"Phew…"
Aoi drew in long, ragged breaths. He had used up his only Life Potion just to make it through the zone of white lightning — and in return, he had received a single Kage‑grade treasure chest.
Whether this trade had been worth it or not was anyone's guess…
But one thing was certain: it felt incredibly satisfying!
Aoi threw his head back and let out a long roar, the White Lightning Armor swirling around his body. I may lose to anyone else, but I will never let this damn System get the better of me…
"Open the Kage‑grade chest!"
These days, Kage‑grade chests were no longer a rare sight, and their contents rarely brought surprises: a dozen vials of Chakra Potion, one mid‑rank ninja tool, and one Experience Scroll.
An Experience Scroll?
Aoi suddenly smiled and asked, "System, why aren't you giving me a quest to challenge the next zone? Didn't you say you don't issue missions with no real difficulty?"
There was a long pause before the System finally replied:
"Ding — Even this system will not assign missions that are certain to result in death…"
"..."
Aoi lay back on the deck, silent for a moment. His mind drifted back to that terrifying bolt of black lightning he had glimpsed — it had surged through the white lightning zone like a monster, swallowing more than a dozen white bolts in a single gulp…
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Gritting his teeth, Aoi tore open the scroll. "One day, I will conquer every last part of this storm!"
The scroll slowly unfurled, revealing an image: beneath a clear, starlit sky, a deep‑blue spear of lightning stretched across the face of the moon, piercing straight through the heavens…
"More lightning again?"
Aoi muttered, and then his consciousness faded completely. The fabric of space and time began to shift…
When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer over the ocean, but standing on solid land.
"Where am I?"
All around were layers of mist, endless mountain ranges, and what looked like heavy chains strung between the peaks.
While Aoi was still staring in confusion, a wrinkled, aged hand reached down and patted his head.
White Lightning Armor!
Aoi nearly activated the technique out of instinct, but caught himself just in time once he saw who it was.
"Child, why are you sleeping out here in the open?"
An elderly woman with a face full of lines lifted him gently to his feet. Only then did Aoi realize he had been lying in the middle of a farmer's rice paddy…
This was clearly a village of ordinary people.
"Grandmother, what place is this?"
"Where did you come from, little one?" She smiled and shook her head.
"This is the Land of Lightning — the village of Yunpan, right at the foot of the Hidden Cloud Village."
"..."
Aoi couldn't help but grin. Just as long as it's not called Cloud Storage or something…
But was this part of the story involving the Hidden Cloud?
Though the Hidden Cloud never played a huge role in the original timeline, Aoi still couldn't be sure how that strange black lightning he had encountered was connected to this place.
"Grandmother, I'll be on my way now."
Aoi smiled, fastened a Hidden Cloud forehead protector to his head, and turned to leave.
Who knows what relations exist between the Cloud and the Leaf in this timeline — better to wear their symbol for now, just to be safe.
Seeing this, the old woman blinked in surprise, then laughed. "My, you children really take your ninja games far too seriously!"
"Ninja games, huh?"
Aoi shook his head with a faint smile. I suppose we can call it that for now… But he still had no clue which point in history or which arc of the story he had landed in.
In the original series, the other four great nations were usually only shown during times of war or unrest. Yet the Hidden Cloud region around him looked surprisingly peaceful and calm…
"I need to gather some information."
Wearing the Cloud headband, Aoi walked openly through the streets of the village, scanning the signs and buildings for any clue.
At last… "There we go — Falling Leaf Tavern."
Its sign showed a single withered leaf floating inside a wine cup. That was exactly what he was looking for.
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