The battle started suddenly. Just as Zangetsu was complaining in his head, the dark forest erupted in a dazzling flash of light, accompanied by several screams.
We've been ambushed!
Zangetsu thought, gripping a kunai and raising his guard. He silently began to move toward the position of the Hozuki clan leader. It was always wise to stay near the experts before a chaotic battle broke out.
"An ambush? Hmph, let's see how many of you there are," the Hozuki clan leader sneered and led the Hozuki elites forward at high speed.
Zangetsu: "…"
I forgot, this is the ninja world. The stronger you are, the more you lead the charge. I take back what I just said.
Complaining internally, Zangetsu had no intention of following his clan leader. He stuck to his own pace, warily scanning his surroundings as he slowly followed the main group. There was no way he was going to get fired up.
My level is still low, and my equipment is bad. The only way to stay safe is to lie low.
Although he was consciously slowing down, Zangetsu still followed the main force to where the first wave had been ambushed. Dozens of charred bodies lay strewn about, emitting a nauseating smell of burnt flesh. The ground had been torn apart by a large-scale earth-style jutsu. Trees were knocked over like people, and some were still burning, glowing in the dark night. The fires stretched into the distance, and Zangetsu could faintly see more bodies and hear the sounds of fighting and shouting.
It was clear that Konoha had set an ambush and achieved good results. However, they had either gotten carried away or underestimated the fanaticism of the Mist's battle-crazed ninja. Some of them hadn't withdrawn in time and were now tied up in battle.
The thought flashed through his mind as Zangetsu continued forward with the army. Soon, the forces ahead came to a halt. To continue forward was to enter Konoha's defensive zone. Since Konoha already knew about the attack and had set traps, their defensive zone would undoubtedly be filled with all sorts of traps and ambushes. Even with the Mist's superior numbers, forcing a breakthrough would result in heavy losses, regardless of success.
So, the next step was to set up camp and organize a systematic attack.
Just as Zangetsu predicted, the Mizukage gave the order to temporarily retreat and set up camp in a large clearing.
Late at night, the entire frontline fell silent once again. Rows of tents dotted the clearing. Though quiet, the camp was brightly lit. Ninja patrolled the perimeter with torches, and sensor-types periodically scanned the area to prevent a counterattack from Konoha.
Zangetsu lay in a small, one-man tent in the Hozuki clan's area. Staring at the blank canvas ceiling, he recalled what he had just seen, his heart calm. War was a word both familiar and strange to him. Today's events were within his expectations. Unlike the skirmishes he'd experienced on past missions, in a battle involving thousands, an individual's power was insignificant. Even a Jonin couldn't guarantee they would escape unscathed. In the ambush just now, the Kaguya clan had lost a Jonin, and it seemed Konoha had lost one too. And this was only the beginning.
Even though he was actually quite strong—with the Hozuki clan's Hydrification Technique and Water Gun Technique, along with Jonin-level taijutsu, genjutsu, and chakra—he knew his true strength was that of an Elite Jonin. But he was only just at that level, not a veteran like Sarutobi Asuma or Zabuza Momochi. In this war, it was very possible for him to die.
Before, my goals were Akatsuki, Obito, Madara, the Otsutsuki… Looking back now, I was aiming way too high. Right now, I can't even guarantee I'll get out of this war alive.
It's confirmed. I have to find a way to get something good from the system.
With his resolve hardened, Zangetsu began to think again. How could he possibly contact his romance targets and get those rewards?
Tsunade, Uchiha Mikoto, Uzumaki Kushina, Kurenai Yuhi, Shizune…
Of these five, romancing Mikoto and Kushina would be the most difficult. Mikoto was already married to Fugaku, and their son Itachi was four years old. Kushina and Minato were also deeply in love, and in a year at most, she would become pregnant, only to die on the day Naruto was born.
So, Zangetsu had already given up on those two.
That left Tsunade, Shizune, and Kurenai.
Kurenai was thirteen this year and had just been promoted to Chunin. She would likely participate in this war, making her the person he was most likely to encounter. But Zangetsu's target wasn't her. Because they were enemies on the battlefield, any encounter would lead to a fight to the death. Romancing her would be extremely difficult.
Zangetsu's targets were Tsunade and Shizune.
Years ago, Tsunade and Shizune had left Konoha and were wandering the ninja world, their whereabouts unknown. To contact them, he wouldn't need to go to Konoha at all! Moreover, Tsunade had hemophobia (fear of blood), and Shizune was just a thirteen-year-old girl with little strength. Zangetsu wouldn't have to worry about his life being in danger when approaching them.
But to romance Shizune, he had to get past Tsunade. And to romance Tsunade, he had to get past the ghost of her dead lover, Kato Dan. This would undoubtedly take a lot of time.
Therefore, Zangetsu made a decision. He would get "killed in action" during this war. He would let the identity of "Hozuki Zangetsu" disappear, and then approach Tsunade and Shizune as a wandering ninja.
His mind made up, Zangetsu couldn't help but open the system to look at Tsunade and Shizune's character cards again.
However, when he opened the system, he shot up from his bed.
"It updated???"
Zangetsu was stunned. The system had actually updated. Why? He didn't understand.
Could it be that the system also thinks my current mission is too difficult, so it's lowering the difficulty for me?
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