Chapter 5: Ch 5: This Guy Can Actually Laugh
[Synchronization rate: +1%]
[Synchronization rate: +1%]
[Synchronization rate: +1%]
The synchronization rate was climbing rapidly, and the system's voice kept echoing in Souta's mind. But Souta didn't care about that at all right now, and he simply turned off the system notification sound.
Although he had memories of countless battles, this was, in reality, his first true fight.
For a brief moment, he lost himself in the heat of the clash.
He shuttled between the Sannin, and his blade left blurry, elegant arcs in the air, creating dangerous, dazzling sword forms.
"Such speed... Who is this guy? Why haven't I heard of him before?"
Jiraiya stood aside in a somewhat embarrassed manner, his robes shredded by Souta's attacks.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep up. Souta was moving too fast. And logically, someone of this caliber should have been a well-known figure in the ninja world.
"Stop analyzing and do something, Jiraiya!"
Tsunade's irritated voice snapped him out of his thoughts. But she didn't wait for a response. Chakra surged around her as she charged forward; her fist arched back as she amplified her already monstrous strength.
"Let's see if you can handle this!"
Tsunade's strength was no joke. She would either cripple Souta or, worse, kill him if she landed this hit.
Bang!
Her fist crashed into the ground with a force that left a massive crater, but Souta moved like the wind, sidestepping fluidly just before impact, and his form blurred as he executed Sweeping Blade, passing her in a rush of wind.
With a backhanded blow, a bloody mark was left on Tsunade's back.
"Damn it!"
Blood splattered the ground, but Tsunade gritted her teeth, her healing chakra already working to dull the pain. She leapt back, wary of Souta's speed now.
"Tsunade!"
Jiraiya called out, forming hand seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bomb!"
Chunks of earth erupted, transforming into a dragon's head that roared toward Souta.
Unfazed, Souta raised his hand, summoning Wind Wall, which deflected the incoming projectiles with ease. The wall dissipated, and he countered with Steel Tempest, launching a swirling tornado. The wind rushed toward Orochimaru, who had silently crept closer to him.
Before being hit, Orochimaru quickly made hand seals.
"Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Dozens of snakes shot out from Orochimaru's sleeves and attacked swiftly. But Souta's blade cut through them in an instant.
The severed snakes dissolved into smoke, and Orochimaru was blown up in the air because of the earlier wind tornado.
Despite his usually unshakable personality, every nerve in Orochimaru's body screamed danger. Still, he remained eerily calm, preparing to face Souta's next move head-on.
But then Souta stopped.
In fact, Souta could have directly used Last Breath on the airborne Orochimaru, but he wasn't here to actually kill and start a life-and-death feud.
Standing in place, Souta performed another sword dance, then put away his sword.
"Phew—!"
Souta exhaled slowly, and Orochimaru, who had been mid-air, dropped back to the ground.
"Is it over?"
Orochimaru, still lying on the ground, became calm as he realized Souta had no intention of attacking further. Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet.
By now, Tsunade and Jiraiya had recovered and made their way over, their eyes fixed warily on Souta, who casually pulled a wine flask from his waist, uncorked it, and took a sip.
"Hey! You beat us up like this, and now you're just drinking? What about us? You vented your anger, but what about us?!" Jiraiya shouted with an irritated look on his face.
After all, he was the dignified Sannin of Konoha, the hero Jiraiya. Didn't he have any face?
Hearing Jiraiya's rant, Souta paused mid-sip, then took another leisurely drink. Without a word, he tossed the wine flask in Jiraiya's direction.
"Wha... what?"
Startled, Jiraiya fumbled to catch it, briefly panicking as he wondered if Souta had thrown some kind of hidden weapon. After realizing it was just a flask, he glanced at Souta in confusion.
Souta's usually stern face softened into a faint smile as he said, "That's for you—a small apology. But only one sip."
After a moment of hesitation, Jiraiya reacted and suddenly curled his lips and said to Souta with some dissatisfaction, "One sip? That's it? You're so stingy!"
Having said that, Jiraiya still drank it.
"Oh my god! This is incredible! What a good wine!"
After drinking a big gulp, Jiraiya's eyes lit up.
Watching Jiraiya's delighted reaction, Souta simply shook his head inwardly. The wine was given to him by the system—it was no surprise that it was exceptional.
Jiraiya held the empty flask, intending to return it to Souta. But before he could, Tsunade, who had been silently observing Souta with a piercing gaze, interrupted.
"Hey! There are two more people here, you know!"
"What?"
Jiraiya didn't understand what Tsunade was getting at, but she wasn't in the mood to explain.
She simply walked over, snatched the wine from Jiraiya's hand, and took a sip.
Her reaction after drinking it was the same as Jiraiya's. It was indeed a good wine.
Even as she drank, her eyes lingered on Souta.
'This guy can actually smile... and he looks really good when he does!'
After all, Souta's looks were no joke.
Once satisfied, Tsunade turned and handed the wine flask to Orochimaru.
"Your turn."
Orochimaru hesitated for a moment, glancing first at the flask, then at Souta. Finally, he took it.
Unlike the others, Orochimaru sipped elegantly. After tasting the wine, he nodded approvingly before tossing the flask back to Souta.
Souta caught it effortlessly and, with a faint smile, hung it back at his waist.
He turned, clearly intending to leave.
For some reason, seeing Souta was about to leave, Tsunade suddenly became anxious and hurriedly shouted to Souta.
"Hey! Wait! Where are you going?"
"The one who destroyed my village will answer for their deeds."
Souta responded calmly and didn't care much.
The hatred for the destruction of his village was unforgettable, and this grudge would be avenged.
Hearing Souta say this, Tsunade felt relieved and asked Souta in a teasing tone,
"Do you even know who did it?"
Sure enough, Souta stopped, turned around, and looked at Tsunade curiously.
"Do you?"
"Not a clue!"
Tsunade replied honestly, and her lips curled into a grin.
Hearing Tsunade's answer, Souta was momentarily speechless, and his eyebrows twitched in frustration.
Sensing his growing annoyance, Tsunade quickly added with a reassuring tone.
"Okay, okay, don't look at me like that. Although I don't know right now, we're ninjas! Investigating is what we do. How about we work together?"
She ended her suggestion with a playful smile, raising an eyebrow at him as if daring him to refuse.
Souta thought it over for a moment before giving a reluctant nod. After all, if Souta were to investigate alone, he would have no clue at all. With Tsunade and the others, the investigation would likely be far more efficient.
"All right!"
Seeing that Souta agreed, Tsunade smiled again and said to Souta confidently.
"Don't worry! I promise we'll find the murderer soon!"
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ProgressingDaily For every one chapter here, I will upload two on Patreon, if you like this book, and want to read more while supporting me simultaneously, you can join me on Patreon:
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