The world begins with refining skills

Chapter 407 The Way of Water Shadow! (Seeking monthly votes)
April 6th, 8:00 AM.

The sun has risen and hangs in the eastern sky.

"So bright, so warm, so dazzling!"

Ichiro Kojima raised his head and squinted at the bright sun on the horizon.

The Land of Water is shrouded in mist all year round. Even in the hottest summer, the sunlight loses much of its warmth after passing through the thick, damp fog.

It's like a handful of burnt-out ashes, seemingly still glowing, but unable to dispel the dampness and cold.

Ichiro Kojima was already used to the climate of the Land of Water, and the recent days of continuous sunshine made him feel a little uncomfortable.

but
“It’s so comfortable!”

Feeling the warmth of his body and the dryness of his clothes, Kojima Ichiro thought that the village being occupied wasn't so bad after all.

"Ichiro, are you done yet? We need to hurry up and leave, or we'll have to wait in line for ages."

"Alright, alright, let's go!"

Hearing his companions urging him on, Kojima Ichiro immediately stopped his exclamation and walked towards Kirigakure Plaza with his companions.

As they drew closer to Misty Plaza, a colossal white jade statue slowly rose from a cluster of undulating buildings.

The sculpture depicts a deity holding a fireball in both hands.

When Kojima Ichiro and his group arrived at Kirigakure Plaza, a large crowd had already gathered there, with queues extending onto the streets outside.

"It's still too late."

Kojima Ichiro and his companions were somewhat annoyed, and then went to join the queue at the back of the line that looked less crowded.

Below the sculpture in the square, at the very front of the line, a simple, honest middle-aged villager was looking expectantly at the ninja sitting in front of him.

"What's your name? Where do you live? How many people are in your family?"

"Inada Yuichi lives in Kiyogiri Street."

The Konoha ninja, who was sitting at the table registering information, gave instructions to his subordinates after confirming the registration on a computer.

“Give him five thousand taels and three bags of grain.”

Soon, the subordinate took three bags of grain from the pile of supplies nearby and handed five thousand banknotes from the drawer to the middle-aged villager.

The middle-aged villager accepted the money and goods with great excitement, bowing and thanking them repeatedly.

After bowing respectfully to the white jade statue, he grinned and dragged his things away.

"Next person!"

As soon as the registrar's voice rang out, the villagers at the back of the line immediately stepped forward excitedly.

As the sun rose higher, the number of people queuing not only did not decrease, but actually increased.

As villagers received the so-called benefits, the morale of the people in Kirigakure Village visibly stabilized.

The villagers' faces no longer showed the panic and unease of the previous days, but instead revealed calm and relaxed smiles.

"Lord Kanbara's trick really works. These people from Kirigakure changed immediately after receiving the money and goods."

"Of course, for these villagers at the bottom of society, who the shadow is is not important at all. What matters is who can make their lives better."

Uchiha Shisui nodded in agreement.

His experiences over the years have made him realize that winning the hearts and minds of the people is not actually that difficult.

Especially in an era of relatively advanced productivity.

As long as the exploiters at the top are willing to distribute most of their profits to the laborers at the bottom, those people at the bottom will absolutely worship you like a god.

The reason why exploiters are exploiters is that they will not give up any opportunity to plunder the wealth of the lower classes.

Getting them to hand over the benefits they've already gained is harder than killing them.

"I'm leaving this place to you. Complete the reorganization and transformation of Kirigakure as soon as possible, and I'm also entrusting the Land of Water to you."

On the top floor of the rebuilt Water Shadow Building, Mu Sheng looked down at the dense crowd and spoke.

“Yes, Lord Kanbara! I will handle everything as soon as possible,” Uchiha Shisui replied.

The news of Kirigakure's destruction in a single day has spread throughout the entire ninja world. It is believed that at this time, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and even Konoha's ally, Sunagakure, are probably secretly making contact.

After all, no one can guarantee that they won't become the next Hidden Mist Village.

Even if Kirigakure is weaker than the other two of the Five Great Ninja Villages, it is still one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.

The military strength that Konoha displayed in this village-annihilation battle truly frightened them.

"I'm completely at ease leaving it in your hands!"

Mu Sheng patted Uchiha Shisui on the shoulder, and then his body gradually faded away and disappeared.

The matter in Kirigakure is now settled, and it's time for him to enjoy his spoils.

Konoha Village, 18th floor of the Hokage Building.

In the Hokage's lounge, which spans hundreds of square meters, a battle between fire and water is underway.

On one side was Maki, the most esteemed man in the Land of Fire, clad in a crimson-gold flame robe and wielding a blazing fire staff, the Fifth Hokage of Konoha.

On one side is Shuiying Zhaomei, draped in a thin mist and cloud-like veil, with an ice-silk flowing belt hanging from her waist. She is the shadow of the village of Misty Concealment and the village of the dead, now a prisoner of the authorities.

Out of respect for a Shadow, Mu Sheng started with the Eighteen Styles of Overturning Rivers and Seas.

The continuous barrage of stick strikes, like a hurricane or tsunami, caught Mei Terumi completely off guard.

"How terrifying! How powerful!"

"Is this the strength of Konoha's strongest Hokage? No wonder he's the man who could destroy Kirigakure!"

Mei Terumi was covered in sweat, clearly having expended a great deal of energy in dealing with Maki's attacks.

"No! I can't lose here! My comrades in Kirigakure still need my protection!"

Knowing that her friends in the village are still suffering in the "Pure Land of the Dead," Mei Terumi is determined to win this battle, even at the cost of her life, in order to save them.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

Mei Terumi's fingers moved swiftly and gracefully, like dancing sprites.

Her pink lips parted slightly, and a powerful stream of water gushed out like a cascading waterfall.

The gushing water immediately interrupted Mu Sheng's attack, and the fiery breath within his body almost deflated.

"What a powerful Mizukage! Water Release ninjutsu is indeed formidable!"

Mu Sheng took a deep breath to stabilize the raging fire within his body and exclaimed in admiration.

He had fought against water-style ninjas before, and hundreds, if not thousands, of water-style masters had fallen at his feet.

But no one has ever been able to use water-style ninjutsu to this extent as Mei Terumi.

"Damn it, is this not even okay?"

Seeing that she had failed to defeat Mu Sheng, Terumi Mei gritted her teeth and made a silent decision, using her unique bloodline limit.

"Lord Hokage, let me offer you a kiss that melts your heart!"

"Lava Release: Lava Monster Technique!"

With a flick of her fingers, Mei Terumi's chakra gathered in her mouth.

A large amount of magma-like liquid enveloped Mu Sheng's head.

The temperature, enough to melt steel, instantly gave Mu Sheng a burning sensation he had never felt before.

"Wow! That's some amazing Lava Release!"

Under such terrifying heat, Mu Sheng was starting to feel the strain.

Lightning Release: Lightning Thrust!

In the moment of crisis, a large amount of blazing white lightning appeared on Mu Sheng's body, and a piercing sound like birdsong immediately filled the room.

"what"

"what"

The lightning's shock instantly disrupted the flow of chakra within Mei Terumi's body, causing her Lava Release technique to become chaotic. "Water Release: Torrent Waterfall Technique!"

The disordered chakra caused Mei Terumi to uncontrollably use her innate Water Release ninjutsu.

"Oops!"

Mei Terumi was shocked. She knew that water could conduct electricity, and this water-style ninjutsu not only consumed a lot of her stamina but also increased the damage she suffered.

"Water Release: Water Pulse!"

Water Release: Cement Swamp Technique!

"Water Release: Water Foam Technique!"

"Water Escape:"

Mei Terumi's chakra completely spiraled out of control, unleashing one water-style ninjutsu after another.

A few minutes later, Mei Terumi's chakra was completely depleted.

"No! I can't lose! My friends in the village still need me!"

Just as she was about to collapse, the power of their bond caused Mei Terumi to unleash her last bit of strength.

"The Spirit Serpent Thousand Entangles!"

Mei Terumi suddenly came up with a martial arts technique called the Soft Snake Fist, and used it to strangle Maki Shō's vital points.

After a long battle, Mu Sheng was actually nearing his limit.

Caught off guard by Mei Terumi's sneak attack, he immediately lost his strength and could no longer control his aura.

The raging flames began to dissipate in an instant.

A minute later, Maki, whose fire breath was exhausted, and Terumi Mei, whose chakra was drained, collapsed to the ground at the same time.

"We won! We won!"

Mei Terumi, who was slumped on the ground, finally managed a smile.

As agreed beforehand, those fallen comrades from Kirigakure were finally freed from suffering in that terrible hell.

"Hi~"

After the weight was lifted from her heart, Mei Terumi finally felt the pain in her body.

Neither side held back in the previous battle, and Mei Terumi sustained numerous injuries.

In particular, when Maki's final burst of flames dissipated, it also burned Terumi Mei.

Meanwhile, Maki, who was pondering the mysteries of the universe, got up and came to Mei Terumi's side after noticing the commotion.

A large amount of green Yang Release chakra surged from his hands, which he then applied to Mei Terumi's wounds to begin healing.

"do not move!"

When Maki, who was receiving treatment, saw Terumi Mei suddenly twist her body, he whispered a reprimand.

The latter immediately stopped moving, but after a while, Mei Terumi couldn't help but speak up.

"Lord Hokage, could you please turn your body slightly to the side?"

"Ok?"

Mu Sheng turned his head in confusion and looked in the direction Terumi Mei was looking.

However, Mu Sheng's Blazing Sun Cudgel was not properly sheathed and almost poked Terumi Mei's eye.

"You didn't tell me earlier!"

Mu Sheng rolled his eyes at Terumi Mei, then put away his weapon and continued treating her.

Soon, Mei Terumi's injuries were completely healed, and even most of her depleted chakra was restored.

After stretching her body, Mei Terumi looked at Maki Shō with great surprise.

Is there anything you can't do?

Mei Terumi didn't know much about Maki, only that he was also a genius ninja who had fused with a bloodline limit.

And at the age of only 12, he acquired the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, and then launched a coup to seize the Hokage position from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

After that, Konoha Village became a complete information black hole, and it was even rare to see Konoha ninjas outside the Land of Fire.

It seems they have completely abandoned the tasks assigned by employers in other countries.

This also allowed the other three major ninja villages to benefit considerably.

Why the Three Great Ninja Villages? Because Kirigakure was still in a state of isolation at that time!
"What can't I do?"

Mu Sheng pondered for a moment, then shrugged and said, "It seems there really isn't!"

Having traversed several worlds, he has mastered countless skills. Even having a child is not impossible for Mu Sheng now.

He just won't do it!
Mei Terumi had no objection to Maki's overly confident and arrogant remarks.

In fact, Mu Sheng perfectly fits her criteria for a partner: he is powerful and can withstand her Lava Kiss.

Unfortunately, she is now his prisoner, and their statuses are no longer equal.

Mei Terumi sighed inwardly, 'Why can't I, a mere mortal, experience a sweet romance?'

Unaware of Terumi Mei's thoughts, Maki took some clothes from the side and put them on, then handed Terumi Mei's clothes to her.

"You won the battle just now. I will release the spirits of Kirigakure and let them live a normal life in the Pure Land."

"Thank you!" Mei Terumi said gratefully, suppressing her sorrow.

Although there had been an agreement beforehand, she was at the mercy of others, and there was nothing Mu Sheng could do even if he went back on his word.

"You're welcome, hurry up and get dressed!"

Maki Shō pinched Mei Terumi's conscience and said, "If you're willing, you can go to Kirigakure and help Shisui with the affairs of Kirigakure."

"After all, no one knows the situation there better than you."

Upon hearing this, Terumi Mei couldn't help but roll her eyes at Maki. Not only did this man seize her village by force, but he also had the nerve to ask her for help.

However, Mei Terumi agreed, since having her around would at least help keep an eye on things a little.

Since she now has this kind of relationship with Mu Sheng, her words still carry some weight.

For the next period of time, whenever he had time, Maki Katsuhito would discuss the art of governance with Terumi Mei and study how to better mediate between different situations.

Thanks to Terumi Mei's help, Maki's Taoist skills have advanced even further.

Meanwhile, in a city somewhere in the Land of Fire.

Jiraiya, who had been chased by Shinbara Shinku and Little Black for several days, was carefully hiding in a warehouse.

Looking at himself, covered in dirt and without even having time to change his clothes, Jiraiya couldn't help but want to cry.

"Doesn't that brat ever get tired?"

Jiraiya was starting to have doubts about life; even a Kage-level shinobi was feeling mentally exhausted.

"Is this it?"

"That's where the flavor disappears, no doubt about it!"

Upon hearing the noise outside the warehouse, Jiraiya jumped to his feet and, without hesitation, used his ninjutsu to escape into the ground.

"It's that old lecher's chakra fluctuation! Chase after him!"

Kanbara Shinku and Little Black sensed that someone was using ninjutsu inside the warehouse and immediately gave chase.

In the direction they were chasing, in a small gambling den, a blonde woman with large breasts was shaking dice vigorously with one foot on a stool.

"I refuse to believe I can't win a single game today!"

"Go all out!"

Tsunade shouted and slammed the dice cup down on the gambling table.

boom! ! !
(End of this chapter)