The Hidden Mist Anbu snapped through hand seals, chakra surging.
"Water Release—"
He never finished.
A cascade of razor-thin light tore through the air.
Qian Renxue's Angelic Sacred Sword flashed, releasing multiple arcs of condensed radiance. The speed alone forced the renegade to abort his Ninjutsu mid-cast, twisting sideways in a desperate dodge.
Too slow.
Holy Light Illuminates the World.
Light spirit power surged outward from Qian Renxue's body, no longer restrained, no longer refined—only amplified. Inspired by the principles behind Lightning Release: Lightning Pillar, she had compressed her radiance inward, then detonated it outward in a single instant.
The battlefield drowned in white.
The world lost its edges. Shadows vanished. Even sound seemed swallowed.
The Kirigakure Ninja let out a muffled cry as his eyes burned violently. Instinct forced them shut, tears streaming, vision reduced to nothing. He planted his feet and raised his guard toward where he remembered Qian Renxue standing, not daring to move a single step.
That hesitation sealed his fate.
Aurora Judgment.
The Angelic Sacred Sword hummed—not loudly, but with a fine, almost imperceptible vibration. Golden light compressed along the blade's edge, spirit power grinding against itself through extreme pressure and friction.
This was not a simple slash.
It was an imitation of wind's cruelty—borrowed from Feng Xiaotian's Wind Blade and refined through Ning Rongrong's Azure Mist Severing Sky. Expensive. Demanding. Merciless.
The Kirigakure Ninja heard it an instant before it reached him.
The sound of air being cut apart.
By the time his expression changed, the light had already passed through his chest.
There was no impact.
No blood spray.
His body froze where it stood.
Behind him, rocks split cleanly. Trees parted as if sliced by an invisible hand. Even drifting leaves were severed mid-fall, golden edges glimmering faintly before gravity reclaimed them.
The body collapsed in two quiet halves.
Qian Renxue exhaled hard, chest rising as she steadied her breathing. She glanced at the battlefield, then turned toward Gao Feng, who had observed the exchange without interruption.
"The power is there," Gao Feng said first, nodding once. "And the concealment is excellent. When paired with the blinding effect, it's lethal even to experienced opponents."
Then his tone shifted.
"But the consumption is too high. And it depends too heavily on setup. Against someone with strong perception, you'll burn spirit power for nothing."
Qian Renxue wiped sweat from her brow, unfazed. "That's because my mastery isn't high enough yet. Once the charge time shortens, it'll be no slower than Feng Xiaotian's techniques."
Xie Yue, finishing the cleanup, chimed in casually. "You could look into the Uzumaki Clan's Vajra Imprisonment."
He spoke as if discussing spare change.
"It's a top-tier sealing technique. Suppresses Tailed Beast chakra, disrupts Ninjutsu directly, and—most importantly—forms chains. Your light spirit power already suppresses energy. Simulating light chains would give you both control and burst."
Qian Renxue shot him a flat look.
"I also want Tsunade-senpai's Strength of a Hundred Seal and Mystical Palm," she said dryly. "Should I just imagine those into existence too?"
Xie Yue paused, then realized.
"…You asked about the price."
"The Uzumaki are knowledgable," Gao Feng cut in, rubbing his temples. "They're willing to share insights for free—but only if we provide protection."
Qian Renxue let out a tired sigh. "Which we obviously can't."
"They want to use us as leverage with the shop," Xie Yue muttered. "That's optimistic."
"Konoha's not much better," Qian Renxue added. "They're offering techniques, insights, even sacrificial coins—if we act as intermediaries."
Xie Yue frowned. "Why us? Orochimaru's already there."
Gao Feng looked skyward, pretending he heard nothing.
"They handpicked young, attractive kunoichi," Qian Renxue said with a cold smile. "They think frequent appearances might soften Boss Li's mood."
Xie Yue snorted. "If we had that kind of influence, would we care about their scraps?"
"Enough," Gao Feng said, cutting the conversation short. "We're heading back."
The Martial Arts Tournament was approaching, and time mattered more than politics.
He'd already planned his exchanges. Uchiha fire-style insights. The Zhu sisters had gone for Nara shadow techniques. The Yu brothers chose Kumogakure's Lightning Chakra Mode. Feng Xiaotian's group took Sunagakure's Wind Release inheritance.
The Ninja World was being dismantled and absorbed piece by piece.
Even Bai Chenxiang's public duel with Feng Xiaotian had drawn crowds. Though she lost narrowly, the verdict was unanimous—both had reached Jonin-level combat power.
Well-rounded. Ruthlessly efficient.
Only their reserves lagged behind.
The trio departed, spirit power condensing beneath their feet as they crossed terrain in long, fluid strides. As the camp came into view, the noise hit them first—voices, footsteps, bargaining.
Above, two Spirit Beasts patrolled without rest.
They reined in their momentum and merged into the flow on foot.
After delivering their mission rewards, Gao Feng finally exchanged for the Ninjutsu insights he'd been eyeing for weeks. They wasted no time, heading straight for the Mission Hall.
Qian Renxue still needed Vajra Imprisonment. Xie Yue still needed Lightning Release funds.
Inside, they bypassed the lower-rank boards and moved deeper—straight into Ning Rongrong and the Yu brothers.
And news of an SS-rank mission.
"Bone and meridian reconstruction?" Qian Renxue's breath caught, eyes instantly sharp. This was exactly what she needed.
She turned instinctively toward the camp, already planning to find Li—only to hear he'd taken the girls out early.
Reality returned.
Their strength wasn't enough.
"Team up?" Ning Rongrong offered quickly, waving a scroll. "A-rank mission. Target: Hidan, renegade from the Land of Hot Springs. Bounty—160,000."
"Elite Jonin," Qian Renxue said at once.
"Six on one," Jade Tianxin replied calmly. "More than enough."
Qian Renxue exchanged looks with Gao Feng and Xie Yue. Both nodded.
"Accepted."
Elsewhere, under the steam of the Hot Springs Village, Li strolled casually with the girls.
"Is that man in the shadows really Madara?" Dugu Yan asked around a mouthful of skewers.
"At his peak?" Li replied. "He'd rival Ditian."
She froze. "Then why issue the Longevity Pill?"
"He's still worth testing."
"Ninja World peace?" Bi Ji asked, skeptical.
"He has conviction. Vision. Infrastructure," Li said mildly. "That already puts him ahead of most."
"And if he fails?" Snow Princess asked.
"Then that's his limit."
Li passed out grilled squid, unconcerned.
"Don't underestimate Ninja," he added. "If the Five Villages truly unite, even Madara won't be invincible."
Bi Ji nodded slowly. "Their sealing arts are… troublesome."
Far away, teams began to form.
And the board moved again.