Konoha's Mission Master

Around the three blood-red planets, the blood-red tree grew to its limit and slowly turned into red light, compressing into a red sphere of light in place.

That sapling has fulfilled its mission; it served as both a monitor and a coordinate.

Where the sapling turned into red light and disappeared, an extremely long crimson line appeared in space, spreading across the entire star field.

The next second, the red line cracked open, like a gigantic, all-consuming maw.

"The first step of the plan has been successful." Uchiha Runyu nodded quietly.

The space at the center of the battlefield began to collapse, and the spatial storm devoured all the surrounding ethereal creatures, crushing them into powder and transforming them into blood-red energy. Through the gaps, a wave of energy that could drive people insane surged.

"Pray, pray, pray, pray..."

"Let everyone retreat, it's here."

As soon as Uchiha Runyu finished speaking, a crimson light emerged from the core of the collapsed space. The crimson light continued to expand and struggled to squeeze out of the spatial rift.

In a daze, an incredibly massive crimson planet descended from another dimension.

[The Void Lord - Prayer.]

As everyone present gazed at the enormous planet, a hint of fear surfaced in their eyes, and they instinctively clenched their fists.

After all, that was a supreme being created from illusory energy.

“Don’t be afraid, they are allies of justice,” said Uchiha Runyu.

The next second, the crimson planet launched an attack on the other three crimson planets, as if it were in a hurry, without any probing... but directly maneuvering the entire planet to crash into them.

Virtual energy began to flow between the two.

Three crimson energy pillars emanated from the surfaces of three small planets, and Qi was devouring the illusory energy possessed by the three. This was the absolute suppressive power of the Dominator's authority over low-level life forms.

Almost at a speed visible to the naked eye, the three crimson planets guarding the Void Tree rapidly shrank in size.

The endless void energy was transformed into nourishment for Qi, which devoured the void energy like an incredibly gluttonous beast, causing the planet's volume to continuously increase, seemingly without end.

This unexpected event disturbed the slumbering Void Tree.

It quickly reverted from its intangible state to a tangible one, breaking free from its special state that made it impossible to be attacked or locked onto.

Uchiha Runyu's eyes brightened, and he continued.

"Among all the Void Power Overlords, the Void Ancient Tree is the oldest. It was the first life form to devour its own kind and transform into an Overlord. However, its desire to attack the natural universe is far lower than that of the other Overlords, making it seem like a completely special existence."

“I’m more inclined to believe that it carries a special mission, such as being the source.”

"I suspect it occupies a very special position among all the ethereal beings, responsible for protecting the key gate that invaded our universe."

In the distant universe, the Void Ancient Tree vibrated incessantly, its leaves emitting deafening sounds. Enveloped in ethereal energy, these sounds spread throughout the universe, their terrifying sonic waves even disrupting the stability of space itself.

This most ancient ruler unleashed its fury, its enormous body instantly traversing hundreds of light-years to descend upon the center of the battlefield, but it did not immediately join the fighting.

Instead... it began to devour those three planets.

In fact, these three planets were originally a delicious treat that it had reserved, but now they have been devoured by the other rulers.

When the three planets are exhausted, the battle will break out!

However...

The Planet of Prayer abandoned its plan of absorption and immediately launched an attack on the Ancient Void Tree; it was in a great hurry...

Because it sensed that the Creator had entered a very dangerous place.

But it has no key; only by killing the Void Tree before it can it obtain the key to that world.

In its understanding, the key is actually an identity that can be stolen.

"The omnipotent Crimson Overlord was born from the forest."

"It will eventually kill the former ruler and gain the power to open the door."

Uchiha Runyu looked at the enormous creatures fighting and said with a smile.

If a powerful human were to launch the attack, it might allow the three blood-red planets to be destroyed, and then wait for the ethereal energy to return and replenish its body.

However... people of the same race are different.

If it is destroyed, it means that it has indeed been weakened.

The colossal ancient tree, connecting countless planets, releases a tricolored light that illuminates the entire universe: emerald green representing life, silver representing space, and crimson representing ethereal energy.

Among them, bloodshed is the most prominent.

At the center of the virtual energy battlefield, the two rulers began a fierce battle, a spectacle that would absolutely shock the entire universe.

The Void Ancient Tree's attacks were quite methodical, allowing it to advance and retreat freely. But Qi was different; he made no defensive or retreating moves whatsoever, launching a somewhat frenzied and relentless offensive.

.........

"Wake up, wake up—wake up, it's time to pay."

In a daze, Yakumo heard a somewhat familiar middle-aged man's voice, and slowly opened his eyes, where the warm orange light came into view.

The shop has a somewhat rustic decor, with clean beige wallpaper and a faint steam and a rich fragrance in the air.

A wooden board is nailed to the wall, displaying the prices of various types of ramen. The board has a rather old-fashioned style, indicating that the prices have not increased for a long time.

Behind the wooden counter stood a middle-aged man dressed in a Japanese chef's uniform, with three distinct wrinkles on his forehead, clear and kind eyes, and a smile on his lips.

The chef's hat on his head reads "Ichiraku".

Yakumo sat up straight, but his heart suddenly sank.

The Glory Sword Box on his back had disappeared and lost its connection. He only had a vague connection to the Demon Subduer, which was actually good news.

At the same time, the storage scrolls for those three special weapons also disappeared.

He turned his head to the side.

A quick glance around the shop revealed that it was no different from the Ichiraku Ramen he remembered.

In particular, the old man in front of me looked exactly the same as I remembered.

Warm and gentle, it brings a sense of peace to the heart.

But this is definitely not... the ninja world I know!

Yakumo subconsciously activated his soul energy to observe, only to find that the soul within him, which already possessed immortal qualities, was unable to leave his body, as if it were imprisoned within him by some powerful energy.

In an instant, Uncle Ichiraku's smile vanished, and his eyes lost all warmth. Like a mechanical puppet, he slowly turned his head to the left to stare at Yakumo, his bones creaking as if something terrifying was awakening within him.

A cold wind swept in, and Yakumo suppressed his instinct to attack.

Given the unclear situation, it is crucial to avoid the direct use of force.

At this moment, Uncle Yi Le's gaze held an indescribable eeriness.

Moreover, in Yakumo's perception, the entire world became incredibly oppressive, as if countless malicious gazes were fixed upon him, ready to attack at any moment.

One particular gaze seemed to descend from an extremely distant sky.

At this moment, Yakumo seemed to be at odds with the entire world.

The energy source in his abdomen continued to propel his body to become stronger, but a realization dawned on him.

If he intends to break the deadlock by force... he will definitely die!

Bloody words converge, piece together, and construct in the virtual space.

In this realm, the soul's energy is forbidden from leaving the body.

This message is definitely not from the system I'm familiar with.

The moment Yakumo saw the words, he immediately calmed his soul.

The next second, the surrounding commotion began to subside.

Uncle Ichiraku slowly straightened his head, his eyes gradually regained their warmth, and a kind and friendly smile appeared on his face.

"Guest, it's time to settle the bill. The total is 4500 yuan."

Masako Mori, Reiko Aoyama, and Chiyuki Yukotsu were fast asleep on the counter, their clothes having quietly changed from black combat suits to loose-fitting casual clothes of various colors.

All of this felt like a dream.

Among them, Masako Mori's sleeping posture is the most unseemly. She even snores slightly like a little pig. Her cheeks are rosy and she looks extremely cute. However, her skin looks incredibly smooth, like the finest silk in the world.

Yakumo reached out his left hand to shake Mori Masako awake, while his right hand reached for the pocket on the outside of his thigh.

—It is completely empty.

"I have no money."

A few seconds later, Masako Mori woke up from her sleep and instinctively tensed up. Only when she saw Yakumo sitting quietly beside her did she manage to relax.

"Mori Masako, did you bring any money?" Yakumo asked.

"No."

Masako Mori shook her head. Although she didn't understand what was happening, she subconsciously touched her pocket and answered Yakumo's question.

“Ask them.” Yakumo pointed to Yukotsu Chiyuki and Aoyama Reiko.

After a moment's thought, Yakumo confirmed that the group was indeed in Konoha, but it was definitely not the Konoha Village he remembered.

But as long as they don't break the rules, these monsters in human skin around them won't attack them.

Under Masako Mori's shaking, Reiko Aoyama and Chiyuki Yukotsu gradually regained their senses and, after their initial surprise, quickly got into the zone.

If you ignore those taut muscles, he looks no different from any other customer next to him.

"Did you bring any money?" Yakumo asked.

Reiko Aoyama and Chiyuki Yukotsu touched their pockets and slowly shook their heads.

Yakumo seemed to be deep in thought, then glanced at everyone.

The other three immediately understood what Yakumo meant.

The four of them were determined to eat and dash, and if Uncle Ichiraku in front of them launched an attack, then they would have no choice but to resort to force.

Of course, using force is the worst possible solution.

Yakumo has now determined the core of this instance: the puzzle.

"Ichiraku Daiki, sorry, we forgot to bring any money."