Analyzing the Ninja World Starting from Konoha

Chapter 180 Bruyce White Dragon

In fact, Aoba had already noticed something was wrong with the lizard clan.

He felt something was strange from the moment he first arrived in the Blue Swamp to sign the spirit contract.

The ninja world is so vast, and there are many strange summoning beasts. Why is it that only the group of lizards from the Azure Swamp are attacked by other species?

Is it really because of the good location?

Why is it that the three most famous holy sites in the spirit world—Mount Myoboku, Ryuchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest—have never been targeted by any ignorant beasts?

Is it simply because the three holy lands are powerful, or because they possess complete immortal arts traditions and unique ecological closed loops?

Obviously not!

If it's just because the location is good, then why do they still stubbornly refuse to leave, even though the environment of the swamp behind has clearly deteriorated to such an extent that survival has become a problem?

Even the underground ruins where Aoba discovered the Grell Stone on the border of the Land of Wind, that place was practically the perfect habitat for the lizard race.

The environment is damp year-round, shrouded in mist, and secluded, a fact confirmed by local resident Ye Cang himself.

and then?

When Qingye suggested to the old lizard chieftain that the entire tribe could relocate there, the old lizard still refused.

He only allowed some of the young people to go, while he and some old lizards remained in the swamp.

So it's not that they can't find new habitats.

Rather, it's because there's something here that requires them to stay and guard it.

So when Aoba saw these lizards dying tragically today, his speculation was confirmed!

All of this is related to "transformation into a dragon".

Aoba bluntly shattered the old lizard's fantasy.

The old lizard chieftain remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh.

That sigh was filled with resentment and helplessness.

"How did you know? The secret of [Dragon Transformation] is a secret even in Ryuchi Cave."

The old lizard was somewhat curious, as the contractor in front of him could be considered the most unique among all the contractors in history.

It's also the one it can't see through the most!

"Ryuchi Cave, one of the three sacred sites, has the word 'dragon' in its name, yet its owner is a snake who calls himself the 'White Snake Immortal.' Don't you find that ridiculous?"

"Since it's called Dragon Cave, why not just call itself the White Dragon Immortal? There's only one answer: because that old white snake knows very well that it's not a perfect immortal at all; it hasn't truly crossed the boundary of that species."

Memories of Naruto from her past life flashed through Aoba's mind.

Later, after learning Sage Mode in Ryuchi Cave, Kabuto Yakushi grew horns on his head and arrogantly claimed that he had "transformed into a dragon."

Including later characters like Mitsuki, who also grow horn-like features on their foreheads when activating Sage Mode.

Why don't the snake immortals in Longdi Cave, who have lived for thousands of years, have horns? Is it because they don't want to?

Obviously not, it's that they can't do it.

Even if it manages to grow horns, it still wouldn't be considered a true dragon.

"In ancient times, snakes and lizards were of the same origin and species."

Aoba looked at the old lizard's sharply contracted vertical pupils, a confident smile playing on his lips. "Since the White Serpent Immortal of Ryuchi Cave's ultimate goal is to transform into a dragon," then the Azure Swamp Lizard clan, also an ancient remnant species, clearly shares the same goal.

"Azure" in ancient Chinese refers to the sky. Like those snakes in Ryuchi Cave who insist on calling themselves dragons, you bunch of lizards who spend all your time in the mud, aren't you secretly dreaming of flying to the sky?

"Transformation into dragons, this is the fundamental reason why you are stubbornly defending the Azure Swamp."

Aoba took a step forward, the mud beneath her feet making a slight scraping sound.

"Even though the environment of the Azure Swamp has deteriorated to this ghastly state, even though your people have died tragically due to forced mutation, you still don't want to move. Let me guess, perhaps beneath this seemingly barren swamp, or rather, deep within these ruins, lies the ultimate secret of the lizard clan regarding 'transformation into dragons'?"

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

The old lizard chieftain's massive body trembled slightly, his turbid vertical pupils fixed on the young Konoha ninja before him.

It could never have imagined that the core secrets of the lizard race, hidden for thousands of years, would be so easily peeled away by a human boy, layer by layer, like peeling an onion, and exposed to the air without reservation.

It originally thought that Qingye was just a contractor with extraordinary talent, but it never expected that this human's wisdom and insight would be so terrifying.

"You guessed right!"

Aoba thought to himself.

Even if it wasn't human, the old lizard's reaction alone confirmed Aoba's suspicions.

Aoba sighed inwardly. After all, he wasn't human. He had only tricked the old lizard a little, and his psychological defenses were exposed.

Therefore, living a long life does not necessarily mean being smart.

"well----"

A long, aged sigh echoed through the empty ruins.

The old lizard chieftain's once proud head slowly lowered, and then his body began to shrink, transforming into human form.

"Yamashiro Aoba, your wisdom surpasses that of all the humans I have ever seen."

The old lizard approached and pointed a finger at Qingye's forehead. Qingye did not dodge; he could sense that the old lizard was not hostile.

"You have gained the friendship of the [Brues White Dragon] family!"

A drop of blood seeped into Qingye's brow.

"This is?"

Aoba was somewhat surprised, as he sensed a change in his contract with the lizard clan.

His original contract with the lizard clan existed in the form of a contract scroll.

To put it simply, it's an employment relationship in the form of a contract.

Aoba used his chakra to summon the lizard to fight. Once the chakra was depleted, the summoning beast left. Of course, some of the chakra would be taken away by the summoning beast or its clan.

It's a fair transaction where you work once, pay once, and it's a mutually agreeable arrangement.

However, the contract between Aoba and the lizard clan has changed. It is no longer based on the contract scroll, but on bloodline.

Even if the contract scroll is destroyed, it will not affect Aoba's summoning lizard from coming out to fight, and the time will be longer. Even if Aoba's chakra is exhausted, the summoning beast can still stay and continue to fight as long as it is willing.

Even Aoba's descendants have the opportunity to inherit Aoba's contract and summon the lizard race without using the contract scroll.

The old lizard chieftain turned around. "Come with me. Now that you know, there's no need to keep this secret from you any longer."

Does this mean they're one of us?

Without hesitation, Qingye followed behind the old lizard.

Although the contractors of the three holy lands are all ninjas from Konoha, even Jiraiya or Orochimaru may not know the most core secrets of these summoning beast groups.

After all, these things are not explicitly mentioned in the main storyline, and Aoba only came to this conclusion by guessing and piecing together clues.

This is the advantage of being familiar with the plot.

By leveraging information asymmetry and working backward from the results, many things can be deduced.

Even if he guesses wrong, it doesn't matter, he won't lose anything anyway.

But if he guesses right, like this, Aoba might gain a deeper understanding of some of the secrets of this world!

Aoba followed behind the old lizard, descending deeper into the underground caverns of the Azure Swamp.

The surrounding air became increasingly humid, and the temperature dropped further.

The passage was dark and deep, with ancient and obscure patterns carved on the surrounding rock walls.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, a faintly glowing barrier suddenly appeared ahead, completely blocking the way.

The old lizard chieftain stopped and placed his hand on the light screen of the barrier.

Accompanied by a low hum, the barrier rippled out like water, and then slowly revealed a two-meter-high opening.

"Go in, the answer you're looking for is inside."

The old lizard's voice carried an undisguised sense of awe.

Aoba took a deep breath and stepped into the barrier.

However, when he saw the scene before him, even though he had prepared himself mentally, he was still stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

hiss~~~

"This—how is this possible?!"

What came into view was a huge skeleton.

What shocked Aoba the most was the head of this skeleton—it was a real dragon head!

It was an extremely ferocious head, with a wide jawbone and interlocking fangs, and on either side of its head, two dragon horns that looked like sharp swords piercing straight into the dome!

Moreover, looking back along the dragon's head, a pair of huge, wing-like structures extended from both sides of the massive spine!

It has two horns on its head and two wings on its back!

This is the remains of a real ancient dragon!

This is not the skeleton of a giant lizard at all, nor is it a creature as commonly understood in the ninja world. Rather, it is closer to a giant dragon from mythology and legends of the past!

"I see----"

Qingye muttered to herself, her eyes filled with an inscrutable expression.

Meanwhile, in the distant Land of Earth, in the Hidden Stone Village.

The battle on the front lines is raging fiercely, and the fight between Iwagakure and Konoha has entered a white-hot stage.

But in the rear of Iwagakure, in a quiet and solemn mausoleum, an uninvited guest arrived.

On a dark and windy night, a blurry figure silently appeared in the graveyard of Iwagakure.

In the middle of the night, a figure suddenly appeared in the cemetery, immediately attracting the attention of the mausoleum's caretakers.

The guard was an elderly Chunin from Iwagakure. Normally, this might not be a problem, but now it was wartime.

He immediately gripped the kunai warily and crept closer.

However, when he could see the Iwagakure uniform the other person was wearing and that familiar face in the dim moonlight, his wariness lessened slightly.

-

"Hey! What are you doing at the mausoleum in the middle of the night? Don't you know that entry is prohibited at night?"

The guard stepped forward and routinely asked the questions.

The man turned around, a forced smile on his face.

He bowed repeatedly in apology, then, with a look of sadness and helplessness on his face, he lowered his voice and said, "I'm sorry, sir."

I'm heading to the front lines in the Land of Grass first thing tomorrow morning with my unit. I've heard the war with Konoha is incredibly fierce, and I don't know if I'll make it back alive, so—I wanted to take this opportunity to come and say goodbye to my late father tonight.

Upon hearing this, the guard immediately showed an expression of understanding and sympathy.

During wartime, it was very common for people to pay respects to their ancestors before leaving home. While others would come during the day, this person would come at night.

Although I don't understand, I respect it.

He sighed and waved his hand: "Alright, then hurry up and try not to linger too long. It will be difficult for me if someone finds out. Go back and rest as soon as you're done."

The guard waved his hand, preparing to turn around and continue his patrol.

"Okay, thank you."

The man nodded repeatedly, then asked casually, "By the way, brother, where is the Second Tsuchikage's grave? I'd like to pay my respects to the glory of the former Tsuchikage and pray for some good luck."

Without a second thought, the guard instinctively pointed in a direction: "Look, it's over there, in the deepest part, the tallest tombstone is it—"

He had only spoken halfway when the guard suddenly realized something was wrong.

Why would an ordinary genin, after paying respects to his father, go looking for the Second Tsuchikage's grave? Besides, he seemed to remember his father wasn't dead yet—

"Wait! You bastard—"

The guard was about to turn around and start questioning again.

puff!

A chilling thud.

A strangely shaped, dark red, sharp blade pierced the guard's back without warning, precisely penetrating his heart and emerging from his chest.

Fresh blood dripped down the red blade onto the stone slab.

The guard stared wide-eyed, a gurgling sound coming from his throat, and looked down in disbelief at the red blade lodged in his chest.

"Thank you for giving me directions, brother."

A cold and unfamiliar voice rang in the guard's ears.

Immediately afterwards, the red blade that had pierced the guard's chest was abruptly pulled back.

What's chilling is that the moment the blade was withdrawn, it rapidly deformed and contracted as if it were alive, attaching itself to the man's body and merging into his body.

The guard's body lay limply on the ground.

The "Iwagakure ninja" who committed the murder suddenly had a white ripple appear on his body, and his form quickly changed like a melting wax figure.

In just a few seconds, he transformed into the appearance of the guard who had just died!

They are identical in height, build, and chakra fluctuations.

"【Disguise Technique】is such a convenient ability. Combined with the power bestowed upon me by Lord Aoba, it's practically the perfect assassination technique."

Then, he picked up the guard's original weapon, strode off, and swaggered toward the Second Tsuchikage's grave.

Behind him, the body of the real tomb keeper was casually kicked into the bushes nearby.

The body was not discovered until three days later by Iwagakure ninjas who came to pay their respects, and it was then reported to the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.

However, by then it was all too late.

The scene returns to the swamp.

In the dark underground cave, Aoba skillfully arranged the rituals required for the Impure World Reincarnation.

Behind him, Ryoichi Ishida stood respectfully.

Next to Ryoichi lay a kidnapped Sand Village ninja.

This unfortunate fellow was caught by Ryoichi while on patrol at the front line, and he was now staring wide-eyed in terror, struggling desperately.

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