The Emperor Card System always brought surprises to Haruto Saito. The moment that notification sound appeared, Haruto paused for a moment but resisted asking in his mind because Tsunade was speaking to him.
"Look, when the pendant swings, a person's gaze will follow it. Earlier, we talked about making the chakra rotate in the palm—this is incorrect. While the spinning airflow can create a sense of dizziness visually, it actually affects the pendant's ability to attract one's gaze. So, instead, we should shrink the range of the chakra's rotation and concentrate it on the pendant itself..." Tsunade explained, holding a green pendant in her hand.
"Hmm, you're right. I think you should practice this repeatedly. I'm going out to find something to eat," Haruto pointed outside as he spoke.
"Alright, I am indeed hungry." Tsunade subconsciously touched her stomach and nodded.
Haruto vanished into black smoke.
...
The mining camp in Amegakure was still bustling with activity. Ore was continuously being transported out of the mountain and sent to the smelting site. Haruto appeared in a small forest outside the warehouse, shrouded in black mist.
It was already 5 p.m., and the sky had darkened to its extreme. Many parts of the camp were illuminated by oil torches.
The small forest was even darker. As he ran, Haruto asked in his mind, "Spirit, what is an Unknown Card Fragment?"
"Unknown Card Fragments can only be obtained when the host gains insight through discussions with others. The person involved in the discussion must have an extremely high level of knowledge, talent, or analytical ability. The rules for combining Unknown Card Fragments are the same as those for combining Ninjutsu Ability Card Fragments."
"So, the so-called 'unknown' actually means that the fragments are related to the content we discussed, but the ability itself is still forming and not yet fully defined—hence it remains unknown?"
"Correct! However, the host should be reminded that the time and quantity of Unknown Card Fragments obtained are highly variable. Just because the host engages in a long discussion does not necessarily mean enough Unknown Card Fragments will be collected. It still depends on whether the discussion is heading in the right direction."
"Then, what if I discuss a known jutsu? Will I still obtain card fragments?"
"Yes!"
"Great!"
Haruto finally stopped running, hiding motionlessly in the bushes.
He was in an excellent mood!
Although he had never been particularly interested in researching hypnosis techniques infused with chakra, even if he eventually synthesized a card and gained the ability, he wouldn't be too excited about it. Hypnosis performed this way was too cumbersome, making it impractical.
However, Haruto had discovered a method!
He had found a way to accelerate his learning of ninjutsu, which was truly exciting!
In this world, many jutsu couldn't be obtained through loot drops from kills because no one currently possessed them. For example, the Reanimation Jutsu—Orochimaru wouldn't master it for another twenty years, meaning no one currently knew it.
Similarly, the Flying Thunder God Technique was created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, who had already passed away. In the original storyline, the next ninja to master this technique was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze—the father of Naruto Uzumaki. But right now, Minato was only eight years old, just a little kid.
Currently, no one knew this technique!
If Haruto couldn't obtain jutsu through killing, he would have to rely on luck, such as waiting for a shop refresh, though those would likely be incredibly expensive. Even if they appeared, he might not afford them. Another option was obtaining them through random Ninjutsu Cards—but that would require heaven-defying luck.
Compared to those methods, Haruto now preferred to learn ninjutsu himself!
He had found another shortcut to mastering jutsu. The first shortcut was being taught by someone, and the second was discussing techniques with others—both could yield card fragments! Collect enough fragments, and he could synthesize a complete card!
Although he said he was going out to find food, Haruto actually had other business to take care of. It wasn't just about asking the Emperor Card Spirit about Unknown Card Fragments—he also needed to check the loot he had obtained from killing Tanamoto.
First, he took out the Treasure Card. It was identical to the previous one, so he stored it away without using it.
Then, he pulled out a thick stack of over twenty loot cards.
Thirteen were Samurai Skill Cards. Among them, eight were offensive abilities, one was defensive, two were movement techniques, and the last two were basic samurai swordsmanship and fundamental samurai combat techniques—these two weren't fixed skills but general foundational abilities.
There were also two Mental Enhancement Cards, one 3,000 Prestige Points Card, two Basic Mana Recovery Cards, three Basic Health Recovery Cards, and finally, one Soul Fragment Card!
This last card was the most important! Using the Soul Fragment Card would grant Haruto a portion of Tanamoto's combat memories, similar to an experience book.
Only by consuming this card could Haruto fully integrate the various samurai abilities he had obtained and develop a complete samurai combat style!
Crunch, crunch!
He consumed everything that needed to be consumed.
Late at night, heavy rain poured down.
In the mountains and forests, three figures moved swiftly, heading east!
They were taking a detour. Tsunade was still leading Haruto, while Jiraiya remained energetic. Only Haruto looked fatigued—he hadn't gotten enough sleep and had woken up from a nightmare, unable to fall back asleep.
"We need to reach the ravine entrance before dawn, then head south. Hopefully, we can avoid the Second Army Corps of Amegakure…" Jiraiya suddenly said.
Hanzo had ordered the First Army Corps to block the borders and deployed the Second Army Corps as well. The three of them were aware of this since Tanamoto had revealed the information before his death.
They had to hurry through the night!
The rain was torrential!
Traveling in such weather was far from ideal, but they had no choice. The longer they stayed near Amegakure, the tighter the security would become. The search radius was already shrinking—time was against them, and their escape routes were rapidly dwindling.
They pressed forward against the wind and rain.
"Blood scent!" Haruto suddenly whispered. "Something's up ahead."
"Hide," Tsunade ordered in a low voice.
The three figures leaped into the trees. Jiraiya took out a telescope, using the faint moonlight to scan ahead.
The forest was dense, with towering trees and lush foliage all around. But about three hundred meters ahead, the forest had been destroyed. The devastated area spanned over three kilometers—it was a battlefield! Jiraiya could still see the bodies of many ninjas.
Despite the relentless rain washing over the battlefield, rivers of blood remained, impossible to rinse away.
"A major battle must have taken place recently, but it's unclear exactly when. At least two to three hundred ninjas must have fought here. I can see over a hundred and fifty corpses…" Jiraiya muttered while observing. "No signs of survivors… There are traces of Wind Release and Fire Release techniques… Wait!"
Jiraiya's voice suddenly rose in shock. "There's a Konoha ninja—it's Inuzuka Fei!"
"Inuzuka Fei?" Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to Jiraiya.
Haruto cast them a strange look and couldn't help but ask, "Who is Inuzuka Fei? Do you know him?"
Tsunade, still visibly shocked, blinked before responding, "Inuzuka Fei was a prodigy of the Inuzuka Clan's younger generation. He was a few years older than Jiraiya and me and reached Elite Jonin level five years ago… He held an important position in Konoha. He shouldn't have been on a mission here, let alone died here!"
"It's him! No mistake…" Jiraiya confirmed with a trembling voice.
Inuzuka Fei had been one of Jiraiya's closest friends in Konoha. He would never mistake him.