The world I hear is completely different from yours.

Who on earth is so big-mouthed as to spread my identity everywhere? Don't they know that for a human smuggler, once you become famous, you're practically doomed? Qi Mu cursed inwardly, deciding that after this job, he would immediately change to a clean identity.

However, Qi Mu did not expect that for a listener like Tian Qing, no matter how many identities he changed, he could not escape Tian Qing's ears.

Although he was cursing inwardly, Qi Mu outwardly put on a troubled look: "I was just fishing in the nearby sea. I have never actually entered Kirigakure. That is the village of ninja masters. How could a small fisherman like me get close?"

"That's enough. Just take me to where you usually fish, and you don't need to worry about anything else," Tian Qing said in a disguised voice.

"Okay! Okay!" Qi Mu nodded repeatedly, took the silver notes handed over by Tian Qing, and said with a big smile, "No problem, no problem!"

From the beginning, Qi Mu had no intention of refusing the other party's request, nor did he intend to investigate the other party's identity. As a smuggler who had led people across the border many times, he knew very well that those who wanted to smuggle people across the border were powerful ninjas, far beyond what an ordinary fisherman like him could compare to.

Moreover, those ninjas planning to smuggle themselves across the border are either rogue ninjas or spies, and naturally don't follow the rules as well as the ninjas in the ninja villages. They might just poke a fisherman to death with a single finger if they don't like him. As for the fact that some smuggling ninjas might use genjutsu to brainwash the fishermen after reaching their destination, or even kill them to silence them, such things have happened before.

Therefore, Qi Mu always collects commissions before taking people, and he usually doesn't go himself but hires other fishermen to drive the boats and take people. He only acts as a middleman and takes a cut of the money. This is one of the secrets to his survival after so many years.

"I remember Old Wang's second son next door said he's going out to sea to fish tomorrow, so let him go. Anyway, he still owes me a lot of money when he got married." Qi Mu counted the silver notes in his hand with satisfaction, thinking to himself, "Of course, that's assuming that the customer from earlier is still alive tomorrow."

As a human smuggler who had been operating for years, how could Qi Mu have no connection with the ninjas of Kirigakure? Without the cooperation of people within Kirigakure, the success rate of smuggling wouldn't be that high. In reality, Qi Mu was merely a front for certain factions within Kirigakure. For these Kirigakure ninjas, this smuggling route was both a backup plan for their future and a way to make a fortune—why wouldn't they take advantage of it?

Generally speaking, ninjas who sneak out of Kirigakure are usually overlooked by the Kirigakure superiors unless they are valuable individuals, allowing them to leave unscathed. However, those attempting to sneak into Kirigakure are typically spies or saboteurs from other villages. Therefore, upon receiving a signal from Kirigakure, the Kirigakure superiors immediately dispatch investigators to ensure the village's safety.

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

"So someone was already following me?" Tian Qing smiled slightly. As a listener, she knew everything about Qi Mu. Then she turned around and went into a small alley next to her.

Then, several Mist Ninjas quickly ran to the entrance of the alley, only to find to their surprise that the alley was actually a dead end with only one entrance, and that it was completely deserted.

"We've been spotted? Quick, after them!!" Several Mist Ninjas immediately leaped to higher ground and chased after them into the distance. However, none of them noticed that a dirty fruit box had appeared on the ground in the alley they had just left.

After a long while, Tian Qing, who had transformed into a cardboard box, returned to her original form, looking speechless: "I didn't expect the cardboard box infiltration method to actually work! Could it be that turning into a cardboard box or something similar really has such an amazing invisibility effect?"

In Tianqing's previous life, there was a stealth expert codenamed "Snake" who was known for his 100% success rate in infiltration. His most proficient stealth technique was called "cardboard box infiltration." As long as he hid inside a cardboard box, he could move in and out of various places as if they were empty. Whether it was a military stronghold or a neat assembly hall, this cardboard box that could move freely on the ground could infiltrate very smoothly.

"What if someone else finds out?" Tian Qing couldn't help but ask one time.

Then the bearded man laughed heartily: "Then pick up an AK and start shooting! Kill all the guards around who notice something amiss, and wouldn't that be a successful infiltration operation?"

Tian Qing was speechless.

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

The next day, Qi Mu didn't see the middle-aged man with the strange face who claimed he was going to sneak into Kirigakure. "Could he have already been dealt with by the Kirigakure ninja?" Qi Mu thought to himself, feeling a little regretful. "If I had known that was the case, I should have charged him more!"

Then Qi Mu shouted to the fisherman waiting on the boat, "Alright, Er Ya Zi, no need to wait anymore, go fishing by yourself!"

"Alright! Then our debt is even!" the fisherman replied, and steered his fishing boat out to sea.

Neither of them noticed that there was a dirty cardboard box of fruit in the fishing boat.

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PS: Bonus chapter! Please continue to recommend and favorite!

Chapter Fourteen: The Benefits of Being a Bystander and Enjoying the Show

Transformation Technique, as a basic ninjutsu used by ninjas, not only requires the ninja to be extremely familiar with the transformed object, but also requires that the ninja's body size before and after transformation not differ too much. Furthermore, the ninja needs to continuously provide chakra to maintain the transformation effect. Therefore, generally speaking, a ninja's transformed state cannot last for too long.

So, shortly after the fishermen set sail, Tianqing, transformed into a cardboard box, took advantage of the fishermen's inattention and quietly hid in the cabin of the fishing boat. As a fishing boat frequently used for smuggling, this boat even had a hidden, cramped space in its cabin for those smugglers to hide in; unexpectedly, this time it benefited Tianqing.

As the fishing boat continued forward, the fog that filled the sea grew thicker and thicker. Finally, after a considerable amount of time, the fisherman reached his usual fishing spot, a stretch of sea not far from Kirigakure.

Suddenly, a white-haired young man rushed out of the thick fog. To the fisherman's surprise, the young man went straight into the cabin, as if searching for something—unfortunately, there was nothing in the cabin except a dirty cardboard box and a lot of miscellaneous items. After confirming that no one was inside, the young man shrugged helplessly and walked back to the deck of the fishing boat.

"Isn't this Full Moon? What happened?" The fisherman was quite familiar with the white-haired young man, so he asked.

"Actually, it's nothing. Wasn't there a stowaway who was supposed to board this ship?" Hozuki Mangetsu shrugged helplessly. "The land tracking team was completely useless; they lost track of the person. So, just in case, the higher-ups specifically arranged for me to wait here to confirm whether the stowaway is still on your ship."

"Huh? Is that so?" the fisherman replied with a look of surprise.

Seeing that the two sides were about to start arguing at the slightest provocation, a tall, fat figure emerged from the thick fog beside them and shouted at Hozuki Mangetsu, "Enough! Rookie! What's there to talk about with such confidential information? Come back here right now, we're about to set off!!"

The tall, obese ninja then walked back into the thick fog.

"Don't be afraid, he didn't mean anything by it, he's just in a bad mood." Hozuki Mangetsu comforted the panicked fisherman. "Suizawa Fuguki has been acting like this for the past few days. He led the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to fight Konoha, but they encountered a Konoha genin, and in the end, only three of them managed to escape in a sorry state. So he's really furious right now."

"Is...I see." The fisherman's pale face softened considerably. As a top-tier member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Suigetsu Hozuki's occasional glimpse of killing intent, even amidst his agitation, put immense pressure on the fisherman, an ordinary man, causing him great panic. Fortunately, Hozuki Mangetsu's comforting words reassured him considerably.

"Alright, we still have a mission, so we'll be going now." Hozuki Mangetsu nodded, then disappeared into the thick fog.

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

After the speedboat carrying the Mist Ninja had traveled quite a distance, Suigetsu Hobuki finally spoke.

"Why did it take so long?!" Suigetsu Hobutsuki stood at the front of the speedboat with his arms crossed, asking without turning his head, his voice full of anxiety and displeasure.

In the previous war against Konoha, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were utterly defeated by Might Dai, who had opened the Eight Gates. Except for Suigetsu Hozuki, Juzo Biwa, and Raiga Kurosuki, who managed to escape in disarray, the rest perished. As a result, Suigetsu Hozuki, then the leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, received numerous reprimands from the village. Therefore, during this period, Suigetsu Hozuki showed little kindness to the new recruits, frequently berating them.

However, this time, Suigetsu Hobutsuki has met a tough nut to crack.

"I just ran into an acquaintance, so we chatted for a while. Do you have any questions, senior?" Although Hozuki Mangetsu had a smile on his face, his words showed no respect for the senior and team leader, and he seemed ready to start a fight at the slightest provocation.

In Kirigakure, where the Blood Mist policy is enforced, ninjas adhere to the principle of strength above all else. No seniority, reputation, or connections are necessary; as long as one possesses sufficient power, any power or status can be attained, even the position of Mizukage. Therefore, in Kirigakure, the first thing capable newcomers do upon joining a combat team is to seize the opportunity to cause trouble, engaging in fights with any seniors they dislike, in order to demonstrate their strength and elevate their social standing.

"Arrogant brat!!" Suigetsu Hozuki leaped into the air, landing firmly on the undulating sea, and drew his guillotine from behind him. "Come here, I want to see what the Hozuki clan, who are said to have trained the Second Mizukage, are capable of!!"

"What an impatient senior! But that's exactly what I meant too!!" Hozuki Mangetsu grinned maliciously, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, his eyes burning with intense fighting spirit, and charged forward without any hesitation.

The next moment, the two engaged in a fierce battle, their blades clashing in all directions!

"The newcomers these days can't hold back." Pipa Juzo parked the speedboat some distance away, took out a watermelon, quickly cut it open, and started eating. "He made his move so quickly. I thought he would wait a while longer, gather information about his opponents, and then make his move."

"After all, he's a member of the Hozuki clan. That hot-blooded, warlike personality is a standard feature of the Hozuki clan," Raiga Kurosuki replied, casually taking a slice of watermelon from Juzo Biwa and joining in as a spectator.

Although this mission was personally ordered by the Third Mizukage, requiring the four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—Suizan Hozuki, Biwa Juzo, Kurosuki Raiga, and Hozuki Mangetsu—to immediately form a combat team and head to the Land of Hot Springs to eliminate the evil cult that plotted to assassinate the Hot Springs King, these unruly Kirigakure ninja considered "assessing the strength of their new teammates" far more important than dealing with any evil cult followers.

After all, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen will be operating as a group in the future, and they all understand the principle that "a bad teammate is far more terrifying than a god-like enemy."

In the eyes of Juzo Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki, what could be a better way to determine the strength of their new teammate than having the newcomer Mangetsu Hozuki fight it out? After all, those who enjoy watching a good show never mind a good one, and it wasn't them who were being challenged and humiliated; only Suigetsu Hozuki was unhappy. Naturally, they were happy to watch the spectacle from the sidelines, and they would occasionally offer insightful commentary on the two sides fighting, just like two commentators watching a fighting match.

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PS: First update. Please continue to add to your favorites and recommend!

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P.S. I also fixed some minor bugs in the previous chapters, such as the fact that Kirigakure is still the Third Mizukage and the Fourth Mizukage hasn't become a Jinchūriki yet.

Chapter Fifteen: Who says commentators won't be attacked by players?

As the battle began, the two commentators, Pipa Juzo and Kurosuki Raiga, who had been watching the drama unfold, started their insightful commentary.

The first-ever Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist Fighting Tournament has officially begun! Fight well, we have faith in you!

Suigetsu Hozuki launched the first attack! Suigetsu Hozuki has a huge advantage! Suigetsu Hozuki charged forward! Water Release: Overpowering him, how can you possibly lose??

Ah!! Hozuki Mangetsu actually blocked it!

Hozuki Mangetsu is at a huge disadvantage! Hozuki Mangetsu's face is ashen! Hozuki Mangetsu's formation is terrible! Hozuki Mangetsu is fighting and retreating! Hozuki Mangetsu is caught in a dilemma! Hozuki Mangetsu has nowhere to escape! Hozuki Mangetsu fights desperately! Hozuki Mangetsu uses water magic to blast the enemy! Oh my! Hozuki Mangetsu has actually fought back!

Summoning! Suigetsu Hozuki is getting serious!!

Huh? Why has Hozuki Mangetsu's body gotten so big? Holy crap, it's the Hozuki clan's self-destruct technique?! Seriously?! While the Hozuki clan's self-destruct technique doesn't kill the main body from the explosion, what about Suigetsu Hozuki and us commentators??

Immediately, the two commentators began to flee in a panic, running away as if they were madmen!

boom!!!!

A mushroom cloud slowly rose!

Inside the fishing boat's cabin, Tian Qing, having deactivated her transformation jutsu and returned to her original form from the cardboard box, suddenly perked up her ears, listening to the faint sounds of explosions coming from afar. She couldn't help but wonder, "What's going on? Why is the fighting so intense? Have those Mist Ninja encountered some powerful enemy?"

Forget about those guys, it would be best if they all died. That way, they wouldn't be able to stop me from infiltrating Kirigakure. With that thought, Ameyo secretly left the fishing boat and used the ninja's water-walking technique to run towards Kirigakure in the distance through the thick fog.

Compared to when Tian Qing visited Kirigakure, the village now appears much more dilapidated, a stark contrast to the thriving Konoha.

Among the five great ninja villages, Kirigakure has the smallest population. The Blood Mist policy, which encourages ninja to kill each other and cultivates them like parasites, coupled with frequent internal strife after the country's isolation, has further reduced its population. In addition, the recent war between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire has drawn a large number of Kirigakure ninja to the front lines, leaving Kirigakure's defenses extremely weak. Azusa traveled all the way through water without seeing a single patrolling Kirigakure ninja.

"Because most of the fighting force went to the front line, there are not enough guards in the village. Therefore, we had to give up patrolling and controlling the sea and instead deploy the limited guards on land to ensure the safety of the village itself?" Tian Qing looked at the brightly lit port in the distance and thought to himself.

However, judging from the guards' trembling and tense appearance, it was not just a normal state of war alert. It was as if a large number of enemies were about to attack the village. Could there be some hidden story behind this?

However, because Kirigakure had been in a closed-off state with no diplomacy, Tensei's ANBU had not been able to obtain much information about Kirigakure, so Tensei was not very familiar with the current situation of Kirigakure.

"Could it be because of the signal sent by those two evil god cult followers?" Tian Qing recalled the blood-red Pikachu head that the two evil god cult followers had imprinted in the sky at the cost of their lives. "Could it be that the evil god cult followers in Kirigakure launched a frenzied attack after seeing the signal, which is why these Kirigakure ninjas are so nervous?"

However, Tianqing quickly dismissed her own guess: "It shouldn't be. Although the Hidden Mist Village is currently weak, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. No matter how weak the Hidden Mist Village is, it is more than enough to deal with a group of evil god believers. It shouldn't make these Hidden Mist ninjas who grew up in the blood mist seem so nervous. It must be some other, more powerful force."

Looks like I'll have to go back to my old job as a "ramen spy" again. I wonder if there are still ramen shops in Kirigakure these days? Ame thought to herself as she walked towards Kirigakure. Although the tense Kirigakure ninja had set up a fairly tight cordon, it wasn't enough to stop Ame from stopping her.

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

To the northeast of Kirigakure lies a sizable complex of buildings, the ancestral home of the Kaguya clan.

The Kaguya clan, also known as the Bamboo Clan, possesses a powerful bloodline called "Shikotsumyaku" (Corpse Bone Pulse). They are the largest bloodline clan in the Land of Water and have a very long history. There is even a strange saying within the clan that "the name of the Kaguya clan comes from the legendary mother of the Sage of Six Paths."

Of course, few people would believe such baseless claims of citing an ancient god as an ancestor to glorify oneself. Many other ninja clans also have their own fabricated origin stories that sound incredibly impressive, such as the Hyuga clan's moon landing plan or the Uchiha clan being the eldest sons of a god, and so on.

After all, it is a common practice among many ninja clans to randomly claim an ancestor in ancient legends to show the superiority of their bloodline. This is also to increase the ninja's sense of identity and honor with their clan. Therefore, although few people believe the rumors about the Kaguya clan, not many people are foolish enough to jump out and refute them.

Although the Kaguya clan are residents of the Land of Water, it is clear that they do not feel any sense of belonging to Kirigakure. This is because the Kaguya clan's territory is surrounded by numerous defensive fortifications, especially on the side facing Kirigakure, where the fortifications are the most numerous, resembling opposing sides on a battlefield.

At the very center of the Kaguya clan, the clan patriarch, Kaguya Kokuga, was sitting in the conference room, discussing the clan's next course of action with the clan's higher-ups.

"The attack by the Church of the Evil God has failed. The Kirigakure casualties are less than a few dozen. They're a bunch of useless trash!" said an elder of the Kaguya clan. "We should never have allied ourselves with such a useless religious organization!"

"Those believers are just a bunch of brainwashed idiots, no matter how fanatical they are, they can't possibly be a match for the Blood Mist Ninja." Kaguya Bone Fang casually fiddled with her hair bun and said nonchalantly, "Anyway, we never expected the Evil God Church to do anything. The reason we allied with them was just to let their believers test the strength of the Mist Village and act as cannon fodder. Wasn't their failure exactly what we expected?"

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

Chapter Sixteen: Delicious Ramen That Can Emits Sky-High Light Pillars

"However, the Jashin Church's actions lacked any secrecy whatsoever. They launched an attack without notifying us, resulting not only in failure but also leaving numerous loopholes and oversights. Now, the Hidden Mist Village is beginning to suspect the Jashin Church's relationship with us!" The Kaguya clan elder was very dissatisfied with the Jashin Church's actions. As a ninja who valued power, he deeply disliked such a presumptuous and disorganized organization. What right did a weak religion with little power have to be an ally of a powerful bloodline ninja clan?

"This is indeed a bit like alerting the enemy." Kaguya Bone Fang replied calmly, while leisurely fiddling with the buns on her head. In the Kaguya clan, regardless of age or gender, everyone wears a bun on each side of their head, a hairstyle unique to their clan. Only one guy locked in the dungeon doesn't wear his hair like that.

Kaguya Kokuga then added, "But doesn't Kirigakure already have enough suspicions about us? Even if we don't ally with the Evil God Church this time and just watch Kirigakure wipe out all the Evil God followers within the Land of Water, those in Kirigakure who fear bloodline limits will still turn against us after the war ends!"

Yes, the Land of Water is different from other countries. Since ancient times, the people of this country have not liked people with special bloodline powers. As time went by, this dislike hidden in their hearts gradually evolved into discrimination and hatred against bloodline limits.

During the Blood Mist Era, a time of bloodshed and slaughter, this discrimination and dislike evolved into deep resentment and hatred, leading the Hidden Mist Village to purge and massacre many bloodline limits. Therefore, to save their lives, many individuals with bloodline limits had to hide them meticulously, daring not to reveal their limits to others, lest they invite death.

In the original work, the cross-dressing character named "Haku" is a prime example. His mother, an ordinary woman possessing the Ice Release bloodline limit, married and had children in seclusion under an assumed name. However, when his father accidentally discovered his bloodline limit, he immediately turned on him, not only leading the entire village to kill his wife but also attempting to kill his son. In the end, in extreme fear, Haku unleashed a powerful surge of energy, killing everyone in the village, including, of course, his own father.

If ordinary people hate bloodline limits so much, how much better can ninjas be? However, because the Kaguya clan possesses great power and no one has been caught red-handed yet, the Hidden Mist Village cannot openly attack them for the time being.

However, the tense relationship between Kirigakure and the Kaguya clan did not ease; instead, it became increasingly volatile, with frequent conflicts. Eventually, both sides began building fortifications. Although no actual war had broken out, both sides had subconsciously come to regard each other as enemies.