The world I hear is completely different from yours.

"We're almost at Kirigakure!" Tian Qing's mood improved considerably upon smelling the distinctive fishy scent of the coastal region. After all, a boring journey was about to end, which was something to be happy about.

This caravan won't go directly to Kirigakure; instead, it will stop at a port ahead and begin trading with merchants from other countries. Therefore, how to infiltrate Kirigakure by sea is something Ameharu will have to figure out herself.

"Speaking of which, how are those two spies from the Evil God Cult doing now? Their mission should be to send a signal or something near Kirigakure, but the sea outside Kirigakure is shrouded in a thick fog, so if they want the people inside to see the signal, they have to send it from a place quite close to Kirigakure."

"So here's the question: how will these two ordinary people cross this stretch of sea? There are always Mist Ninja patrolling this area, you know?" Thinking this, Tian Qing glanced back at the last carriage. There, the two followers of the Evil God Cult had already jumped off and disappeared into the nearby woods.

Then, the two cult followers exchanged a glance, and with fanatical expressions, plunged their daggers into each other's chests! They both collapsed to the ground!

The two daggers greedily absorbed the scalding blood, glowing bright red! Then, nourished by the essence of life, the two daggers were drawn together like two magnets, their energies merging and bursting forth in a very brief instant, creating a huge blood-red pattern in the dark night sky!

"What is that?!" "Warning! Warning! It could be an enemy attack!!" Upon seeing this blood-red pattern they had never seen before, the ninjas immediately sprang into action, trying to guess its meaning.

Tian Qing stood there dumbfounded, staring incredulously at the pattern in the sky: "This pattern is actually a signal representing the Evil God Cult? What on earth is going on?"

The blood-red pattern imprinted in the night sky using the lives of believers is a portrait—round face, big eyes, long ears, and round cheeks—just like a Pikachu.

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P.S. Please continue to add to your favorites and recommend! O(∩_∩)O haha~

Chapter Ten: The Naruto Who Was Once a Veteran Driver

The Pikachu head printed in the dark night sky, while still retaining its cute appearance, appears strangely eerie under the blood-red light. Moreover, for some reason, the entire head exudes a chilling aura, making every ninja who sees it feel a chill run down their spine, as if a blood-red demonic face is staring intently at them from behind.

"Enemy attack! Quick, use ranged attack ninjutsu!!" Although no one recognized the specific meaning of the pattern, how could these ninjas with exceptionally keen senses not perceive the hostility within it? Therefore, upon sensing the hostility, they immediately began their counterattack.

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!!" "Lightning Release: Summon Lightning Bullet!!"

Instantly, a large number of long-range ninjutsu attacks exploded in the air, creating a continuous roar!

Hiding in the crowd, Tian Qing looked up at the Pikachu head in the sky, which was being hit by a large number of ninjutsu and was gradually dissipating. He silently counted down the seconds in his mind: "1, 2, ... 10! It's just a pattern with a trace of the original body's aura, yet it was able to withstand so many ninjutsu attacks for nearly 10 seconds. It seems that this friend in yellow is much stronger than before!"

Looking at the blood-red Pikachu head gradually fading in the sky, Tian Qing couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions. How long had it been since she had seen that familiar face? For Tian Qing, Pikachu wasn't just some cartoon character on TV, but a real-life friend she had met a few times at work.

Yes, in their previous lives, Tianqing, Xiaozhi, and Pikachu were just ordinary friends who could exchange a few words.

Back then, there was an ultimate monster in China who appeared in many horror documentaries: "The Village Corpse" Chu Renmei. She secretly lured others to break the seal on her body, and then fled to Area 11 alone. There, she joined forces with the two great female ghosts, Sadako and Kayako, and wreaked havoc in various parts of Area 11, killing indiscriminately. The world changed color and heads rolled everywhere.

Suddenly, people in Area 11 became terrified of any beautiful woman, some even turning tail and running away at the sight of one, fearing she might pounce and snap their necks at any moment. The social atmosphere in Area 11 was instantly transformed; the creepy men who stalked and flirted with women vanished, and incidentally, the number of perverts on trains also decreased significantly.

Therefore, in order to save the people of Area 11 from their dire straits, at the request of the Time and Space Administration, Ameyoshi, a low-level civil servant, was ordered to go abroad on official business to assist an elite magical girl squad drawn from the Clock Tower in hunting down these despicable monsters in Area 11.

During the chase, due to a series of misunderstandings, Tianqing, driving his Wuling Hongguang minivan, and Xiaozhi, driving his AE86, started a thrilling drifting competition on the five hairpin bends of Mount Akina. The two went back and forth, neither giving an inch, and finally crossed the finish line almost at the same time. That was also the first time Tianqing met Xiaozhi and Pikachu.

"That was truly a closely contested battle!" Tian Qing recalled the scene and couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic.

Even now, when Tianqing recalls that thrilling drifting competition, she still feels incredibly excited. However, afterwards, all the magical girls who rode in the van Tianqing drove were terribly seasick. After vomiting profusely, they all demanded that Tianqing immediately enroll in driving school and take the driving test, as they could only continue driving after obtaining their licenses.

Tian Qing will never forget the expressions on the faces of those magical girls when they learned that she had never learned to drive and didn't have a driver's license. If it weren't for Tian Qing's identity as a Chinese civil servant, those magical girls probably would have transformed into witches and pounced on her with their bloodthirsty mouths open!

Of course, Tianqing had tried to explain her insistence on getting a driver's license: "Although I have never learned to drive and have never obtained any driver's license, as a veteran KartRider player, I have long since reached the advanced level of having a driver's license in my mind even without one in my hand. Isn't that enough? Besides, I haven't had any accidents while driving all this time, have I? Doesn't that prove my superb driving skills?"

"Bullshit!" A Rider-class Heroic Spirit magical girl jumped out and shouted, "As a Rider, what haven't I driven before? From flying toilets to maglev brooms, from rocket rats to jet-powered Leopard Commanders, which one haven't I piloted? But in all these years, I've never seen such a bizarre driving skill as yours. You dare to do a 360-degree spin and a 720-degree drift around a corner in a van? Do you think this is a combat charging tornado?!"

Immediately, Tian Qing's voice became much more guilty: "Well, I did drive a little shakily, but I've been driving for so long and nothing has happened to the van or anyone else."

"You think nothing happened because of your driving skills?" After a barrage of complaints, the magical spirit girl wasn't finished. She continued, "If it weren't for the fact that we magical girls have strong physical abilities, and that the van had been modified by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beforehand, we probably would have all died halfway there because the car broke apart, becoming those pixelated victims in a major traffic accident!"

...................

Recalling the past, Tian Qing smiled bitterly as she watched the blood-red icon in the night sky, which clearly didn't look like a good thing, completely disappear. She sighed at the cruel twist of fate: "I really didn't want to see you again under these circumstances, Ash, Pikachu. It seems that even in the end, you still couldn't make it through?"

Tian Qing sighed and walked towards the port behind him. Although he had suddenly seen an old friend, he still had to carry out his original plan. In the coming days, he would still have to proceed as planned, entering Kirigakure by sea. He wondered what changes would occur in Kirigakure, hidden beneath the thick fog, after this signal appeared in the sky.

....................

On a ship in the waters near the Land of Hot Springs.

After anxiously waiting, the black-clad bishop standing on the deck finally saw the signal of victory in the night sky. The blood-red Pikachu head reappeared above Tangren Village, giving everyone who saw it an ominous feeling, except for those believers in the evil god cult.

"It's a sign of victory, Your Grace! We've won!" the attendant beside him shouted excitedly.

"Excellent! Have the sailors start the ship's propulsion system and head towards Tangren Village!"

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P.S. The holiday is over. How was it, dear readers?

...........

P.S. First update! Please continue to add to your favorites and recommend! O(∩_∩)O haha

Chapter Eleven: There is a significant difference between supporting a puppet and making a public appearance.

Time never stops for anyone. No matter what bizarre things happen in the ninja world, the sun in the sky still rises and sets regularly, without any change. However, although the sun in the sky remains the same, the moods of the people on the ground who bask in its light change daily, each day distinct from the last.

The black-robed bishop was in a particularly good mood today, because today was the day the Evil God Church officially announced that it would replace the village of Tangren in ruling the Land of Hot Springs.

Although the black-robed bishop remained completely hidden in his black robes, his face covered by a thick black veil, obscuring his expression, his attendants, who were always by his side, could easily sense his joy from his demeanor. His cheerful steps and light footsteps were a rare display of frivolity from the black-robed bishop in recent years.

At this time, Tang Ying's office building had been completely transformed by the Evil God Church. The original round plaque with the character "Tang" on it had been replaced with the unique symbol of the Evil God Church. The office building was filled with many ornaments that were obviously unique to the Evil God Church and exuded a strange aura. The once tidy office building now looked like a demon's den where demons danced, and it appeared extremely strange.

The black-robed bishop surveyed the office building's decorations with satisfaction, walking down the corridor before finally entering the most central office. This office, formerly Tang Ying's, was now the bishop's private prayer room. He then noticed the portraits of past Tang Ying hanging on the walls and frowned immediately: "What's going on here? Why haven't these portraits been removed? How can portraits of ordinary people appear in a place dedicated to the evil god?!"

"I'm so sorry! Your Excellency, it was an oversight by those responsible for cleaning. I'll take care of it right away!" One of the attendants in charge of cleaning was immediately terrified, sweating profusely, and hurriedly bowed his head. After all, in the Church of the Evil God, blaspheming the Evil God was a grave sin, and such negligence could cost someone their life.

"Hmm." The black-robed bishop nodded, unusually not flying into a rage. Instead, he instructed the attendant to handle the matter immediately and did not order any punishment. After all, on such a good day, he did not want such a thing to spoil his good mood.

"Yes, thank you for your mercy!" The waiter breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ran over to direct several believers to tear down all the images of Tang Ying from the wall, intending to take them outside to burn them, so as not to spoil the evil god's interest.

.....................

"I never imagined that this ancient village of Yugakure, with its long history, would simply disappear like this." Sasori, dressed in the clothes of a follower of an evil god, watched the believers busy burning portraits of past Yugakure ninjas and said with great emotion, "I suppose the couple who founded Yugakure never imagined that it wouldn't be destroyed by an invasion from a foreign ninja village, but by a newly emerging sect within their own country. Isn't this what they mean by 'the greatest enemy is oneself'?"

“Alright, we don’t have much time to lament here now. Let’s hurry up and complete the investigation mission that Akatsuki gave us, or it will be too late,” Yekura, who was also disguised as a follower of the evil god, replied from the side.

"Huh? Didn't you say before that since there's no time limit for this mission, you weren't in a hurry to act and wanted to enjoy a hot spring vacation for a while before starting the mission?" Scorpion was a little surprised. Why had this woman become so proactive now?

“I never expected that this evil god church would be so bold as to openly declare that it has replaced the village of Tang.” Yecang shrugged helplessly. As a former hero of the village of Sha, her political acumen was much better than Sasori’s. “I originally thought that the evil god church would support an obedient person to become the Tangkage, while they would hide behind the scenes and control this puppet in front of the stage to seek benefits for the evil god church.”

"What's the difference? The Evil God Church will have actual control over the Hot Spring Village anyway, so why bother finding another puppet to act as the Hot Spring Shadow?" Sasori asked, puzzled.

"The difference is huge!" Yekura looked at Sasori with a "what a waste of time" expression and continued to explain, "If the Evil God Church were to install a puppet Yukage in power, then this internal conflict in Yugakure would still be an internal conflict within the ninja class, and the other major ninja villages wouldn't have much to say. But if the Evil God Church were to openly replace Yugakure, then it would no longer be an internal conflict within the ninja class, but a blatant subversion of the ninja class by the religious class—a conflict between two different classes!"

"Did you know? During the Warring States period before the First Shinobi World War, ninjas made enormous sacrifices to eliminate samurai, onmyoji, and other classes, making the ninja class the mainstream of the world. Only a small number of samurai abandoned their original powers in time and adopted the ninja chakra system, partially assimilating into the ninja class, which allowed them to survive in the Land of Iron. And now, the actions of the Evil God Church are practically an open declaration of war against the entire ninja world!"

"So, in short, the destruction of Yugakure isn't the key point of this matter." Yekura curled her lip, speaking as if a teacher were giving a summary to a class after a long lecture: "The key is that the person who destroyed Yugakure must be a member of the ninja class on the surface. Because ninjas can only be defeated by ninjas; ninjas can never be defeated by people of other classes. Other major ninja villages wouldn't allow such a precedent to occur. This is the unspoken rule of the entire ninja world!"

This is why, in the original story, the Land of Iron consistently claimed to be a neutral country. If it dared to show any bias, the other ninja villages could easily use that as an excuse to attack and destroy it. Later, during the Fourth Shinobi World War, when the samurai of the Land of Iron expressed their desire to join the war against the White Zetsu, the first reaction of the other ninjas was instinctive refusal. This demonstrates that the ninjas never truly considered these samurai integrated into the ninja system as their own.

“So, we need to hurry.” Yecang turned and walked into the shadows. “If I’m not mistaken, when the other major ninja villages learn that Yugakure has been overthrown by the cult, they will definitely join forces to deal with the Evil God Church as soon as possible. I don’t think this Evil God Church has the strength to fight against the entire ninja world, so we need to complete the Akatsuki’s reconnaissance mission before it is destroyed.”

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PS: Bonus chapter! Please continue to add to your favorites and recommend!

Chapter Twelve: A single arrow pierces the clouds, and a thousand armies come to meet.

While the upheaval occurred in Yugakure, the war between Konoha and the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water was still raging. The two sides were locked in a fierce battle, vying for every fortress on the battlefield, with neither gaining the upper hand. However, when Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze each led two Konoha reinforcements to the various battlefields, bringing with them Konoha's new weapons such as aircraft carriers and Zaku puppets, the scales of victory immediately tipped in Konoha's favor.

With successive victories on the main battlefield, the Konoha army invaded the Land of Water and began a jungle battle with the Hidden Mist Village in the dense forest.

In a dense forest on the border of the Land of Water, a group of several hundred Konoha ninjas are advancing.

"Enemy attack!! The Mist Ninja army is rapidly approaching, outnumbering our forces five to one!!" A Hyuga ninja in the ranks was the first to issue a warning. It was precisely because of the Byakugan's reconnaissance advantage that the Konoha army was able to fight against the Mist Ninja, who were familiar with the terrain, on this unfamiliar battlefield filled with dense jungle.

Facing an enemy force five times their size, completely surrounding them, the Konoha ninja showed no fear. Instead, they quickly formed ranks and prepared for battle. After all, Konoha had always fought against the other four great nations with the strength of a single nation. On every front, Konoha's army faced enemies far outnumbering them. Therefore, every Konoha ninja was used to fighting against enemies several times their size.

"Water Release: Mist Concealment Technique!!" As many Mist Ninja simultaneously formed hand seals, a thick fog instantly filled the air, enveloping the entire forest in a white mist. This was the battlefield environment most familiar to the Mist Ninja, and also the prerequisite for their renowned "Silent Killing Technique."

In the past, when faced with battles shrouded in dense fog, Konoha ninjas could only rely on the Hyuga clan's Byakugan for passive defense, while simultaneously organizing numerous ninjas to use Wind Release techniques to disperse the fog. This passive defensive approach often resulted in heavy casualties and chakra depletion. However, now, the Konoha ninjas have a completely new defensive method:

"Summoning *Zaku!!!"

Instantly, dozens of towering Zaku puppet robots stood in the middle of the battlefield, frantically pouring ammunition into the thick fog in the direction indicated by the Hyuga ninja. If they couldn't see the enemy, they would simply blast the entire area where the enemy was located to smithereens! Screams echoed from within the fog, and many Mist Ninjas were instantly splattered with blood, turning the white fog into a "blood fog"!

Under Zaku's suppressive fire, many Konoha ninjas took advantage of the fact that the Kirigakure ninjas could not get close and began to use Wind Release to disperse the thick fog covering the battlefield.

"We can't let them disperse the fog! Otherwise, we're doomed!!" the Mist Ninja commander shouted. Once the fog was gone, the Mist Ninja army, which was already unable to fight the Zaku puppets head-on, would be completely defeated, allowing the Konoha army trapped in the encirclement to escape.

Immediately, more Mist Ninja began forming hand seals, generating even more dense fog and desperately maintaining the fog on the battlefield. Although they couldn't break through Konoha's defenses for the time being due to the Zaku's suppressive fire, they had five times the number of Konoha's people, which meant their total chakra was far greater than that of Konoha's army. Therefore, as long as both sides continued to wear each other down, the Mist Ninja's opportunity would come when the Zaku ran out of ammunition!

Time was passing by, and just as the Mist Ninja commander had predicted, the Konoha army did not have enough chakra to release Wind Release to disperse the thick fog covering the battlefield. Every time the Konoha side thinned the fog a little, the Mist Ninja would create several times more fog and add it to the battlefield. In terms of numbers and total chakra, the Konoha had no chance of winning!

"Those damned Konoha bastards! It's almost our turn to attack!" the Mist Ninja commander gritted his teeth, his heart bleeding. In this battle, due to the suppressive fire of the Zaku puppets, the Mist Ninja, hidden in the thick fog, suffered heavy losses. Before Konoha had suffered a single casualty, the Mist Ninja had already lost nearly a hundred men. These ninjas were all veterans with rich combat experience, how could he not feel heartbroken?

"But all of this is finally over. Once those Zaku run out of ammunition, it will be our turn, the Mist Ninja, to show our skills!"

Finally, as the Mist Ninja commander waited anxiously, the Zaku's firepower gradually thinned and stopped, and then a deafening cheer erupted from the Konoha army!

"What's going on?!" The Mist Ninja commander shook his head, making sure his ears weren't playing tricks on him. Why were those Konoha ninja suddenly cheering? Hadn't they run out of ammunition for their Zaku?!

Then, countless Zakus descended from the sky, breaking through the thick fog and rushing into the battlefield. Leading the charge was a red Zaku painted in red with horns on its head!

"Three times the speed of Shisui's Body Flicker?!" The Kirigakure commander immediately realized, "The aircraft carriers in the sky have been patrolling at high altitudes, and they immediately come to reinforce as soon as they spot an area covered in dense fog? These damned Konoha aircraft carriers!!"

Instantly, the Mist Ninja army was thrown into chaos!

........................

In the Konoha army camp, Minato Namikaze was studying a map. He had repeatedly charged into enemy lines in previous battles, earning numerous merits. Therefore, he was taking a rare break this time to relax his nerves, which had been constantly on edge during the battle.

Amidst a series of slow footsteps, Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the tent.

"Sarutobi-sensei?" Minato Namikaze looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi in surprise. As the commander-in-chief of Konoha on the front line in the Land of Water, Hiruzen Sarutobi was always very busy. He would spend almost the entire day in his tent handling official business. Why did he have time to come here to find me today?

Seeing the surprised look in his grand-disciple's eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi handed Minato Namikaze a piece of information and said with a wry smile, "Minato, there's another mission here that I need you to handle."

The astute Minato Namikaze immediately understood the reason. Following the internal strife within the Uchiha clan, Shisui Uchiha had become the new clan head, making it impossible for him to become the next Hokage. Therefore, the only remaining contenders for the next Hokage were Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru. Furthermore, Minato had repeatedly distinguished himself in battle, his reputation as the Yellow Flash reaching its zenith. Thus, on the front lines in the Land of Water, only Hiruzen Sarutobi had the authority to forcefully assign tasks to Minato.

"Understood, leave this task to me." At this moment, Minato certainly knew what to do. After all, his master and elder had taken the time to come to him, so how could he possibly refuse?

Then, Minato Namikaze opened the intelligence report in his hand: "Go to the Land of Hot Springs and deal with the evil cult that plotted to murder Yukage?"

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P.S. First update! Please continue to recommend and favorite! O(∩_∩)O haha~

Chapter Thirteen: Cardboard Box Infiltration Method - If it fails, just keep shooting!

As the saying goes, "Those who live by the mountains live off the mountains, and those who live by the water live off the water." Therefore, in the vast sea areas of the Land of Water, there are naturally many fishermen who rely on the ocean for their livelihood. However, gradually, some fishermen inadvertently discovered a business that was far more profitable than fishing: human smuggling.

Especially in a country like Kirigakure, which practices a blood mist policy and is constantly filled with killing and bloodshed, many people naturally want to leave. However, due to Kirigakure's naturally isolated geographical environment and the dense fog surrounding the island, few people are able to escape successfully. But if there are fishermen familiar with the waters to help them escape, the success rate will be greatly increased.

In a dilapidated wooden hut, Qi Mu, using the dim light, observed the ordinary-looking middle-aged man standing in front of him, frowned, and asked, "You said you're going to Kirigakure?"

“That’s right.” Tian Qing, who had transformed into a middle-aged man with an ordinary face, said in a calm tone, “I heard that you are the most skilled human smuggler in this area. You have successfully led many people to escape, and you have a very good reputation, so I came to find you.”