Konoha's lexicon of ninjas

Chapter 107 First Encounter with Dawn, A Moment of Impulsiveness! (10,000-word update, please subscribe and vote!)

After leaving Orochimaru's experimental base, Hoshino Shuichi carefully considered the term "devourer".

Judging from its effect, it will probably also be a red entry.

"Physical compatibility probably really refers to compatibility with other genes."

"Perhaps there's also a bloodline limit..."

The fact that two consecutive entries mention physical compatibility indicates a very clear bias.

"Although my mental strength and willpower have been enhanced, I am not confident in fighting against the malicious attacks of the tailed beasts."

When Xingxia Xiu thought of Naruto.

Even Naruto, whose personality seemed to have been affected by Kotoamatsukami, almost got himself killed.

And Killer Bee... his focus on rap seems to suggest he's got something wrong with his head.

"I have a pessimistic view of human nature, and I harbor quite a few evil thoughts."

Hoshino Shuichi pondered carefully: "Focus, and then the anchor point..."

"Dean, is it silence... or ninjutsu? Or is it the desire to become stronger?"

Hoshino Hideichi hesitated.

But he wasn't in a great hurry.

It would be safer to try it after obtaining the "Medical Master" title and improving physical compatibility.

……

Time flies, and it's already March. Hoshino Shuichi is finally 10 years old.

For the past few years, he had spent his birthday mostly on missions. Now that he was finally in Konoha and it was his birthday, Yakushi Nonou made special preparations.

Birthday cake, longevity noodles, and all of Hoshino Shuichi's friends and elders in the village were invited over.

So when Xingxia Xiu returned home in the evening, it was a surprise and a grand celebration.

Tsunade, Tenyun, Kushina Uzumaki, Shizune, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, Ebisu, Shinnosuke Sarutobi, Chihiro, Shisui Uchiha... all those who weren't on missions arrived.

This was also the first time that Kushina Uzumaki met Asuka.

So, after singing the birthday song, eating the birthday cake, and everyone was playing and chatting, Hoshita Shuichi was pulled by the ear by Uzumaki Kushina, who complained that Hoshita Shuichi had kept it from her for so long.

Hoshita Shuichi could only beg for mercy repeatedly, pretending to be ignorant of Kushina Uzumaki's identity as a tailed beast jinchūriki.

Kushina Uzumaki knew the root of the problem, so she handled it gently and then went to chat with Asuka.

They used to be playmates!

After Kushina Uzumaki left, Shizune immediately came over and dragged Shuichi Hoshino to play games with Kurenai Yuhi and the others.

The birthday party lasted until after 9 p.m.

After seeing off all the guests, Hoshino Hideichi, along with Yakushi Nonou and Asuka, cleaned up the house, working until after 10 p.m.

"Let's rest first, we can sort out the birthday presents tomorrow."

Yakushi Nono said.

She hoped that Hoshino Shuichi could get some rest soon.

"Yes, ma'am! Don't worry, I guarantee you'll fall asleep as quickly as possible!"

Hoshino Hideichi smiled, quickly packed his clothes, and then went into the bathroom to take a shower.

However, while taking a shower, he focused his attention on the word tree in his mind.

Just now, during his birthday banquet, the shadow clone he had left outside to cultivate before going home finally completed its training.

[Lightning Release Expert] activated!

Lightning Release talent increased by 100%, Lightning Release ninjutsu can be used without hand seals.

"Next is to develop the Lightning Release: Body Flicker Technique. Once it's completed, I can obtain the [Body Flicker Expert] title."

"Furthermore, the [Water Release Expert] and [Earth Release Expert] will be available soon as well."

As Hoshino Hideichi pondered this, he gradually drifted off to sleep.

In fact, if he focuses on ninjutsu such as Water Release, Earth Release, and Lightning Release, and constantly supplements it with actual combat, he can quickly master them and then win.

However, human energy is limited, so when multiple projects exist at the same time, there will inevitably be priorities.

His priority is to increase his own combat power ceiling, and then everything else.

In short, specialize first, then broaden your knowledge!

The "Instantaneous Movement Expert" attribute can greatly increase Hoshino Shuichi's speed and also allow him to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique faster in the future, so its priority is different.

However, the [Flash Technique Expert] requires different Flash Techniques, so in order to develop Lightning Release Flash Technique, he prioritized acquiring the [Lightning Release Expert] technique.

……

Another month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Just as Hoshino Shuichi had acquired the title of "Earth Release Expert" and hadn't even completed his Lightning Release: Body Flicker Technique, a mission to leave the village suddenly came crashing down on him.

After leaving the village, the three-person team headed west.

"Our destination this time is the Land of Rain."

Sarutobi Shinnosuke began to reveal the mission information: "The mission targets are the various ninja organizations in the Land of Rain. We need to investigate their situation and assess their strength."

Hoshino's eyes twitched slightly, and he immediately asked, "Captain, after assessing the strength of the Rain Country's ninja organization, are we going to cooperate with Hanzo and help him pacify the Rain Country?"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke nodded: "The Third Hokage did indeed have this idea, and it was also to curb the ambitions of Iwagakure."

"Secondly, we want to further cooperate with Hanzo through this, so that Sunagakure will completely lose the possibility of forming an alliance with Hanzo."

Hoshino nods in agreement, having probably grasped the essence of Hiruzen Sarutobi's intentions.

The Third Hokage is now doing everything he can to maintain the current situation in the ninja world. Even though he knows that the major ninja villages are plotting something, he hopes to buy time for Konoha.

Hanzo, however, is still quite intimidating.

If Amegakure is pacified, both Iwagakure and Sunagakure will have to be wary.

Despite the fact that Amegakure and Hanzo lost the Second Shinobi World War, the Land of Rain did indeed become a quagmire for various ninja villages to some extent.

Hanzo's skill in crushing weaker opponents was truly remarkable; he could wipe out entire groups of them with a single blow, even more so than the puppeteers of Sunagakure who favored poison.

"It seems we'll likely run into Nagato and the others this time..."

Hoshino Shuichi was slightly expectant.

Chihiro then said, "We hope that Amegakure will pacify the Land of Rain, but Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and even Kumogakure may not want to see it."

Hoshino Shuichi agreed, "For them, the chaotic Land of Rain is the most suitable place, so they won't get in the way. After all, that's a demigod in the ninja world."

However, what was left unsaid was that Konoha had previously not wanted Amegakure to pacify the Land of Rain.

It could even be said that the current chaos in the Land of Rain is the work of Konoha, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure.

There are countless ninja organizations, who knows if there might be ninjas from various ninja villages pretending to be ninjas?

This method is extremely common.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke said, "Therefore, we need to be extra careful on this mission as the situation in the Land of Rain is very complicated."

Hoshita Shuichi and Chihiro nodded in unison: "Understood!"

They set off around 2 PM and spent the night on the border of the Land of Fire.

Early the next morning, Hoshino and his two companions entered the Land of Rain to begin investigating the Land of Rain's ninja organization.

Prior to this, the Anbu had actually obtained intelligence from the Root, gaining a general understanding of the ninja organizations in the Land of Rain and compiling a rough list.

The reason it's not a definitive list is because the ninja organizations, large and small, in the Land of Rain change very quickly.

A small ninja organization might only have three to five members, and sometimes it would be wiped out in the Land of Rain in less than a month.

After three days of investigation, Hoshino and his two companions discovered that the situation in the Land of Rain was far more serious than they had imagined.

There are countless ninja organizations, no exaggeration.

Hoshino Hideichi once saw a ninja who, along with a few samurai, founded a ninja organization and then shouted out a slogan to collect protection money from the village.

Hoshino Shuichi almost couldn't resist taking down such a ninja organization with his sword.

While resting in the cave, Chihiro couldn't help but exclaim, "I can't imagine how terrifying the Land of Fire would be like this!"

It turns out that happiness is relative.

Compared to the Land of Rain, the Land of Fire is simply paradise.

Not to mention that the Land of Fire has always been a tempting target for other major powers.

After finishing his dry rations, Sarutobi Shinnosuke took out a list and said, "This next ninja organization is a bit special. It's called Akatsuki, and they advocate achieving peace without the use of force."

Chihiro shook her head after hearing this: "That's too naive!"

"In a chaotic place like Amegakure, it's simply impossible to do this without using force."

Hideichi Hoshino agreed.

Only when you raise your fist will others listen to your grand principles.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke continued, "Furthermore, Akatsuki has some connection with our Konoha."

Chihiro exclaimed in surprise, "Could there be a Root spy inside, or perhaps one of our own ANBU members?"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke smiled and said, "No, it's because the three leaders of the Akatsuki organization are Jiraiya-sama's disciples."

"What?"

Chihiro was extremely surprised.

Hoshita Shuichi also feigned surprise.

Chihiro quickly asked, "Why is Jiraiya-sama a disciple in the Land of Rain? Could it be related to the last Shinobi World War?"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke nodded: "That should be it."

"We'll find out the details soon."

Half an hour later, Hoshino and his two companions set off in the rain, approaching the Akatsuki headquarters based on intelligence from Root, and secretly observing from the shadows.

Soon, Hoshino Shuichi finally met Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan.

They all looked very young, probably around fifteen or sixteen years old.

Hoshino Shuichi's gaze finally settled on Nagato.

The Rinnegan!

One of the strongest eye techniques!

Nagato's ability to quickly master the six chakra nature transformations is likely closely related to his eyes.

"Are there White Zetsu monitoring the area?"

"There should be..."

Just as he was thinking this, Hoshino Shuichi was suddenly startled and quickly shrank back.

Nagato turned around and looked over!

……

"Nagato, what's wrong?"

Seeing Nagato stop in his tracks, Yahiko couldn't help but turn around and ask.

Nagato frowned slightly, then turned back and said, "It's nothing."

The six members of the Akatsuki organization then continued their journey.

Behind the crumbling walls and ruins, Hoshino Shuichi couldn't help but exclaim, "Such a keen intuition!"

After the Akatsuki organization left, Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Chihiro appeared next to Hoshinoichi.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke laughed, "As expected of a disciple taught by Jiraiya-sama!"

"We need to be even more careful from now on, Shuichi. We can't let our guard down."

Xingxia Xiu nodded.

The three then followed the Akatsuki organization and began to monitor them.

They soon witnessed the Akatsuki fighting against another ninja organization, and the battle ended quickly.

The Akatsuki won, and all members of another ninja organization joined the Akatsuki.

After the Akatsuki left, Chihiro couldn't help but say, "I underestimated the Akatsuki."

The Akatsuki used force, but it didn't seem like they used force entirely.

After gaining the upper hand militarily, a series of peace-oriented statements convinced the other side.

This completely overturned Chihiro's understanding.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke didn't know what to say for a moment, and could only say in the end, "Let's observe for a few more days."

The next day, Hoshino and his two companions witnessed another battle of the Akatsuki organization.

The battle was extremely fierce, and the Akatsuki organization, despite having the upper hand, still took the initiative to retreat.

Fourth day.

The Akatsuki organization used the same method as before to subdue a group of only three people.

After concluding her investigation of the Akatsuki, Chihiro remarked, "They are indeed very special and courageous, practicing their ninja way in their own way."

Shinnosuke Sarutobi wholeheartedly agreed.

Hoshino Shuichi, however, felt somewhat sentimental.

It's a pity that fate is in the hands of others.

……

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Hoshino and his two companions investigated more than two hundred ninja organizations. Some of them had just finished investigating one day, only to find the next day that the ninja organization they had investigated the day before had been wiped out or scattered.

Inside the cave.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke checked the booklet, which contained a wealth of information, and finally closed it with a smile, saying, "The mission was well completed. Rest for the night, and we'll head back to the village tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Chihiro immediately said, "It's finally over. This kind of weather in the Land of Rain is truly unbearable."

It rains every day, and being soaked to the bone is really uncomfortable.

Looking at the drizzling rain outside, Hoshino Shuichi couldn't help but think of the Land of Wind.

Some are dying of drought, while others are dying of flooding.

That night, Hoshino was responsible for guarding the first half of the night. He simply left a shadow clone to guard the cave entrance, while his real body practiced the Water Wave Severing Technique by a nearby river.

For the entry "Water Release Expert," he only needs to master this technique; once he does, he can obtain the entry.

When all five elemental techniques are complete, summon the [Professor of Ninjutsu].

"Um?"

Suddenly, Hoshino stopped moving and his figure vanished in a flash.

Something's up with the shadow clones!

Before the cave, Hoshinoichi appeared, accompanied by Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Chihiro, who had been awakened by his previously disbanded shadow clones.

The rain was still falling, and it was too dark to see.

"There are quite a few enemies, twelve in total. Captain, should we retreat?"

"Issue Shizuka asked."

Sarutobi Shinnosuke asked, "Can we evacuate quickly?"

Hoshino Hideichi shook his head: "I'm afraid not. We need to cover the rear, but leaving shadow clones should be enough to hold them off for a while."

"Then use shadow clones to cover our retreat."

"action!"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke decisively gave the order, leaving behind shadow clones. Hoshinoichi's eyes immediately lit up with a bright blue light, and the originally dark rainy night was no longer a problem for him.

"Captain, Xun, come with me!"

With a soft shout, Xingxia Xiuyi took the lead and leaped forward.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke and Chihiro exchanged a glance and followed, both quite surprised, as this was the first time they had ever seen the Heat Vision technique.

"What powerful ninjutsu skills! It seems that this eye technique is a use of fire release, which can give people sight in the dark."

Sarutobi Shinnosuke secretly admired and speculated.

After traveling for a while in the darkness, a roaring sound came from behind.

The battle has broken out!

A moment later, Chihiro's expression changed beneath the mask: "It's an Iwa ninja!"

"Specifically targeting us!"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke frowned: "It seems our location has been exposed!"

Upon hearing this, Hoshino Hideichi, who was leading the way, paused, feeling annoyed.

Since graduation, both of his fallen comrades have died at the hands of Iwa ninja.

Although he killed quite a few Iwa ninja, he still harbored a deep resentment from the previous mission to the Land of Birds.

Just then, a sparse grove of trees appeared ahead, and Hoshino Hideichi stopped after entering the grove.

"inflammation?"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke stopped in his tracks, puzzled.

Hoshino Shuichi removed his mask and said, "Captain, since the Iwa ninja are coming for us this time, they'll probably be hot on our heels."

"Look, these guys are pretty strong, aren't they?"

Chihiro nodded: "At least four Jonin-level ninjas, with excellent teamwork, their ability to alter terrain is extremely strong!"

After listening, Hoshino Hideichi said seriously, "The best way to deal with being pursued is actually to kill all the pursuing enemies."

Sarutobi Shinnosuke smiled wryly. He never expected that Hoshino Shuichi, who was always calm and strictly followed orders, would be so willful.

However, just as he was about to speak, Hoshinoichi added, "These Iwa ninjas came specifically for us, which means they were already following us. It's hard to say whether they had set up an ambush on the border of the Land of Rain."

"If we retreat overnight, our condition will probably be extremely poor by dawn."

Although the Iwa ninjas had never seen their faces, sensory ninjas could identify people through chakra.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke frowned upon hearing this. Although the possibility was slim, it wasn't impossible.

However, he also knew that this was probably just an excuse that Hoshino Shuichi had come up with.

Was it because of the two companions from before?

With a sigh, Sarutobi Shinnosuke said, "In that case, let's take care of these troublesome guys together!"

Who doesn't want to settle scores and seek revenge?

After making the decision, Sarutobi Shinnosuke said, "Shinnosuke, go behind this grove of trees."

"Iwa ninja are known for their ability to alter terrain, which will put you at a significant disadvantage. Go to the outer perimeter and use genjutsu to assist us."

Chihiro nodded: "Understood!"

After saying that, she immediately went through the woods to make preparations.

Meanwhile, Hoshinoichi and Sarutobi Shinnosuke stood quietly waiting by the edge of the woods.

A moment later, Sarutobi Shinnosuke spoke up: "There are still 8 people left, probably 6 of them are Jonin level!"

"It seems they noticed us a long time ago and realized we were the people from the Bird Country incident."

His shadow clone was also dealt with.

In the darkness, Hoshinobu smiled: "If we wipe them all out, the Iwa ninja will be heartbroken!"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke said, "They might not give chase."

Hoshino Hideichi took out a signal flare, lit it, and launched into the air.

Just as Sarutobi Shinnosuke was about to ask a question, he suddenly saw a burst of firelight shooting into the sky from the darkness.

That direction was right where their previous stronghold was located.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke immediately understood that Hoshinoichi had used a signal flare to notify his shadow clone that he had used that technique.

As the distant flames gradually dimmed, Hoshino Hideichi crouched down, tapped the ground with his finger, and then a smile appeared on his lips: "They're here!"

"Nine!"

(End of this chapter)