The goddamn Main God

At the sound, the two Rogue Ninjas' pupils contracted sharply. The claw blades on their hands sprang out almost simultaneously, slashing behind them with the momentum of their turns.

But before they had even turned halfway around, two hands settled on the crowns of their heads.

Five fingers clamped onto each skull as though pressing down on a pair of watermelons. The icy force seeping from those fingers instantly raised goosebumps across both men's scalps.

Shuofang Si stood behind them, moonlight spilling down from his back and leaving his face half lit, half shadowed.

He held the two Rogue Ninjas by the crowns of their heads, the force in his palms pressing against their Baihui Points. His posture was as casual as if he were draping his arms over two old friends' shoulders in a bar.

Just then, the Main God's cold, mechanical, gender-neutral electronic voice transmitted directly into his mind.

Entered the Naruto world's preliminary storyline ahead of schedule. Difficulty increased to maximum. Upon completion, side plot awards and reward points will be doubled.

Kill Raiga Kurosuki and obtain the Thunder Swords: two C-rank side plots + 4,000 reward points.

Kill Ranmaru: 800 reward points.

Kill Kakuzu: one B-rank side plot + 6,000 reward points.

Kill Sasuke Uchiha: one C-rank side plot + 3,000 reward points.

Kill Rogue Ninjas and Sound Ninjas: 50 reward points each.

Shuofang Si's pupils trembled violently. Was this right? Wasn't I only here to kill Raiga Kurosuki?

What were Mr. Eight-Hundred-Mile Shuriken and my Naruto-world counterpart doing here?

But in the next instant, he killed both Rogue Ninjas with the Nine Yin White Bone Claw without the slightest hesitation.

Killed two Rogue Ninjas. Awarded 100 reward points.

Shuofang Si released his hands, and the two corpses slumped to the ground, five finger holes embedded in each skull.

It was his first time killing someone with his own hands. The blood that splashed onto them was warmer than he had imagined, but he felt no discomfort. He had long since prepared himself for this.

More importantly, what the hell was going on? Why were there so many enemies?

Then something suddenly occurred to Shuofang Si. Could hiring Konoha's ninjas have raised the mission difficulty?

Goddamn Main God.

Right. With Kakashi and the others looking out for me, killing Raiga Kurosuki wouldn't pose much of a risk at all. There was no way the Main God would let me farm points that easily.

Under cover of darkness, he darted out past the window and melted into the shadows of the trees surrounding the curry shop.

I'd better stay hidden and watch for now.

At that moment, Kakashi and Raiga Kurosuki were facing off. The killing intent and oppressive presence between the two Jonin helped Shuofang Si quickly adjust to the battlefield.

He leaned against a thick tree, steadied his breathing, and pushed his ear apertures to their limit.

Every sound within a hundred meters was amplified and poured into his ears. He could clearly make out Kakashi and Raiga Kurosuki's conversation.

He also caught every footstep and rustle of clothing as the Rogue Ninjas moved through the distant woods.

But two other sets of footsteps made him frown slightly. One was heavy and slow, the other light and quick. They were presumably Kakuzu and Sasuke.

He quickly assessed the situation. Sasuke Uchiha would be difficult to kill. With his cultivation and martial arts, killing ninjas with high offense but low defense was not necessarily beyond him.

The problem was Naruto. The kid was right beside Kakashi. If he saw Sasuke die before his eyes, the Nine-Tails chakra would undoubtedly erupt on the spot.

He had no desire to deal with a rampaging tailed beast on top of everything else. And knowing the Main God's bullshit, the Sage of Six Paths might even send down chakra to give Naruto and Sasuke a power-up. He had no intention of taking that gamble.

Kakuzu possessed the secret technique Earth Grudge Fear. Not only could he use all five elemental releases, but he also had five lives. He was a real headache.

With Earth Release: Earth Spear, his defense was on an entirely different level from those other glass-cannon ninjas.

With his current abilities, killing Kakuzu alone was unlikely. He could only wait and see how the battle unfolded.

Still, that money-grubbing bastard might be someone he could exploit.

It's really hard to make things work with my current strength. I still don't have enough options. Once I get back, I should buy some enhancements that give me immediate combat power.

As he considered this, Shuofang Si remembered a good exchange option. Even if he eventually left the Main God Space, it would still be a useful all-rounder.

Suddenly, a powerful surge of chakra came from the distance.

A blue-white flash of lightning streaked past, followed by several trees being blasted into charred wood. Judging by the sensation, Raiga Kurosuki had made his move.

In the clearing before the curry shop, Raiga Kurosuki raised the Thunder Swords in his hands. Lightning shot from the blades, arcs cutting through the night sky and leaving searing afterimages in the eyes of everyone who saw them.

Kakashi stood some distance away, facing him.

The atmosphere between them abruptly grew tense. Even the pebbles began to tremble under the electrical fluctuations produced by their Lightning Release chakra.

"Konoha's Copy Ninja. I hear your Lightning Blade can cut through lightning?" Raiga Kurosuki curled his lips into a mocking grin.

"Try it and you'll find out." Kakashi paid no mind to Raiga Kurosuki's provocation. He pushed his forehead protector up onto his forehead, revealing a Three-Tomoe Sharingan that slowly rotated in the moonlight.

Just then, a tall figure slowly emerged on a distant hillside.

The tall man wore a black robe patterned with clouds and a dark mask over his face.

"Oh? Besides my target, there's Konoha's famous technician too. Let's see how much you're worth." Kakuzu looked Kakashi and Raiga Kurosuki up and down, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

He pulled a thick stack of bounty sheets from inside his robe and flipped through them.

The papers rustled as he turned them, until he stopped at a particular page.

He narrowed his eyes and looked up at Kakashi. His eyes lit up, brimming with greed.

"I never knew you were worth so much."

Kakuzu folded the bounty sheets and tucked them back inside his robe. He turned to Raiga Kurosuki, fixing his eerie green eyes on him.

"I'll ask, at least. Raiga Kurosuki, on behalf of the Akatsuki, I invite you to join us. If you refuse..."

His gaze shifted from Raiga Kurosuki to Kakashi, his tone icy.

"Then you can die."

Kakashi's pupils contracted sharply. He recognized the man before him. In the moonlight, the man's features were clearly visible.

Kakuzu, an S-Rank Rogue Ninja from Takigakure. Information on him was recorded in the Konoha Anbu's classified files. Even among S-Rank Rogue Ninjas, he was considered exceptionally dangerous.

Raiga Kurosuki had clearly recognized Kakuzu as well. His expression darkened.

"Heh. You really are underestimating me." Raiga Kurosuki held his Thunder Swords across his body. Electrical arcs flickered over the blades with a crackling sound.

"Whether you're an S-Rank Rogue Ninja or Konoha's technician, you can both die! Ranmaru and I are the strongest team!"

Raiga Kurosuki roared, immediately forming hand seals and activating the Hidden Mist Technique.

Thick mist spread out from around Raiga Kurosuki, engulfing the entire battlefield in an instant.