Chapter 11: I Haven’t Read Much, Don’t Try to Fool Me
Su Xiao walked forward slowly, blade in hand. Earlier, the Anbu ninjas had trapped him; now, he was the one trapping them.
The Anbu ninjas who could see their enemy within the Hidden Mist Technique realized this. As soon as Su Xiao appeared, the three attacked immediately.
"Water Release..."
One Anbu’s hands flew before him, forming seals at lightning speed.
"Shave."
A figure dashed through the mist. Just as that Mist ninja clasped his hands together, ready to unleash a jutsu, Su Xiao’s icy eyes were already locked onto his.
Pfft.
Blood splattered in the air. Su Xiao’s blade was too fast; the Anbu ninja had no time to react, his severed head wearing an expression of shock.
After decapitating one Anbu ninja, Su Xiao noted that the physical toughness of these ninjas was indeed unimpressive.
[You have killed a Mist Anbu.]
[The Anbu is a member of a special organization. World Source gained: 1.9%. Total World Source now: 7.2%.]
[Your talent ‘Soul Devourer’ has activated. Permanently increased Mana Points by 15. Current Mana Points: 1448.]
Having slain one Mist ninja, Su Xiao stomped the ground and charged at another.
With the enemy already this close, unleashing a jutsu was clearly too late. That Mist ninja made a fatal mistake—he drew the ninja sword from his back.
Su Xiao slashed down from above. The Mist ninja raised his blade to block.
Clang.
Sparks flew. The Mist ninja’s strength was considerable; he held firm against Su Xiao’s strike.
Screech.
The sound of metal grinding was harsh.
Su Xiao kicked toward the Mist ninja’s abdomen. The Mist ninja bent one leg, using his shin to block the straight kick.
Just then, a roar came from Su Xiao’s side as a torrent of water surged toward him.
Whoosh. Su Xiao was caught in the raging current, most of his body submerged. The Mist ninja was in the same situation.
Crackle～
Electricity spread through the water, sending a numbing sensation through Su Xiao’s body.
The Mist ninja beside him collapsed face-first. To kill Su Xiao, these Anbu members had no regard for their comrade.
A kunai flew straight at Su Xiao’s face. He tilted his head, barely dodging as a few strands of black hair were severed.
Su Xiao pulled with his left hand, and the surrounding Realm Severing Threads tightened rapidly, entangling the two remaining Anbu Mist ninjas.
Bang.
White smoke rose. One of the Mist ninjas transformed into a wooden stump, having escaped via the Substitution Jutsu.
Seizing this opening, Su Xiao’s body regained sensation. He swung his blade horizontally, cutting down the Mist ninja abandoned by his comrade.
[You have killed a Mist Anbu.]
[The Anbu is a member of a special organization. World Source gained: 1.6%. Total World Source now: 8.8%.]
[Your talent ‘Soul Devourer’ has activated. Permanently increased Mana Points by 15. Current Mana Points: 1463.]
The thick mist around them gradually dissipated. Su Xiao retracted the Realm Severing Threads. A masked Mist ninja stood not far away.
Su Xiao thrust Dragon-Slaying Flash into the ground beside his foot, then drew his black and white pistols.
Bang, bang, bang...
A hail of bullets flew toward that Mist ninja. The ninja clasped his hands together, and with a bang of white smoke, he vanished from the spot.
The last Mist ninja had fled. Three had come to hunt Su Xiao; two corpses remained.
"So this is the Anbu? Doesn’t seem like much."
Su Xiao sheathed Dragon-Slaying Flash and walked toward the dock.
Anbu ninjas weren’t necessarily the strongest. The Mist Anbu had detailed classifications—some excelled in combat, others in tracking.
These three were the tracking type, with combat strength between that of a Chunin and a Jonin. At mid-range, they could hold their own against Su Xiao, but once he closed in, they were like vegetables chopped up for a stew.
Returning to the dock, the large ship hadn’t set sail.
He jumped onto the vessel. The people on board gasped and stepped back. A few drops of blood stained Su Xiao’s face—the blood of the Mist ninjas.
"This... sir, may we set sail now?"
The songstress Nao stepped forward, her expression fearful.
"Set sail."
The large sailing ship slowly moved off. A few minutes later, the dock gradually disappeared from Su Xiao’s sight.
Su Xiao didn’t let his guard down. Reaching the coastal waters didn’t mean safety; ninjas could gather chakra on the soles of their feet and run at high speed across the water’s surface.
Still, in this vast sea, the chances of Mist ninjas pursuing were slim.
The ship cut through the waves. An hour later, all that met the eye was the endless blue ocean. The Mist ninjas couldn’t possibly follow now.
Su Xiao leaned against the ship’s railing. The difficult start was over; things would become clearer from here. Once he reached the Land of Fire, he could simply join some faction.
What Su Xiao didn’t know was that the Mist ninjas had already relayed his information to the other four great nations through special channels. He was now branded as the assassin of the Fourth Mizukage. No other major ninja village would accept him—who could guarantee he wouldn’t assassinate their Kage too?
The Mist ninjas would, of course, twist the story, blaming the Fourth Mizukage’s death on Su Xiao.
According to the official report released by the Mist: Su Xiao’s assassination attempt inflicted a sword wound on the Fourth Mizukage. Later, while protecting the village from an external enemy, the wound reopened, leading to his death.
This report hastened Terumi Mei’s rise to power. A village couldn’t function without a Kage.
The Fourth Mizukage had died in obscurity, the true cause unknown. After his death, the civil war in the Mist Village quickly ceased, and the village began to improve.
...
On the large sailing ship, Su Xiao sat cross-legged on the deck, Bubu Wang lying beside him.
He was meditating when the sound of footsteps on the wooden planks reached him. He opened his eyes.
"Um... can I sit here?"
The songstress Nao approached hesitantly, blinking her long-lashed eyes.
Nao was quite attractive. Her beauty wasn’t flashy but a blend of purity and allure.
"Something?"
"Yes, yes."
Nao nodded quickly. "How should I address you, sir?"
"White Night."
Su Xiao took out a cigarette and lit it. A slightly salty sea breeze blew, scattering the smoke.
"Sir White Night, what did you make me swallow earlier?"
This was the question that had been troubling Nao. She hadn’t even dared to drink water.
"Muscle and Bone Strengthening Pill. Good for your health, promotes endocrine circulation."
"Huh?"
Nao’s mouth twitched. Bubu Wang sighed beside her.
"I... I’m already very healthy. Please take that ‘Muscle and Bone Strengthening Pill’ out. I beg you."
Nao wasn’t stupid. She knew she must have swallowed something suspicious.
"What’s your final destination?"
Su Xiao avoided the topic of the alchemy bomb. He wouldn’t remove it until they landed.
"The Land of Fire, Konoha Village."
"Oh? Konoha?"
"Yes, we’re going to perform in Konoha. They’re having a festival soon, so they commissioned me to perform. I’m quite famous."
Nao puffed out her ample chest, as if to say she wasn’t to be trifled with and was a celebrity.
"Reach the Land of Fire within two days, and I’ll remove that bomb."
"B... bomb!"
Nao’s voice rose, her eyes wide and misty. Though she had some courage, she was just a songstress. Learning there was a bomb in her stomach made her legs feel weak, as if stepping on cotton.
"Just a bomb. Don’t make such a fuss. Get me to my destination, and I’ll take it out."
Nao stood frozen in place. It took a long time before she reluctantly accepted the fact.
"And where is your destination, Sir White Night?"
"The Land of Fire."
"I see. So, once we reach the Land of Fire, you promise you won’t harm me?"
Su Xiao looked calmly at Nao. For the first few seconds, she showed no reaction. After ten seconds, cold sweat broke out on her face. Within half a minute, she began to back away slowly.
"Don’t bother me if there’s nothing important."
Su Xiao resumed his meditation. He wasn’t very good at dealing with plot characters—after all, his Charm attribute was a mere 5.
PS: (My condition is a bit off. I’m having trouble writing. Only two chapters today. How about I act cute and you let me off this once? Meow?)