The group briefly investigated the identities of the two ambushing ninja. Unfortunately, they found no clues. And so, all eyes fell on Tazuna.
Needless to say, Tazuna was clearly still in a state of shock and fear. If Kusuo hadn't reacted in time, he would have likely been a dead man.
"Talk! What is this mission really about?"
"It was clearly stated to be an ordinary mission, with no mention of a possible ninja attack, right?" Asuma's face was grim. The feeling of being deceived was extremely unpleasant. No one would be happy about it.
"I..." Tazuna was completely overwhelmed by the aura of a jonin, his teeth chattering.
"According to the request you gave us, this is just a C-rank escort mission. Besides bandits and mountain robbers, there should be basically no danger. And according to the village's rules, as soon as other ninja are involved in an attack, the mission difficulty is B-rank at the very least," Asuma said menacingly, one step away from grabbing Tazuna by the collar and yelling at him. "Talk! What else are you hiding?"
Under Asuma's intense pressure, Tazuna still kept his eyes shut tight, acting like a dead pig not afraid of boiling water. Seeing his stubborn appearance, Asuma rubbed his forehead, getting a headache. Subconsciously, he wanted to consult with Kusuo. He looked over, only to see that the latter seemed to be lost in thought.
...
[Current Role-Play Percentage: 95.00%.]
A translucent panel hovered in front of Kusuo. On it, besides the numbers, was a shadow that had become remarkably lifelike: Yoriichi Tsugikuni. As the template unlocked more and more, the spectral image of Yoriichi had become more and more solid.
I never thought that killing other ninja could increase the percentage by so much! Those two chunin just now had given him a massive boost. Combined with the system's bonus for a "first kill," his role-play percentage had shot up to nearly half.
Kusuo was extremely excited. Having been struggling to find a better way to increase his percentage, he had been at his wit's end lately. On one hand, he had almost unlocked all of Sun Breathing's forms. By his calculations, he would have just broken 50% by then. But what about the other half after that? The days when he could increase his percentage just by swinging his sword were long gone. As the template unlocked further, he often had to use a technique numerous times just to raise it by a tenth of a percent. If he really waited until all twelve forms were unlocked, he would have no way to improve.
Now, things were different. Killing opponents could increase his percentage. This was like the system indirectly telling him that as long as he killed mobs, he would gain experience. The higher the level of the mob, the more experience he'd get.
At that moment, Kusuo, who had always hoped for a more peaceful world to develop steadily, suddenly began to look forward to war with great anticipation.
I'll be meeting Zabuza soon. That's a guy who can go toe-to-toe with an elite jonin like Kakashi. He should give me a nice boost to my percentage.
Sheathing his sword, Kusuo's eyes became firm. His anticipation for the fight with the "Demon" Zabuza was no longer just about testing his own strength. It was about slaying his opponent.
"Kusuo." Hinata looked at him nervously, her pure white eyes filled with worry. "Sensei was calling you just now."
Only then did Kusuo give Asuma an apologetic smile and walk over.
"How are you feeling? A bit unsettling?" Asuma took a drag from his cigarette, assuming Kusuo's earlier preoccupation was due to psychological issues from his first kill.
Kusuo just smiled, neither confirming nor denying. Seeing his student's expression, Asuma stopped worrying. This world was exceptionally cruel. A strong person had to have a heart of steel to follow their ninja way and go further.
"The mission has clearly changed. If the enemy can send out assassination-type chunin skilled in stealth right from the start, there will definitely be more attempts later on. This is far beyond the danger level of a C-rank mission. What are your thoughts?" Asuma briefly explained the new situation to Kusuo, preparing to listen to his opinion seriously.
"Mm..." Kusuo stroked his chin, thinking for a moment. "That old man didn't tell the truth?" He already knew everything, of course, but he needed to make Tazuna say it himself.
"That guy acts like he's not afraid of death. I tried to press him just now, but I didn't succeed." Asuma took another puff of his cigarette, his brow furrowed.
Kusuo glanced at Tazuna, who was still standing nearby with his legs trembling slightly, and sneered. "Heh, people who truly aren't afraid of death might exist in this world, but you are definitely not one of them!"
SHING!
The sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard echoed. In the blink of an eye, the blade was pressed against Tazuna's neck.
"Old man, I heard you're not afraid to die. I believe you," Kusuo said coldly. "Coincidentally, I'm not afraid of the punishment for killing, either. Do you believe me?"
The sharp edge of the blade slowly forced Tazuna to his knees until cold sweat poured down his face. Kusuo stood over him, holding the sword, his eyes filled with indifference.
Gulp.
The sound of someone swallowing hard was heard. Tazuna thought of the scene from moments ago, of this cold young boy instantly killing two chunin. The gushing blood, the unwillingness in the dead ninjas' eyes... He was terrified.
"I... I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!" Tazuna hastily declared that he would reveal the truth.
Then, a smile appeared on Kusuo's face. "Wouldn't it have been better to cooperate like this from the start?"
The group gathered around Tazuna. When they learned that he had offended Gato, the tycoon who controlled the entire Land of Waves, Naruto and Hinata didn't quite grasp the concept. Asuma, however, grew even more troubled. He subconsciously turned to look for Kusuo again.
"I don't think it's a big deal," Kusuo shrugged, looking at Asuma and fully expressing his trust in his jonin leader. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I believe in your strength, Asuma-sensei."
Asuma was pleased to hear this. Being recognized by such an outstanding genius like Kusuo was still very satisfying. In truth, his own thought was also to continue the mission. However, Asuma, who thought he now understood the full extent of the mission's changes, never imagined that they would later encounter a powerful missing-nin like the "Demon" Zabuza.
Kusuo knew this clearly but had no intention of saying it out loud. Each with their own thoughts, the two of them tacitly agreed to continue the mission.
-------
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