Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 246 Hatake Usopp (6k!)
The small boat drifted leisurely downstream, and the wind blowing across the open field gradually picked up.

Moriyama simply hoisted the sails, letting the wind billow the white sails, and the speed of the small boat suddenly increased.

"broom?"

Li Xia felt a sense of familiarity when she read the name aloud.

"Yes, sir. Broom is the leader of the wandering ninjas. Some time ago, we received Broom's orders to gather in the Land of Birds from various countries."

Moriyama knelt before Li Xia, carefully recalling the events, afraid that he might have missed something that would lead to a misjudgment by the adults.

"Broom said he wanted to give all the wandering ninjas a place to live and to build an unprecedented wandering ninja nation."

Many of the brothers were very interested; they'd had enough of that nomadic, wandering life, so everyone was very enthusiastic.

As he said this, Moriyama's face turned slightly red; in fact, he was among the most excited people at the time.

Who would want to live a life like a rat in a sewer?
Once you have a country and a recognized identity, you can at least accept missions openly and legitimately.

No longer do you have to scavenge for scraps that the ninja villages don't want, like a dog.

But things are different now. He, Moriyama, is a confidant of the Hyuga clan leader!

Who the hell wants to be a wandering ninja?

After Moriyama's detailed explanation, Li Xia finally realized that the wandering ninjas were actually organized.

They are similar to the Beggars' Sect, with a general leader and various scattered smaller factions below them.

Each faction had to make regular offerings, which gave them a sense of security through mutual support.

At least when problems arise, they have a place where they can make a general decision.

"So which wealthy place are you referring to?"

Having clarified his thoughts, Li Xia decided to change his target; if there's a fat sheep, he'll grab it first.

"Temple of Birds!"

Moriyama said in a low voice, "I learned this news by accidentally overhearing the chief's secret meeting with the messenger of the broom."

Using the alias Meng Zong, Zhou has become a high-ranking official of the daimyo of the Bird Country and has been granted the position of Bird Temple Intendant.

In other words, the Bird Temple was the headquarters of wandering ninjas.

Furthermore, since the sudden death of the previous daimyo of the Bird Country, Heron, Mengzong has been in charge of overseeing the country, making him the new daimyo's right-hand man.

The following content is self-explanatory.

As the main base, Bird Temple would certainly have plenty of ninja tools and other such items, even if it didn't have cash.

Li Xia picked up the hot tea, drank it all in one gulp, and nodded.
"That's settled then, let's go to the Bird Temple."

Perhaps the headless corpses frightened the pursuers, or perhaps the small boat with its sails billowing downstream was moving very fast.

Apart from sporadic pursuits encountered in the first half of the journey, the second half went surprisingly smoothly.

The land of birds is not very large; if you had to compare it, it would be only slightly larger than a prefecture-level city.

The area has a well-developed water system with numerous lakes of varying sizes dotting the landscape, attracting a large number of birds to overwinter here every year.

Therefore, it is called the land of birds.

Since the sudden death of the previous daimyo, and the young age of his son who succeeded him, the entire Bird Country has been in turmoil.

In Li Xia's eyes, the streets were desolate, even though the setting sun still hung lazily in the sky.

The number of people in the Bird Kingdom's 'capital' has dwindled considerably.

"My lord, the Bird Temple is not far away."

Perched atop a towering tree, Senshan crouched on the trunk, pointing to an old-looking temple outside the city, and spoke in a low voice.

Li Xia looked down at the temple. Although it was the national temple of the Bird Kingdom, it did not occupy a very large area.

Apart from the main hall at the rear, there is only one front hall and two small squares.

The sun was about to set, and a crescent moon was slowly rising in the distant sky.

Inside the temple, one by one, white lanterns gradually lit up, even though electricity and electric lights were available here.

But the vast majority of people still stubbornly use lanterns.

"Sir, I'll go infiltrate and find out first. Please wait for my signal and give me one day!"

Moriyama gritted his teeth. Although he was also a wandering ninja, he knew the nature of wandering ninjas well.

Cruelty was their defining characteristic, cunning was their defining feature, and suspicion and betrayal permeated their short lives.

This is very risky, but as the most loyal follower of the Hyuga clan, how could I let my master take such a risk?
He, Moriyama, is willing to serve the Hyuga family for generations to come!
one day?
The daylily buds were cold by the end of the day.

Li Xia said softly, "Awoo, keep watch from the high ground, report the positions at any time, Black Charcoal harasses the outside, don't let a single person out, as for Senshan."

Moriyama lowered his head, awaiting his command.

"Get ready to clean the floor!"

"Yes! Oh? What are you washing?"

Moriyama instinctively agreed at first, but was confused by the order. When he looked up, Li Xia was nowhere to be seen.

The all-black kitten leaped down from the height, chasing after Li Xia's figure.

Aowu pulled out something resembling a VR headset from his personal space and awkwardly stuck it on his forehead.

"We're just preparing to clean up the mess. Don't speak. If you disturb Master Long, you'll be held responsible!"

Moriyama nodded hurriedly and kept his mouth tightly shut.

Aowu then focused his attention on the virtual screen in front of him. This thing looked high-end, but it was actually just an electronic telescope.

It simply integrates some observation modes, such as thermal imaging and image enhancement.

Through the telescope, His Highness's figure had already floated lightly down onto the top of the main hall.

At that moment, the crescent moon was right behind him. Because it was an artificial moon, the moon in the Naruto world appeared exceptionally large.

The wind ruffled his hair and robes, giving him an ethereal, otherworldly air.

When the long spear, bathed in moonlight, appeared in his hand, the ethereal aura transformed into boundless killing intent.

Li Xia closed his eyes, calming his mind and spirit, which then soared to new heights until it reached a critical point.

Once an invisible barrier was broken through, the whole world suddenly fell silent.

The view turned into a monotonous black and white, and I could almost see the illusory figures.

The birds flying overhead seemed to be fixed in the air, each flap of their wings moving exceptionally slowly.

"laugh--"

A fine stream of air was inhaled through the mouth and into the lungs, causing the heart to pound heavily.

He jumped off the roof and walked toward the nearest figure as if taking a stroll.

Each step was slow, the limit he could currently bear; any faster and his body would feel as if it were being torn apart.

The spear thrust forward slowly, and then withdrew just as slowly.

Blood began to spurt from where the spear had been pulled out, but the speed was still extremely slow.

So slow that even after Li Xia had turned and left, it was still futilely trying to 'catch up' with the murderer who killed the body.

[Slaying the wandering ninja has granted 0.02% chance of transcendence]

0.02%? Typical low-level treatment.

Just as Li Xia was about to leave, he suddenly saw a light rising from the surface of the corpse.

"Huh? A treasure chest? A trashy white treasure chest!"

He retrieved the treasure chest and turned to leave.

Li Xia walked slowly through the temple, thrusting his spear at anyone he saw.

It's as simple as drinking water and eating.

From the main hall to the front hall, Li Xia fired a total of 24 shots, and 24 people fell to the ground.

Aowu and Senshan in the tree were completely stunned.

From their perspective, Li Xia's figure moved at an incredible speed, like a white phantom, shuttling back and forth in the temple at an unbelievable pace.

Appearing like a ghost in front of or behind a person, only for the next second after its appearance.

Blood gushed from his chest like a fountain.

In about 10 seconds, 24 wandering ninjas had fallen to the ground in the main hall and the front hall.

The blood meandered along the ground, like blooming bewitching blood flowers.

"Boom!"

My heart pounded like a drum, and a strange, long whistle suddenly rang in my ears.

The world before my eyes suddenly began to fluctuate violently, regaining its original colors, and the drawn-out sounds became coherent.

The peculiar tone transformed into the rustling chirping of insects.

Li Xia felt a white blur before his eyes, and the dizziness he hadn't felt in a long time made his body sway involuntarily.

The true qi naturally began to flow, and the strange sensation in the body gradually subsided.

A concerned inquiry came through the team chat:
"Boss, what's wrong? I think you suddenly stopped moving."

"nothing--"

Li Xia exhaled a long breath of stale air from his chest:
"This is my first time entering the Transparent World in this form. I wanted to get used to fighting in the 'Byakugan' state."

But I didn't expect it to be so taxing.

He had briefly entered the Transparent World during past battles, but those were always in critical moments, a state similar to bullet time.

It was almost gone in a flash.

After trying it out, I found that while the Transparent World is useful, its energy consumption is quite unexpected.

Li Xia thought about it carefully. Could it be that he had acted too quickly just now?
At a speed that is close to the limits of the human body
Simply put, it's an inevitable reaction caused by the body's inability to keep up with the double-sided reaction.

However, this situation will change later on as one's physical fitness improves.

Putting this question aside for the time being, Li Xia looked up and glanced around.

That's all the people stationed in the front hall and the main hall; the rest are in the residences near the back gate.

The room was brightly lit, and loud laughter and noise filled the air, making it sound like a gambling den.

Li Xia walked slowly to the door, and under Sen Shan's bewildered gaze, slowly raised his spear to the side.

"Zheng!"

A clear, resonant sound rang out as the spear drew an arc in front of him.

A dazzling crescent-shaped arc of light flashed, emerging from the gleaming blade of the spear.

And as the flight distance increased, it silently passed through the room.

Then, like a phantom without any substance, it disappeared over the wall and into the forest.

The room, which had been bustling with activity, seemed to have suddenly been muted.

Li Xia slowly straightened up, and the spear disappeared into the air.

[The wandering ninja has been defeated, granting a 0.02% chance of transcendence.]

[The wandering ninja has been defeated, granting a 0.02% chance of transcendence.]

A series of notifications scrolled across the screen without obstructing the view.

Surprisingly, there were also a few minor leaders among them, each representing 0.1%.

Including the 24 night watchmen I just killed, I gained a total of 0.84% ​​chance of transcendence. It's better than nothing, I can only say.

After scanning the area and finding that no treasure chests had been generated this time, Li Xia simply said:

"Awoo, let Moriyama clean up the battlefield."

Awoo took off the headset and flicked his tail at Moriyama, who was staring blankly, not knowing what had happened.

"The boss is calling you, time to get to work!"

"But--"

Moriyama pointed to the still brightly lit room below, and only two words had been uttered.

His pupils suddenly widened.

Suddenly, the night wind picked up, and to Moriyama's utter astonishment, the upper part of the house began to slowly move.

It slowly moved in the direction the wind was blowing, revealing the corpse inside, which had been cut in half.

Immediately afterwards, the wall also collapsed to one side, crashing to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.

"boom!"

As if triggered by some signal, one after another, large trees fell in the dense forest, revealing smooth, mirror-like cuts.

That dazzling blade of light actually flew straight out nearly a hundred meters away.

Nothing within a hundred-meter radius, whether rock, building, or tree, could withstand the slightest obstruction of that semi-circular slash.

"********"

Moriyama muttered words he didn't even understand.

He had seen the ninjas of the great ninja villages form hand seals and use powerful ninjutsu, and he had seen the enviable bloodline ninjutsu of the bloodline limit families.

He had even seen enormous psychic creatures, but he had never seen such a ferocious slash.

By the way, the Hyuga clan seems to be a famous taijutsu clan, with such powerful taijutsu.
Moriyama trembled with excitement. Such a powerful family! And my trusted confidant...
The delighted Moriyama rushed into the Bird Temple, and with an unprecedented seriousness, used all his knowledge to pile up all the treasures he had found in the small square in front of the main hall.

Not a single coin was kept by them, which would have been unthinkable in the past.

Moriyama has even planned out his life script, intending to carefully nurture his children and continue to be their confidant.

Ah, that's how simple life is for a trusted confidant.

Li Xia sat on the roof ridge of the main hall, waiting quietly.

The commotion was quite loud; even from a distance, you could see the dust and smoke kicked up by the fallen trees.

There are no ninjas in the Land of Birds, even when the magistrate sends people to investigate.

But the first to arrive was definitely the wandering ninja.

He was betting that the leader of the wandering ninjas, 'Broom,' would be unable to resist coming to investigate when he discovered the changes in his lair.

A few minutes later, Li Xia couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth upwards.

Under the bright moonlight, a figure nimbly leaped across the rooftops, rapidly approaching from afar.

Even when they were still several hundred meters away, with excellent visibility and no obstructions, Li Xia did not hesitate to start the detection.

[Comparing the intelligence and mental attributes of both parties]

[Due to the difference in intelligence/mental ability between the two parties, you receive 100% of the information.]

【Wandering Ninja Leader - Broom】

[Category: Human/Ninja]

Physical Strength: 2

【HP: 100%】

[Chakra: 260]

【Strength: 19】

Dexterity: 20

【Intelligence: 23】

【Spirit: 22】

【Physique: 21】

[Skills: Chakra Amplification, All Things in the World, Wandering Ninja Genjutsu, Basic Taijutsu]

1. [Chakra Amplification]

Enhancement: By channeling concentrated chakra into different parts of the body, a corresponding boost can be obtained, with a maximum of 5 attribute points.

Defense: When attacked, it can consume chakra to resist a portion of the damage, up to 60% of physical attacks and 80% of energy attacks.

Primary Life Energy: Recovery Speed ​​+200%
2. [All things in the universe]

Wandering ninjas traveled to various countries, stealing and clumsily imitating techniques to create their own system of wandering ninjutsu.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique (Fake): Increases hand seal count by 100%, reduces power by 60%, and reduces flight speed by 40%.
Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique (Fake): Increases hand seal count by 120%, reduces power by 60%, and decreases the number of Phoenix Flower Flames by 50%.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique (Fake): Increases the number of hand seals by 200%, reduces power by 40%, and decreases the size of the water dragon by 30%.
(Click to expand and view information on 27 ninjutsu techniques)
3. [Wandering Ninja Illusion Technique]

The wandering ninja illusion technique is a crude combination of the illusionary tricks of street performers and ninja illusion techniques.

It is only possible to pull a person into an illusion using illusions and objects; the illusion has no actual ability to cause harm.

4. [Basic Physical Techniques]

The basic taijutsu techniques learned by the wandering ninja likely lack a training outline, thus only providing partial benefits.

Power increase: 20%, footwork agility slightly increased, final attack gains a small bonus.

The accuracy of shuriken and kunai throwing is increased, and their flight speed receives a slight bonus.
[Evaluation: Despite possessing chakra, he is a wandering ninja completely incapable of becoming one. Once his true nature is exposed, he is a pathetic creature who cannot even be defeated by a genin.]

Li Xia silently closed the panel, looking at the wandering ninja leader who was almost in front of him.

This strength is shockingly weak.

I'm afraid they could easily defeat some of the stronger second-tier monsters.

Poor stats and mediocre skills.
That makes sense. After the genjutsu of this wandering ninja leader was broken, Naruto easily took him down, and he didn't even last two moves.

That was Naruto before he even knew how to make a dumpling.

"Click"

The ninja shoes made a slight knocking sound as they stepped on the bricks of the main hall. The leader of the wandering ninjas, whose face was covered in heavy eyeshadow, stared in shock at the pool of blood in the temple.

He suddenly pulled out two kunai from his waist, looked at Li Xia warily, and shouted sharply, "Who are you?"

A flash of electricity appeared in Li Xia's hand, the azure light dazzlingly bright in the night sky.

The wandering ninja leader's pupils contracted, and he felt a sudden, intense pain in his chest. His body was involuntarily lifted into the air by a powerful force.

"Boom!"

His back slammed against the wall with a dull thud, and he struggled to shift his gaze downwards.

Then he saw a jet-black spear that had somehow pierced his heart, pinning him firmly to the wall.

His vision was blurry, and he reached out his hand with trembling hands, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.

But he couldn't say it in the end. The wandering ninja leader, who had poisoned two daimyo of the Land of Birds and killed countless people, hung his head helplessly.

[You have defeated the wandering ninja leader, Broom, and gained a 5% chance of transcendence.]

Li Xia was taken aback. A 5% chance of transcendence?
It seemed alright. What surprised him even more was that a radiance appeared on the corpse, and a green treasure chest suddenly materialized.

Reaching out and scooping up the treasure chest, Li Xia immediately asked in the team chat:

"Awoo, is Moriyama's situation settled yet?"

"It'll be soon. This kid is really talented in this line of work, his efficiency is incredibly high! Little Cat is counting, and so far he has collected nearly 200 million taels."

"If we offer a discount, it'll be 150 million taels."

Manager Ao praised Moriyama's speed highly, and most importantly, he dared to take out his loincloth!
"That's enough. Let Moriyama give up those odds and come and touch this wandering ninja leader."

Li Xia examined it for a while, but ultimately gave up the idea of ​​taking out his own loincloth.

"Leader? Boss, you've already taken care of him?" Awoo replied and quickly arrived with Senshan.

Moriyama glanced at Li Xia with awe before rushing forward to begin looting the corpse.

Aowu was so engrossed in the joy of 'picking up trash' that he didn't even notice Li Xia's recent battle.

After checking the battle progress on the panel, I was equally shocked.

He even found a playback device on the spot and watched the scenes in the anime about this wandering ninja leader (episodes 162-167).
"This combat strength is just too weak."

Xiao Long watched and made comments:
"No way, Kakashi is going to force a 50/50 fight against a rogue ninja who can't even beat a genin?"

"Huh? You've got the Sharingan?"

"Huh? He used the Substitution Jutsu and the Summoning Jutsu?"

"Huh? Shadow Clone Jutsu plus Lightning Blade?"

"Instant kill. No, why didn't they just use Lightning Blade from the start?"

Li Xia also took the opportunity to review the plot and understood why this ninja had a 5% chance of transcending.

According to the plot, during this time 'Broom' is preparing to assassinate the successor daimyo of the Bird Country.

After he killed himself, the daimyo who should have died lived on. He was a relatively 'wise' daimyo.

In addition, the 'broom' disguised as a high-ranking monk who stirs up trouble is gone.

The Bird Kingdom will likely soon find peace, a minor alteration of its fate.

"That's normal. It's a ninja's habit and a matter of etiquette."

Li Xia turned off the playback device and said softly:
"Ninjas are used to probing each other and gathering information at the beginning of a battle, which makes the battle relatively protracted, especially for ninjas like Kakashi who fight with their brains."

Furthermore, the habit of intelligence gathering had become ingrained in their very being.

He paused for a moment: "And I'm used to going all out from the start."

After thinking about it carefully, Aowu nodded. It made a lot of sense.

This is actually a test. Going all out directly makes it easier for the opponent to be caught off guard and thus expose their weaknesses.

The two methods are simply a matter of habit.

"grown ups!"

Moriyama, who was looting the corpse, suddenly shouted excitedly and raised what he was holding high:
"My lord, we've struck it rich!"

He rushed to Li Xia's side, respectfully holding a thin paper talisman in both hands.

"This is."

Li Xia and Aowu looked at the densely packed characters on the paper talisman, resembling tadpoles, and a large character for 'substitute' in the middle.

They had already guessed the purpose of the paper talisman.

"My lord, this is a substitute talisman!"

Filled with immense excitement, Moriyama whispered:
"A Substitute Talisman, a strategic resource that can fetch up to 300 million taels on the black market and is only issued to members of the Great Ninja Village during missions!"

Substitute Talisman?
300 million taels per sheet?
how can that be!

--------------

1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

I did it! 6K!

Today's average daily value: 1490
(End of this chapter)