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Qianyu hadn't even warmed his seat back in the village before another mission landed in his lap.
This was worse than being a corporate drone in his past life.
He had a sinking feeling his leisurely days were gone for good.
The only thing that comforted him was the size of the payment.
Because their last mission had run into so many unexpected dangers, its rank was upgraded, and so was the reward.
Qianyu finally had his own private little nest egg.
Just as he was admiring his earnings, Takenouchi dropped another piece of news.
He also owned a small plot of land in the village.
The yearly rent was nothing to sneeze at.
Qianyu's expression was complicated. He never knew Takenouchi was a true rich kid.
Did that make him a third-generation heir, then?
Buoyed by this good news, his mood stayed bright all the way to the mission assignment office.
He really is something, that Qianyu, Hizashi Hyuga thought, his fondness growing. Even when the village works him to the bone, his passion for it never wavers!
…
Picking up the mission scroll, Qianyu couldn't help but let out a surprised sound.
"The Land of Rain?"
"What's wrong?" Hizashi asked, not expecting such a strong reaction.
Qianyu shook his head, flashing a grin. "Nothing. I just heard it rains all the time there and was curious."
That wasn't it, of course.
The moment he saw the words "Land of Rain," an image of Nagato involuntarily popped into his head.
Pein!
How many floors can you carry a bag of rice?
I can carry one six floors!
How many can you?
"Our mission is to go to the Land of Rain and renew the peace treaty between our villages," Hizashi summarized.
"A peace treaty?" Qianyu looked over, surprised.
At this point in time, Hanzō of the Salamander—hailed as a "demigod"—was still alive. Under his deterrence, the Land of Rain hadn't been drawn into the wars between the great nations.
But the country bordered the Land of Grass, sandwiched between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. That geographical position made it impossible to avoid being courted by both major powers.
If the Land of Fire won over the Rain, it would be a threat to the Land of Earth. Likewise, if the Rain sided with Earth, Konoha would be in a dangerous spot.
During the Second Great Shinobi War, the Land of Rain had taken on both the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire and had been utterly devastated. They had signed peace treaties with both Konoha and Suna afterward.
Now, eight years later, the treaty was up. A new one needed to be signed.
The Third Hokage was banking on a simple fact. The Hidden Rain was currently mired in internal strife. They couldn't spare the energy for war and thus couldn't refuse Konoha's offer. That was why he was sending them.
But Qianyu felt this mission was dripping with danger.
"It's S-rank," Hizashi stated.
"S-rank!" Shisui and Juri gasped.
Qianyu laughed coldly in his mind. An S-rank mission for one Jonin and three Genin? The Third is too kind, offering us an express ticket to the heavens.
"You have half a day to pack. We meet at the village gates this afternoon." Hizashi's words had barely faded before the three figures vanished.
"…They're fast," Hizashi chuckled, shaking his head.
His smile faded, replaced by a grave expression as he headed for the Hokage Tower. He had enough self-awareness to know this mission was too much for them.
As if anticipating his arrival, Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe. His wrinkled face was shrouded in smoke, his expression unreadable.
"Lord Hokage—"
"Hizashi, I know what you want to say," Hiruzen cut him off. He knew the mission's difficulty, but the village simply had no one else to spare. "There are no other available shinobi," he sighed.
Hizashi's face was troubled. If it were just him, fine. But he had three young students. He didn't want them taking such a huge risk.
"Alright," Hiruzen said, seeing his dilemma. "I'll assign you one more person."
…
Afternoon. The sunset was brilliant, the clouds rolling like fire.
Five silhouettes stretched long on the ground before the Konoha gates.
The air was momentarily silent.
Hizashi looked at the man in the skintight green jumpsuit and felt the world's profound malice for the first time.
An S-rank mission. One Jonin. Four Genin.
When the Hokage said he'd send backup, he'd assumed it would be another Jonin. He had been naive. Adding one more Genin was like adding nothing at all.
In stark contrast to Hizashi's numb expression, Qianyu's eyes sparkled. This green-spandex-clad figure was none other than Might Dai—the man who would soon kick four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to death, successfully turning them into the Three Ninja Swordsmen!
"Hahaha! I'm Might Dai! A pleasure! I look forward to working with you all on this mission!" Might Dai flashed a brilliant smile, his teeth blindingly white, and bowed a perfect forty-five degrees.
"The pleasure is ours," Qianyu politely returned the greeting.
"He's a Genin too?" Juri's face was incredulous. His questioning eyes turned to Hizashi.
Hizashi nodded.
Juri's shock was palpable. Seriously, could someone really stay a Genin at that age? Surrounded by geniuses his whole life, his words held no malice, just pure astonishment.
"Please rest assured! I definitely won't hold you back!" Might Dai declared earnestly, long used to being mocked for his rank.
Qianyu shook his head. "Of course not. I'm sure you're amazing, mister!"
Because of Qianyu's established persona, Hizashi and Juri just thought he was being considerate, saving Dai from embarrassment. But only Qianyu knew he was telling the absolute truth. With Might Dai along, his sense of security skyrocketed.
[Ding! Favorability from Might Dai: 70!]
"Waaaah…" Tears like wide noodles streamed down Might Dai's face as he looked at Qianyu, deeply moved.
What the— That favorability spike is insane!
Qianyu's lips quirked up. He liked honest, straightforward people like Might Dai.
"Alright. Let's move out!" At Hizashi's order, five figures leaped into the high branches, speeding through the forest.
Qianyu, multitasking, was curious about the system-assigned skill.
[Automatically assigned skill has arrived. Host, please choose to receive.]
[Yes] [No]
Qianyu rubbed his hands together, hoping Lady Luck was on his side. He pressed Yes.
[Word Soul: A Lie's Lie Becomes Truth.]
[Skill Introduction: A power from 'Re:Creators.' By uttering 'A Lie's Lie Becomes Truth,' the user can twist a lie denied by the target, invert cause and effect, and make the lie real.]
[Current Skill Proficiency: 0%]
Qianyu's excitement instantly turned to ice.
"This proficiency is way too low!" he protested in his mind. He had tolerated the God Spear not even budging, but 0%? That was just cruel.
"The higher the skill's grade, the lower its initial proficiency," the system explained.
Fine. Qianyu pouted but accepted it. After all, the skill was ridiculously overpowered. Hehehehe…
"Qianyu, you okay?" Juri asked, looking at him strangely. He wasn't overreacting; Qianyu's behavior was just odd. Mid-leap, he kept letting out these weird chuckles.
"Ahem." Qianyu touched the corner of his mouth. Sure enough, his grin had nearly reached his ears. He reined it in. "I don't get out of the village much. Just a little excited."
"Oh." Juri nodded in understanding. He looked away, swallowing hard. Honestly, that laugh had seemed a bit… perverted. But a girl like Qianyu? Impossible. His eyes must have been playing tricks on him. Juri proceeded to brainwash himself.
Qianyu's gaze, however, lingered on Juri. Initial-stage skills needed practice. Perhaps he should… try it on Uchiha Juri?
Juri suddenly felt a chill and shivered inexplicably.
…
Night fell. A campfire crackled brightly. The five of them sat around it, eating rice balls. After a brief consultation with his scarce conscience, Qianyu decided to make his move.
"Juri, is your rice ball spicy?" Qianyu knew Juri had a sweet tooth; even his rice balls were sweet.
"No! It's sweet red bean paste!" Juri held up his rice ball, showing the dark red filling, completely confused. He didn't like spicy food. More accurately, he couldn't eat it. The slightest hint of spice made him feel like he could breathe fire.
"A Lie's Lie Becomes Truth," Qianyu murmured, the words dissolving on his lips. Having cast the spell, he subtly observed Juri's reaction.
Uchiha Juri, completely unaware, looked at his rice ball and took a huge, satisfying bite. Jumping through trees like a monkey all day had exhausted him. He needed the comfort of a sweet, sugary world.
"Pfft—!"
Redness exploded from his neck, instantly covering his entire face. The rice ball dropped from his hand as his fingers flew to his throat. Two blazing fires seemed to ignite in his eyes.
Hizashi immediately glanced at his own rice ball. He solemnly threw it aside and shouted at Shisui and Qianyu, "Don't eat! There's something wrong with the rice balls!"
"Huh?" Might Dai, chewing with relish, was slow to react. "Eh? No way! They're delicious!" He looked at the rice ball in his hand, reluctant to throw it away.
Qianyu guiltily scooted closer to Shisui.
"Juri? Juri?" Hizashi rushed to Juri's side, examining his condition. Veins bulged on Juri's neck, and his eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets.
"Water! WATER!" Juri's face was contorted as he yelled.
Qianyu hurriedly passed him his canteen.
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
The canteen was empty in seconds. Juri's face was still a twisted mask of pain, but at least he could speak.
"What happened, Juri?" Hizashi asked, his guard up. Their mission to the Hidden Rain was confidential. A leak was unlikely, but they had to be cautious.
"Sp… SPICY! It's killing me!" Juri gasped, his heart still pounding. The moment that explosive spice had hit his tongue, Juri thought he'd seen his long-deceased mother. Thankfully, she took pity on him and sent him back.
"Spicy?" Shisui recalled Qianyu's earlier question, a seed of suspicion planted in his mind.
Qianyu could see Shisui's doubt as clear as day. He cleared his throat and knelt before Juri, his face a perfect mask of concern and surprise. "Juri, didn't you say it was sweet bean paste? How did it turn spicy?" He looked utterly baffled.
The victim himself was even more clueless. Juri shook his head, his eyes glazed over. "I don't know either!"
Qianyu sighed with a hint of exasperation. "When I looked at your rice ball earlier, I thought I smelled something spicy. But you insisted it was bean paste, so I believed you. Who knew it really was spicy?" He explained, handing Juri a handkerchief with a gentle smile. "Wipe your sweat. You must have been exhausted today and grabbed the wrong one by mistake."
Juri was about to argue, but his gaze fell on the handkerchief. The words died in his throat, his mind filling with nothing but impure thoughts.
"Thanks, Qianyu." Juri's face reddened slightly as he pocketed the handkerchief.
It all clicked for Shisui. So that was it. Still, Juri's lovesick puppy expression made him deeply uncomfortable.
Late that night, Qianyu opened the blue screen in his mind.
"Pfft! You've got to be kidding me." Qianyu nearly coughed up blood. He had successfully used [Word Soul: A Lie's Lie Becomes Truth], but the skill proficiency had only increased by… 0.5%. Zero-point-five percent! What kind of abysmal advancement speed was this?
Closing the screen, his gaze swept over his teammates. Tomorrow was going to be tough on them. He apologized to them in his heart. The stronger he got, the higher the squad's survival rate. He was doing this for them. Another day of being thoughtful and considerate. With that thought, Qianyu drifted off to sleep. As the "girl" of the group, he had the privilege of not taking night watch. Shisui and Might Dai took the first half; Juri and Hizashi took the second.
…
Dawn broke, the sky a pale gray gradient. The squad's journey began in utter chaos.
"Might Dai, sir… you need to fart," Qianyu whispered.
Might Dai's eyes shot open. He denied it loudly, "I do NOT! I would never be so rude to my teammates!"
"A Lie's Lie Becomes Truth."
BOOM!
The tree behind Might Dai shook violently. Simultaneously, Qianyu, Shisui, Juri, and Hizashi leaped back, putting a good ten meters between them and the man.
"Whoa… Mister Dai's farts are powerful!" Juri said, his heart racing. Good thing he was fast, or that blast would've gone straight to his lungs.
"…" Shisui had no idea how to respond to that.
Hizashi cleared his throat. "Let's move out!" Their figures leaped back onto the high branches.
Qianyu moved closer to Might Dai, comforting him in a low voice, "Mister Dai, don't be sad. It's a normal bodily function."
Might Dai, feeling rather down, looked at Qianyu's angelic smile and couldn't hold back the wide noodle tears. "Waaaah… Qianyu, you truly are an angel."
An… angel? Grrr!
[Ding! Favorability from Might Dai: 80!]
Fine. Angel it is, then, Qianyu thought flatly. He was just a machine, emotionlessly collecting favorability points. Nothing more.
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