Naruto: Pay-to-Win Ninja System

At this moment, on a mountain path high above the clouds.

Over twenty people were making their way forward.

"How much further? It feels like it never ends!"

Uchiha Gin lifted his head to look ahead.

The peaks shrouded in mist stretched endlessly forward, one after another. There seemed to be no end!

Beside him, Terumi Uchiha took out a map, spun it around a couple times, then stood up straight.

After checking multiple times, he finally declared confidently.

"We're almost there! Just cross that mountain up ahead, and we should have arrived."

"Big Brother Riyō, you said exactly the same thing an hour ago! Do you even know how to read a map?"

Riyō stiffened slightly, then reaffirmed firmly.

"Trust me!"

"Although... I've never actually been to [Kumo]..."

"Me neither! Dammit, why did this damn [Kumo] build their village in such a remote and hidden location!"

Gin grumbled unhappily.

Clearly, the road to [Kumo] was not easy going.

"Elevated position makes it easier to defend; these mountains and fog provide natural geographical barriers. That's what makes it a true Hidden Village!"

Shimoku, who was lying comfortably on the back of an ox wearing sunglasses, leisurely sunbathing, spoke up in explanation.

Precisely because of Kumo's superior geographical position, during previous major wars, their village had remained almost completely intact.

They had never even been attacked at their doorstep.

Unlike Konoha, which lies on flat ground with forests obstructing sightlines.

It's like just about anyone could come and mess with Konoha...

"This place really is easy to defend!"

"By the way, Young Master, speaking of which, only this many people came with us to Kumo. Isn't this a bit risky?"

"Previously, I remember you saying that all the great Hidden Villages desire our [Sharingan]. So wouldn't Kumo try something against us while we're here..."

Shimoku: "Relax. If something did happen, it'd be no big deal."

"You mean the Young Master already has preparations made?"

"Nope. Didn't make any plans. But if something truly happened, Kumo still wouldn't be able to keep me trapped!"

"What about the rest of us..."

"Fend for yourselves, though!"

Gin: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

Shimoku: "I'm kidding. Don't get so worked up."

"Speaking of, Young Master, if we really got captured, would you come save us?"

"No."

Shimoku answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Couldn't you at least pretend to hesitate a bit?"

Shimoku: "Why hesitate? After all, if you really got captured, just remember to stay tough, withstand several rounds of interrogation, maybe you'll live long enough to witness 'the beauty trick' (referring to using charm or seduction to escape capture), right?"

"Isn't that exactly what you're hoping for?"

Gin: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

...

Compared to the exhausting journeys from before every mission.

Now that Shimoku had already reached the pinnacle of power in the current Ninja World, his mindset had become much more relaxed.

He wasn't arrogant yet.

But he certainly wasn't as impatient as before.

So naturally, Shimoku remained quite calm throughout the journey to Kumo.

Indeed, [Kumo]'s overall strength was formidable.

The Fourth Raikage, two jinchuriki, a group of elite guards, and several seasoned ninja hiding in the shadows—this team had at least five Kage-level experts.

The fighting power of this group ranked among the strongest in the Five Great Hidden Villages.

Look at how pitiful the Mist Village has become—they can't even gather two or three Kage-level fighters now...

However, considering Shimoku's current strength,

even if all of Kumo's top experts ganged up on him together, he still had a very good chance of winning.

At worst, he could still slip away without a scratch.

Unless the Raikage was ready to abandon Kumo entirely, he would never dare provoke an all-out battle with Shimoku within Kumogakure itself!

In short, strength determines confidence, and confidence shapes one's attitude.

Right now, Shimoku's mindset was extremely calm.

He was even imagining fondly what delicious foods and fun activities Kumogakure might offer.

He might as well make the most of this trip while he's here...

However, just as Shimoku was indulging in his thoughts,

a large volley of shuriken suddenly shot out from the cliffside above and ahead, flying straight toward the entire Uchiha diplomatic delegation.

Shimoku noticed the attack first and simply raised his hand, gripping the air forcefully.

Without using any ninjutsu, merely the roaring torrent of immense chakra he exuded nearly solidified into physical form,

stopping dozens of shuriken midair,

effortlessly twisting them into tangled clumps of iron wire that fell heavily to the ground.

"Enemy attack! There's an ambush!"

The Uchiha members around Shimoku immediately grew alert and swiftly formed up into a defensive stance.

Then,

from the cliffside ahead, over a dozen bandits wearing various decorations swiftly jumped down,

and without hesitation, attacked Shimoku's group head-on.

Calling them simple bandits would be an understatement.

Among these more than ten men,

most were Genin, and there were even two or three Chunin.

This team alone could dominate a minor nation.

There's no way such a group should be lurking in a godforsaken backwater like this, playing bandit?

However, right now wasn't the time to ponder such questions.

This gang of attackers was coming hard—they clearly meant to kill and rob, leaving no room for mercy.

"Riyō, handle this. End it quickly."

Although Shimoku himself could easily wipe out these 'ordinary bandits' in one move, he still handed over the opportunity for training to his subordinates.

After all, he couldn't protect his clansmen forever—he should let them gain more experience and grow stronger.

"Got it. Leave it to us!"

"These petty thieves? They're asking for death!"

Gin bellowed and charged forward without restraint.

Although he couldn't match elites like Zabuza, dealing with these riffraff was no problem for him.

Especially considering the strength of their side,

among the twenty-plus people present—even excluding the personal guards and about half the non-combat personnel—

the weakest among the rest was still at least Chunin level.

Who were they afraid of? A bunch of bandits?

...

The battle didn't last long.

It ended in about half a minute altogether.

Over a dozen bandits were almost entirely wiped out.

Only one Chunin and one Genin, hiding behind others, managed to narrowly escape.

If these so-called "ordinary bandits" had received some training and learned to coordinate with each other, they might have lasted a bit longer.

Unfortunately, their battle formation was chaotic and disorganized—the hand seals they used for ninja techniques varied wildly from one another.

Clearly, they were just an amateurish group—easily crushed.

"Young Master, should we chase them?"

"No need. They can't escape."

"Huh?"

Shimoku pointed toward the front. With his Spirit Transformation Technique active, he possessed extreme sensitivity to all intelligent souls nearby.

He had already detected the two figures hiding just beyond their field of vision.

A moment later,

Two figures arrived before Shimoku's group, each carrying a corpse.

"Fourth Raikage's Guard: Xi."

"This is my teammate: Tarui."

"You're the envoys from Homura Hidden Village, right?"

"We're sorry for startling you."

"These are recent bandits who've been roaming around these hills. We've been tracking them down—we didn't expect you'd run into them first."

"Truly embarrassing!"

Smiling all the while, Xi gave a smooth explanation and apology.

Then he gestured at the corpses in his hands, indicating that they had already eliminated those escaping bandits.

Hearing this, Shimoku inwardly scoffed in disdain, clearly unimpressed.

Unless he hadn't already sensed that these two were waiting ahead, secretly watching his group being attacked,

He might've actually bought that story and thought it was just a coincidence.

But now—

These bandits with unexpectedly strong capabilities most likely bore ties to Kumogakure.

Perhaps Kumo had disguised death-row convicts as bandits,

Or maybe they'd driven them in from elsewhere.

In any case, the goal must be to use these 'bandits' to test the strength of their group.

Even if all died, it wouldn't matter much.

Yet, if they could 'accidentally' kill several Uchiha ninjas and obtain a few Sharingan eyes, then that would be pure profit!

After all, although Kumogakure valued martial prowess above all else and respected strength,

That didn't mean everyone there was a mindless brute with bulging muscles and no brains.

Otherwise, back then, they wouldn't have pushed Konoha into a corner, leaving them helpless until they finally gave up Hizashi Hyuga's body.

This kind of simple yet effective probing tactic still held merit.

Besides, now that all these bandits were dead, there would be no one left to testify or expose Kumogakure's involvement.

Who knew those clean-cut types from Kumogakure would sink to such sneaky tactics too!

I originally planned to make a strong impression when we reached Kumogakure—to warn the Fourth Raikage and give him a chance to back down.

But looks like it's time to hit them hard and send a message first!

Shimoku thought silently to himself.

Meanwhile, he offered a warm and pleasant smile toward Xi and Tarui of Kumogakure:

"That's correct—we are indeed the delegation from Homura Hidden Village."

"Please lead the way. I'm also eager to meet your Raikage Lord soon."

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