Killer B, after stabilizing his physical condition, was sent to the hospital in Kumo along with Dodai.
Meanwhile, the Kumo high-ranking officials, under the protection of the ANBU, headed toward the meeting room in the village's office building. The Third Raikage looked at the numerous barefooted ninjas standing at the edge of the ruins and cast a questioning glance at the ANBU beside him.
"We just conducted a preliminary screening of the village's ninjas according to Dodai's orders..." The ANBU ninja quickly explained the situation.
The Third Raikage nodded slightly and took large strides toward the gathered ninjas. He understood Dodai's desire to capture the assassin as soon as possible, but openly suspecting their own people was not his style. Looking at the many ninjas who appeared anxious and uneasy, he spoke in a deep voice.
"You are my most trusted subordinates. I do not believe that ninjas who rushed to support their comrades, without even taking the time to put on their shoes when they heard the alarm, would be traitors to the village!"
"Waaah—You believe in us! That's such a relief..." Many of the barefooted ninjas, upon hearing the Third Raikage's words, immediately felt their previous anxiety and grievances disappear.
Some, being more emotional, even burst into tears on the spot. At a time when everyone doubted them, their leader still believed in them. This kind of trust struck directly at their pride and made them even more determined to follow their leader.
"A man's tears should not be shed so easily. Now, all of you, dismiss and go home to rest." The Third Raikage turned and waved his hand before striding toward the Raikage Building.
At that moment, his strong and resolute back appeared exceptionally imposing.
Kei turned to look at the blushing Musai, silently patted him on the shoulder, and led him home. This young man wasn't blushing out of excitement from the Third Raikage's words. It was because the real reason he wasn't wearing shoes was that he had slept too soundly and completely missed the village's alarm, leaving him too embarrassed to admit it!
Rushing to save his comrades? That was out of the question! The remaining ninjas, filled with emotion, gradually dispersed and returned home.
Meanwhile, another ANBU squad captain quickly appeared beside the Third Raikage after a few swift movements.
"Raikage-sama, we have already secretly inspected all their homes, and there were no suspicious traces."
"From tonight onwards, the village will be sealed off—everyone can enter, but no one is allowed to leave. Internal investigations will begin tomorrow." The Third Raikage's voice was deep and firm.
He indeed trusted his subordinates, but just as Dodai said, spies could infiltrate anywhere. Being cautious wouldn't hurt. Besides, a total of nine people had been assassinated tonight.
If Killer B, who was also targeted, was included, that made ten! He didn't believe that the infiltrators could have completely escaped from Kumo in such a short time.
There had to be spies and traitors within the village. The only uncertainty was whether these spies and traitors were ordinary people or ninjas.
A war against Kiri was now inevitable. But before going to war, if these infiltrators weren't rooted out, who knew how much damage they could cause to Kumo?
You act rough but think carefully. Just when the truth is about to be uncovered, you take the opportunity to strengthen your control over your subordinates... Tsk.
The moment Kei opened his door and entered his home, he immediately noticed that someone had been there. Various items had been moved ever so slightly.
A normal ninja might not notice the subtle traces of a "restoration-style search." But with his keen observational skills—and with [Memory Master of the Shinobi World] granting him unparalleled memory—he could see the differences with absolute clarity.
Pretending not to notice, he closed the door and casually kicked Musai back into his bedroom to sleep. Standing by the window under the night sky, Kei finally had time to check his system rewards.
Two trait extractions, one trait gifting. And one random white-tier trait upgrade?
But in terms of value, it still wasn't as good as the reward he received for completing his first S-rank mission.
Does this mean I've passed the newbie phase and lost my beginner benefits?
Kei scratched his head as he muttered to himself, but in reality, he didn't feel much of an emotional ripple. With Madara, the mastermind behind the scenes, now dead, the sense of urgency weighing on him had significantly diminished.
The future was long, and he had plenty of time to grow stronger at his own pace.
System, extract traits.
- Seductive Acrobatics (White)
- Magical Girl Transformation (Purple)]
[Seductive Acrobatics (White):
Your extensive hand-to-hand combat experience grants you increased agility and a more alluring posture. Your body becomes more flexible and nimble, enhancing your charm toward men but lowering your favorability among women.]
[Magical Girl Transformation (Purple):
By shouting 'Magical Girl Transformation,' you can absorb special magical energy into your body, forming a unique energy-based outfit. You awaken a personal exclusive ability and gain a dedicated magical weapon or equipment. Your strength, speed, defense, stamina, casting speed, and willpower all increase significantly.]
The moment Kei heard the trait descriptions, he was momentarily excited, thinking he had hit the jackpot.
But... a magical girl?
Are you screwing with me?!
At first glance, the white-tier trait seemed like it was going to be something impressive, but no, it was [Seductive Acrobatics]!
And the second one didn't even try to hide it—[Magical Girl Transformation]?!
I'M A GROWN MAN, DAMN IT!
Kei's face turned dark as ink. Sure, magical girl transformations looked cute, and from what he knew, their potential was absurdly high. But if he actually activated this trait... God knows what horrifying things would happen to him.
The system had never exactly been known for its dignity.
He cursed at the system for a good while. Then he started considering whether he should just gift this trait to Kushina.
After all, she was his girlfriend—giving her a purple-tier trait wouldn't be a loss. Just imagining her shouting "Magical Girl Transformation!" and then appearing in a dazzling outfit... That was... kind of exciting!
Tsk~ System, use the random trait upgrade.
Still daydreaming about Kushina's transformation, he casually gave the command.
White-tier traits were, in his opinion, like flavorless food—neither good nor completely useless. And since the upgrade was random, he couldn't control the outcome anyway. At worst, he'd just get a green-tier trait. How bad could it be?
[Upgraded Expired Milk (White) into Medicated Milk (Green)]
[Medicated Milk (Green):
When using medical ninjutsu, the nature of your healing techniques undergoes subtle, unpredictable enhancements. Your proficiency in medical ninjutsu, chakra control, healing speed, and effectiveness all increase. Additionally, treated individuals have a chance to experience mild positive side effects.]
Kei raised an eyebrow and casually activated [Medicated Milk].
Although he had a Sage Body, which allowed him to heal ridiculously fast, making medical ninjutsu mostly unnecessary for himself... It was still better to have it than not. After all, who could guarantee that his loved ones would always avoid injuries?
Better safe than sorry.
Plus, he still hadn't found a way to help Kushina develop a technique similar to One's Own Life Reincarnation, and Tsunade wasn't exactly the most reliable person.
If he improved his medical ninjutsu, at least he could take matters into his own hands, right?