The scent of blood filled the air. Within the valley, aside from Haruto Saito, Tsunade, and Jiraiya, there were no other survivors. Haruto glanced at Tanamoto's corpse, flicked the blood off his blade, and then sheathed the heavy mountain sword.
No one noticed how bright Haruto's eyes were at that moment.
"Treasure Card! Hahaha, the second Treasure Card!" Haruto was ecstatic. Although the effects of the Treasure Card were somewhat peculiar and highly unpredictable, the last time he had used one, he had unearthed the Black Martial Armor. Because of that, he was now filled with anticipation for this next use.
Time for another divination calculation!
Haruto stepped over Tanamoto's corpse. His arm seemed to lift instinctively, but in reality, he was swiftly collecting the more than twenty cards floating above the body.
"Tsk tsk tsk, using Black Martial Flash five times in a row—what a disgrace to the Black Martial lineage," Tsunade said, folding her arms as she approached the corpse, her tone teasing.
She was getting more and more sharp-tongued!
Still, she wasn't wrong. Relying on repeated use of Black Martial Flash to kill an opponent was indeed a bit shameful. Haruto had told them before that Black Martial Flash could only be used consecutively five times… which meant he had leaned on it too much. A true Black Martial warrior wouldn't fight this way. If he used up all five flashes in less than ten seconds, then what would he do afterward?
That was too fast! A Black Martial warrior's combat endurance should last longer than ten seconds. Less than ten seconds?
However, what Tsunade didn't know was that Haruto had done it on purpose!
He didn't want Tsunade and Jiraiya to know his true strength. Right now, even if he took off the Black Martial Armor and fought Tanamoto purely as a ninja, he would still have the upper hand. But that wasn't necessary—Haruto wanted a swift battle. When taking down a boss, dragging things out was not an option!
"I was never a warrior to begin with. I'm a ninja," Haruto replied nonchalantly to Tsunade. He had no interest in bantering with her—his mind was entirely focused on the Treasure Card and the twenty-plus fallen cards.
This reward was extremely important to him. If he absorbed those cards, he might directly gain the combat abilities of a true Jōnin-level warrior.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I guess I overestimated you. I was actually worried about you earlier, but I didn't expect you to use such a shameless method."
"Shut up, you annoying woman!"
"Let's clean up," Jiraiya interrupted them. "Erase the traces and leave immediately!"
Noon, southeastern region of the Land of Rain, at a small mining site.
This was an iron mine that had been in operation for over ten years. Due to the low iron content and difficult extraction, no major powers had taken an interest in it. Instead, a minor faction from the Land of Rain managed its operations.
At the foot of the mountain, thousands of laborers toiled away, with mundane soldiers patrolling the area. There were only a handful of ninjas and warriors—fewer than twenty in total. However, the number of ordinary soldiers exceeded a thousand.
At the center of the camp, inside a warehouse filled with smelting equipment and tools…
Haruto, Tsunade, and Jiraiya leaned against a pile of miscellaneous items, their bodies hidden in the dim lighting. They all appeared exhausted.
"You two rest first, I'll keep watch," Jiraiya whispered.
"Wake me up in two hours," Tsunade muttered before shifting her body slightly and quickly falling asleep.
Haruto yawned, leaned over onto Tsunade's shoulder, and also drifted off in no time.
Resting here was a decision made after thorough analysis by Tsunade and Jiraiya. The most dangerous place was often the safest. Right now, countless ninja and warrior squads were hunting them down across the southeastern Land of Rain. The more desolate the location, the easier it was to be found. Hiding in a deep mountain cave wasn't necessarily safer.
But here, in this camp, they were much safer.
With thousands of people around and no strong experts among them, the trio could remain undetected. Besides, outsiders wouldn't search here so easily—this was a camp belonging to a local faction, one with some degree of power.
Perhaps, this faction was already participating in the search for them, but they would never imagine that the very people they were hunting were hiding right under their noses.
...
Darkness. A faint glow flickered, accompanied by deep, guttural growls… A black, scaly hand swung wildly… A gaping, bloody maw tore through the void… Eerie ghostly whispers echoed… A white mask with an exaggerated grin floated in the shadows, emitting sinister laughter…
White phantoms. Black phantoms. A sea of red…
Suddenly!
A woman, drenched in blood and engulfed in flames, burst forth from the darkness, clawing her way toward him!
Haruto's eyes snapped open, his breathing heavy.
He was still in the dimly lit warehouse. The three of them were leaning against the pile of supplies. Jiraiya remained motionless, breathing evenly—he was asleep. Tsunade, a blade of grass in her mouth, had her hands tucked behind her head, looking utterly bored.
Haruto widened his eyes and slowly looked around.
A dream?
A nightmare!
Tsunade glanced at him from the corner of her eye, scrutinizing him for a moment before saying, "Had a nightmare?"
Haruto, his face slightly pale, nodded. The dream had been chaotic and terrifying, yet disturbingly real. He could still recall many of its details vividly. He had never experienced such a nightmare before.
"Coward," Tsunade muttered with a chuckle before adding, "Actually, it's normal. We've been running for our lives for days now. Back then… when we were younger, on missions together, we had to flee sometimes too. We all had nightmares. You'll get used to it… We're ninjas. This kind of thing happens a lot."
"Mm." Haruto made a vague sound of agreement, glancing at Jiraiya before asking Tsunade, "How long did I sleep?"
"About three hours," Tsunade replied. "I only needed two. Jiraiya's different—he's only been asleep for an hour. He needs at least four more."
Haruto didn't respond, still shaken by the nightmare. It was the most terrifying dream he had ever had. His head ached slightly, and he had no desire to go back to sleep.
"Still feel like sleeping?" Tsunade asked, tilting her head.
Haruto shook his head.
"Hah!" Tsunade spat out the grass blade, suddenly looking intrigued. She reached out and gestured at Haruto, "Come on, the pendant! Since we're just sitting around, might as well practice."
"Is hypnosis really that interesting to you?" Haruto scoffed.
"Of course! You don't understand. Hurry up!" Tsunade urged impatiently.
She hadn't said everything on her mind—hypnosis wasn't just interesting, it was incredibly powerful. Almost frighteningly so. Since she had been hypnotized herself, she understood its potential deeply. If she could master this skill and use it at the right time and place, it could have unimaginable effects.
"Alright." Haruto sighed, pulling out the pendant from his pocket.
This was no longer just Haruto teaching Tsunade—it had become a joint exploration. Tsunade, being impatient, had started experimenting with chakra infusion in an attempt to enhance the technique. They had been testing different methods for some time now.
"If we form a chakra vortex in the palm, then…"
"I think this might work better. Human vision can be deceived, so…"
Time passed. Tsunade remained deeply engaged, while Haruto gradually immersed himself in the study of hypnosis, momentarily forgetting the nightmare.
Two hours later.
[Ding! After careful research and discussion with Tsunade, the host has gained extraordinary insight and obtained 19 'Unknown Card Fragments.'"]