Chapter 100: I Want to Be a Chosen Favorite of the World's Will Too!

Nowhere in the original novel was Toroi's exact cause of death revealed.

But as for Niqai? His death had been described in clear detail.

This poor soul didn't fall during the Third Great Ninja War, yet met his end after recklessly walking into an ambush by Xuanyuanzhong's explosive insects while traveling with A, the Fourth Raikage, to Sugi no Kuni to seize ninja scrolls.

"It must be him."

Kei Yamanaka quickly pieced it together in his mind. There was no doubt that it was Niqai whose fate had been changed.

Toroi, as an experienced ninja who had long navigated the ninja world, was long accustomed to farewells and loss.

Even if a teammate sacrificed themselves to save him, he would feel sorrow only briefly.

Only someone like Niqai—a newly promoted Jonin still lacking real-world experience—would have his spirit broken by the deaths of his comrades-in-arms, ultimately altering his destiny.

"At least it's something."

Kei clicked his tongue in mild annoyance and activated his Hydrification Technique to silently slip through the ocean floor.

Quickly approaching the area where he had previously sensed the Blood Dragon Eye ninja.

In a civilian home on the edge of Oshima Island's harbor,

A young man whose sclera were blood-red, with dark red irises crossed by a faint pink horizontal stripe, sat calmly on the sofa.

Holding a cup of steaming tea, he sipped slowly, appearing completely unfazed.

The fierce battle at the dock from earlier seemed to have left no impression on him at all.

Gokuraku Castle En?

Kei pushed open the half-closed door.

Looking at the younger version of Gokuraku Castle En—nearly identical to how he was portrayed in the novel—Kei felt even more confused.

Didn't this man slaughter his entire clan after his wife was driven to suicide by her own family, then leave with his daughter Chino to become a merchant?

What's he doing here?

"Mist ninja sure are pitiful. They failed to kill you. But now that you've come here... should I say you're lucky or unlucky?"

Gokuraku Castle En turned his gaze toward the middle-aged ninja standing at the doorway.

A faint smirk of disdain curled his lips. His Blood Dragon Eye locked onto Kei's gaze, unleashing its signature illusion immediately!

Buzz—

Invisible Yin Release energy spread throughout the small room.

The dense, oppressive, foul-smelling Yin chakra made Kei Yamanaka frown slightly.

Any curiosity about the Blood Dragon Eye illusion vanished at once.

Unwilling to waste words on him, Kei casually countered with his own [Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change].

Watching Gokuraku Castle En slump dazed on the sofa,

Kei took out a small glass vial about half the size of his palm from the Sealing Scroll.

He encased it in a Water Release: Water Ball to leave no trace behind,

Then walked directly in front of the man and raised his hand—to extract the eye.

"Ahhh!"

An earsplitting scream rang out from inside the house.

Calmly, inside the pale-blue water sphere enclosing Gokuraku Castle En, Kei washed his bloodied hands.

Looking at the crystal-clear Blood Dragon Eye inside the glass bottle, he nodded in satisfaction.

"My eyes! I can't see! I..."

In agonizing pain, Gokuraku Castle En barely broke free from his own illusion.

Before he could scream again more than a few times,

Kei wasted no time delivering another strike—an original A-rank illusion of his own design: [Magical World: Reversed Realms].

Without the Blood Dragon Eye, Gokuraku Castle En immediately succumbed to a genjutsu.

Though his expression flickered between ecstasy and agony, he could not escape the Heavenly Realm's binding jutsu at all.

As the illusion relentlessly attacked his mind, his face gradually became serene.

Kei Yamanaka casually grabbed the other man's belt with one hand.

He flung the bloodstained Water Sphere into the ocean, to erase every trace of evidence.

After summoning Eagle-Falcon Bi Diao using Summoning Technique, he flew directly toward the southwest of Oshima Island.

Glancing back at the direction Toroi and others had fled,

Kei exhaled slowly through his mouth.

The ranch plan for Musai had already been largely completed before he left—livestock calves, feed supplies, and workers were all set in place.

With remaining funds on the table, it would manage to run smoothly enough on its own.

Everyone wins! Perfect!

As for Nii, beyond the contingency plans made during the Two-Tails Matatabi's rampage, he had made numerous additional arrangements during his week-long hospital recovery period.

Once news of 'his' sacrifice spreads back,

once certain conditions are met, the temporarily sealed pieces of information will begin to unlock gradually.

Let's hope that when this cute little girl grows up, she doesn't end up repeating history and falling into the hands of the immortal duo again!

Kumo loses a usable jinchūriki. Konoha removes a potential threat.

Otsutsuki Shinko's Mother Rescue Plan difficulty +1.

Hmm, also perfect!

"C'mon now, let's find out why you betrayed my cute little girl."

Kei Yamanaka placed one hand atop Gokuraku Castle En's head, activated the Memory Reading Technique, and swiftly sifted through the other's memories.

Truthfully, he'd always felt suspicion toward the faction behind the assassination attempt on Nii.

Judging by the timeline:

At the time of the assassination of Kumogakure's leadership, Madara Uchiha had just died, and Mist was still without a leader.

They shouldn't have had time to stir trouble within Kumo Village.

Yet Anbu interrogations of the survivors pointed unmistakably toward Mist ninja!

And now Gokuraku Castle En was indeed involved with Mist shinobi.

Could it actually have been Madara issuing orders before his death?

"…Onoki, you truly outdid yourself!"

After reviewing Gokuraku Castle En's memories from the past year, Kei slightly twitched his lips.

Unlike the original story in which he slaughtered his entire clan and fled Hell's Valley with his daughter,

nowadays, Gokuraku Castle En had only recently married.

Due to the Clan of the Blood Pond's brutally harsh living conditions, to secure essential supplies for his wife and clan's survival,

over a year ago, he began regularly taking missions from underground currency exchange groups.

After working for several months, his strong skills and solid reputation earned him recognition.

Soon, he started receiving high-paying assignments regularly from major clients.

In the underground exchange, many other shinobi shared similar experiences.

During an accidental encounter, someone vaguely noticed the client unintentionally revealing a Mist shinobi forehead protector.

So, people like him naturally assumed their employer was actually Kiri.

Had it not been for this current mission—assisting Mist shinobi against Kumogakure—it wouldn't have been easy to hide anyway.

Gokuraku Castle En probably would've never discovered the truth.

Their biggest client had always been Iwagakure!

In the original storyline, A, the Raikage, had accused Onoki of frequently hiring bounty ninjas to do his dirty work.

In a war where anything goes,

such behavior could be justified.

But...

"Has Iwagakure already allied with Kirigakure?"

Kei Yamanaka withdrew his hand from Gokuraku Castle En's head.

For now, he temporarily abandoned the idea of silencing him permanently.

In the original story, during the Third Great Ninja War, Iwa and Kiri were indeed allies.

Had Iwagakure not suddenly betrayed Mist during their joint operation against Kumogakure, resulting in the Green Canyon Tragedy,

given their geographical positions,

this alliance might have lasted all the way until the Fourth Great Ninja War.

"I wonder what expressions those two—the bandage-faced man and the mustached one—would wear upon learning this."

Kei silently taunted.

The Second Tsuchikage Onoki and the Second Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki had fought each other to mutual destruction in the First Great Ninja War.

Kumogakure and Iwagakure could practically be considered hereditary foes.

How many years had passed? And these two villages had already formed an alliance?

In the original story, Madara Uchiha's actions were understandable. After all, he personally shared no bond whatsoever with the Second Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki.

Alliances are purely based on interests.

Previously, Kei had assumed that during the Third Great Ninja War, when A, the Third Raikage, suddenly launched a surprise attack on Iwagakure's rear flank, the village was forced into allying with Kirigakure.

But looking at things now, weren't these two ninja villages already hooked up long before that?

"No eternal enemies, only eternal interests?"

Kei snorted.

He shook his head, unwilling to waste more thoughts on criticism.

After all, compared to Iwagakure and Kirigakure, Konoha's Leadership had sunk far lower.

Bi Diao swiftly soared at high altitude.

Carrying an extra person significantly slowed its pace.

It took two full days of exhausting flight before Bi Diao finally delivered Kei Yamanaka to the coastline of the Land of Fire.

After dispelling the Summoning Jutsu, allowing Bi Diao to return to Konoha's summoning coop to recuperate,

Kei carried Gokuraku Castle En and continued toward Konohagakure.

Meanwhile, he started considering

whether he should have Kurenai Yuhi sign a Summoning Contract with clams in the future.

His young apprentice possessed remarkable talent in genjutsu and naturally had an affinity for water-natured chakra as well, though it had never been properly developed before.

With some effort, even if she couldn't become another Gengetsu Hozuki, she could definitely become more versatile and greatly enhance her potential ceiling.

Most importantly, once someone mastered Clam Summoning,

he wouldn't have to haul prisoners over long distances every time.

This dragging-prisoners-around business was just too painful!

[Ding~ Major alteration of a key character's destiny path detected. The Worldline Progression Has Shifted. Rewards obtained: x1 Fate-Related Skill Listing Draw Opportunity, x1 Random Green-Tier Trait Enhancement Opportunity, x1 Keyword Gift Opportunity.]

"So it looks like news of my death has already reached Kumogakure!"

During a break from traveling,

a system notification once again echoed in Kei Yamanaka's mind.

His terrible mood instantly flipped 180 degrees upon seeing the rewards.

A fate-related skill listing opportunity!

Water Gate's [Overwhelming Luck], Jiraiya's [Heaven's Chosen Mentor]. 

He also wanted to be a little brat showered with the world's favor!

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