Dressed in dark nightwear, the figure was tall and lean, with a loose hood obscuring his face. His sharp, cold eyes betrayed no emotion. He carried no identifying features, gripping a kunai in a reverse grip while a katana was strapped across his back.
He looked like an assassin, but he wasn't.
This man was a spy—an intelligence operative!
**Name:** Tsuchi
**Affiliation:** Iwagakure (Hidden Stone Village) – Vanguard Captain of the Reconnaissance Division
**Reputation:** 16,148 points
**Status:** Hostile
Troublesome opponent.
Haruto Saito wasn't sure whether to consider himself lucky or unlucky. The enemy he had just discovered was likely the leader of this infiltration. A staggering 16,000 reputation points confirmed that Tsuchi was an elite shinobi—at the peak of Jonin level!
Haruto always sought to take down powerful enemy ninja. The stronger they were, the greater the reward for killing them.
But if the enemy was *too* strong… survival was no guarantee.
Though Tsuchi had already sustained injuries, they weren't fatal nor debilitating—his combat abilities remained intact. Haruto silently thanked his luck that this guy wasn't a suicide-assassin. Otherwise, he might not have survived long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
Tsuchi remained highly alert, his gaze locked onto Haruto, clearly wary.
He hadn't expected to be discovered!
He knew Konoha's Anbu was full of hidden experts, but he had full confidence in his *Earth Submersion Technique*. Not only had he been detected, but he had even been ambushed!
While underground, Tsuchi's perception of his surroundings was reduced, as was his mobility. He also couldn't weave hand signs for jutsu or effectively counterattack. That was why Haruto had managed to injure him—he simply hadn't had time to fully evade the strike.
Even now, Tsuchi couldn't determine Haruto's exact strength.
Haruto was clad in standard Anbu attire—black robes and a mask—but his small stature made it difficult to gauge his age. From Tsuchi's perspective, Haruto's previous attack wasn't particularly overwhelming. However, the fact that Haruto had been able to detect him made him cautious.
The two locked eyes, neither making a move.
Haruto weighed his options—should he try to kill this guy outright or just stall for time until reinforcements arrived? The nearby Anbu would certainly have heard the commotion and were likely on their way.
Suddenly, Tsuchi smirked.
"As expected of Konoha's Anbu."
In the blink of an eye, he vanished!
He was escaping!
Not even attempting to fight—he knew staying here meant certain death.
Using *Earth Submersion*, Tsuchi burrowed underground again. Even with Haruto's heightened perception, it was difficult to track him once he melded with the earth.
Haruto immediately reactivated *Marking Scar Jutsu*. Within seconds, he pinpointed Tsuchi's movements—he was fleeing south, away from Uzumaki Mito's residence.
Haruto leaped onto the trees, springing from branch to branch in pursuit!
Before long, Tsuchi had put over a kilometer between himself and Mito's residence—technically outside the *kill-on-sight* radius.
But Haruto continued his pursuit.
This was a *big fish*. Killing him would be far more valuable than eliminating a dozen ordinary Jonin.
And was he still considered within the *kill-on-sight* order? Absolutely!
If someone had *ever* entered Mito's restricted perimeter, they were a valid target. Distance didn't absolve them of the crime.
Haruto had every intention of cutting him down.
The real question was—how?
Since Tsuchi was now focused on escaping, Haruto was no longer in immediate danger. He wasn't worried about being ambushed.
More importantly, even if he didn't land the finishing blow himself, the other Anbu would catch up eventually. If one of Konoha's Anbu squad captains arrived, Tsuchi would be dead for sure. And if *White Fang* himself came, Tsuchi would be better off taking his own life.
But Haruto didn't just want Tsuchi dead—he wanted to *personally* kill him!
Bounding swiftly through the trees, Haruto kept pace.
Tsuchi's subterranean movement wasn't slow, but it was only as fast as an average Jonin at full sprint. There was no way he could shake off Haruto. His technique was similar to *Hiding Like a Mole Jutsu*, but it lacked the speed and fluidity of Zetsu's *Mayfly Technique*.
Haruto stayed airborne, jumping between trees—giving himself space in case Tsuchi suddenly surfaced for a counterattack.
*"How do I do this? I need a plan…"*
He continuously activated *Marking Scar Jutsu* in bursts, confirming Tsuchi's position each time. But this was a massive chakra drain—he could only sustain it in short intervals.
Then, a thought struck him.
*"Wait… that's right!"*
Haruto abruptly halted on a tree branch, eyes widening.
*"The system! I completed my mission, didn't I? I mastered the Barrier-Breaking Jutsu. Why didn't I get a notification? Where's my reward?"*
His mind quickly connected with the ethereal system bound to him.
**Ding! Reminder: The mission must be manually submitted to be considered complete. The system will evaluate the timing of submission and the degree of mission completion before issuing a potential special reward.**
*"Oh? That's how it works? Then I submit it now!"*
**Ding! Mission completed. Reward: Two Boss-Class Cards, Ten Mental Boost Cards.**
**Calculating mission score… Score: 7/10. Random reward selection in progress… Selection complete. Additional reward: Temporary Luck Boost – Duration: 24 hours.**
Haruto quickly accessed his inventory, retrieving a stack of cards.
*"Temporary Luck Boost? What does that mean?"*
**For 24 hours, your hidden Luck stat is maxed out. You will experience significantly increased luck, leading to more favorable outcomes.**
*"Holy—! This is game-breaking!"*
An idea suddenly hit him.
*"If my luck is maxed out… does that mean I'm *guaranteed* to kill Tsuchi?"*
**Luck enhances probabilities but still requires effort.**
*"So… if I really, *really* want to kill him… does that mean it's bound to happen?"*
**If the desire is strong enough—yes.**
Haruto's eyes gleamed.
He bit down on one of the *Boss-Class Cards*!
A glowing energy figure materialized behind him, drawing a spectral bow. A translucent energy arrow was loosed, hurtling toward Tsuchi—visible only to Haruto.
Tsuchi had already fled quite a distance, but Haruto wasn't worried. His tracking range extended five kilometers—Tsuchi had nowhere to hide.
Excitement surged in Haruto's veins. If Tsuchi was converted into a *Boss*, then killing him would yield even greater rewards!
Just as he prepared to track the energy arrow's impact, another idea struck him.
He paused.
*"Wait… I still have a Magic-Class Card I haven't used."*
Haruto's fingers tightened around the card.
*"If I activate this while my Luck stat is maxed… then what happens?"*