In the forest at the edge of Konoha, a deadly chase was underway.
Maruyama Shin ran desperately ahead while the pursuer, Hoshii, gave chase relentlessly.
Hoshii was significantly faster, and the distance between them rapidly closed.
Initially wary, Hoshii's lips curled into a smirk as he watched Shin's pace. A glint of cruelty flashed in his eyes.
Still just a lowly Genin.
Shin had a system, true, but he had barely received it and hadn't had time to grow.
His predecessor had spent years collecting corpses without encountering danger. Now, only two days after his transmigration, he was already being hunted.
All he could do was silently curse the heavens.
Whoosh!
A kunai ripped through the air, aiming straight for the branch Shin was about to step on. If he landed, it would pierce his ankle, rendering him helpless—prey on a chopping block.
His expression changed. Tucking his limbs, he twisted his body and dove downward in a sharp diagonal drop.
"Heh." Hoshii let out a quiet chuckle.
Shin avoiding the trap only made him more amused.
"Hand over the body," Hoshii said as he walked toward him at a measured pace.
Maruyama Shin stood his ground without retreating.
With a sigh, he said, "How about this? There are tons of bodies in the morgue. Take whichever one you like, alright?"
But not this one. Not the one he was holding.
"Ignorant," Hoshii sneered and kept approaching.
Watching the man close in, Shin felt helpless.
All I wanted was to quietly loot a corpse. Why am I the one being hunted?
"How about… you come back tomorrow? I promise I won't fight. I'll even leave the door open for you."
Tomorrow, after he was done looting, the corpse would no longer matter. Hoshii could take it for all he cared—whatever secrets it held weren't his concern.
Worst case, let the Anbu handle it.
But in response, Hoshii's hands flashed into a seal.
"Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!"
His figure faded into a dull brown, then slowly vanished before Shin's eyes.
"…Great," Shin muttered with exasperation.
Hoshii was serious, but Shin was even more so.
That body wasn't going anywhere. Not today. Not ever. Even the Hokage couldn't take it.
Without hesitation, Shin pulled out his trump card—his one and only rare card.
Konoha Jōnin Miura Ichiō Experience Card (Rare)
"Didn't think I'd use this so soon. I'm still too weak."
He slapped the card against his body.
[Activating Konoha Jōnin Miura Ichiō Experience Card (Rare). Calculating compatibility...]
[Activation successful! Compatibility: 50%]
[Power rating recalibrated.]
[Name: Maruyama Shin]
[Age: 13]
[Affinity: Fire]
[Current Rank: Tokubetsu Jōnin]
[Stats:]
Taijutsu: 55
Stamina: 48
Ninjutsu: 43
Genjutsu: 36
Control: 45
Seals: 40
[Techniques: Clone Jutsu, Fire Release: Blazing Flame Bloom]
[Items: …]
Tokubetsu Jōnin!
Even with only fifty percent compatibility, his overall rating surpassed that of a Chūnin and reached Tokubetsu Jōnin level.
And judging from his stats, this power-up was focused entirely on Taijutsu.
Shin clenched his fists and felt the transformation. His eyes widened with amazement.
Insane.
Absolutely insane.
So this was the power of a rare card?
He glanced at the countdown timer displayed on the system—thirty minutes remaining. His lips curled into a confident smile.
This corpse, I will protect.
Sweeping his gaze across the terrain, he noticed a slight disturbance in the surroundings—a subtle hint of Hoshii's position.
It came from Miura Ichiō's deep combat experience. With the card active, Shin didn't just gain his power, but also fragments of his awareness and instincts.
Before Hoshii could strike, Shin made the first move. As if foreseeing everything, he charged in with a kunai aimed precisely at the right spot.
Hoshii frowned. He sensed something different about Shin, but remained confident. Even if it came to close combat, he had nothing to fear.
Just a brat. Just a Genin.
But when he saw Shin abandon subtlety and come charging with purpose, Hoshii narrowed his eyes.
A gleam of cold steel flashed in Shin's eyes as he suddenly unleashed his full speed, accelerating to an inhuman degree.
To Hoshii, it was like Shin turned into a phantom. The kunai in his hand left behind afterimages gleaming in the moonlight.
His expression changed drastically.
How is he this fast?
The thought barely crossed his mind before he had no time to think. The only option was to meet the blow head-on.
Clang!
Their kunai collided just in time. Sparks flew. The impact sent a shock through Hoshii's arm, numbing his grip.
Blocked it!
The thought barely formed before his heart sank. Shin's strength and speed weren't something a Genin could possess.
The intel was wrong.
But it was too late for regrets.
In the next instant, Shin spun his body, planted his feet, and used his full momentum to rotate a full 360 degrees, slipping behind Hoshii.
A red line appeared across the back of Hoshii's head, slicing all the way to his forehead.
He had stopped Shin's first strike with all his strength, but that attack was only a feint. The real blow followed right after.
That was experience.
Though Hoshii was an elite Chūnin, he specialized in infiltration and disguise. Years of hiding in Konoha had dulled his fighting instincts.
To choose close combat against Shin, who now excelled in Taijutsu, was like facing off against a true Jōnin.
His death had been decided the moment he chose to pursue.
And worse, he had picked the dumbest way to fight against the smartest kind of opponent.
He'd never return to Iwagakure.
In the final flicker of consciousness, Hoshii's thoughts drifted to the homeland he longed for.
His body wobbled, then collapsed in front of the very boy he had dismissed as worthless.
Thud.
Shin looked down at his own hands, barely believing it.
That movement, that reaction—it had all been instinctive. His mind barely processed anything before the enemy fell.
In his past life, there was a popular saying…
I didn't even use my full strength, and you already dropped.
"Why? Why push me this far? I just wanted to quietly loot a corpse. Why force me to send another body to the morgue?"
He had simply wanted to open mystery boxes in peace, build enough strength to survive. But someone just had to pick a fight and snatch a corpse.
With a sigh, he pulled out a scroll and swiftly sealed Hoshii's corpse.
There was no time to clean up the blood or battle damage.
Whoosh!
Riding the last wave of his boosted power, he disappeared into the trees.
He could already guess the Anbu would be arriving soon. The last thing he wanted was to run into them, much less end up on the radar of Sarutobi Hiruzen or Shimura Danzō.
Not long after Shin left—
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several Anbu arrived at the scene.
"That noise came from here," one of them said.
A sensory-type ninja scanned the area through the slits of his mask and quickly pieced things together.
"The one who died has unfamiliar chakra. He must have been an intruder."
He walked to the bloodstains, dipping his finger into the fresh trail.
Two more ninjas joined him.
"The blood's still warm."
One of them, skilled in Earth Release, examined the terrain. "That was Hiding Like a Mole Technique. Executed flawlessly. Definitely Chūnin level."
"The fight was quick and clean. The intruder had almost no chance to fight back."
The three of them exchanged glances, each seeing the surprise in the others' eyes.
"To defeat a Chūnin in such a short time, the attacker had to be a Jōnin. I recognize traces of their chakra… but can't quite place it. Whoever it was, they clearly didn't want to be seen."
They had expected to find a fallen Konoha ninja in need of backup. No one predicted this.
"But… where's the body?" one of them finally asked.
Right. Where was the body?
"Compile the report. We'll inform the Hokage."
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!