Rain pattered on Kabure. He glanced at the closed iron gate behind him, then swiftly ran forward.
White smoke diffused in the rain, and Haruki returned to his original form.
Basic Ninjutsu like the Transformation Jutsu was the first thing he copied when he learned ninjutsu with Jiraiya.
He still remembered Suzaku's conversation with the Ame ninja. The direction the enemies attacked from was southwest. It was highly likely the battlefield was also in that direction.
Haruki ran towards the southwest. As he moved across the rooftops, he took out a ring and put it back on his finger.
He gradually left Amegakure's central area. The buildings beneath his feet abruptly vanished, replaced by muddy ground soaked by the rain. The surroundings also changed from tall buildings to rolling hills.
Looking at the mud stained red with blood before him, Haruki's heart quickened. He looked ahead, and a chilling killing intent seemed to emanate from the rain.
The battlefield was just ahead. The sharp whistles of flying kunai and shuriken reached his ears.
The roar of exploding explosive tags detonated ahead. The ground beneath Haruki's feet trembled.
Even though the heavy rain fell incessantly, it couldn't wash away the scent of blood in the air. The heavy rain couldn't stop the spread of the bloody smell.
Haruki frowned, the pervasive scent of blood lingered around him. His footsteps silently approached the battlefield ahead.
He pushed aside a gap in the tall bushes blocking his way. The battlefield before him suddenly unfolded.
The valley twenty meters away had been ravaged beyond recognition by the war. Tall trees were snapped in half, and raging fires burned large patches of bushes. The ground was covered with cracks and craters. Blood and corpses filled these gaps. Thick smoke continuously rose.
Countless chaotic figures moved and collided in the smoke and firelight.
Haruki didn't have Byakugan's vision, so he couldn't see the battlefield clearly. He could only make out the blurred outlines of ninjas fighting and the afterimages caused by their high-speed movements.
Various ninjutsu erupted on the battlefield. Haruki was dazzled.
Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!
Rocks rose from the ground to form an earth wall, and the rumbling sound made eardrums ache.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!
A huge fireball struck the earth wall.
As the two collided, the flames erupted in a scorching roar. Cracks appeared in the earth wall.
An Ame ninja's figure suddenly appeared behind the enemy.
The clang of metal was like a sudden storm. Haruki watched intently. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.
Could he copy ninjutsu on the battlefield? Wouldn't it be a pure waste not to copy so many ninjutsu?
[Host, please think twice before acting.]
[Jutsu copy requires the host to be within three meters of the target to be copied.]
Haruki's enthusiasm instantly faded.
Within three meters? Wouldn't that be suicide?
Which idiot on the battlefield would let him stand still and copy ninjutsu?
If the opponent didn't send a shuriken into his heart, he would change his name. Moreover, when he is copying ninjutsu, he can't use Cursed Energy to attack.
Wouldn't he become a free kill delivery service then?
It might be alright for him to copy ninjutsu when the Cursed Spirits' rank increases and he can let them fight for him.
But now? Forget about it.
Ninjutsu is precious, but life is even more so.
Although he couldn't copy ninjutsu, he could earn emotional value.
Haruki searched for the figures of Ame ninjas on the battlefield.
...
"Ah!"
A short sword pierced through an Ame ninja's chest. The intense pain caused the Ame ninja's face to twist for a moment.
He forcefully plunged the kunai in his hand into the opponent's neck. Only after the opponent stumbled and fell did the Ame ninja's legs give way, and he knelt in the mud.
Blood instantly stained his upper body. The short sword was still stuck in his chest. He knew he was beyond saving.
Being able to take down an enemy before dying, he was already very satisfied.
His body grew cold in waves. Excessive blood loss made him dizzy. The sounds of fighting and sharp screams constantly reached his ears. None of this mattered to him anymore.
He could no longer feel the pain. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier. His body began to fall into the mud.
A pair of hands caught the sinking body of the Ame ninja.
The Ame ninja felt his body being dragged.
What's going on?
He struggled to open his eyes and saw a child's face.
Why was a child on the battlefield?
"I am Haruki, I will save you. Hold on." Haruki said.
The Ame ninja's pupils constricted to pinpricks. He had heard from Hanzo that Suzaku had brought back a genius boy with powerful Medical Ninjutsu, named Haruki.
Before the war began, Hanzo had told them to hold on to their last breath and make it back to the village no matter what. The child named Haruki could pull them back from the brink of death.
But wasn't this child in Amegakure? Who brought him to the battlefield?
Haruki glanced at the large rock behind him, large enough to shield him and the Ame ninja, and gave up on continuing to drag the Ame ninja.
He pulled the short sword from the Ame ninja's chest, and blood splattered onto his cheeks.
His hands immediately pressed onto the Ame ninja's chest, and a bright green light glowed as the deep penetrating wound on the Ame ninja's chest healed at a visible speed.
The Ame ninja watched his chest in shock.
This child!
He finally understood why Hanzo valued this child so much.
This was not Medical Ninjutsu at all. Medical Ninjutsu couldn't heal his wound like this. This was a miracle!
[Ding!]
[System detected Yuma's gratitude value +5000]
[Ding!]
[Your Cursed Spirit Land God's rank has increased to 51.5%]
Sure enough, the gratitude value for saving people on the battlefield was much higher than saving people in the village.
Haruki's heart burned with excitement.
After seeing the wound of this Ame ninja named Yuma heal, he pulled himself up against the rock, his gaze returning to the intense battlefield, excitedly searching for the next target to earn emotional value.
"You must leave this place."
Haruki paused and looked at Yuma, who had spoken.
This kid is heartless! Just because he was saved, he doesn't want him to save others, right?
"No."
Haruki turned his head back to the battlefieldm "I want to save people. No one can stop me."
Yuma frowned, intending to forcibly send Haruki back.
But before he could act, Haruki seemed to have seen through his thoughts and said in advance, "It's so dangerous here, enemies are everywhere. Can you ensure you can safely send me back alone? Won't we encounter other enemies on the way?"
Yuma was speechless. He indeed couldn't guarantee that he could safely send Haruki back.
"If you really want to protect me and worry about my safety, then stay by my side and help me save people."
Haruki turned to stare at Yuma. Yuma looked at his determined eyes and couldn't bring himself to refuse.
He himself was saved by Haruki, and he also hoped that his comrades in the village could survive.
"Okay."
Yuma swore in his heart.
Even if it costs him his life, he will protect Haruki.
(End of Chapter)
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