Konoha's Mission Master

Masako Mori opened the wooden door and entered the bedroom. When she saw that Yakumo had woken up, a hint of joy flashed in her clear and bright eyes. She had been under a lot of pressure lately.

After the battle, Aoyama Reiko died, and Yukotsu Chiyuki and Yakumo recovered from their slumber, leaving her alone to take care of the others and ensure their safety.

Now that Yakumo has woken up, she can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"How long have I been asleep?" Yakumo coughed a few times and asked in a soft voice.

"Two months."

Yakumo sensed his own condition and breathed a sigh of relief.

His physical injuries have fully healed, and his mental and spiritual depletion has been replenished.

The Glory Sword Box can be used again, and its combat power has been restored to its peak state.

"It's finally coming to an end," Yakumo said leisurely.

Mori Masako asked softly, "When do we leave? After Chiyuki wakes up?"

“That’s right, we’ll live here for a while until he wakes up,” Yakumo said. This place is like a low-budget version of Konoha Village, so there’s no problem staying here for a period of time.

“Now that you’re awake, I can finally get some rest. If this keeps up, I’m going to get dark circles under my eyes!” Masako Mori took a few steps forward, slipped into Yakumo’s blankets, and rested the back of her head on Yakumo’s broad chest.

Mori Masako felt a sense of warmth and peace. What made her happy was that she didn't feel any sadness from Yakumo. It was as if she had just taken a nap and had already let go of her grief over Aoyama Reiko's death.

In her opinion, this was a good thing, since everyone had made preparations before setting foot here.

Within seconds, her breathing became even, and her body curled up like a sleeping kitten.

"I'll go out and check the surroundings," Yakumo said softly, patting Mori Masako on the back.

"Hmm," Mori Masako replied vaguely.

The wooden door opened, letting sunlight stream into the bedroom, only to be quickly closed again.

Yakumo pushed open the courtyard gate and walked down the street.

In the sunlight, Yakumo put his hands behind his back, looking at the food shops around him, and at the thin, ragged boy in the distance who stubbornly kicked the wooden stake, as if he was rebelling against his own fate.

At this moment, he was clumsily practicing physical skills, and although he was covered in sweat, he made no progress.

Further away, several five- or six-year-old children were chasing and playing ninja games.

Yakumo walked slowly, gazing at the vibrant streets and alleys, and gently shook his head.

If he closed his eyes, he could feel the malice coming from all directions, like hungry beasts eyeing the feast that was within his grasp.

The surrounding ethereal creatures longed to pounce on Yakumo and devour her alive, but they were compelled by the rules to maintain this peaceful and serene facade...

When Yakumo got tired of looking around, he raised his head and looked up at the sky, his gaze seemingly meeting the eyes behind the clouds.

"Time's up."

Yakumo found Jiraiya in the tavern. He looked completely drunk, but his eyes were surprisingly clear. These drinks were essentially ethereal energy, so how could a ethereal being get drunk on ethereal energy?

He longed for a drunken stupor, hoping to see the person he yearned for in his dreams, but he had already been deprived of even the right to dream.

"I plan to challenge the final stage today," Yakumo said.

When Yakumo grasped the third blood-red key, he received a message: only he was qualified to challenge the final level, and anyone else who used the key would be eliminated!

Every soldier must eventually embark on their own journey.

"Okay, I understand." Jiraiya picked up the sake bottle again and took a big gulp. He knew this would be the last time he saw Yakumo.

"If I fail, this letter should be given to... Masako Mori."

Yakumo took out a letter from his pocket. He had written this will before he set off, and he was prepared to die when he entered this world.

This letter... will give Masako Mori a glimmer of hope to live.

"clear."

Jiraiya shifted his gaze from the sake bottle to Yakumo, and took down the massive scroll behind him.

"If you really break down that door and leave, give this scroll to Tsunade."

“Okay.” Yakumo understood that the Tsunade Jiraiya was referring to was the Tsunade that Runyu had mastered, not the master he remembered.

"Lord Jiraiya, is there anything else you need me to convey?" Yakumo said respectfully. Jiraiya, who was willing to give up his freedom, life, and even his soul, and endure tens of thousands of years of loneliness for the sake of all living beings in the universe, was clearly worthy of his respect.

"Hmm, that's all." Jiraiya opened his mouth as if to speak, but then shook his head. The scroll was already filled with everything he wanted to say.

"I understand," Yakumo said, turning around and taking a few steps before leaving the tavern.

Back on the street, Yakumo glanced at the pedestrians around him and took out the three keys.

The next second, his figure vanished like light.

When Yakumo opened his eyes again, he was back in the desolate Konoha Village. In the distance were ancient trees that had been broken, their trunks riddled with holes, like beehives.

In the distance are large craters and cracks left from the last battle, resembling a scene bombarded by missiles. At the edges, soil has piled up in one place, forming a mountain peak nearly 100 meters high.

A gentle breeze blew, carrying a gust of sand.

Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze both said that this is the real world, and that the place that looks like Konoha is a false one built on virtual energy.

Yakumo sensed guidance from the key, leading him to the Land of Fire, in the southern region.

Throughout his flight, Yakumo kept a close eye on the world beneath his feet.

Desolate, dilapidated, with large areas of desertification, broken houses... and no one living there.

In reality, Yakumo is far from being as calm as he appears. The enemy he is about to face is likely the one manipulating the rules of this world from behind the scenes, and its strength is obviously many times greater than Yakumo's.

When he was being transferred, he was completely powerless to resist and could not even perceive the fluctuations in space.

Yakumo will most likely perish on this trip.

Behind him lies the world he wants to protect, as well as the expectations and hopes of his companions. Especially since he has already lost a companion along the way, he no longer has the right to retreat.

No, once he stepped into this world, he lost the right to retreat.

Now, all Yakumo can do is defeat the final enemy and destroy that door.

"No matter who is ahead, I will risk everything." Yakumo's resolve grew stronger.

"everything."

Yakumo suddenly accelerated, his destination being the former residence of the Uzumaki clan.

— *kiss*

As his body suddenly passed through a barrier, Yakumo immediately sensed the difference between heaven and earth.

The world is filled with natural energy, and a ten-mile-long cherry blossom forest grows on the island. Even from high above, Yakumo can smell the faint fragrance of the flowers.

Insects among the leaves, large fish tumbling in the sea, cattle and sheep grazing leisurely on the grassland.

This is the real world, free from the corruption of any virtual energy.

Recalling the feeling of passing through the barrier just now, Yakumo understood.

In the center of the island stands a mountain peak nearly 100 meters high, covered with a profusion of wildflowers in full bloom. As Yakumo slowly descends, the fragrance of the flowers intensifies.

Among the flowers, there was a shrubbery about a meter high, at the end of which was a clear and sweet stream. Yakumo couldn't help but feel thirsty, after all, he hadn't drunk any water for more than two months.

But he dared not drink it, and even held his breath, afraid to breathe in the fragrance of the flowers around him.

Following the pebble path among the flowers, Yakumo slowly climbed the mountain and then descended.

As they approached the back of the mountain, Yakumo had already adjusted himself to his peak condition. Finally, the gravel path stretched to its end, where there were two cherry blossom trees over five meters tall, their pink petals covering the entire canopy. Further inside was a wooden fence about half a person's height.

Faintly visible beneath the thatched hut is a reclining chair, upon which sits a figure slumped, his posture relaxed.

Jiraiya once said that the Hollow Lord Aoki had a lover whose surname was Uzumaki.

He later passed away for reasons unknown, which led to the cataclysm that destroyed the world.

Yakumo pushed open the door, and there lay a young man in his twenties on the rattan chair. He had fair skin and a handsome face, though not exceptionally beautiful. He exuded an otherworldly aura and a chillingly sinister air.

"You've arrived." Aoki Chuan propped himself up and said to Yakumo with a smile.

"Are you the enemy I'm meant to defeat?" Yakumo's attitude was somewhat distant and indifferent.

"No, no, no, what you need to break is that door." Aoki pointed to the ground in the courtyard. Yakumo looked closely and then noticed that there was a large door embedded in the ground.

It is black with occasional flashes of blood-red, and its surface is covered with countless mysterious patterns.

That was the Dao that the Void Energy had devoured and mastered. It possessed a terrifying learning ability. When Yakumo saw that gate, it was as if he had seen Runyu. What they had in common was that it was vast and boundless, like a mortal standing in front of the highest peak in the world, unable to know its height or its magnificence.

Clearly... this door is connected to a ruler.

Yakumo waved his hand, and the Demon-Subduing Blade appeared in his hand. He gently slashed at the gate.

The blade collided with the gate without causing any ripples or tremors, as if all the energy that Yakumo had poured into the blade had been swallowed up by the gate.

First attack... zero damage.

"Ultimate Skill - Extinction of all life force".

The gray blade energy slammed down, the blade colliding with the gate once more, slashing a thousand times in a second.

Even though Yakumo had used his strongest methods, it did not cause any disturbance. The door perfectly absorbed all of his attacks without causing any ripples or even any aftershocks.

Yakumo exerted all his strength, but the gate in front of him remained unmoved.

The difference between one and zero may seem small, but in reality, they are worlds apart.

It's like defeating a boss in a game. Countless ones can defeat the boss, but countless zeros are still zero and cannot cause any damage.

In the past, most of the enemies that Yakumo fought had damage reduction abilities. Although they were difficult to kill, after repeating the battle hundreds or thousands of times, he could eventually weaken them to a certain extent and then kill them.

But now his attack is zero, and no matter how many times he tries, he still can't achieve his goal.

Yakumo closed his eyes, gathered his strength, and struck again.

This time, he abandoned energy and covered the blade with pure soul energy.

Three, two, one!

Yakumo opened his eyes and suddenly thrust downwards!

The pitch-black gate flashed with streaks of blood-red light, like the blood of a living being.

However, the blade fell without causing any ripples, not even the slightest damage.

The gate did not exert any pressure on the outside, but it gave Yakumo a sense of invincibility, like an ant facing a towering and precipitous peak.