Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

It was pitch black inside the gambling den.

"Want to run!?"

Mei Terumi shouted urgently, "Ao!"

Without another word, Qing, still rolling her eyes, chased after them, shouting, "Over there!"

After Mei Terumi and the others left, only Seigo and a group of "rogue ninjas" brought by Raiga Kurosuki remained.

The leaderless rogue ninjas scattered in a panic under the cover of thick fog.

Qingwu tried it out using his natural senses and found that the Fog Concealment Technique not only affected his vision, but also had the effect of shielding and interfering with his senses.

Forget it... Even if I kill Raiga Kurosuki, it won't be easy to take the corpse to the gold exchange shop in Kirigakure's territory.

Thinking of this, Qingwu did not chase after them, but leisurely sat back down in his chair and started playing with the dice cup on the gambling table.

The crisp sound of the dice cups clashing was particularly clear in the messy and empty gambling den.

This made him look nothing like someone who had just gone through a fierce battle; he looked more like a gambler who had come to the casino just for some entertainment.

As the thick fog gradually dissipated, sounds of fighting and footsteps could be heard outside the gambling den.

Qingwu wasn't in a hurry. He took a sip of the half-cup of cold tea on the table, since he wasn't leaving for the time being and Mei Terumi hadn't fulfilled her promise yet.

As for whether Mei Terumi will use me and then never return, heh... if she dares to renege on her promise, then prepare to face my revenge!

Qingwu's confidence soared after defeating the renowned Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist without using the Drywood Guardian.

These renowned figures in the ninja world may not be as powerful as rumored, or perhaps... I'm not bold enough in assessing my own strength?

He raised his hand and slammed the dice cup onto the table, making a soft "snap" sound.

My gaze fell upon the dissipating mist at the doorway...

Not long after, two figures strode in; it was Terumi Mei and Ao.

A faint smile appeared on Qingwu's lips. He had indeed returned.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!"

Mei Terumi spoke first, her tone devoid of the previous calculation and gentleness, replaced only by genuine seriousness.

She slowly walked to the opposite side of the gambling table and sat down. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the dice cup in Qingwu's hand, and she parted her red lips slightly to say:

"I owe you a great debt of gratitude today. If it weren't for you, even if I had managed to escape, my men would probably have been wiped out."

The Jonin Aoya bowed and said, "Thank you for your help, Ao-wu-kun."

Qingwu looked up at Terumi Mei and said in a flat tone, "Let's skip the formalities. You should keep your promise."

He didn't ask how Kurosuki Raiga was doing, nor did he care at all.

The internal affairs of Kirigakure were not his concern.

He only believes in one thing: if you help someone, you have to get what you're entitled to...

Chapter 146 Why not just cash it out directly?

Seeing this, Mei Terumi smiled faintly.

The boy's demonstrated strength made her no longer dare to underestimate him, but his straightforward request was more to her liking than any coy probing.

"Who is the person you're looking for? Is he a ninja from Kirigakure?"

Mei Terumi also asked directly, "Also, regarding the alliance... I only represent the Kirigakure faction I belong to."

As if worried that Qingwu would get angry, she quickly added:

"However, regarding the material support for the alliance, I will have someone draft the relevant documents and send them to the border of the Land of Fire within three days. You only need to have the Konoha leadership confirm them."

Qingwu said impatiently, "No need for all that trouble, why don't you just give me the cash directly?"

"!!" Terumi Mei paused, subconsciously exchanging a glance with Ao standing to the side.

Both of them were filled with astonishment.

Who would have thought that this Konoha genius, who had just crushed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, would demand benefits in such a simple and brutal way?

and……

Isn't it said that the younger generation of Konoha is influenced by the Will of Fire and is very "loyal"?

How could it not benefit the village?

After a while, Mei Terumi came to her senses, and the surprise in her eyes gradually turned into a hint of amusement.

She coughed lightly, suppressing her surprise, and a smile returned to her lips. "Lord Qingwu... you're really direct. Aren't you afraid we'll think you're... mercenary?"

Qingwu raised an eyebrow, completely unconcerned, her tone remaining indifferent:

"The alliance document is useless to me, and the supplies sent to Konoha will not end up in my hands. It's better to convert them into cash. Besides, I will need some travel expenses on my way to find people."

The topic shifted back, and Mei Terumi asked curiously, "Who exactly is the person you're looking for?"

After a while...

Mei Terumi breathed a sigh of relief. "So it was that person."

The names of the Legendary Sannin are legendary, but they are not from the same generation, so Mei Terumi is not familiar with Tsunade.

"As long as she is in the Land of Water, my intelligence network will definitely be able to obtain information. Please wait a few more days."

"can!"

"Why don't you come with me first? Whether you are interested in the alliance or not, I believe the Konoha leadership will be happy to see the document. Also, I need time to prepare regarding the monetization of the supplies."

"There's no need for me to go with you. I'll stay in this small town. Just let me know if there's any news."

As he spoke, Qingwu stood up and patted the dust off his clothes that had gotten a little dirty during the battle. "I'll stay in this town for a week. If I don't hear anything, I'll leave the Land of Water once I've received my reward."

He never wanted to get involved with high-ranking officials from other countries, and if he wasn't mistaken, Mei Terumi must have witnessed his strength before trying to win him over.

Go with her? Who knows, we might just be used as pawns again once we get to Kirigakure.

"..." Terumi Mei felt a little regretful, but as expected, she got up as well. "Don't worry, I, Terumi Mei, never make empty promises."

At this point, she changed the subject, her tone returning to its previous playful and soft manner, with a slight lilt at the end:

"Do you remember, Qingwu-jun, that I said beforehand that as long as you helped me, I would agree to anything you asked for afterwards?"

After speaking, Mei Terumi leaned slightly forward and flicked her long hair with her jade-like fingertips.

This woman… Qingwu felt utterly overwhelmed, but outwardly maintained a stern face and said, “There’s no need to rush to repay this favor. I believe this kindness will be even more valuable in the future.”

Although it's not useful now, Mei Terumi might benefit more from it one day when she becomes the Mizukage.

"Your Excellency... you really are mercenary." Mei Terumi finally couldn't help but change her expression and retort.

Her favors were actually measured by their monetary value, even by a teenager, which is truly...unforgivable!

To this, Qingwu simply chuckled and said, "Heh..."

Mei Terumi had no choice but to say helplessly:

"Very well, this promise will remain valid. As long as it does not violate the interests of Kirigakure, please feel free to ask for help whenever you need it."

She discovered that her previously infallible tactics were completely ineffective when facing this boy who was even younger than herself, which made her feel somewhat disheartened.

"gone!"

Qingwu stopped talking, waved his hand behind him, and left the dilapidated gambling den.

Back at his temporary lodgings, he checked his interface and saw his experience points had reached 89%.

The battle against a ninja of Raiga Kurosuki's caliber yielded a significant amount of experience points, but unfortunately, the experience required to level up is increasing, and I'm still a ways off from reaching level 40.

……

Inside the gambling den, Terumi Mei and Ao were still there.

After discussing the matter of "suppressing the rebellion" for a while, Qing couldn't help but ask, "Sir, do you really want to establish diplomatic relations with Konoha?"

Mei Terumi knew what Ao was worried about, and whispered:

"The Mizukage has secluded himself from worldly affairs, and the village is in chaos. Perhaps some external pressure is needed."

Qing's heart skipped a beat. "Does Your Excellency mean... to unite the internal forces through external means?"

“That’s one aspect,” Mei Terumi nodded. “However, if we can get external support, we can also gain a lot of goodwill from Elder Yuan Shi.”

Qing Xin said with satisfaction, "Your Excellency has such foresight; it is truly a blessing for Wuyin."

His praise was genuine; a girl not yet 18 years old had far more insight than those high-ranking officials who only knew how to fight amongst themselves in the chaos.

That's why these people were willing to crowd around Terumi Mei.

"It's a pity that Raiga got away."

Ao exclaimed, "I never imagined that a teenager from Konoha could defeat Raiga."

"Let him run away. He probably won't dare to show his face easily in the future."

Mei Terumi seemed unconcerned, saying, "We can incorporate some of the people Raiga brought this time, and leave the rest to Elder Yuan Shi."

Qing bowed and said, "Your Excellency's handling of this matter is excellent, but... Qian Shou Qing Wu, isn't Your Excellency taking it too seriously?"

"No!" Mei Terumi's tone turned serious. "From the information I have, his greatest strengths are Wood Release and Summoning Jutsu. And today, do you think he only used a fraction of his strength?"

"Hiss~~" Qing gasped. He had been busy dealing with matters, but now, recalling the information about that person, he realized what had happened.

"To be able to easily defeat Raiga Kurosuki, he's at least equivalent to a Kage in a village?" Ao asked uncertainly.

"It's not that bad." Mei Terumi wrinkled her nose.

“Battles between ninjas are full of uncertainty and counter-relationships. Raiga, with his lightning blade, is very fast, and coincidentally, that kid's taijutsu is also excellent.”

“That’s true!” Ao nodded in agreement, then added, “Even so, Konoha’s geniuses are still… terrifying.”

“Yes…” Recalling that handsome figure, Mei Terumi sighed softly, “That’s why I’m ending the ‘Blood Mist Policy’!”

Qing's expression turned serious. "Yes, we will all help you, sir."

The Blood Mist policy caused the downfall of countless geniuses in the Hidden Mist Sect, and the emergence of Thousand Hands Azure Wu made these "ambitious individuals" feel an even greater sense of urgency.

Finally, Qing pulled out a scroll and held it in his hand. "Should we hand these two Thunder Blades over to the higher-ups? Or should we keep them ourselves?"