quality ratings from the equipment slots system, the seven blades were not all equal?
Seeing Liu Yun lost in thought, Jiraiya reminded him, "I don't think any of them really suit your style. Your Kiba is better. Even though it's a pair of blades, you can use just one."
He did not want Liu Yun to be dazzled by the reputation of Kirigakure's seven blades.
A powerful shinobi never became strong simply by relying on a ninja tool.
Chasing such empty prestige would only backfire.
Liu Yun nodded. Jiraiya was right.
But he did not intend to wield it. He wanted to refine it into equipment.
After a brief moment of thought, Liu Yun turned his gaze to the Kubikiribōchō.
Its ability might not be very useful, but on closer consideration, there was something rather uncanny about it...
Whatever the case, as blue-quality equipment like the [Kiba], it could not be all that bad.
"I'll take this one."
Liu Yun picked up the Kubikiribōchō, swung it twice, and nodded in satisfaction.
Jiraiya let out a relieved breath. "The Kubikiribōchō, huh? It'll do, though you'll need some time to get used to it."
Liu Yun stayed in Uzushio Village for a week.
During the day, he helped the others from Konoha rebuild Uzushio Village.
He had to admit that shinobi were astonishingly efficient when put to work on infrastructure.
Especially those who knew Earth Release ninjutsu. They needed no equipment and produced excellent results. In just a few days, Uzushio Village had already taken on a new look.
At night, he stayed at Kushina's house and met her entire family.
To protect him, Mito Uzumaki and Akina Uzumaki had not revealed that he was the one who had deduced Uzushio Village might come under attack.
Even so, Kushina's family was incredibly welcoming.
"I'm so happy here I've forgotten all about the Land of Fire..."
That night, Liu Yun lay on his back on the roof, gazing at the full moon hanging in the night sky.
The evening breeze blew gently. The sea shimmered silver-white in the moonlight, and the sound of waves lapping against the shore rose and fell.
He felt a sense of peace and relaxation he had not experienced in a long time.
"What are you thinking about?"
Kushina climbed onto the roof and came over, her red hair seeming to glow in the moonlight.
She wound a strand of hair around her finger and tickled his ear with it.
Liu Yun tilted his head and yawned. "Nothing. The moon is beautiful tonight."
Kushina looked up and nodded in wholehearted agreement.
Copying him, she tucked her hands behind her head and lay down beside him.
After an unknown stretch of time, she whispered, "Thank you."
Liu Yun smiled. "How many times have you thanked me already?"
Kushina edged closer and sniffled, her voice trembling. "This time is different. If it weren't for you, I never would have seen..."
Liu Yun's gaze grew complicated.
The original story had never introduced Kushina's parents or family.
Presumably, they had not survived Uzushio Village's destruction in the original plot.
But now, thinking back on the family members he had met over the past few days, he remembered how warm, kind, and talkative they were, and how happy their home felt.
"It was what I should have done," Liu Yun said softly.
Kushina had lived such a bitter life in the original story.
As a child, she had been brought to live in Konoha, a place completely unfamiliar to her. After Uzushio Village was destroyed, Mito Uzumaki suddenly became her only remaining relative.
She had been abducted by Kumogakure without even knowing what was happening. When she grew a little older, she became the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and lost Mito Uzumaki, leaving Minato as her only support.
Because she was a Jinchūriki, she was kept under strict surveillance and had virtually no freedom.
When it came time for her to give birth, Minato could have used Flying Thunder God to find any remote location and ensure that no one could discover them.
Yet the information had been leaked, and Obito, that fine student, had come to send his teacher and his teacher's wife to their deaths...
Her entire life had been a tragedy.
Liu Yun turned to look at Kushina. At least now, things were no longer as miserable as they had been in the original story.
"Get some rest. We're heading back to Konoha tomorrow."
Before you continue