Two buried ninja wore forehead protectors bearing the flowing water pattern — four wavy lines — crossed by a single slash through the center.
These two were clearly rogue ninja from Mist.
Aozora squatted in front of them and asked, "Talk! Why did you target me?"
However, both men remained silent, unable to believe they had been defeated so easily.
"How could this even be possible?"
"Damn it! How can you use Shadow Clones and Earth Release techniques?"
"You're not even a monk?"
Aozora shook his head, struck one down with a precise blow to the neck, then walked over to the other and yanked away the red cloth covering his eyes.
The moment the man caught sight of the swirling three black tomoe within Aozora's crimson pupils, he was already ensnared in an illusion — long before he could show any surprise.
"What is your name?"
"Gichiro Shibamoto."
"Why did you attack me?"
"There's a bounty on your head — two million ryō."
"Anything else?"
"Because you looked weak."
"Fine. So why are you two even here, in the Land of Fire?"
...
With just a few questions, Aozora uncovered their reasons for targeting him.
After the Third Great Ninja War, Mist withdrew back to the Land of Water, expecting to recover quietly and plan for future expansion onto the continent.
Yet the Fourth Mizukage suddenly started acting completely differently — aggressively suppressing bloodline clans. The bloodline families, however, refused to back down. Now, both sides were locked in a brutal struggle, and many ninja had died — not on the battlefield, but by being stabbed in the back.
Fearing for their lives, the pair fled together to the mainland, becoming bounty hunters.
As for why they targeted Aozora, it was because he recently appeared on the black market's wanted list. With high bounty money offered and only minimal strength shown, they mistook him as easy prey.
After finishing the interrogation, Aozora stood there thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
This abnormal behavior from the Fourth Mizukage must be Obito's doing. If he remembered correctly, Kaguya Clan would soon launch a coup d'état, serving as a cautionary tale for Uchiha Clan.
Thinking about this, Aozora felt puzzled. Was Uchiha completely unaware? Did they really not know about Kaguya Clan's failed rebellion and ultimate destruction?
If they really knew about it, then with such a clear warning staring them in the face, why would the Uchiha still try to launch a coup?
Unable to figure this out, Aozora decided to stop thinking. Anyway, now he had enough influence inside the Uchiha Clan to shape decisions. He believed the Uchiha wouldn't fall into the same fate as in canon anymore.
Next, Aozora considered how this situation in Mist might affect Konoha and the Uchiha Clan. Could he gain any personal benefits from this?
After brief consideration, he gave up.
The Land of Water sat far away in isolation — it always launched attacks on others, yet had never suffered any from rival ninja villages. Aozora's current sphere of activity was limited strictly to the Land of Fire, so missing this opportunity couldn't be helped.
Sighing deeply, Aozora spat out a fireball that reduced the two bodies to ashes, enriching the soil.
Six golden droplets instantly materialized upon the Heavenly Book — an artifact that recorded Aozora's deeds. As he carefully counted, he realized the total number of golden droplets earned recently — by suppressing banditry and aiding the hungry with rice rations — had reached thirty-four.
Aozora calculated silently. Among the Mystical Techniques he had acquired, four remained incomplete — Beast Taming, Earth Release, Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work, and Lightning-Fire Golden Body.
He didn't rely much on Beast Taming, and since Earth Release was difficult to cultivate, he decided to set them aside for now.
However, the techniques of Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work and Lightning-Fire Golden Body were nearly overtaken by his current cultivation progress. He needed to complete them soon.
Based on past experience, each of these two Mystical Techniques required at least twenty-odd Droplets. Therefore, the current number of Golden Droplets was still insufficient. Moreover, he also needed Golden Droplets to nurture his divided soul, which represented another massive consumption.
There was never enough money — or Golden Droplets, for that matter!
Just as he was calculating, he suddenly felt a message from his Summoning Beast, and his piercing gaze lit up instantly.
Puff!
Karasu flew out of the summoning smoke, cawed twice, then circled around Aozora.
Understanding his meaning, Aozora tossed him another pack of dried meat.
Mission complete. Karasu straightforwardly betrayed Shisui's coordinates: "Shisui is in Tianyuancheng, staying at an inn on the south side of the city."
"Tianyuancheng, south side."
Aozora mused, "That's actually pretty convenient."
This time, he had come out not only to farm Golden Droplets but also to secretly follow Shisui.
Although he'd told Shisui everything he knew about Danzo, he still couldn't shake the worry.
Back when his power was weak, Aozora would've kept his distance from Shisui entirely, only supporting him silently from afar.
But now his strength had progressed beyond recognition. After mastering countless powerful techniques, Aozora felt sure he could finally back Shisui up.
He strode toward Kyoto, taking small, casual steps like someone strolling through a garden. Yet each step left footprints in the snow dozens of meters apart.
Used alone, Shrink Step wasn't as fast as Body Flicker Technique, but it consumed less energy.
Moreover, because the movements were smaller, it could be used in combination with the [Golden Version of Dao Yin Lian Qi (Golden Qi Cultivation Method)], allowing Aozora not to worry about chakra depletion.
By noon the next day, in Tianyuancheng.
A giant crow flew over the city.
Because it was too far away and simply too large, people who saw it mistook it for an eagle.
Soon, that eagle transformed into a dark shadow falling downward.
Karasu landed before an unremarkable man and spoke, "Aozora, Tianyuancheng appears normal, completely peaceful."
The alias *Li Qing* had gained some notoriety in the underworld, so Aozora wanted to avoid drawing attention by disguising himself as a regular passerby entering the city.
Aozora gave a slight nod and muttered to himself, "Have they not made their move yet?"
Once a ninja reached Jonin rank, their destructive power crossed into the superhuman. With the city currently showing nothing but tranquility, Shisui and others had certainly not initiated any battle.
After confirming the situation, Aozora dispelled his Summoning Technique and casually found a comfortable inn on the south side of the city to rest. Though both his chakra and physical energy remained abundant, continuous travel had left his mind feeling tired.
With assistance from the [Golden Version of Dao Yin Lian Qi (Golden Qi Cultivation Method)], Aozora quickly entered deep sleep.
Around 4 p.m., fully refreshed, Aozora got up.
After washing up, he stepped outside the inn.
Along the way, his figure stretched taller, his facial features reshaped themselves, and even his hairstyle shifted subtly.
Soon, Aozora shed his plain disguise and reappeared as a middle-aged man oozing overwhelming dominance, a cigar hanging from his lips, his hair neatly slicked back.
Before long, Aozora, now disguised as the Gambling Deity, arrived at the entrance of a casino.
Despite the door curtain, waves of noise poured out from the gambling den, betraying just how packed it was inside.
Since he was already in Tianyuancheng, Aozora would undoubtedly be among the first to arrive at the battlefield once the fight began.
As for Jonin-level ninja, without advanced stealth techniques, one could easily trigger enemy alerts and be detected.
So, Aozora decided not to chase after Shisui right away and opted to tackle a side mission instead.
Coincidentally, a wanted figure named Joushou Heiya Ichiji was currently hiding within Tianyuancheng, as noted on the Black Market's Wanted List.
Joushou Heiya Ichiji — a crime lord who ran casinos and brothels, trafficked military supplies, and dealt in human trade...
His crimes were beyond count — enough to fill countless scrolls.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>