Chapter 107: Senior, Spare Me

"Our mission this time is to patrol this area; we must not let any enemy nation ninja infiltrate the Fire Country."

In the Fire Country Border Region, Zhi Cun Tuan Cang pointed to the area marked on the map and said.

Currently, various countries continuously dispatch ninja squads into the Fire Country.

As the Hokage, Qianshou Feijian naturally must send people to block these ninjas.

The Fire Country is truly vast; even though the important positions are guarded by the various Konoha families, many will slip through and successfully infiltrate.

The Lian Ye Squad's mission is to eliminate these enemies.

Zhi Cun Tuan Cang folded up the map, awaiting Lian Ye's command.

"Split up and, if you encounter danger, fire a signal flare," Lian Ye said, looking at the two, "Don't be reckless; if you can't win, retreat, and hold out until teammates arrive."

"Understood!" Zhi Cun Tuan Cang and Zhuan Qin Xiaochun said in unison.

The three of their patrol area is roughly a ten‑kilometer radius, while other regions are handled by separate squads.

They need to keep moving constantly to prevent enemies from mixing in.

Lian Ye separated from the two, leapt onto a treetop, and left.

Nightfall cloaked the Fire Country Border, and Lian Ye's figure darted through the trees, his Three Tomoe Sharingan emitting a faint crimson glimmer in the darkness.

This was his third consecutive day of patrol, and the smell of lingering gunpowder still hung in the air.

"These guys are getting more and more reckless," Lian Ye murmured softly.

The first day here was fine; no enemies were encountered.

But from the evening of the second day onward, he occasionally ran into a few enemies trying to infiltrate the Fire Country.

Fortunately, they were all small fry, which he brushed aside and eliminated.

He thought those guys would quiet down for a while, but on the third day the infiltrators came even more frequently.

That day, he killed no fewer than ten ninjas.

Among them were ninjas from Kirigakure Village, Sand Hidden Village, Iwagakure Village, and even some from minor nations.

It seems that since Senju Hashirama's death, these guys have become uncontrollable.

Now it's merely border skirmishes, with all nations watching.

The dispatched ninjas are only meant to test Konoha Village's overall strength.

Once the probing ends, they will launch a full‑scale war against Konoha.

"Such probing can't last more than a few days..."

Lian Ye crouched on a tree, pulled a book from his pouch, and began reading.

He needs to master the theory of the Flying Thunder God before the battlefield erupts fully, so whenever he has time he squeezes in reading to study.

At present it's only a small‑scale skirmish, and Konoha's pressure isn't great.

When the full fight breaks out and all nations simultaneously wage war on the Fire Country, there will be no time left to study Ninjutsu.

Lian Ye wants to acquire as much theoretical knowledge as possible within the limited time.

The Flying Thunder God Ninjutsu is practically impossible for a human to learn.

Just the theory alone consumes a lot of time; using his Sharingan to memorize the book's contents is useless—memorizing and understanding are two different things.

He needs to grasp the meaning and know how to execute it.

It's like studying math; merely memorizing formulas is useless—what matters is the ability to solve problems and work out the solutions.

Lian Ye is currently in a situation where he can recall formulas but cannot solve the problems.

This kind of spatial‑coordinate Ninjutsu, unless one has an extraordinary talent, is hard to master in a short time.

Otherwise, after Qianshou Feijian invented the Flying Thunder God Technique so many years ago, it wouldn't be that only Bofeng Shuimen could use it proficiently.

After reading for a while, Lian Ye yawned, got up, and continued his patrol.

Their squad needs to be stationed here for a month, and only after that time will someone come to relieve them.

Rest periods rotate during the day, with two people patrolling while one rests, rotating in this manner.

At night they cannot rest, as enemies usually operate then; the chance of infiltrating the Fire Country under cover of darkness is higher.

Lian Ye took two Soldier's Ration Pills from his Ninja Tool Bag, shoved them into his mouth, and swallowed them with difficulty.

Soldier's Ration Pills are common during a ninja's missions; they restore chakra and replenish stamina, easing fatigue and maintaining good condition.

They're good stuff, just that the taste is unpleasant.

For Lian Ye, who is accustomed to gourmet food year after year, this stuff is practically impossible to swallow.

But the situation is special now; he has no choice—he can't exactly start a fire and cook in the forest, can he?

If that exposed his position, it would be trouble...

At that moment, Lian Ye's ears twitched, and he immediately followed the sound.

He saw three ninjas wearing headscarves approaching from not far away.

That attire clearly marked them as Sand Hidden Village ninjas.

Because Lian Ye was perched in the tree, concealed by night and dense foliage, the few did not notice anyone above them.

The three Sand Ninjas crouched low and hurried forward.

The leading Jonin said to his comrades, "We've successfully infiltrated the Fire Country; now we hide and await the Wind Shadow Lord's orders!"

"Roger that, sensei!" the two young Sand Ninjas said, faces excited.

They are freshly graduated Genin, and their first mission is to follow the Team Leader Jonin into the Fire Country.

If they successfully complete the mission, they'll earn abundant merit, which can be exchanged for powerful Ninjutsu, making them stronger.

The Sand Jonin looked at the excited pair, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes.

For this mission, aside from himself, the others are expendable.

At the crucial moment, one can abandon the two and leave…

Using the lives of two Genin to buy an escape window for a Jonin.

This is truly worthwhile.

After all, in war, Genin are merely cannon fodder.

Especially those barely made Genin in their teens, they are fodder among fodder.

Their only value is to obtain some intelligence for the Village.

"I hope you can survive the mission smoothly…"

Before the words finish, Lian Ye's Tachi is already three inches out of its sheath, colorless, odorless Poison Liquid flowing slowly along its grain.

The Sunagakure crowd remains oblivious to the murderous intent overhead.

When they pass beneath the tree where Lian Ye stands, Lian Ye darts down like a released arrow.

The Sand Ninja Jonin senses the danger, just as he prepares to dodge, the blade already slices his throat, and he collapses before a cry of pain can escape.

Warm blood droplets splash onto the faces of the two Sand Ninjas, their minds going blank instantly.

They stand dumbfounded in place, bodies trembling involuntarily, faces full of terror.

The two have just become ninja; where have they ever seen such a bloody scene?

Seeing the Team Leader Jonin die before their eyes, they have no thought of resistance.

"S‑senpai, spare us!"

The two kneel on the ground, frantically begging for mercy, their faces smeared with tears and snot.

They no longer have the excitement they once showed; their eyes are filled with terror.

Only then do the two Sand Ninjas realize the cruelty of the ninja world…

"We don't want to die, please spare us!"

Facing their pleas, the only answer is the whoosh of the blade cutting through the air.

Lian Ye's Tachi easily pierces the throats of the two.

The pleading voices fade.

The red glow of the Sharingan reflects on the two convulsing corpses; Lian Ye coldly sheaths his blade, the scarlet in his eyes gradually fading.

"You've all slipped into the Fire Country and still want to live; such a thing doesn't exist!"

At that moment, he suddenly hears the sounds of battle erupting in the distance.

Lian Ye leaps back onto the tree trunk, turning into a fleeting shadow racing through the night, leaving only three bodies gradually cooling.