Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

Chapter 241 New Identity

"All right."

Princess Tianxin retracted her finger:

"As long as I don't dispel the illusion, or you don't actively unleash natural energy beyond the level of disguise, this state can be maintained for a long time."

Even in intense combat, as long as you control your power output, you won't give yourself away.

Qingwu looked at herself in the mirror in the room and nodded in satisfaction.

The image in the mirror is of a strange young man, exuding wildness and power.

"Then, Tianxin, you will be my... companion, and we will go to 'apply for the job' together."

Intelligence revealed that Mei Terumi, in order to accumulate power, has been recruiting strong wandering ninjas under her own name with generous rewards.

Even some rogue ninjas were among those they recruited.

However, they will conduct strict screening when dealing with rogue ninjas, and will not accept all comers.

Therefore, Qingwu "set" his identity as a wandering taijutsu ninja from an overseas island who admired the Land of Water.

Of course, how long one should use this identity depends on the circumstances, or... whether one will be seen through and met with disdain.

……

It took Qingwu two days to quickly contact a contact person under Terumi Mei's command through a specific channel.

After careful questioning and a simple test of strength, he and Princess Tianxin were taken to a secret hideout located in a seaside cave.

Here, he once again met Mei Terumi's capable assistant—Jonin Ao!

Qing immediately turned on his white eye upon meeting him, his eyes appearing exceptionally sharp in the dim cave light.

He sized up the burly young man in front of him, who called himself "Day Tiger" and exuded a fierce aura, as well as... his gray-clad female companion with her eyes closed and a calm and mysterious demeanor.

"I heard you're very skilled in physical combat, and you took down a whole squad without even using your full strength?"

Qing cut to the chase, her voice tinged with inquiry, "Why do you want to join us?"

The Byakugan didn't detect anything suspicious, and Qing's wariness had been largely eliminated—he had great confidence in the Byakugan's bloodline ability!

"For money, and also... to find a place where I can use my strength," Qingwu replied in a deliberately altered voice.

Qing said in a deep voice, "Do you know what I'm going to do? I'm telling you beforehand, this is very risky!"

He still intended to probe the visitor's purpose.

"Risk? My life... has never lacked risk!" Qingwu presented himself as a wandering strongman who pursued power and excitement.

Qing stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly forced an awkward smile:

"The reason is straightforward: I admire you, but words alone aren't enough. I happen to have a mission that requires manpower, and the target is..."

He carefully examined Qingwu's expression and slowly said, "The target is a troublesome rogue ninja, one of the original Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Raiga Kurosuki! Do you... dare to take on the task?"

"Kurosuki Raiga?" Qingwu's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't this the leader who assassinated Terumi Mei the first time he "became connected" with her?

“That’s right, although he has lost his Thunder Blade Fang, he is still not to be underestimated!” Qing said.

“I’ve heard of him overseas; he’s a formidable opponent,” Qingwu said, displaying interest and fighting spirit at the opportune moment. “Mission details?”

"He has recently been active on a remote island in the nearby sea, plundering ships and killing members of the Mist Shadows. This is his approximate area of ​​activity and known intelligence."

Qing handed over a scroll. "Bring your companions. If you complete the mission within a week, you'll be eligible to join us. The reward... won't disappoint you."

He looked into Qingwu's eyes and added, "Of course, I won't just send the two of you. I will send reinforcements to follow you."

Qingwu frowned slightly, then grinned and said, "I don't need anyone to follow me. I don't like being monitored. Besides, three days is enough!"

Qing was slightly taken aback, and was about to say something to warn him not to be careless.

Qingwu, however, had already walked out. "Perfect! I'll use this battle to show you whether I'm qualified or not!"

After leaving those words, he disappeared into the cave with the scroll.

"..."

Qing stood there in a daze for a while, then fell silent.

"If that's the case... then Lady Terumi Mei will also value you!"

He closed his Byakugan and ordered three Mist Ninja squads to follow.

In any case, testing newcomers is only one part of the process; the most important thing is that they are already preparing to "close the net" on Kurozuki Raiga.

……

Three days later, the location of the isolated island was marked on the scroll.

Qingwu and Tianxin Shenji quietly arrived on the island.

Raiga Kurosuki, once a formidable member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, is now living a somewhat impoverished life.

Having lost Raida Ya, his strength was greatly diminished, and he could only linger on this deserted island, relying on plunder and his former fearsome reputation to eke out a living.

However, this man remained ruthless, having set up numerous traps on the island and employing several desperate men under his command.

Princess Tianxin easily bypassed the outer perimeter guards and traps using illusionary smoke.

Qingwu, like a hunting tiger, headed straight for the lair of Hei Chu Leiya in the center of the island.

The battle broke out very quickly.

Although Raiga Kurosuki has lost his handy lightning sword, his lightning ninjutsu is still sharp, extremely fast, and he has rich combat experience.

He laughed wildly, brandishing a ninja sword imbued with lightning chakra, and engaged in battle with Qingwu.

Sizzle sizzle—!

Lightning flashed and rocks flew everywhere.

Black Hoshino Raiga's attacks were fierce and swift.

However, Qingwu's physical skills and combat experience are now vastly different from before, and his speed and reflexes are even better than those of Hei Chu Leiya.

He didn't use any fancy tricks to deal with this fangless "tiger."

With just the simplest punches, kicks, elbows, and knees, combined with exquisite dodging and footwork, he neutralized all of Raiga Kurosuki's attacks and continued to counterattack.

boom!

A heavy side kick landed on Raiga Kurozumi's parrying arm, sending him staggering backward, his arm going numb.

laugh!

A karate chop grazed his cheek with a whooshing sound, leaving a bloody mark.

"How is this possible..."

Raiga Kurosuki was both shocked and furious; the opponent's strength and speed were simply inhuman!

"Is this all the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist are capable of?"

Qingwu spoke calmly, then suddenly exerted force with his feet, causing the ground to crack and his figure to disappear instantly. When he reappeared, he was already above Hei Chu Leiya's head, delivering a powerful and heavy kick!

It looks very much like the Fourth Raikage's "Righteous Thunder Axe"!

"Lightning Release: Lightning Shield!!" Raiga Kurosuki hurriedly defended.

boom!

The light shield formed by Lightning Release chakra fluctuated violently, and Raiga Kurosuki was forced to kneel on one knee, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"it's over!"

Qingwu landed, his figure approaching like a ghost. A short, straight punch containing hidden force pierced through the remaining lightning and struck Hei Chu Leiya precisely in the chest.

"Well--!!"

Kurozuki Raiga's eyes bulged out, the sound of his ribs cracking was clearly audible, and the violent force of his fist penetrated his body, shattering his internal organs.

He opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out. The fierce light in his eyes quickly dimmed, and his massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The battle lasted only a little over three minutes from start to finish.

Princess Tianxin stood at a distance from beginning to end, "watching" with her eyes closed, without making a move.

With a steady breath, Qingwu turned around and looked behind him. Qing and the Mist Ninja arrived late.

The battle is over.

What the Mist Ninja saw was Raiga Kurosuki's hideous face, his chest caved in, and his body clearly dead.

"This……"

One of the mist ninjas couldn't help but gasp.

Looking at the corpse of Kurozuki Raiga, and then at "Day Tiger," his eyes were filled with shock and a hint of barely perceptible awe.

Even without his lightning sword, Raiga Kurosuki was still a genuine Jonin with a fearsome reputation. How could he be killed so quickly by a taijutsu ninja with his bare hands?

The strength of this "Day Tiger" is probably far beyond their previous estimates.

Ao's Byakugan had already been activated, quickly scanning the battlefield and the corpses of Kurosuki Raiga, but his gaze was fixed on the gray-clad woman who had been standing quietly with her eyes closed from beginning to end, as if she were just there for sightseeing.

If the "Day Tiger" is so strong, then is its companion also...?

In the Byakugan's vision, the chakra within "Day Tiger" exhibits a sharp, concentrated quality, characteristic unique to taijutsu ninjas.

But the woman seemed to be shrouded in a light mist, and the flow of her chakra was unusually calm and profound, giving people a sense of unfathomable depth.

This woman... must be quite something!

Qing Shen glanced at Tian Xin Shen Ji, then stepped forward, her tone much more polite than before:

"Lord Zhouhu, you are indeed formidable!"

He waved for his men to come forward and collect the body of Kurozuki Raiga, and continued, "You not only completed the mission ahead of schedule, but you did so so cleanly and efficiently, which is truly admirable."

"It was just a task!" Qingwu said calmly, as if he had only done something insignificant. "Now, do I have the qualifications?"

"Of course." Qing nodded, a more genuine smile appearing on her face:

"Not only are you qualified, but Lady Terumi Mei will be very happy when she finds out. Please come with me, she will probably see you in person."

This time, Qing's attitude was clearly different.