[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-off-with-horse-and-sword-in-konoha":3,"chapter-starting-off-with-horse-and-sword-in-konoha-starting-off-with-horse-and-sword-in-konoha-chapter-144":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starting Off with Horse and Sword in Konoha",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2349195,4591,"Chapter 144: Pluck Out the Eyes!","starting-off-with-horse-and-sword-in-konoha-chapter-144",144,"\u003Cp>After a moment of shock, Hanzo was moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hire Konoha ninja to restore peace to the Land of Rain, and even reclaim the Land of Rivers, lost since the Second Shinobi World War.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Konoha might seize control of both countries in the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the likelihood is minimal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the other ninja villages won’t stand by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless Konoha wants to restart the war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second—reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the Five Great Ninja Villages, aside from state funding, the most vital economic source is missions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The major ninja villages compete not for traditional territory, but for mission sources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Rain Village hires Konoha ninja and Konoha turns on its own employer, its reputation will be ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hanzo couldn’t help but suspect Konoha had ulterior motives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he stayed within the village, he knew the chaos in the Land of Rain had Konoha’s hand in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, the hand of this seemingly amiable young man before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma watched Hanzo think, then smiled: “Leader Hanzo, compared to war and plunder, Konoha prefers the steady, long-term mission model.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the Land of Rain and the Land of Rivers restore peace, economic exchange among all parties will flourish, greatly increasing mission volume.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This benefits not only the Rain Village, but Konoha as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, the most important factor is the Akatsuki.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Regardless of who was right or wrong initially, that power lurking in the shadows—no one can sleep soundly with it there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final words completely swayed Hanzo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Fujinaka Genma hadn’t come, he might still sleep—but from now on…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agreed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hanzo finally accepted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came the detailed negotiations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it certainly couldn’t be just Fujinaka Genma and Hanzo shouting at each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was merely an agreement in principle; specific cooperation would be discussed separately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Hanzo’s hospitality, Fujinaka Genma and his team stayed overnight in the Rain Village and departed for Konoha the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall, the matter went smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma had originally considered whether he’d need to beat Hanzo up—now he’d saved the trouble; everyone got along peacefully, which was excellent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rain still fell from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crossing the bridge and leaving the Rain Village, Fujinaka Genma suddenly stopped and turned to gaze back at the mist-shrouded village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What would become of this village’s fate from now on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Fujinaka?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shisui Uchiha spoke, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing. Let’s go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma turned and continued onward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over an hour later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside a dense forest, Fujinaka Genma halted: “Come out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha! No wonder Itachi’re called the Konoha Death God—easily spotted, indeed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flippant voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li!” growled, pointing at nine o’clock—a figure in a black robe, wearing a spiral mask, stood atop a tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shisui Uchiha’s hand was already on his chakra blade, his Sharingan quietly activated, as he barked: “Who are Itachi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s quite a profound question!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiral-masked man pinched his chin, as if genuinely pondering a deep mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma watched the man’s performance with indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shisui Uchiha frowned and whispered: “Eight o’clock, three o’clock, six o’clock.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li, Yi, and Ren nodded, then vanished from their spots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, the Uchiha genius—Instant Transmission Shisui—how did Itachi spot them all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiral-masked man grinned at Shisui: “By the way, my mission was to lure Itachi all away. Now only one remains—what should I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shisui Uchiha stared coldly, not moving an inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma patted his shoulder: “Go. If Itachi don’t leave, the others won’t show.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Itachi know my strength. Even if I can’t win, they can’t stop me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But watch out for this guy—standard genjutsu probably won’t work on him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Best to cut him in half and bring him back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shisui Uchiha paused, then nodded seriously: “Understood!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wah-wah-wah! The Konoha Death God is truly cruel!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiral-masked man cried out dramatically, his exaggerated gestures almost comical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shisui Uchiha used Instant Transmission to appear beside him and drew his blade to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he missed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shisui’s pupils shrank instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned— the spiral-masked man now stood atop another tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not an ordinary Instant Transmission…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So far, only two people had escaped Shisui’s Sharingan perception with their movement techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His boss—and his boss’s boss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And both used the same technique: Flying Thunder God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shisui dashed after him, fully alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiral-masked man kept retreating, appearing and vanishing among the trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shisui quickly deduced: “Is he using connections between trees?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chase and escape—soon, both vanished from Fujinaka Genma’s sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma suddenly kicked backward, his foot passing through a black-robed man wearing a tiger-mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-robed man had been reaching for Fujinaka Genma’s nape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body had turned intangible—his hand passed through Fujinaka Genma’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma smiled: “Finally decided to show yourself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, both vanished from their spots, swapped positions, and stood ten meters apart, facing each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder Itachi’re the Konoha Death God—so quick to react!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low, gravelly voice spoke. Chains clinked on the tiger-masked man’s body, then one appeared before Fujinaka Genma’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, he nearly believed the man before him was Obito Uchiha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m curious— which Uchiha are Itachi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does it matter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, how are Itachi certain I’m even from the Uchiha clan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tiger-masked man countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma stared at him: “So Itachi took Obito Uchiha’s eyes—and killed him, too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll consider telling Itachi when I capture Itachi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the tiger-masked man spoke, his heart lurched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t fooled him after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it doesn’t matter. Even if Itachi know, what can Itachi do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With these eyes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, the tiger-masked man charged Fujinaka Genma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma charged forward too, casually tossing a Flying Thunder God kunai—unsurprisingly, it passed straight through the tiger-masked man’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just one moment’s opening—that’s all I need to grab him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tiger-masked man knew Fujinaka Genma possessed the Flying Thunder God, an extremely fast movement technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had two Mangekyo techniques, his left eye’s ability could lock on from afar—but it was slower. With Fujinaka Genma’s speed, he’d never reach him in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he had to close the distance—just one touch, and he’d capture him in an instant!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed that, with Fujinaka Genma unaware of his abilities, even the Flying Thunder God wouldn’t be fast enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two charged toward each other, closing rapidly—and in the instant the kunai passed through his body, the tiger-masked man reached for Fujinaka Genma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just as the tiger-masked man was about to touch Fujinaka Genma, Fujinaka Genma vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clatter! The tiger-masked man yanked his chain, trying to ensnare Fujinaka Genma, who had appeared behind him via Flying Thunder God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he had analyzed the Flying Thunder God technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he misjudged it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fujinaka Genma had not teleported using a Flying Thunder God kunai—he had simply appeared directly beneath the tiger-masked man, like a charging beast slamming into his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tiger-masked man took Fujinaka Genma’s punch full force, spitting blood and losing consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, Fujinaka Genma seized the tiger-masked man’s throat; in the next instant, the mask shattered, and Fujinaka Genma tore out the man’s left eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the tiger-masked man react—he instantly phased his body, retreating swiftly without pause, vanishing from Fujinaka Genma’s sight in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>",1192,"2026-06-21T02:29:34.312Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5f02a57da75bd56e4bdd1745edd679cab571bebfefa898714a1673642da12c5c","starting-off-with-horse-and-sword-in-konoha-chapter-145","starting-off-with-horse-and-sword-in-konoha-chapter-143",157,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-off-with-horse-and-sword-in-konoha-cover.jpg"]